> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.threetone.in/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Skip turn

> Prepare when an agent should avoid an unnecessary reply and distinguish that instruction from silence timers and call termination.

The skip-turn definition describes situations where the agent should avoid responding immediately. Use a narrow condition, such as the user explicitly asking for a moment to find information.

<Note>
  This guide covers authoring the built-in definition. It does not establish working turn suppression, microphone handling, or live waiting behavior. A stored setting cannot confirm that a conversation will remain silent.
</Note>

## Configure the condition

<Steps>
  <Step title="Choose when waiting is appropriate">
    Write examples of a deliberate request to wait and an ordinary unanswered question. Specify that the agent should continue helping when the user resumes, without inventing a timer or callback.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable Skip Turn">
    On the agent's **Tools > System tools** panel, enable **Skip Turn** and open its settings. Use **Description (optional)** to describe the intended condition.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save and inspect">
    Select **Save** to update the agent working copy. To persist through the API, include the tool at `conversation_config.agent.prompt.built_in_tools.skip_turn` in a complete [server draft](/agents-platform/deploy/versioning).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Tool definition

```json theme={null}
{
  "type": "system",
  "name": "skip_turn",
  "description": "Use when the user explicitly asks for a moment to find information.",
  "params": {
    "system_tool_type": "skip_turn"
  }
}
```

This is a tool-definition fragment. The tool-specific `params` accepts only the discriminator; it does not contain `wait_seconds`, a resume event, or a silence-detection threshold. General turn settings and the [end-call tool](/agents-platform/configure/tools/system-tools/end-call) serve different purposes.

Prepare examples for “give me a moment,” a short background remark, silence after a question, and a new question during the wait. Record expected behavior for later execution testing instead of assuming these cases are handled by enabling the tool.

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does Skip Turn end the conversation?" id="faq-skip-turn-end">
    The authored action is distinct from end\_call. Do not use it as a termination policy or infer a runtime hangup result from it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I set an exact waiting period here?" id="faq-skip-turn-timer">
    No waiting-period field exists in this tool's parameters. Do not add an invented duration or resume callback.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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