Nextiva CX - Building Your Chatbot’s Conversation Flow

The Chatbot Builder is your tool for creating interactive chatbots that can engage with your website visitors, answer common questions, and even qualify leads – all without needing a live agent. It's like having a 24/7 virtual assistant on your website!

With the Chatbot Builder, you have the flexibility to craft dynamic chatbot experiences:

• Add rich content: Include text, images, videos, and more to make your chatbot interactions engaging and informative.
• Choose response options: Control how customers interact with your chatbot by providing multiple-choice buttons, free-text input fields, or even file uploads.
• Design conversation flows: Create a series of messages and responses to guide customers through a personalized journey, addressing their needs and providing helpful information.

If you need steps to access the builder, click here.

Chatbot Builder Key Definitions:   Node: A node refers to a specific step or point in the conversation flow. Each node consists of Chatbot Response Elements and Chatbot Input Elements. An element is represented by an individual block in the builder.   Chatbot Response Element: An interaction from the business   Chatbot Input Element: A customer response XBert Tip: Every chatbot response should include a way for the customer to interact and continue the conversation.   A node is represented by a block in the chatbot builder (a), consisting of a Chatbot Response Element (b) and a Chatbot Input Element (c). This makes up what the customer will see from the bot and how the customer will be able to respond to the bot. Each response from the business should have a way for the customer to interact with what was shared.

1. Select the Create New Chatbot button.
   
   
2. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Customer Support Bot," "Sales Inquiry Bot").
   
   
3. Source: Choose the channel where this chatbot will be active (e.g., Live Chat).
   
   
4. Session Expiry Time (Minutes): Define the inactivity duration before the chat session ends.
   
   
5. Close session on error: Enable to automatically close the chat if an error occurs.
   
   
6. Click Next to confirm these settings and move to building the bot.

Once your chatbot is created, or you click into an existing chatbot, you will be presented with the chatbot canvas.  Build your flow by dragging and dropping elements onto the canvas to build your chatbot.

If an element is dropped into an empty space, it will create a new node.  Each node is comprised of one or more chatbot response elements and one or more customer input elements.  For each element:

1. Drag and drop an element onto the canvas either into empty space or into an existing node.
   
   Chatbot Response Elements

   Formatted Text: Customize text appearance (regular, italic, bold) for emphasis.

   Text: Simple text message for the customer

   Video: Display a video from a URL or upload.

   Image with Text: Show an image with a caption (uploaded or linked).

   Carousel: Display multiple images that the customer can cycle through.

   Table: Present organized information in rows and columns.

   
   Customer Input Elements

   Button: Create clickable buttons with customizable text.

   Background Button: Add an image to a button (using a URL).

   Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down: Allow quick sentiment feedback.

   User Input: Enable customers to type free-form text.

   Main Menu: Provide a way to return to an earlier part of the chat.

   Calendar: Let customers select specific dates.

   Drop Down: Offer a drop-down list of options.

   Radio Button: Present single-choice options.

   Checkbox: Allow multiple selections.

   Feedback: Collect customer ratings on their experience.

   Captcha: Verify human interaction using Google reCAPTCHA.

2. Fill out the information in the node.  For example, a formatted text node might display "Welcome to our website! How can I help you today?"
   
   
3. Click Save to save the node information.
   
   

XBert Tip: Nextiva recommends that your very first chatbot response element be formatted text, allowing you to configure an initial greeting for the visitor.

Once multiple nodes are created, you can connect them together.

1. Hover over the Customer Input Element.
   
   
2. Click and hold on the circle that appears on the element.
   
   
3. Drag to the desired node where you want the flow to go.
   
   
4. The two nodes will be connected, and a descriptor will appear on the connecting line describing the connection.
   
   

As you connect more and more elements, you'll see your chatbot's conversation flow take shape. This visual representation helps you understand the different paths a customer might take and ensures you're providing the most relevant and helpful information at each step.

XBert Tips:

• Think of nodes as building blocks. You connect them laterally (side-by-side) to create a branching path for the conversation.
  
  
• Remember to save your progress frequently!
  
  
• Edit the element's name for easier identification.

When you are ready to test your bot, select Run Preview in the top right corner to interact with and test your chatbot.

If you are satisfied with the results, click the Publish Changes button to make your chatbot go live.  You can deactivate a live chatbot by clicking the dropdown arrow next to publish changes and selecting Deactivate chatbot. Click here for instructions on how to link a chatbot to live chat.