# Practice with live coaching

> Get optional suggestions during a desktop call, then practice independently to qualify.

Source: https://lira.thoughtly.com/docs/practice/live-coaching
Audience: everyone
Last reviewed: 2026-11-04

Live coaching is an optional desktop feature for personal and workspace practice. When it is available, a silent coach uses your scenario brief, goal, scoring standards and live conversation to suggest what you could say next. You choose whether to use the suggestion.

## Choose coaching before a call

Select **Start practice** and check your microphone and speaker. Once your microphone is ready, choose **Start with coaching** to review guided practice. Read the confirmation, then select **Start coached call**. **Back** returns to your device check with the same microphone settings. To practice independently, use **Start call** instead.

Coaching starts off for each new attempt. Your microphone check stays local; the conversation starts only after you choose a start action.



![The microphone check offers Start with coaching beside the normal Start call action, without a coaching toggle or card.](https://lira.thoughtly.com/docs/images/product/live-coaching-setup.webp)

Check your devices, then choose how to practice.





![The coaching confirmation explains guided practice and its qualification rules, with Back and Start coached call actions.](https://lira.thoughtly.com/docs/images/product/live-coaching-confirm.webp)

Review guided practice before the call starts. Back keeps your device check intact.





> **Coached practice does not qualify**
> 
> Coached attempts receive scores and feedback under your workspace's privacy settings and count as practice activity. They cannot earn a certificate, enter leaderboards or complete assigned training. Pausing or switching coaching off does not restore eligibility for that attempt. Start a new independent attempt when you are ready to qualify.



## Read the next suggested response

A slim caption rises above the call bar when the coach has a relevant suggestion. It shows the suggested response beside a small coach icon, with no extra heading. The response appears as the coach prepares it. Your page stays available while guidance is visible.

Completed suggestions stay visible while you read and speak, including while the coach prepares the next response. A small progress mark shows when the coach is waiting for the next useful suggestion. New suggestions arrive above the call bar as the conversation changes. An unfinished suggestion clears if your reply interrupts it; guidance based on an interrupted counterpart turn is also cleared. The coach does not speak into the call or determine your score.



![A slim navy coaching caption shows one suggested response, a small coach icon and a pause control above the call bar.](https://lira.thoughtly.com/docs/images/product/live-coaching.webp)

One timely suggestion appears above the call controls while the page stays available.





![A compact Listening pill with a progress indicator and pause control appears above the call bar while a new suggestion is being prepared.](https://lira.thoughtly.com/docs/images/product/live-coaching-working.webp)

When there is no completed suggestion to keep, a small listening indicator shows that coaching is working.



## Pause guidance during a call

Choose coaching before starting your call. The call controller keeps Mute and End available without an additional coaching button.

Close the caption or press **Escape** to pause coaching. Your call continues. Coaching stays paused for the rest of that call; you can choose it again before your next call. Opening another dialog keeps its usual keyboard behavior.

Coaching is absent from the full-screen mobile call experience and from author test calls. Moving an active coached call into the mobile layout pauses guidance for the rest of the call. The attempt remains coached.

## If guidance is unavailable

The voice call continues if coaching is slow or temporarily unavailable. An availability message appears in the call bar. You can finish the conversation and choose coaching again before your next call. This remains a coached practice attempt. If no coaching choice appears, you can continue with ordinary practice.

After the call, open your [feedback](https://lira.thoughtly.com/docs/results/feedback-and-scoring). For device help, see [microphone and audio troubleshooting](https://lira.thoughtly.com/docs/troubleshooting/microphone-and-audio).