Conversation AI Agents Get Working Hours

TL;DR

GoHighLevel now allows you to set specific working hours for each Conversation AI agent. This means your AI can operate on a schedule, respond differently after hours, and manage conversations more precisely. You can apply this immediately.

Who this affects

This update affects any agency owner or SaaS entrepreneur using GoHighLevel's Conversation AI agents. If your business relies on AI for initial customer interactions or support, you should pay attention. Specifically, if you use multiple AI agents for different purposes or need your AI to adhere to business hours, this is relevant. HighLevel has not confirmed if there are any plan level restrictions, so assume it applies broadly to accounts with Conversation AI enabled. HighLevel has not confirmed who is affected by this update.

What changed

GoHighLevel has added the ability to configure working hours for Conversation AI agents. Here are the specifics:

• Working Hours can be set individually for each Conversation AI agent.
• Specific working days and hours are configurable for an agent.
• You can set different hours for each day of the week.
• Multiple time slots can be added per day to accommodate breaks or split shifts.
• Working Hours can be selectively applied to channels including SMS, Email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Chat Widget, Live Chat, and TikTok.
• Channels not selected for Working Hours will continue to have the AI agent respond 24/7.
• The agent's schedule can run based on the contact's local timezone or the business timezone.
• Ongoing conversations that started during working hours will continue after hours until inactive.
• An Off-Hours Auto-Reply can be sent automatically to customers messaging outside working hours.
• Custom messages for the Off-Hours Auto-Reply are supported, including custom values.
• Email notifications for after-hours messages can be sent to admins, users, assigned users, selected team members, or custom email addresses.
• Selected tags can be automatically added to contacts who message outside business hours.
• A follow-up can be automatically sent when business hours resume if the customer has not yet received a response.
• Working Hours is optional; if not enabled, the agent responds at any time.
• The Off-Hours Auto-Reply, notifications, and contact tags are triggered once per closed period.
• The business-hours follow-up is skipped if the customer has already received a response from the AI agent or a team member.
• In Suggestive Mode, suggestions can still be generated after working hours.
• If Followup Hours is configured for Advanced Follow-Up, the agent's Working Hours takes priority for included channels.
• Agents can be manually activated outside their Working Hours via the conversation panel.
• Working Hours is configured per agent, allowing different schedules for different agents.

HighLevel has not confirmed any limits or plan gating, nor the rollout status. This update does not replace or break any existing features according to HighLevel's facts.

Where to find it

HighLevel has not published the exact navigation path for this feature yet. Based on the description, it will likely be found within the settings for individual Conversation AI agents. You will probably access it from the AI agent configuration section, possibly under a new 'Working Hours' tab or setting for each agent.

How agencies will use this

An agency could set up a specialized AI agent to handle lead qualification exclusively during specific business hours, say Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM local time. If a potential client messages outside these hours, the system can automatically send an Off-Hours Auto-Reply acknowledging their message, perhaps with a custom value for the expected response time. Simultaneously, a 'After Hours Lead' tag is applied to the contact, and an email notification is sent to the sales team's inbox. When business hours resume the next day, if the client hasn't received a direct response from a human or the AI, the agent automatically follows up. This ensures leads are always acknowledged, tagged for follow-up, and that the AI isn't actively engaging in qualification when human intervention might be preferred or required during off-peak times.

Our take

This is a major update for anyone leveraging Conversation AI. It adds a layer of professionalism and control that was previously missing. It means your AI agents can operate more like human staff, respecting business hours and avoiding out-of-hours interactions when not desired. The ability to customize off-hours responses and trigger follow-ups is crucial for managing client expectations and ensuring no leads fall through the cracks. This feature directly addresses common operational challenges with 24/7 AI, making it more practical for businesses that need a structured approach to communication.