Getting Started with Facebook Chatbot Flows
Set up auto-reply flows with your Facebook chatbot for specific event scenarios or frequent requests to automate routine processes and consult with users. Let a real person get involved in the dialogue only at the right time to close the deal.
You can configure a default flow, welcome flow, unsubscribe flow, or create your own keyword flow based on popular user requests and create a unique scenario.
Welcome Message Flows
This flow sends a welcome message, which is the first message users receive from your Facebook page when subscribes to your chatbot using a widget.
Your welcome message greets new users and tells them what to do next. You can explain how the bot is useful and what information bot can provide. Share a description of your business, or any other important introductory information to help users understand the bot and your brand.
Hint: Add to your welcome flow buttons tied to Flow elements that launch the trigger flows you create.
Standard Reply
This is the default reply sent in response to any user’s question that is outside your bot’s scenarios — they typed in something that bot cannot recognize.
Hint: Here you can add a message with information that someone from your team will contact them during business hours to reply to their inquiry. You can also use buttons and quick replies to forward them in the right direction in case they get lost or even start a long flow inside the default reply.
Unsubscribe from Bot
This flow launches after a user unsubscribes using the /stop or /unsubscribe command.
Trigger Flow
Make your bot more flexible to users’ requests. Analyze possible requests and all the questions that your users have, highlight repetitive words, and add the words as keywords — triggers, that your bot will react to and launch your flow. Keywords are a great way to automate any conversation scenario.
Click Create new trigger.
Enter your command using one or several words. For example, you can use the words “Order,” “Tickets,” “Price,” or “Delivery.”
If the user enters a part of a keyword linked to your command, your bot will suggest prompts such as a button with the name of your trigger. When the user clicks the button, the flow will launch.
Choose Callback — the amount of time the bot will freeze before launching a trigger flow. You can set it from 1 minute to 24 hours.
How to Create your Flow
Build the architecture and logic structure of your bot carefully. Formulate the bot’s tasks, divide it into sections, think of how you will connect the elements, and create your idea with the drag-and-drop builder.
All elements you add to the flow are like a map to help you visualize the logic of your scenario from a bird’s-eye view.
A well-designed bot will let users easily get a reply to their questions or place an order successfully by providing the necessary information.
To start building click on any type of default flow, then click Edit flow to customize it.
Or click Create flow to create your own triggered flow.
You can choose elements from the left sidebar and drag and drop them to the working area
Message Elements
Message elements allow you to create any sort of information it sends to the user with various elements such as Text, Images, Cards, Files, Delay, User Input, or Buttons.
Hint: You can add the Message element to any part of your flow. For example, in the last element of your flow, you can thank your users, confirm their order, and send information from your gathered variables, asking if the information is correct.
Text
You can add several blocks of text information, dividing these elements from other elements such as Delay, Image, Buttons, etc. Enter text of up to 512 characters.
Also, you can add emoji and variables to personalize your messages.
To add a variable click the {} in the right corner of the text block and choose the variable you want to add from the drop-down menu. If you have a value for this variable in the user’s contact information, they will receive a message with the value filled in.
Buttons
Buttons are your main tool for communicating with your users — they engage users and let them choose a direction for your bot to take them to the next part of your flow.
You need to add a Button to connect Message elements with other elements in your flow.
Click + Add button.
Name your button in the first field. You are limited to 20 characters, including emoji.
Hint: The text on the button should be simple, easily understandable – so when users click on the button and know what specifically they need to choose. Make sure that the next element in your flow corresponds to what the button says.
Also, you can add a link to an external resource, for example, a link to your site with a payment form.
Also you can add here a phone number – to call someone on your team immediately.
Hint: Add “Back” and “Back to menu” buttons in your Message elements, so users can change their choice and choose another path through your flow. This prevents the logic of your bot from being trapped or broken with one message.
Images
Use visual content to diversify your information.
All additional information elements are behind the Add button. Click Add.
Then click Image, and upload your image. You can add image files in jpg, png, gif format with a size of up to 5 MB.
Hint: For better display in Messenger choose an image resolution of 500 px in width and 200 px in height. It looks both good for desktop and mobile apps.
Сards
The carousel format allows you to showcase up to 10 cards. In one card you can add an image, title – with up to 40 characters, description – with up to 80 characters and 3 buttons with link to an external source or with a phone number to call. To add more cards click + on the right.
Hint: Highlight information about each of your products, showcase specific details, services, or promotions, or tell a story about your brand that develops across each carousel card.
