A Chatbot is a computer program or artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to simulate human conversation through text or speech interactions. Chatbots are used to interact with users and provide responses or information in a conversational manner. They can be found in various applications, platforms, and websites, ranging from customer support to entertainment and more.
Chatbots operate based on predefined rules or advanced machine learning techniques.
Here are two main types of chatbots:
Rule-Based Chatbots: These chatbots follow a set of predefined rules and patterns to respond to user inputs. They typically work well for simple and straightforward interactions, but their capabilities are limited to the rules they've been programmed with.
AI-Powered Chatbots: These chatbots use machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to understand and generate human-like responses. They can learn from data and improve their responses over time. GPT-based models like ChatGPT fall into this category, as they can generate contextually relevant and coherent text based on the input they receive.
Chatbots are used in a variety of applications, such as:
Customer support: Chatbots can assist users in finding information, solving problems, and guiding them through processes.
E-commerce: Chatbots can help users navigate products, make purchase decisions, and provide recommendations.
Virtual assistants: Chatbots can perform tasks like setting reminders, sending notifications, and managing schedules.
Entertainment: Chatbots can engage users in interactive storytelling, games, quizzes, and more.
Healthcare: Chatbots can provide initial medical information, schedule appointments, and offer health tips.
Overall, chatbots aim to provide efficient and human-like interactions, enhancing user experiences and automating routine tasks.
Go to🤖 ChatBot | AI Chat Bot Software for Your Website (livechat.com) Create account, you will be redirected to one dashboard page, where you can create a bot of your choice.
Click on the Stories tab and start building your bot.
You can use the default templates provided or, if preferred, start building from the scratch.
Give your Bot a suitable name on the top-left corner.
Start Point is a trigger point that shows where your story begins.
Add actions and interactions after the Start Point block to kick off your story.
This is a Bot response block. It contains a message your chatbot sends to the user.
You can use a Bot response to welcome the user or provide key information.
Assign suitable titles to each activity for easy reference in subsequent responses.
You will find options such as Text, Quick Reply, Image, Gallery, Button, and Random Text.
Add text or browse images to customize your responses.
Drag and drop the Gallery response option, then browse images and add multiple buttons underneath.
Assign titles to buttons and choose button types based on your needs. In the "Go To" section, add the title of the next bot response.
Click the + symbol to access a list of additional options for configuring your chatbot.
14. For example, if we select user input, it lets you collect user responses. In this block, you need to define what types of user messages will trigger the bot’s response.
15. Once you set up User input, you can add another Bot response to answer the user’s question.
16. Default fallback: The Default Fallback is triggered whenever your chatbot doesn’t recognize the user’s message.
17. You can add a Bot Response after the Default Fallback block. This ensures your chatbot sends a message to the user whenever the Default Fallback is triggered.
18. Test your chatbot by clicking on the Test Your Bot option located in the top-right corner.
19. After completing your work, click the Publish If you don’t publish, the changes won’t be visible to users.
Similarly, there's a Customer Service bot implemented with Mendix data.
Customer service chatbots are automated support tools.
The Start Point serves as a trigger that indicates where your story begins. Add actions and interactions after the Start Point block to initiate your story.
Click on the + symbol to access a list of options. From there, select Bot Response and use it to welcome the user.
3. After the welcome message, add another Bot Response with the title Main Menu, which provides brief information about the available buttons. These buttons can include options such as Offers, FAQ, Contact Us, Feedback, Discount, and Account Issues.
4. Add User Inputs for all these buttons and assign suitable title names for each user input.
5. For example, choose a User Input for the Offers Add relevant keywords and related questions based on your requirements and assign it the title Our Offer.
6. When the user clicks on the Offer button, add a Bot Response with a Gallery activity to display products. Assign your Bot Response a suitable title, such as Select Product Category.
7. In the Gallery activity, include a short description of the products and add buttons for further interaction.
8. When the user clicks on the Offer button, add a Bot Response with a Gallery activity to display products. Assign a suitable title to your Bot Response, such as Select Product Category.
9. In the Gallery activity, include a short description of the products and add buttons for user interaction.
10. Click on the button below the product description, give it a suitable name (e.g., Learn More or View Product), and explain its purpose clearly in the context of the bot.
11. Set the button type to Open URL and provide the URL in the Website Address This ensures that when the user clicks on the button, they are automatically redirected to the designated webpage.
12. Next, add a button named Question to allow the user to ask any queries. Assign the button the name Question, set the button type to Go to Block, and in the Go To section, select the title of the next User Input you will provide. This ensures the user is redirected to the appropriate user input for their query.
