How to Use the Idle Reminder Timer in Voice AI Agents

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

The Idle Reminder Timer sets how many seconds your Voice AI agent waits during silence before speaking a re-engagement prompt. It's configurable from 1 to 20 seconds in the agent's Advanced Settings, with auto-hangup after 15 seconds of further silence.

The Idle Reminder Timer lives in every Voice AI agent's Advanced Settings. It controls how long the agent waits during caller silence before speaking a natural re-engagement prompt. The default is 8 seconds; the configurable range is 1 to 20 seconds.

Why it matters

  • Proactive engagement: cuts dead air and keeps callers from dropping off
  • Higher completion rates: nudges the conversation back on track
  • Natural UX: the agent re-prompts instead of waiting indefinitely

How to configure

  1. Open Voice AI and click Edit Agent, or create a new agent
  2. Open the Advanced Settings tab
  3. Find the Idle Reminder Timer field
  4. Enter a value between 1 and 20 seconds
  5. Click Confirm to save

Auto-hangup behavior

If the caller stays silent for more than 15 seconds after the reminder is delivered, the call ends automatically. This prevents agents from holding the line on a dead call.

Notes

  • Valid range: 1 to 20 seconds. Default: 8 seconds.
  • Auto-hangup fires after 15 seconds of post-reminder silence — this threshold is not configurable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the default Idle Reminder Timer value?
8 seconds. You can change it to anything between 1 and 20 seconds in the agent's Advanced Settings.
What happens if the caller stays silent after the reminder?
If silence continues for more than 15 seconds after the reminder is spoken, the call ends automatically.
Where do I find the Idle Reminder Timer setting?
Open Voice AI, edit the agent (or create a new one), and go to the Advanced Settings tab. The Idle Reminder Timer field is there.
Can I disable the idle reminder?
There is no off switch — the timer always fires. Set it to 20 seconds if you want the longest delay before re-engagement.

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