For basic agent setup, see Agent Session Action and Agent Differences.
How Sessions Work
Comment Routing
Comments route directly to active sessions instead of creating new workflows.
Context Preservation
Full conversation history maintained throughout the session.
Graceful Termination
Sessions can be ended with keywords or interrupted by slash commands.
Timeout Control
Configurable duration limits prevent sessions from running indefinitely.
Session vs Standard Workflows
Standard Workflow
Each mention or slash command creates a new workflow execution:Interactive Session
One workflow handles multiple comments:Comment Routing Rules
When a comment or Slack thread reply is posted, Overcut routes live conversations before it evaluates new triggers:1
Check for Active Run or Session
Is there a workflow run or interactive session currently live for this PR, issue, or Slack thread?
2
Route to the Live Conversation
If yes, the message continues the existing run or session. It does not start a duplicate workflow.
3
Evaluate Triggers
If no live run or session exists, Overcut evaluates triggers normally and may start a new workflow.
Slack thread replies can be evaluated as Trigger Event
thread reply only in registered Slack channels set to Watch all messages. An in-thread @overcut mention is a mention event, not a thread reply event.Session Configuration
Comment Handling Options
Interactive sessions provide two key configuration options that control how they respond to user comments:Listen to Comments
Controls whether the session accepts and processes new comments from users.
Keep Session Open for Comments
When enabled, session waits for user replies after agent responses before proceeding.
Configuration Details
Session Termination
Sessions end when any of these conditions are met:Time Limit
maxDurationMinutes timeout reachedManual Commands
/done (ends session) or /quit (terminates workflow)Slash Commands
Any other slash command terminates session and starts new workflow
New Sessions
Starting a new session terminates the existing one
Manual Termination Commands
Two built-in commands provide direct session control:/done: Completes the current session step gracefully/quit: Terminates the entire workflow immediately
Slash Command Interruption
Other slash commands provide immediate user control:- Session receives termination signal
- Session cleared from database (stops comment routing)
- Agent gets 5 minutes to wrap up gracefully
- New slash command workflow queues or starts
Best Practices
Choose Appropriate Timeouts
Match session duration to expected interaction length
Use Built-in Exit Commands
Use
/done to end sessions or /quit to terminate workflowsDesign for Interruption
Expect users to use slash commands to change direction
Plan Complementary Workflows
Design workflows that work well together when users switch between them
When to Use Sessions
✅ Good for:- Interactive help and support
- Answering questions about code changes
- Collaborative problem-solving
- Expected back-and-forth conversation
- Independent automation tasks
- One-time analysis or reviews
- Tasks that don’t require follow-up
FAQ
Can I stop a session early?
Can I stop a session early?
Yes! Use
/done or /quit commands, or any slash command to terminate gracefully.What happens if other events occur during a session?
What happens if other events occur during a session?
- Comment events (including mentions): Route to the active session
- Slack thread replies: Continue the live run or session first. If no run or session is live, replies in registered channels set to
Watch all messagescan match workflows with Trigger Event set tothread reply. - Slash commands: Terminate the session and start new workflow
- Other events (labels, PR opened): Create new workflows that queue normally
Can multiple sessions be active at once?
Can multiple sessions be active at once?
Only one active execution can be active at a time.
Do sessions work across all platforms?
Do sessions work across all platforms?
Yes! Sessions work consistently across GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, and registered Slack channels.
Related Documentation
Agent Session Action
Basic session setup and multi-agent coordination
Advanced Trigger Execution
How triggers, queuing, and slash commands work
Agent Differences
When to use different agent action types
Slash Commands
Setting up and using slash command triggers