13. When the user clicks on the Main Menu button, they will be redirected to the initial Bot Response where the Main Menu title is displayed.
14. Additionally, you can add multiple cards in the Gallery activity to showcase various products, each with its own description and interactive buttons.
15. Next, provide a Bot Response titled How Can I Help You? to address the user's questions. In this Bot Response, include a Quick Reply with various buttons. For example, if the user clicks on the Go Back button, it will redirect them to the previous Bot Response, as the Go To section is set to Select Product Category.
16. When the user clicks on the Contact Us button, they will be redirected to the User Input titled Contact Us. This will lead to a subsequent Bot Response where a Gallery activity is used to display the organization's Email Address, Contact Number, and Location.
17. When the user clicks on the FAQ button, they will be redirected to a Bot Response titled Type Your Question, prompting them to enter their query.
18. Following the Bot Response titled Type Your Question, add a User Input titled FAQ with the name Popular Questions, which includes a list of commonly asked questions for the user to choose from.
19. Add User Input titles named Small Talk and Main Menu. For these inputs, include the Go To Step activity and select the block titled Main Menu. This ensures the user is redirected to the main menu of the chat when these inputs are triggered.
When the user clicks on feedback button from the main menu it redirects to the feedback flow as shown:
20. In this flow, when the user clicks on the Start button, the Bot Response initiates the survey and provides a rating scale from 1 to 5 for the user to select.
21. Add User Input titles named Small Talk and Main Menu. For each of these inputs, configure the Go To Step activity and link it to the block titled Main Menu. This setup ensures that when these inputs are triggered, the user is redirected to the main menu of the chat.
When the user clicks on the Newsletter button in the Main Menu, they are redirected to the Newsletter Flow, as outlined in the configuration:
22. In this flow, when the user clicks on the Newsletter button, the Bot Response prompts the user with an option to subscribe to the newsletter for a discount. If the user clicks on the Subscribe button, they will be asked a series of questions, including their Name, Email ID, and a confirmation of the email ID. Once the user confirms their email ID, they will be successfully subscribed, and a unique discount code will be sent to them.
23. If the user enters anything other than a valid email ID, the flow redirects to the Failure Block, prompting the user to provide a valid email ID.
24. When the user clicks on Account Issues, they will be presented with a series of questions displayed as interactive buttons.
25. When the user clicks on the Change Email button, the response will display instructions on how to update their email ID. If the user clicks on the Contact Support button, they will be redirected to the Contact Us activity.
26. When the user clicks on the Reset Password button, the response will display instructions on how to reset their password.
27. If the user enters incorrect or incomplete information, the flow will redirect to the Default Fallback activity. Here, the user will be prompted to either provide the correct information or contact support for assistance.
28. To close the chat, use the Close Chat Click on the + symbol, select the Close Chat activity, and the chat will end.
29. After completing the flow, ensure that you publish the chat to make it visible and accessible to other users.
30. After publishing the bot, navigate to the Integrations option and select Widget. Click on the + symbol below the widget and choose the story you created to connect your bot to the widget.
31. After connecting chat with widget, we can customize the look and feel of the chat as shown:
32. In the General tab, provide your bot with a suitable name and a description that explains its purpose and usefulness.
33. In the Appearance tab, you can customize the chat by selecting a theme and background colors.
34. In the Greetings tab, you can add a greeting message (a pop-up message) to attract and engage visitors.
35. In the Publish tab, a code snippet is generated. Copy this code and paste it into every page of your website.
36. In your Mendix application, download the HTML Snippet widget from the Marketplace. Drag and drop this widget onto every page of your application.
37. To avoid syntax errors, paste this portion of the code into the JavaScript tab and save it.
window.__be = window.__be || {};
window.__be.id = "64f6fbec85286c00071f9eb3";
(function() {
var be = document.createElement('script'); be.type = 'text/javascript'; be.async = true;
be.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://' : 'http://') + 'cdn.chatbot.com/widget/plugin.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(be, s);
})();
38. Run your application then you can find the bot at the bottom of the page.
Integrating a chatbot into your Mendix applications opens up new opportunities for user engagement and operational efficiency. By harnessing Mendix's low-code platform, you can seamlessly incorporate AI-driven conversational capabilities to enable intuitive interactions and real-time support. This integration not only elevates the user experience but also streamlines workflows by automating routine tasks, transforming how applications serve their users. With a well-thought-out implementation strategy, a Mendix-integrated chatbot can become a key driver of your solution’s success. Happy building!