Actions

Actions allow your chatbot to present interactive buttons or options to users during conversations. When a user clicks an action, it can trigger a prompt, open a link, or call an API endpoint. Actions help guide users and provide quick access to important features or information.

Understanding Actions

Actions appear as buttons in your chatbot interface that users can click. They're displayed based on the chatbot's context and can help:

• Guide users to specific information
• Provide quick access to external resources
• Trigger API calls to fetch dynamic data
• Offer shortcuts to common tasks

Action Types

There are three types of actions you can create:

Prompt Action

A Prompt action sends a predefined message to the chatbot when clicked. This is useful for:

• Asking common questions automatically
• Triggering specific chatbot responses
• Guiding conversations in a particular direction

Example: An action named "Discounts" that sends "Tell me about current discounts" to the chatbot.

Link Action

A Link action opens a URL in a new tab when clicked. It also sends a prompt to the chatbot. This is useful for:

• Directing users to external pages
• Linking to documentation or resources
• Providing access to forms or tools

Example: An action that opens a discount page and tells the chatbot "The user wants to see discounts."

API Call Action

An API Call action makes an HTTP request to an external API endpoint and includes the response in the chatbot's context. This is useful for:

• Fetching real-time data
• Integrating with external services
• Displaying dynamic information

Example: An action that calls your product API and shows the chatbot the current product inventory.

Creating an Action

Managing Actions

Once you've created actions, you can manage them from the Actions page.

Viewing Actions

All your actions are displayed in a list on the Actions page. Each action shows:

• Name - The action's display name
• Type Badge - A colored badge indicating the action type:
  • Green badge for Prompt actions
  • Blue badge for Link actions
  • Orange badge for API Call actions

Reordering Actions

Actions are displayed to users in the order they appear on the Actions page. To change the order:

1. Click and hold the grip icon (⋮⋮) on the left side of an action card
2. Drag it up or down to the desired position
3. Release to drop it in the new position
4. Click "Save Changes" to apply the new order

The chatbot will display actions in this order when they're shown to users.

Enabling and Disabling Actions

You can enable or disable actions to control when they're shown to users:

1. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) on an action card
2. Select "Edit" to modify the action
3. Toggle the "Enabled" option
4. Save your changes

Disabled actions won't be displayed to users, but they remain in your list for easy re-enabling later.

Deleting Actions

To remove an action permanently:

1. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) on an action card
2. Select "Delete"
3. Confirm the deletion

Note: Deleted actions cannot be recovered. Make sure you want to remove the action before confirming.

Saving Changes

After reordering actions, you'll see a "Save Changes" button at the bottom of the page. Click it to save your new order. The button is disabled if no changes have been made.

How Actions Work in Conversations

Actions are displayed to users when the chatbot determines they're relevant to the conversation. The chatbot uses AI to decide when to show actions based on:

• The current conversation context
• User questions and intent
• Available actions and their configurations

When a user clicks an action:

• Prompt actions send the configured prompt to the chatbot
• Link actions open the URL and send the prompt to the chatbot
• API Call actions make the HTTP request, include the response in context, then send the prompt

Best Practices

• Use Clear Names - Choose action names that clearly describe what they do
• Keep Prompts Concise - Write prompts that guide the chatbot effectively
• Order Matters - Place the most important or commonly used actions at the top
• Test API Calls - Verify that API Call actions work correctly before deploying
• Use Appropriate Types - Choose the right action type for each use case:
  • Use Prompt for simple chatbot interactions
  • Use Link for external resources
  • Use API Call for dynamic data
• Secure Tokens - Keep API tokens secure and never share them publicly
• Regular Review - Periodically review and update your actions to ensure they're still relevant

Troubleshooting

Actions not appearing in chatbot?

• Make sure the action is enabled
• Check that the chatbot is determining the action is relevant to the conversation
• Verify the action was saved successfully

API Call action not working?

• Verify the URI is correct and accessible
• Check that the HTTP method matches your API endpoint
• Ensure the Bearer token (if required) is valid
• Test the API endpoint directly to confirm it's working

Link action not opening?

• Verify the URL is valid and starts with http:// or https://
• Check that the link isn't blocked by browser security settings
• Ensure the URL is accessible from your domain

Can't reorder actions?

• Make sure you've actually moved an action (the Save Changes button should be enabled)
• Try refreshing the page if drag and drop isn't working
• Check that you have the necessary permissions

Action deleted but still showing?

• Actions may be cached. Try refreshing the chatbot interface
• Ensure you saved the deletion successfully
• Check if the action appears in a different chatbot instance