.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D2d5f4d51-840a-43cc-a3bc-680ebfcb5c1a)
.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D2d5f4d51-840a-43cc-a3bc-680ebfcb5c1a)
5. Flow navigation with variables
In this tutorial we will look at how to steer the conversation depending on user input.
The
Go To dialog enables the bot to redirect the user to another dialog, 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 dialog to your canvas
Drag and drop a Go To dialog to your canvas
- This will open the Go To dialog
- 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 bot dialog that you'll call
Selected first class.It should look like so:
Make an If condition within a Go To dialog
- 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 classdialog accordingly. It should look like so:
Make an Else If condition within a Go To dialog
- If the user has selected no class at all, we want to redirect the user to the bot dialog
,which we already created. There, the traveler will be asked explicitly in which class they want to travel. Fill your last condition accordingly:
Fill an Else condition within a Go To dialog
- Now, on top of the window, click on
Settings - Change the bot dialog name by 'Class redirect'
- Click
Createto save your changes
On your canvas, your Go To dialog should look like so:
The Go To dialog Class redirect checks the class and redirects the conversation accordingly.
Let's now add buttons to our dialogs 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 classbot dialog - Click on
Buttons - Add the following text message: What kind of seat would you like?
- Click on
Add button, selectGo to - Under
Title, write Window - Under
Go To, select theConfirm bookingdialog - Click on
+ Add a variable - Fill the
Variablewith seat and theValuewith window - Do the same for the aisle seat option until it looks like so:
Save the user input into a variable by using buttons
- Click on
Saveto save your changes
Now your user's seat option is asked and saved through a button click!
- Open
Selected second classbot dialog - Click on
Textto add a text message - Enter the following message in the text field: Second class confirmed
- Scroll down, and under
Go To, select theConfirm bookingdialog - Click
Saveto 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 datedialog by double clicking on it - Change its
Go toto theClass redirectGo To dialog - Click
Save - Open the Class dialog by double clicking on it
- Change the
Go to's inside the Quick Reply Buttons so that they Go toClass 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 bot dialogs. Sometimes the parent is changed, but the Go Tos not and that can cause issues.
That was it! You have completed Choo Choo, great job!
You should now be comfortable with the basics of bot building on the Chatlayer platform:
- Creating Bot Messages
- Asking for user input in Input Validations
- Creating intents and expressions
- Using contextual entities
- Using a Go To to steer the conversation
Make sure to check out the rest of the documentation as well.
Good luck with building your own bot! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
Last modified 5mo ago