5. Flow navigation with variables

In this tutorial we will look at how to steer the conversation depending on user input.

Step 19: Go to bot block

The Go To block enables the bot to redirect the user to another block, depending on conditions of the session variables. You can define conditions with operators like equals, greater than, smaller than, etc. You can also combine multiple conditions with AND and OR.

Consider the following scenario where the user asks the bot the following:

I want to book a train from Paris to London in first class please.

We already have a lot of information in this expression. Let's say we now want to show a different message for first class tickets, seeing there are more facilities in first than in second class.

Drag and drop a Go To block to your canvas

This will open the Go To block
Click on '+' to add an If condition
Fill the condition so that if the variable class equals first, then the bot will go to a new block that you'll call Selected first class. It should look like so:

Click on '+' again to add another condition, and fill it in so that it checks if the selected class was second. Steer the conversation to a new Selected second class block accordingly. It should look like so:

If the user has selected no class at all, we want to redirect the user to the bot block , which we already created. There, the traveler will be asked explicitly in which class they want to travel. Fill your last condition accordingly:

Now, on top of the window, click on Settings
Change the block name by 'Class redirect'
Click Create to save your changes

On your canvas, your Go To block should look like so:

Step 20: First class options

Let's now add buttons to our blocks so that the user can also choose a seat on the train. To do this, we will save the user seat option under a variable:

Open the Selected first class block
Click on Buttons
Add the following text message: What kind of seat would you like?
Click on Add button, select Go to
Under Title, write Window
Under Go To, select the Confirm booking block
Click on + Add a variable
Fill the Variable with seat and the Value with window
Do the same for the aisle seat option until it looks like so:

Click on Save to save your changes

Now your user's seat option is asked and saved through a button click!

Step 21: Final touches

Open Selected second class block
Click on Text to add a text message
Enter the following message in the text field: Second class confirmed
Scroll down, and under Go To, select the Confirm booking block
Click Save to save your changes

At this stage, your canvas should look like so:

Now, let's make sure that after the user was asked for a departure date, then the bot checks if they have selected a class:

Open the Departure date block by double clicking on it
Change its Go to to the Class redirect Go To block
Click Save
Open the Class block by double clicking on it
Change the Go to's inside the Quick Reply Buttons so that they Go to Class redirect
Click Save

Your canvas should look like so:

What we have now done, is that in Class redirect we check if the class has already been given in the expression by the user. If that is the case, we confirm second class or give extra options for first class. If class has not been given yet, the user can choose this in the Class Input Validation. If the user chooses their class in the Input Validation, then they are redirected to the class options.

Let's test this new functionality in the emulator:

That looks great! If something is not working correctly, double check the Go Tos in the blocks. Sometimes the parent is changed, but the Go Tos not and that can cause issues.