At a glance
Overview
- 1 Open Advance Tools → AI + ChatBots → Chatbot Builder → Create Flow (desktop/tablet recommended for the canvas).
- 2 Enter Chatbot name (optional Description) → Create & build flow.
- 3 Add Set A Trigger, then connect Send A Message / lists / questions / conditions. Always wire a Fallback for unexpected replies.
- 4 Save Draft while building. When ready, Publish (validation needs a Trigger), then Activate the bot on the ChatBots list — published alone is not enough.
- 5 Test on WhatsApp with your own number. Send start over between tests to reset the session. Use Analytics after real conversations.
Step by step
How the Chatbot Builder works
Create a flow, wire nodes, publish and activate, then test on WhatsApp.
Hub, draft, publish, and activate
The AI + ChatBots hub has two cards: AI Chatbot (knowledge) and Chatbot Builder (flows). Live bots need both a published flow and Active status.
- 1 On ChatBots, open Chatbot Builder → Create Flow, or Edit Flow on an existing bot. Delete permanently removes a bot (no archive).
- 2 In the builder toolbar: Save Draft stores work without going live; Publish validates and stores the published version contacts will run.
- 3 On Your chatbots, click Activate (or Deactivate). Inactive bots do not run even if published.
- 4 Toolbar also includes Undo, Tips, Duplicate (selected node only — not the whole bot), Analytics, Test (Beta), zoom, and fullscreen.
- 5 Rename the bot from the builder header. Mobile can activate/deactivate; prefer desktop for editing the canvas.
Triggers — how a flow starts
Every flow needs one Set A Trigger node. When several active bots match, the first match wins.
- 1 Add Set A Trigger from the palette (Click to add node). Only one Trigger per flow.
- 2 Choose a type: New Contact, Trigger Keyword (comma-separated keywords), Contact in Group, Business Hours, or Outside Business Hours (schedule + timezone).
- 3 With Catalog plan access: Catalog Order Received (all or selected catalogs) can start commerce flows.
- 4 Keyword triggers can restart a session when the contact messages a matching word while another session is active.
- 5 Optional entry points outside the canvas: Ice Breakers → Chatbot on tap, or Campaign / template Quick Reply → Chatbot Trigger.
Messages, lists, questions, and media
Core conversation nodes. Use the Variable button to insert Contact Name, