🤖Create your first bot

A bot is like a helper that follows a script: it sends messages, shows choices, and can react to what the customer says. You design that script in the Workflow Builder by dragging blocks (nodes) onto a canvas and connecting them. This page walks you through creating your first bot and understanding the basics; for every block type in detail, see Workflow Builder (deep dive).

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Why create a bot?

• Answer common questions — e.g. "What are your opening hours?" or "How do I reset my password?"

• Collect information — Ask for name, email, or choice (e.g. "Sales" or "Support") and then hand off to a human or another flow if needed.

• Send links or next steps — After a choice, send the right link or instruction automatically.

• Save time — One bot can handle many conversations at once so you don’t have to type the same replies over and over.

You can have several bots (e.g. one for sales, one for support) and assign different channels or flows to them.

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Step 1: Open Bots and create a new bot

1. In the left sidebar, click Bots.

2. Click "Create bot" or "Add bot" (usually at the top right).

3. A modal will ask for a name. Type something clear, e.g. Customer Success Bot, Support Bot, or Sales Qualifier.

4. Click Create (or Save).

The new bot is created and you’re taken to the Workflow Builder for that bot. You’ll see a canvas with at least one block (usually a Start or Start Trigger).

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Step 2: Build the flow in the Workflow Builder

The Workflow Builder has three main areas:

• Canvas (center) — Where you build the flow by dragging nodes and connecting them with lines (edges).

• Left sidebar — A list of building blocks (triggers, messages, options, conditions, etc.). You can search (e.g. "message", "options") to find a block quickly.

• Right sidebar — Opens when you click a node. Use it to edit that node’s text, settings, and options.

Every flow needs a Start

• There is always a Start (or Start Trigger) node — that’s where the conversation begins when someone writes to this bot.

• You don’t need to add it yourself if it’s already on the canvas; just connect the next step to it by dragging from the small handle on the Start node to the next node.

Add a message

1. In the left sidebar, find Message (under "Actions" or "Send Message") and drag it onto the canvas.

2. Connect the Start node to this Message node: drag from the handle on the Start node to the Message node until a line appears.

3. Click the Message node. In the right sidebar, type what the bot should say first (e.g. "Hi! How can we help you today?").

4. You can use variables like {{contact.firstName}} in the text so the message is personalized (e.g. "Hi {{contact.firstName}}!"). See Workflow Builder (deep dive) for variable syntax.

Add choices (optional)

1. Add an Options (or Options Menu) node and connect it after your first message.

2. In the right sidebar, add options (e.g. "Sales", "Support", "General question"). Each option can have a label and a value.

3. From the Options node you draw connections to different next steps — e.g. one Message for "Sales", another for "Support". Click the Options node and connect each option’s handle to the right node.

Add an end (optional)

• Use a Break or End node when the conversation is done. Connect the last message(s) to it so the flow clearly ends. You can set an optional "end message" that the user sees before the flow stops.

Save and activate

• Click Save in the top bar (or use the save shortcut if shown).

• Make sure the bot is Active (there’s usually a status badge or toggle). If the bot is Inactive, it won’t reply to conversations.

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Step 3: Assign the bot to a channel

The bot only replies on channels (campaigns) you’ve connected and assigned to this bot. So after creating the bot:

1. Go to Integrations or Campaigns and connect a channel (e.g. Web Chat, WhatsApp, Messenger).

2. When you set up or edit that campaign, choose this bot to handle incoming conversations.

3. New conversations on that channel will then be handled by this bot’s flow.

You can change which bot is assigned to a campaign at any time from the campaign settings.

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Managing your bots

• Edit a bot — From Bots, click the bot name or the edit/open action. You’ll go to the Workflow Builder for that bot. Change nodes, text, or connections and save.

• Duplicate a bot — If your app has a "Duplicate" option on the Bots list or in the bot menu, use it to copy a bot (including its flow) and then rename and adjust the copy.

• Delete a bot — Use the delete option (often in a menu on the bot card or in the builder). Deletion is usually permanent; any campaign that was using this bot will need to be assigned to another bot or have no bot.

• Active vs Inactive — Inactive bots don’t reply. Use the status toggle or badge to turn a bot on or off without deleting it.

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Quick reference: useful building blocks

Block type	What it does
Start Trigger	Where the conversation begins. Every flow has one.
Message	Sends text to the user. You can use variables (e.g. {{contact.firstName}}).
Options Menu	Shows buttons or a menu; each choice can go to a different next step.
Condition (If/Else)	Branches the flow (e.g. "If they said X, do this; otherwise do that").
Time Delay	Waits a set time (seconds, minutes, or hours) before the next step.
Transfer to Agent	Hands the conversation to a human agent in the Inbox.
Break / End	Ends the flow; optional final message.
Switch Bots	Transfers the conversation to another bot (e.g. Sales bot, Support bot).
HTTP Request	Calls an external API (e.g. CRM, calendar).
Set Variable	Saves a value (e.g. user’s choice) for use later in the flow.
AI Response	Uses AI to generate a reply (if your account has this).
Knowledge Base	Looks up answers in your uploaded docs/FAQ (if enabled).

For a full list and how to configure each block, see Workflow Builder (deep dive).

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What happens next?

• Test the flow — In the Workflow Builder, use the Test or Preview (e.g. Web Chat preview) to run through the flow yourself and fix typos or logic.

• Connect a channel — Connect a channel (Web Chat or social) and assign this bot so real conversations use it.

• Reply in the Inbox — When customers message, you’ll see the thread in the Inbox; the bot’s replies appear there too. You can take over by typing yourself.

You can always come back to Bots → click your bot → and edit the flow in the Workflow Builder.