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

# Make the agent stay silent

> Prompt a Retell AI agent to output NO_RESPONSE_NEEDED to stay silent when a caller asks it to wait.

You can prompt the agent to stay silent when a caller says “hold on” or “give me a minute.” This is a conversational pause, not a telephony hold.

When the model outputs `NO_RESPONSE_NEEDED`, the agent stays silent instead of speaking a reply. The caller does not hear these words. To use this behavior, add an instruction such as:

```
If the caller says "hold on", reply exactly: NO_RESPONSE_NEEDED
```


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