Sending a flow to a conversation by hand: agent, Clomni AI, another flow

Last updated: 31 October 2026 · 5 min read

Steps

1. 1

   An agent sends it

   • In a mobile app conversation: in the right panel, under “Device”, “Send a flow”. “Choose a flow”, then “Send”. On success: “The flow was sent to the conversation.”
   • In the web chat, WhatsApp, Instagram and other channels: “Start a flow” in the conversation's right panel.

   Only the inbox's active, published “Manual” flows are listed.

2. 2

   When it does not start

   • “A flow is already running in this conversation. It stops when you reply to the customer.” The earlier flow is waiting for the customer or a timer; replying to the customer stops it.
   • “The reply window is closed, so the flow's messages would not go out. You can start it once the customer writes again.” On WhatsApp Business API, Instagram and Facebook when the customer has not written in 24 hours. The mobile app and WhatsApp QR have no such limit.
   • “This flow is not live.”
3. 3

   The conversation's status

   A flow an agent sends does not change the conversation's status. At the end of its path the conversation goes back to the status it had. Only a “Close conversation” step closes it, and only “Hand to agent” hands it over. “Who sees it” does not apply: the agent chose to send it.

4. 4

   Clomni AI starts it

   A Clomni AI agent has a “Start a flow” skill. Pick the flows there and write “When” for each, e.g. “when the customer asks for the catalogue”. The agent starts the flow when the customer asks for it and does not send its own reply: the flow takes over.

   The agent does not start it if the flow is not live, belongs to another inbox, another flow is running, or the flow comes straight back to a Clomni AI step without asking anything. It answers itself instead.

5. 5

   Another flow starts it

   A “Start another flow” step can start any flow of the same inbox. See “Start another flow, and reusable flows”.