Adding User Input

How do I add user input? How to accept user input in a conversation?

There are different ways to capture user input in a conversational flow: buttons, choices, and captures. To choose the right method, it depends on where you host your conversational assistant and what information is needed from the user.

Buttons

(Note: this is only available in chat assistants and is not supported on WhatsApp and Twilio channels)

Buttons give users an easy way to respond to the chat assistant by clicking on a button instead of typing out a response. By creating designated responses or prompts for the user to select, users can streamline their interaction with effective shortcuts and conversational designers can have more control over the conversational flow. Learn more here!

Choice

Choices consist of a range of written responses expected from the user. These freeform responses are always mapped to a user’s intention to complete a task or retrieve information, and are almost always preceded by a question. As there are many ways to express an intention, intents encompass a list of phrases, called utterances, that represent a single meaning. These intents allow the conversational assistant to understand what the user needs and direct the user towards the most fitting pathway of conversation. Learn more here!

Capture

Captures are user input that do not directly influence the conversational flow or map to a user’s intention. They record information that is relevant to the conversation and store it in an entity that can be later used for data processing. You can also indicate the desired type of value, such as integer or text, and build error messages to let the user know when the input does not match what is expected. Learn more here!