Use Architect to create a digital bot for an inbound message flow

You can create a digital bot flow in Architect to use in inbound message flows. Create the digital bot within the flow, or create it separately and then call it from the flow. 

Create a digital bot for an inbound message flow using Architect 

This procedure describes how to create a bot for an inbound message flow. In this example, users choose what they want to do. They can purchase a guitar or book studio time.

  1. From the Architect home page, click or hover over the Flows menu and select Digital Bot Flows.
  2. Click  Add. The Create Bot Flow dialog box opens.
  3. In the Name field, enter a unique name for the flow. 
  4. (Optional) In the Description field, add a short sentence or phrase to describe this flow.
  5. Click the Default Language list and select the flow’s default supported language.
  6. Click the Divisions list and select the division in which to place the flow.
  7. Click Create Flow. The flow’s configuration page opens.

In this example, add slots to enable a user to select a guitar type, select a studio date to book a date, and select a studio time to reserve recording time.

  1. Under Natural Language Understanding, click Slot Types.
  2. Click Add Slot Type.
  3. Name the slot type guitarType.
  4. Click Save.
  5. Under Slot Type Value, in the Type a new Slot Type Value box, type Electric.
  6. Press Enter.
  7. Repeat step 5-6 to add these guitar types:
    • Semi-acoustic
    • Electric-acoustic
    • Classical
    • Bass
    • Acoustic

Click the image to enlarge.

Slots

  1. Under Natural Language Understanding, click Slots.
  2. Add a slot to enable users to choose the guitar type.
    1. Click Add Slot. The Add Slot dialog opens.
    2. Name the slot Guitar.
    3. Under Associated Slot Type, select Existing.
    4. Under Existing Slot Type, click guitarType.
    5. Click Save.
  3. Add a slot to enable users to book a studio date.
    1. Click Add Slot. The Add Slot dialog opens.
    2. Name the slot StudioDate.
    3. Under Associated Slot Type, select Existing.
    4. Under Existing Slot Type, click builtin:date.
    5. Click Save.
  4. Add a slot to enable user to book a studio time.
    1. Click Add Slot. The Add Slot dialog opens.
    2. Name the slot StudioTime.
    3. Under Slot Type, select Existing.
    4. Under Existing Slot Type, click builtin:time.
    5. Click Save.
  5. Add a slot to enable users to schedule a lesson date.
    1. Click Add Slot. The Add Slot dialog opens.
    2. Name the slot LessonDate.
    3. Under Slot Type, select Existing.
    4. Under Existing Slot Type, click builtin:date.
    5. Click Save.
  6. Add a slot to enable user to specify the lesson time.
    1. Click Add Slot. The Add Slot dialog opens.
    2. Name the slot LessonTime.
    3. Under Slot Type, select Existing.
    4. Under Existing Slot Type, click builtin:time.
    5. Click Save.

Click the image to enlarge.

Digital bot flow slots

  1. Under Reusable Tasks, click Add reusable task here > Toolbox > Task.
  2. Rename the task Book guitar lesson and click Done.
  3. From the Toolbox, open the Ask menu, add an Ask for Slot action below the Start box, and configure it:
    1. Leave the default name, or enter a new one.
    2. Click the Slot list and select Guitar.
    3. Under Question, click What is the (please put your slot name here). The Rich Text Editor opens.
    4. Replace the content with What kind of guitar do you want to learn? and click Save.
    5. Under Invalid Response > No Match, click Please give me the (please put your slot name here) link and replace (please put your slot name here) with guitar type.
  4. Click Save.
  5. From the Toolbox, open the Ask menu, add an Ask for Slot action below the Start box, and configure it:
    1. Leave the default name, or enter a new one.
    2. Click the Slot list and select lessonDate.
    3. Under Question, click the What is the (please put your slot name here) link and replace the content with What day do you want to schedule the lesson?
    4. Under Invalid Response > No Match, click Please give me the (please put your slot name here) link and replace the content with Please tell me the lesson date.
  6.  From the Toolbox, open the Ask menu, add another Ask for Slot action below action that you added in step 3, and configure it:
    1. Leave the default name, or enter a new one.
    2. Click the Slot list and select LessonTime.
    3. Under Question, click the What is the (please put your slot name here) link and replace the content with What time do you want to schedule the lesson?
    4. Under Invalid Response > No Match, click Please give me the (please put your slot name here) link and replace the content with Please tell me the time you want to reserve.
  7.  From the Toolbox, open the Ask menu and drag a Ask for Yes / No action below the Ask for Slot action that you added in step 5, and configure it:
    1. Leave the default name, or enter a new one.
    2. Under Question, click the Do you want to proceed link. The Rich Text Builder opens.
    3. Type OK, you want to schedule a.
    4. Click the Expression button and type Slot.guitar.
    5. After the expression, type lesson on.
    6. Click the Expression button and type Slot.lessonDate.
    7. After the expression, type at.
    8. Click the Expression button and type Slot.lessonTime.
    9. After the expression, to complete the sentence, type correct?. The complete string looks like OK, you want to schedule a {{Slot.guitar}} lesson on {{Slot.lessonDate}} at {{Slot.lessonTime}}.
    10. Click Save.
  8. From the Toolbox, drag a Communicate action below the Ask for Yes / No action’s Yes path and configure it:
    1. Leave the default name, or enter a new one.
    2. Under Communication, click the Click to add text link. The Rich Text Builder opens.
    3. Type We reserved your lesson.
    4. Click Save.
  9. From the Toolbox, drag a Communicate action below the Ask for Yes / No action’s No path and configure it:
    1. Leave the default name, or enter a new one.
    2. Under Communication, click the Click to add text link. The Rich Text Builder opens.
    3. Type OK, we did not book the lesson.
    4. Click Save.
  10. Open the Task menu and drag an End Task below the Communicate actions and select the Default output path.

