Shopify · Live takeover

AI talks first. You step in live when it matters.

Clearly Agent handles ~80% of customer questions automatically — catalog, orders, sizing, shipping. The other 20% (complaints, custom requests, weird edge cases) get escalated to you. Push notification, one tap, you’re typing live in the same widget the customer’s been using.

No ticket queue. No second tool. AI ↔ human in one widget.

The five-step flow

  1. 01

    Customer asks something the AI doesn't know

    Could be a refund-policy edge case, a custom-order question, or a complaint. The AI recognizes its own limit (or the customer types "I want to talk to a human") and escalates.

  2. 02

    You get a push notification — instantly

    Browser push (Mac, Windows, Chrome on phone), Shopify Admin notification, and email. Includes the conversation transcript so you have context before you reply.

  3. 03

    You join the conversation as yourself

    One tap to join. Your name and avatar appear in the chat — customer sees a real human stepped in. No new tool, no second login.

  4. 04

    Customer sees a typing indicator and a real-time reply

    Three dots while you type. Reply lands inline in the same widget the customer has been using. Feels exactly like a human-only live chat from the customer's side.

  5. 05

    Hand back to the AI when the conversation winds down

    Tap "Hand back to AI" and the agent resumes. Customer's next message gets an AI reply. AI knows what you said and continues coherently.

Why this is different from “email handoff”

Most AI chatbots that claim “human handoff” actually do this:

  • AI fails → conversation closes → customer types email → ticket created → you respond hours later.
  • Customer experience: broken context, async, feels like a brush-off.

Clearly does this:

  • AI escalates → you join in <30 seconds → type live in the same widget the customer’s already in.
  • Customer experience: warm, synchronous, brand-personal.

What it’s good for

  • High-stakes conversations. A customer about to drop a $1,200 order with sizing questions — you want to be in that conversation.
  • Complaints. AI can’t apologize meaningfully. You can.
  • Custom orders. Personalization, engraving, monogramming — AI can’t commit to a workflow your team owns.
  • Wholesale / B2B inquiries. The conversation should be human from the start; AI hands off immediately when a B2B keyword fires.
  • VIP customers. Flag a customer by email; their conversations always escalate to you.

FAQ

Is takeover available on the free tier?
Yes. Live takeover is included on the free plan — no upgrade required. Push notifications, in-widget typing indicator, conversation transcript, all of it.
What triggers escalation?
Multiple paths: (1) customer types "human", "manager", "agent", "real person", or similar; (2) AI fails to resolve after N turns; (3) customer asks about refunds, custom orders, complaints, or other topics you've flagged for human review; (4) customer clicks the explicit "talk to a human" button in the widget. You configure thresholds in settings.
What if I'm offline?
The agent posts a "we'll be back at [your business hours]" message and queues the conversation in your merchant inbox. When you log in, you see all unanswered escalations.
Can multiple team members take over?
Yes — multiple admins on the Shopify store can join. Conversations show who joined; you can pass between team members without the customer noticing.
Does the customer see when AI vs human is replying?
By default, the AI replies under your branded agent name (e.g., "Stella"). When you join, your real name appears with a small "joined the conversation" line. Customers tend to read this as "the brand sent someone in," which is exactly the framing you want — continuity with the brand voice but real human attention.
How fast does the push notification arrive?
Under 2 seconds typically. The DO publishes the escalation event over the daemon WebSocket → push notification fires immediately. If you're running the Shopify Mobile Admin app, it shows on your phone.
How do tickets work after takeover?
Every conversation (AI-only or human-took-over) is logged in your merchant inbox with status (open, awaiting reply, resolved). You can filter, search, and re-open. No separate ticket system to manage.
Can I take over before the AI escalates — like, proactively?
Yes. The merchant inbox shows live conversations as they happen. Click any in-progress conversation and join — the AI yields to you immediately.
Install Clearly Agent →Customization options →