Sample flows for your chatbot

The most basic element in a Chatbot is called a 'node'. A node is simply a ready-made action like “Send message to customer” or “Transfer to Agent”.

A 'flow' is a sequence of nodes.

In your Chatbot, you can have 1 long flow or a number of shorter flows that link together. The shorter flow option is perhaps the best for clarity and editing purposes.

This help file gives you an example of 4 shorter flows that would all link together to form 1 well rounded chatbot. The flows described below are the same as those in our Chatbot template. If you would like to create them using our template, please see here.

Before you start

Ava is available as an Add-On. To learn more, click here.
You’ll need to have access to Smart Tools > Chatbots in your permissions.
Admin and Team Leader roles will have the Chatbot permission by default.
If you don’t have access, you can request it from an Admin user within your business.
You'll need to have a Content hub set up. To learn more, click here.
To learn more about creating and editing chatbots, click here.

To get started, create your chatbot. The 'Default Answer' flow will show by default. Add 3 more flows and name them 'Check my order', 'AI flow' and 'Agent transfer'. Your list of flows should look like this before you start:

Note: To learn more about key nodes mentioned below, click here.

01 Opening Flow

Click on the ‘Default Answer’ flow and rename it ‘Opening flow’. (Note: Your customer will not see this, it is for your reference only).
Add a ‘Present options' node, write some greeting text and rename the 2 buttons to 'Check my order' and 'I have a question'.
Under the 'Check my order' button, add a 'Transfer to another flow' node and choose 'Check my order' flow.

Under the 'I have a question' button, add a 'Transfer to another flow' node and choose 'AI flow'.

Here's how this will look for the customer:

02 Check my order

Click on the ‘Check my order’ flow and add an 'Ask for identity' node.
Add a ‘Select order' node.
Under the 'Order selected' button, add a 'Show order details' node.
Under the 'Show order details' node, add a 'Ask if question resolved' node.
Under the 'Yes' button, add a 'Send message' node and type a message to your customer like: "Great! If you need any further support, please start a new chat with us".
Under the 'No' button, add a 'Send message' node and let the customer know you will try to transfer them to an agent.
Under the 'Send message' node, add a 'Transfer to another flow' node and choose the 'Agent transfer' flow.
Under the 'Order not selected' button, add a 'Send message' node and let the customer know their order can't be found but you will try to transfer them to an agent.
Under the 'Send message' node, add a 'Transfer to another flow' node and choose the 'Agent transfer' flow.

Note: If the customer's email does not match an order in eDesk, they will automatically be brought down the 'Order not selected' branch.

03 AI

Note: For this flow, you must have your Content hub set up. To learn more, click here.

Click on the ‘AI flow' and add a 'Send message' node, asking your customer how you can help them.
Add a ‘Have a conversation with Ava' node and choose the Content hub you want it to point to.
Under the 'Success' button, add a 'Send message' node and let the customer know they can start a new chat if needed.
Under the 'Failure' button, add a 'Send message' node and let the customer know you will try to transfer them to an agent.
Under the 'Send message' node add a 'Transfer to another flow' node and choose the 'Agent transfer' flow.
Under the 'Agent' button, add a 'Transfer to another flow' node and choose the 'Agent transfer' flow.

04 Agent transfer

This flow uses a Condition node to check if Agents are online and available to Chat. If they are, they are brought down the 'Agents available' branch and transferred to an Agent through Live Chat. If no Agents are available, they are brought down the 'Otherwise' branch and a ticket is created in eDesk for Agents to reach out to the customer via email.

Click on the ‘Agent transfer' flow and add a 'Condition' node. Rename it 'Check if agents are available' and rename Branch 0 as 'Agents available'
Click on the new 'Agents available' button in the Condition node and under 'Condition 1' choose the Variable 'Agents are available to chat' > is > true
Under the 'Agents available' button, add a 'Send message' node and let the customer know you will transfer them to an agent.
Under the 'Send message' node add another 'Condition' node to check whether the customer has already provided their email address (you don't want to ask them twice). Rename the node 'Already provided their details' and rename Branch 0 as 'Provided identity'.
Click on the new 'Provided identity' button in the Condition node and under 'Condition 1' choose the Variable 'Identity provided' > is > true
Under the 'Provided identity' button, add an 'Ask for identity' node.
Note: The customer will NOT be asked for their identity again, but this node currently has to be added in order to allow an 'Agent handoff' node next.
Under the 'Ask for identity' node, add an 'Agent handoff' node.
Under the 'Otherwise' button for the 'Already provided their details' branch, add a 'Send message' node letting your customer know that you need additional details from them.
Under the 'Send message' node add an 'Ask for identity' node. (The customer will have to fill in their email for this one).
Under the 'Ask for identity' node, add an 'Agent handoff' node.
Under the 'Otherwise' button for the 'Check if agents are available' branch, add a 'Send message' node letting your customer know that there are no support agent online right now.
Under the 'Send message' node add another 'Condition' node to check whether the customer has already provided their email address (you don't want to ask them twice). Rename the node 'Already provided their details' and rename Branch 0 as 'Provided identity'.
Under the 'Provided identity' button, add an 'Send message' node letting the customer know that a ticket will be created for them and they will be emailed back by a support agent.
Add an 'Ask for identity' node.
Note: The customer will NOT be asked for their identity again, but this node currently has to be added in order to allow a 'Create ticket node next.
Add a 'Create ticket' node.
Add another ‘Send message' node letting the customer know you will be in touch within the next 24/48 hours and thank them for getting in touch.
Under the 'Otherwise' button for the 'Already provided their details' branch, add a 'Send message' node letting the customer know that a ticket will be created for them and they will be emailed back by a support agent.
Add another 'Send message' node letting the customer know you need additional details.
Add an 'Ask for identity' node. (The customer will have to fill in their details for this one).
Under the 'Ask for identity' node, add a 'Create ticket' node.
Add another ‘Send message' node letting the customer know you will be in touch within the next 24/48 hours and thank them for getting in touch.

05 Deleting nodes and flows

You can delete a node at any time by clicking on the node and choosing 'delete' from the 'Configure' slide-out on the right-hand side. You will get a pop-up warning if deleting the node will delete options under it also.

You can delete a flow at any time by clicking the ellipsis next to the 'Status' column. If the flow is currently in use by another flow through the 'Transfer to another flow' node, a warning message will appear before deletion.

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