  1. Under Reusable Tasks, click Add reusable task here > Toolbox > Task.
  2. Rename the task Book Studio Time.
  3. From the Toolbox, open the Ask menu, add an Ask for Slot action below the Start box, and configure it:
    1. Leave the default name, or enter a new one.
    2. Click the Slot list and select StudioDate.
    3. Under Question, click the What is the (please put your slot name here) link and replace the content with What is the booking date?
    4. Under Invalid Response > No Match, click Please give me the (please put your slot name here) link and replace the content with Please tell me the date you want to reserve.
  4.  From the Toolbox, open the Ask menu, add another Ask for Slot action below action that you added in step 3, and configure it:
    1. Leave the default name, or enter a new one.
    2. Click the Slot list and select StudioTime.
    3. Under Question, click the What is the (please put your slot name here) link and replace the content with What time do you want to book the studio?
    4. Under Invalid Response > No Match, click Please give me the (please put your slot name here) link and replace the content with Please tell me the time you want to reserve.
  5.  From the Toolbox, open the Ask menu and drag an Ask for Yes / No action below the Ask for Slot action that you added in step 5, and configure it:
    1. Leave the default name, or enter a new one.
    2. Under Question, click the Do you want to proceed link. The Rich Text Builder opens.
    3. Type OK, you want to book studio time on.
    4. Click the Expression button and type Slot.studioDate.
    5. After the expression, type on.
    6. Click the Expression button and type Slot.studioTime.
    7. After the expression, to complete the sentence, type correct?. The complete string looks like OK, you want to book studio time on {{Slot.studioDate}} at {{Slot.studioTime}}.
    8. Click Save.
  6. From the Toolbox, drag a Communicate action below the Ask for Yes / No action’s Yes path and configure it:
    1. Leave the default name, or enter a new one.
    2. Under Communication, click the Click to add text link. The Rich Text Builder opens.
    3. Type We reserved your studio time.
    4. Click Save.
  7. From the Toolbox, drag a Communicate action below the Ask for Yes / No action’s No path and configure it:
    1. Leave the default name, or enter a new one.
    2. Under Communication, click the Click to add text link. The Rich Text Builder opens.
    3. Type OK, we will cancel the reservation.
    4. Click Save.
  8. Open the Task menu and drag an End Task below the Communicate actions and select the Default output path.

  1. Under Reusable Tasks, click Add reusable task here > Toolbox > Task.
  2. Rename the task Main menu.
  3. From the toolbox, open the Ask menu and drag a Digital Menu below the Start box.
  4. Leave the default Question and No Match entries unchanged.
  5. Click Add a button and under Enter choice, type Schedule a lesson.
  6. Click Add a button and under Enter choice, type Book studio time.
  7. Configure the Schedule a lesson path:
    1. Open the Task menu and drag a Call Task action below the Schedule a lesson path.
    2. Under Task, select Book guitar lesson.
  8. Configure the Book studio time path:
    1. Open the Task menu and drag a Call Task action below the Book studio time path.
    2. Under Task, select Book a studio.

  1. Under Starting Bot, click Initial Greeting.
  2. From the Toolbox, drag a Communicate action below the Start box.
  3. Under Name, rename the Communicate action, or leave the default Communicate name unchanged.
  4. Under Communication, click Click to add text. The Rich Text Builder opens.
  5. Use the toolbar in the Rich Text Builder to create an initial greeting to the user:Rich Text Builder toolbar
    1. Add a text string and format the text using bold, italics, or strikethrough text.
    2. To add customizable text and a link to an external URL, click the Add Link icon.
    3. To add a variable value for a preconfigured slot, click the Add Variable icon.
    4. To enter a manual expression and inert the result into the rich text, click the Add Expression icon.
    5. To add an image from a URL, click the Insert Image icon.
    6. Click Save. In this example, the bot thanks the user for contacting the store and presents an image of a record shop.
      Click the image to enlarge.Rich Text Builder
  6. Click Save.
  7. Open the Task menu and drag a Call Task action below the Communicate action.
  8. Under Task, select Main menu.
  9. Save and publish the digital bot flow.

You can now call this digital bot flow from an inbound message flow.