# Transfer a chat to another operator

Transferring a chat lets you hand a request to a colleague when the question is outside your area or when your shift ends. This guide shows how to send a transfer request, follow its status, and cancel it if you change your mind.

## When you need this

- The customer's question is outside your responsibility and needs a specialist.
- Your shift is ending and you are handing over active dialogs.
- The customer asks for a specific operator they spoke to earlier.
- You need to hand several of your dialogs to the same colleague.

## What to know first

- A transfer is a **request, not an instant action**. The chat changes hands only after your colleague clicks "Accept dialog".
- Right after you send it you will see **"Transfer request sent"**. That confirms the request went out — not that the transfer happened.
- The actual result arrives separately: **"Operator accepted Dialog"** when your colleague accepts, or a message about cancellation or a timeout.
- Your colleague has a limited time to decide (2 minutes by default). If they do not answer, the request is cancelled automatically.
- While a request is pending, the "Transfer dialog" buttons for that chat are disabled — this prevents duplicates.
- You can transfer **different** dialogs of yours to the same colleague: each request lives on its own.

## Before you start

- [x] You are signed in with operator permissions.
- [x] You opened the `Operator panel` module via `Menu -> Operator panel`.
- [x] You are connected to the chat you want to transfer.
- [x] The colleague you are transferring to exists in the system.

## Step-by-step

1. Open the chat — the conversation history opens on the right.
2. Open the chat menu (three dots in the header) and choose **"Add operator / transfer dialog"**.
3. Find your colleague — search by name or email, or filter by skill group.
4. Click **"Transfer dialog"** on their card.
5. Optionally write a message for your colleague — it helps them pick up the context faster. You can leave it empty.
6. Confirm. The window closes and you see **"Transfer request sent. Waiting for the operator to accept the dialog"**.

## What happens next

Your colleague immediately gets a prompt with a countdown. There are three possible outcomes:

| Outcome | What you see | What happens to the chat |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Colleague accepts | "Operator accepted Dialog" | The chat moves to them and closes for you |
| Colleague declines | "Operator canceled the Dialog transfer" | The chat stays with you |
| No answer in time | "Transfer timed out" | The chat stays with you |

While the request is pending, a banner at the top of the transfer window reads: **"The dialog is being transferred to {name}. Waiting for confirmation"**.

## How to cancel a transfer

If you change your mind, or your colleague is not responding:

1. Open the chat menu and **"Add operator / transfer dialog"** again.
2. At the top of the window you will see the banner with your colleague's name.
3. Click **"Cancel transfer chat to operator"**.

The request is withdrawn, the prompt closes on their side, and the transfer buttons become active again — you can hand the chat to someone else.

## How to verify it worked

- You received the **"Operator accepted Dialog"** message.
- The chat disappeared from your active dialogs list.
- A system record about the transfer appeared in the conversation.

## FAQ

**Why is the "Transfer dialog" button disabled?**
This chat is already being transferred to someone. Cancel the pending request (see the section above) — then you can hand it to a different colleague.

**I reloaded the page — is the request gone?**
No. If you are the recipient, the prompt is restored automatically, together with the time left to decide.

**Two dialogs are being transferred to me — why do I see only one?**
Prompts are shown one at a time. As soon as you decide on the first, the next one appears.

**Is the colleague's workload checked?**
No. A transfer does not check the recipient's dialog limit — they can accept a chat even beyond their quota.

## Related material

- [About connecting a chat to an operator](/en/operatorline/explanation/connect-chat-to-operator.md)
- [About redistributing chats from an operator](/en/operatorline/explanation/redistribute-chats-from-operator.md)
- [View active dialogs](/en/operatorline/how-to/view-active-dialogs.md)