Skip Turn
Skip Turn is a system tool that enables AI agents to intelligently decide when to skip their speaking turn based on conversation context. The agent uses this tool when users are not directly addressing them or when no response is needed.
Overview
The Skip Turn system tool helps agents handle situations where users are:
- Singing songs
- Talking to someone else
- Having background conversations
- Talking to themselves
- Saying something unrelated to the conversation
The agent uses conversation context to make intelligent decisions about when to skip turns, creating more natural interaction patterns.
Configuration
Enable Skip Turn in your session configuration:
Tool parameters
Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
---|---|---|---|
reason | string | Yes | Brief explanation for why the turn is being skipped |
Override tool descriptions
You can override the default tool description and parameter descriptions to customize the agent’s behavior:
When skip turn is used
The agent automatically calls this tool when it detects:
Direct scenarios
- Singing: User is singing a song
- Third-party conversation: User is talking to someone else in the room
- Background chatter: Casual conversation not directed at the agent
- Self-talk: User talking to themselves
- Unrelated content: User saying something unrelated to the current conversation
Example situations
Default implementation
Here’s how the Skip Turn tool is defined on our server:
Troubleshooting
If you notice the agent skipping turns when it shouldn’t:
- Review Context: Check if the conversation context is clear enough
- Adjust Instructions: Refine your system prompt to provide better guidance
- Override description: You can override the tool description as per your need