When you publish a flow, Architect “snapshots”, or copies, any included User prompts and stores them with the published flow. If you delete a User prompt included in a published or active flow, the snapshot ensures that the flow will not be affected by the deleted prompt.

Note: Unlike other flows, Architect does not snapshot prompts when you publish a bot flow. Bot flows always use the latest version of the prompt.

However, if you update a prompt that is used within a published or active flow, you must republish the flow to incorporate the update. This action directs Architect to snapshot the updated User prompt for the flow. If you change one or more prompts that are used in a flow, Architect does not expose the changes to the user until the flow is republished. This behavior ensures a consistent customer experience:  the customer hears the old prompts until you finish any changes; the customer never hears a mixture of old and new prompts.

Example

Let's assume Smith's Plumbing has configured a Primary flow. This flow includes a User prompt called Initial Greeting that voices "Welcome to Smith's Plumbing." to the caller. The flow is published and is currently active. Architect took a snapshot of the initial greeting prompt at the time the flow was published.

However, a few months later, the addition of Smith's two sons initiates a name change to the family business, and you re-record the Initial Greeting prompt to say "Welcome to Smith and Sons Plumbing".

Because the main flow uses a snapshot of the prompt and not the actual prompt, the Primary flow is not automatically updated with the new Initial Greeting. To include the updated prompt in the flow, you must open Primary flow and re-publish it.

Note: Unlike User prompts, when you update System prompt audio for a prompt used in a published or active flow, the updated prompt is reflected immediately in the flow. You are not required to republish the flow to update the System prompt. Changes to user prompts take effect within a couple of minutes. Changes to system prompts may take up to an hour to take effect.