Use custom list slot types in a bot flow

In addition to built-in slot types, Architect supports four custom slot types: list slot type, dynamic list slot type, regular expression slot type, timeslot slot type, and if you enable Virtual Agent, AI-powered slots. If your custom slot type data is a set of predefined words in the utterance, use the list slot type. List slot types help you define the set of words that the bot must recognize to capture a slot. For example, values for a Color slot might include red, blue, yellow, black, white, burgundy, and rust. 

Add a custom list slot type

To create a custom list slot type, follow these steps:

  1. Click Admin.
  2. Under Architect, click Architect.
  3. Click Menu > Orchestration > Architect.
  4. Open an existing bot flow or create a new one.
  5. Under Natural Language Understanding, click Slots.
  6. Click Slot. The Add Slot dialog box appears.
  7. Provide a meaningful name for the slot.
  8. Under Associated Slot Type, click New List.
  9. Type a meaningful name for the custom list slot type.
  10. Under Capture, select whether the slot must capture a single value or multiple values. Select Multiple Values if you intend to use the list slot type in list pickers that allow multi-selection.
  11. Click Save.
  12. Click the new list slot type.
  13. Add slot type values as needed.

Click the image to enlarge.

List slots in NLU

    Add synonyms to a list slot type

    You can also add synonyms for a slot type so that Architect can recognize multiple words and phrases for the same slot. For example, a slot type value of New York can have the synonyms: Big Apple or NYC. These synonyms allow the bot to understand that when the user says NYC, it maps to New York.

    To add synonyms to a custom list slot type, follow these steps:

    1. Click Enter synonym next to the slot type value.
    2. Type an alternate name and press Enter.
    3. Add more synonyms, if needed.

    To delete any synonyms, hover over the synonym and click the X that appears.

    Click the image to enlarge.

    Slot types in NLU

    Modify a slot’s information

    To modify slot information, from the Slot menu, select a slot and click Edit .

    Delete a slot

    To delete a slot, from the Slot menu, select a slot and click Delete .