---
title: "How to Control When Fuely AI Responds (Working Hours)"
description: "You can decide whether Fuely AI answers customers around the clock or only when your business is closed."
canonical_url: https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/how-to-configure-working-hours
markdown_url: https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/how-to-configure-working-hours.md
last_updated: 2026-08-12
lang: en
site: https://chatfuel.com/docs
llms_txt: https://chatfuel.com/llms.txt
---

# How to Control When Fuely AI Responds (Working Hours)

You can decide whether Fuely AI answers customers around the clock or only when your business is closed.

You can decide whether Fuely AI answers customers around the clock or only when your business is closed. Two things work together here: your **working hours** (a business fact that lives in the [Knowledge Base](https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/how-to-set-up-knowledge-base)) and the **When AI replies** setting on each [automation](https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/automations) (which decides whether the AI answers always or only after hours).

Because **When AI replies** is set per automation, different channels can behave differently — for example, WhatsApp replies 24/7 while Instagram only answers after hours.

## Set your working hours [#set-your-working-hours]

Working hours tell Fuely AI when your team is open, so it knows what counts as "after hours." They are part of your business information in the Knowledge Base — set or update them there, alongside your company info and FAQ. Leave a day empty if you are closed that day.

## Set it up in Automations [#set-it-up-in-automations]

1. Go to **Fuely AI** → **Automations**.
2. Open the automation for the channel you want (or **Main bot** to change it everywhere).
3. Open the **When AI replies** setting and pick one of two options:
   * **Always** — the AI replies to every customer message. This is the default.
   * **Outside working hours** — the AI replies only when your business is closed. During working hours your team handles chats; outside them, the AI takes over.

> **Note:** There is no "Never" option. If you want the AI to stay silent on a channel entirely, [turn that channel's automation off](https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/can-i-enable-ai-for-one-channel-but-not-another) instead.

**Edge case:** if you pick **Outside working hours** but haven't defined any working hours, the AI responds **always** — with no hours set, there is no "open" window for your team to cover.

## Or ask the AI Co-Worker [#or-ask-the-ai-co-worker]

Tell it what you want in chat:

*"Set my working hours to 9am–6pm Monday to Friday, and only answer customers outside those hours."*

It applies the change and confirms what it set.

## At a glance [#at-a-glance]

| Goal                                                      | What to set                                                                               |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| The AI answers every message, 24/7                        | **When AI replies** → **Always** on Main bot                                              |
| The AI answers only after hours, team handles the workday | Working hours in the Knowledge Base, plus **When AI replies** → **Outside working hours** |
| One channel 24/7, another only after hours                | Override **When AI replies** on each channel's automation                                 |
| The AI stays silent on a channel                          | Turn that channel's automation off                                                        |