File
You can add files in any format excluding executable files, with a size of up to 5 MB. Attach your brochures, tickets, commercial proposals, or other additional media.
Delay
Add an animation that imitates typing to give your user a rest before the next message. You can enter a value in seconds – from 1 to 5.
Hint: Divide long texts into passages of no more than 4 lines for better information perception.
User Input
Gather and store data from your subscribers and save it to a variable for further segmenting them and targeting the right audience with personalized data.
Click Add and choose the User input element. Choose the validation type: string (for text values), number, date, phone number, email address, or a URL.
Add a warning message for users who enter the wrong value, and choose the variable where you want to store information.
For example – you have a text block “Enter the email address that you want to use to get access to the meeting room.” The validation type will be “Email,” if a user enters a invalid value and without @ symbol, they will get your error message.
Another example: “Leave a link to your Facebook account”. You should choose the “URL” validation type here.
In this section, you can also receive and save questions for speakers before your conference.
Also, under the message, you can add quick replies buttons – so users can choose from predefined responses instead of typing their own.
Сlick Quick replies in the User input element and enter values for the buttons – you can add up to 10 Quick reply buttons.
Quick Replies
Also there is another type of quick reply, this one does not save user’s information – but you can use it to extend the limits of button amounts and tie each button to the next branch of the flow.
Hint: Use quick replies buttons to understand if the message was useful to the user or not – to do it add buttons “Userful” and “Not useful” and later analyze the user’s feedback.
Move Message Elements
Each element you add is placed at the end of the message. You can move this element up or down – hover on the element and click on the corresponding button.
Also, you can click the trash icon to delete this element.
Move and Connect Flow Elements
To connect elements drag a line from the blue dot on one element to another element.
To remove the connection click on the line twice and you will see a button.
To delete an element, click on it, and then click on the trash icon. To move an element, just drag it and move to another place. To add a new element, choose the element from the left pannel and drop it to the working place to add it to your flow.
Any elements that requires your attention will be highlighted in yellow – to remind you to check all fields and link it to another element. And empty fields will be highlighted in red, reminding that you need to fill in the missing fields.
Action Elements
Actions help you automate your bot experience. Use this element to transfer the conversation to a member of your team, assign tags to users, set up a variable, or send data about events in a chatbot flow to your CRM or CMS.
Open a Chat with a Person
Choose Open the chat for a personal consultation – when the user wants personal communication. This action will open a live chat with the bot’s admin.
Unsubscribe from the Bot
Use this action in a scenario where you need to delete users from your audience list to never send them messages again.
Assign a Tag
Tags help you mark user’s preferences so you can filter your audience or create more personalized campaigns in the future.
Add a Variable
Add a user’s personal information as a variable value to use this information in the future – you can save order details or personal data as a variable value, which will help filter your audience for targeted campaigns and use it in messages.
Send Webhooks
Send webhooks as a notification after events you choose – for example, if a specific client just registered or filled in the form. Your CRM will get a POST request with that subscribers’ data, and any variables and tags that the bot gathered.
In the first field enter a title for the webhook and in the second field add a link to your handler where the POST request will be sent.
Hint: Name it so you can easily find it in your system or filter several of the same webhooks.
Flow Element
Simplify your bot’s structure and move your user to another flow.
Сlick Flow element and select the flow you want to link from the drop-down list.
The Flow element will be the last element in this branch of your existing flow. You cannot link it to another element to continue the original flow.
Pause Element
You can set up a pause between flow elements between 1 minute and 24 hours. Use this to warm up your clients to avoid sending them too many messages at once. The next element after the Pause element will be activated after the specified amount of time elapses.
How to Manage Your Flows
In your chatbot dashboard, you can enable and disable flows at any time by switching to ON (green) or OFF (grey) position.
Also, you can:
- copy a flow to a new flow – and use your scenario in another case;
- send a quick test to your Facebook account;
- get a link to launch this flow – and add it to a button on your website or even generate QR code for it. When a user scans QR code and follows your link, a messenger chat opens and your trigger flow will launch;
- unbind the trigger from the flow – to bind it to another trigger;
- delete the flow.
Click Saved Flows to open all your created flows, here you can find flows that are not bound to the triggers you deleted.
You can also check your chatbot activity in your flows: see the number of messages sent, read, and view the number of user that clicked on your button, view their profile data, and see when they clicked. Analyze statistics to improve your bot’s intelligence and user engagement.
Updated: 02.02.2022
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