Step types

Step types

Overview

Bots are created as a flow of steps. Your Bot's automatic conversation will follow the flow based on the rules you configure and the path you design. When you create a new step, you need to choose what type of step it is, configure it, and connect it with the rest of the flow depending on your needs. Below is a brief explanation of what each type does.


Check our Webio Champion Academy to learn more about the Bot Flow Builder.

Step Types

Messages


Plain Text Message


Plain text steps send the message you have set and then move on to the next one. Learn How To Create Simple Outbound One - Step Information Bot Using Our New UI (webio.com). 
This type of step is not suitable for conversations that require a response from the customer, because it proceeds to the next step without waiting for a response. For situations, where a response from the customer is needed, you can opt for steps such as Listening, Entity Gathering or Global Intents. Check more below.

Action


 The Action Steps are a set of different actions the Bot can takes when the conversation reach a specific point of the flow or specific conditions are met.

Listening Step 

                               
Listening step sends the message you have set, waits for a response and then takes the route you have configured.

Listening Step can be used to gather customer responses and store them in either Data fields (You can input the name of the field in the ‘Value to Gather field’) or in Customer ID fields.
If you store the customer response as a Data it will be stored in the system for future use. If you store the response as a Customer ID then that value will display in the conversation screen and in reports and webhooks where the Customer UID/Customer Ref is shown.
Configure a conversational path based on customer replies, using Listening and Logical Branches steps. 


Logical Branch 

Logical Branch steps enable your bot to understand context.  These can be used to configure different routes dependant on time of day, day of week, agents available or custom value. Find more information here.


To configure a Logical Branch step:
First, navigate to the Action block, drag and drop on the Flow Builder screen a Logical Branch step then click 'Add Logic'.
When you click on 'Add Logic', this will enable the Drag&Drop Logic box. You can now drag and drop there the type of condition you need then configure it. You can add as many conditions you need. Once the step is configured don't forget to save it. 


Payment Step


Once you have enabled your payment gateway integration on your organisation you can quickly configure payment service providers and allow payments to be taken as part of a bot conversation.  The card details are managed securely by our PCI level 1 service provider partner and never hits the Webio platform.

Move To Queue



You are able to configure queues to match your business processes.  Once configured, use this step to move conversations to the correct queues at the correct point. 

Blocklist


Conversations that reach this step can be added to a blocklist for the specified amount of time. Learn more about Your Webio Blocklist.

Set Status


The set status step will stamp the conversation with the status when it reaches this point. 

Form

A typeform integration to your organisation brings the power of conversational forms into your bots.

Close Conversation


A bot can close a conversation, this will remove it from the agents default view.  Closed conversations can still be returned through the search feature. 

Entity Gathering

                                           
Understands the context of your conversations and extracts meaningful entities such as:
  1. Dates 
  2. Date of birth
  3. Numbers
  4. Currency
  5. Names
  6. Phone numbers
  7. UK postcodes

Once these entities are extracted you can use them in further conversational steps. Learn more here. 

Can I pay £75 this Friday” would have the entities “Currency: pounds”, “Number: 75”, and take the “Date” entity


For instance, £75 may fall within a range of values you have set as acceptable within a logical branch step, and thus it passes that criterion to progress to the next step.

Global Intents

                                                             
Using natural language understanding, you can configure routes through your bot using Intents and Entities identified from customer responses. Click the link to learn more about Global Intents.

Logic


Logic blocks, instead, contain a series of Logic Conditions you can use in combination with Logical Branch step. To be able to select a Logic from this block, first, drop on the building flow a Logical Branch step from the Action Block. Learn more here.

A.I.


A.I. block, contains a series pre-trained credit & collection Intents & Entities.  Using A.I. blocks in combination with Global Intents will help you to enhance and automate even further your customers interaction. Learn more about Global Intents & WebioFlow Intents & Entities

Before using A.I. blocks:
  1. Navigate to Action block.
  2. Drag and drop on the Flow Builder a Global Intents Step.  
  3. Compose your message.
  4. Select WebioFlow as the NLP engine.


Navigate to the A.I. category, click INTENT and drag and drop the desired Intent into the step.
 
     

Re-engager Condition


Automate your message follow up strategy! Learn more here.

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