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When to take over a conversation
The WhatsApp bot handles most candidate interactions automatically. But there are times when a recruiter needs to step in — to answer a specific question, handle a sensitive situation, or move a conversation forward manually.
Any recruiter with access to the candidate's profile can take over a conversation from the bot at any time.
How to take over a conversation
Open the candidate's profile in Recruitera
Go to the WhatsApp conversation tab
Click Take over conversation
You can now type and send messages freely to the candidate
Once you take over, the bot will stop sending automated responses for that conversation. The candidate will continue to see messages coming from the same company WhatsApp number — the transition is seamless from their side.
How to hand back to the bot
The bot does not resume automatically after a recruiter takes over. To return the conversation to automated handling, you have two options:
Click the Return to bot button in the conversation view
Send a new approved template message — this reactivates the automated flow
If you close the conversation without returning it to the bot, it will remain in manual mode until one of the above actions is taken.
Important things to know
When you take over, the 24-hour free messaging window rules still apply. If the window has closed, you must use an approved template — you cannot send free-form messages.
All messages sent during manual takeover are logged in the candidate's conversation history in Recruitera.
Multiple recruiters can view a conversation, but only one should be actively messaging at a time to avoid confusion.