Why Your Conversational Agent Is Not Replying
Check saved activation, connected channels, response delays, schedules and handoff before diagnosing an assistant that is silent.
Start by checking whether the customer's message reaches Inbox. If the message never arrives, investigate the channel connection first. If it arrives but the assistant stays silent, use the checks below.
1. Confirm the saved assistant and channel
- Select the correct location and open AI → Conversational Agents.
- In 01 Your assistant, check that the intended assistant is enabled.
- In 04 Where it replies, confirm the channel and, where applicable, the specific number. An active assistant with no connected channels cannot answer your customers there.
- Save any intended correction with Save changes. The 08 How it works summary can reflect unsaved edits; seeing the right value in the form is not proof it was saved.
2. Check both wait times and their units
Open 05 When it replies. Wait before responding applies to a new message; Wait for existing conversations applies when the conversation has already started. Check whether each value is in seconds, minutes or hours.
In this example, a new message has a two-minute wait while an existing conversation has an eight-hour wait. Those are example settings, not recommended defaults. A quick response in the test panel does not prove that a customer conversation has the same timing.
3. Review schedules and limits
Check Limit to a schedule, its configured periods and any scheduled-reply limit. Review Max messages in 03 Business & rules. If a limit has been reached or the current time is outside the configured schedule, do not assume the incoming message was lost.
4. Check whether a person was requested
With Hand over to a person enabled in section 06, the assistant can announce that someone will follow up and stop replying. Have the team review and handle the conversation. See Hand Over an AI Conversation to Your Team.
5. Separate answer quality from delivery
If it replies but gives an incomplete or outdated answer, check 02 What it knows, source learning status and conflicting instructions. If it answers questions but cannot perform an action, check that the required tool or calendar is enabled in section 06. Also review AI Wallet if an AI service reports a balance issue.
Run one controlled test
Use a simple informational question in Test your Bot and select the intended channel under Testing on. Then test the actual connected channel, note the time, and allow the configured delay. Verify the incoming message and the reply in Inbox. Do not use a real booking or message-sending action just to test a response.
See Conversational Agent Settings, Section by Section.
Need help?
Contact info@zonitel.com with the location, assistant or page involved, what you expected, and the date and time of your test. Do not include passwords or private customer messages.