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

# Conversation timing

> Configure completion, time budgets, and check-ins when participants are silent.

A **Conversation** holds a dialogue. A **Task** processes supplied evidence without waiting for participant input. Use Conversation → Task → Conversation to conduct an interview, generate its assessment, and discuss feedback.

## Completion and time

Minimum and maximum time are independent of model completion. Times begin when the Conversation starts, including speech, silence, thinking pauses, and tool work.

| Control | Default | Behavior |
| - | - | - |
| Minimum seconds | 0 | Prevents model-declared completion before this time. |
| Maximum seconds | Unset | Starts a bounded ending even when the participant is silent. |
| Allow model completion | Enabled | Allows completion when the authored objective and optional completion condition are satisfied. |
| Wrap up seconds | 30 | Warns the model before the maximum so it can close naturally. |
| Grace seconds | 30 | Allows the current turn to finish after the maximum; remaining speech stops when grace expires. |

Minimum cannot exceed maximum. Set the execution timeout beyond maximum plus grace. The workflow's overall maximum remains authoritative. Explicit user exit, inactivity, and failures can end a node before its minimum.

For a 45-minute interview that may finish after 10 minutes when its objective is satisfied:

```yaml theme={null}
completion:
  minimum_seconds: 600
  maximum_seconds: 2700
  model_completion: true
  condition: Cover the supplied interview topics and their follow-up questions.
  wrap_up_seconds: 30
  grace_seconds: 30
```

To run until the scheduled time, set `model_completion: false`. For model-led completion with no minimum, set `minimum_seconds: 0`. Question-count instructions are prompt guidance rather than enforced question-bank progress counts.

## Inactivity

Check-ins begin after assistant playback finishes while the Conversation is waiting for the participant. Speech, model generation, playback, and relevant tool work suppress them.

```yaml theme={null}
inactivity:
  enabled: true
  after_seconds: 10
  retry_seconds: 30
  max_check_ins: 2
  thinking_seconds: 60
  instructions: Gently offer clarification or more thinking time without supplying an answer.
```

With these defaults, the assistant checks in after 10 seconds, waits 30 seconds after playback before checking again, then waits another 30 seconds before returning `inactive`. Assistant speech does not reset the unanswered-check-in count. Participant speech cancels pending reminders; a committed response resets the count.

“Let me think” defers the next check-in for 60 seconds. Explicit stop/pause requests suppress reminders until the participant resumes. Overall time limits still apply. Set `enabled: false` to disable check-ins for a node.

## Route each ending

| Outcome | Meaning |
| - | - |
| `complete` | The model finished and returned schema-valid output after closing speech was delivered. |
| `time_limit` | The configured maximum ended the conversation, with bounded turn grace. |
| `inactive` | The unanswered-check-in budget was exhausted. |
| `user_ended` | The participant explicitly requested the end of this conversation. |
| `error` / `timeout` | Processing failed or an execution limit was exceeded. |

Only `complete` guarantees structured output. Other endings retain the transcript. Route partial interviews into a grading Task that marks unasked or unanswered topics as unassessed. Route feedback endings to End. Collection steps should use a failure or recovery route when required fields are missing.


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