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How to Set Up Live Call Transfer (Cold and Warm)
Create a Transfer Call tool named transfer_call_[keyword], add the destination phone number, and write a description starting with 'Use these tools' covering when to transfer — a named request, an emergency, or another defined scenario. Reference the tool name in the prompt, save, add it to the assistant, and test with a real call.
Live transfer hands a call to a real person — cold (straight to voice) or warm (with context passed first, depending on your telephony setup) — whenever the caller needs a human. This is what powers scenarios like flagging an emergency for immediate live pickup.
Steps
- Select the assistant to configure for call transfer.
- Add required tools. In Tools and Abilities, confirm the prerequisite tools this feature needs are assigned, then click Add Tool.
- Create the transfer tool. Choose Transfer Call, and name it using the format
transfer_call_[keyword]— for example,transfer_call_ricky. Keep the keyword short: 2–3 words, no lengthy descriptions in the name itself. - Write the description, starting with “Use these tools,” and list the specific scenarios that should trigger it — for example: when a caller asks for a specific person by name, when there’s an emergency, or another scenario relevant to your business.
- Add the destination number and save. Enter the phone number to transfer to, click Update Number, then Save Changes.
- Add the tool to the assistant and confirm it shows as added (it typically highlights once attached). Reference the exact tool name —
transfer_call_[keyword]— in the prompt wherever the transfer should happen, then save. - Test it by dialing the assigned number and confirming the call actually transfers.
Cautionary notes
Double-check the tool name and description format — errors here are a common cause of a transfer that never fires. Confirm the phone number is correctly entered before saving. If the assistant doesn’t behave as expected, review both the prompt wording and the tool settings.
Common questions
Can the assistant transfer to different people depending on the situation? Yes — create multiple transfer_call_[keyword] tools, each with its own destination number and its own description of when to use it.
What if the transfer never fires during a real call? See fix: AI assistant not transferring calls.
Next step
Continue to how to set up a custom voicemail message for calls that don’t reach a live person at all.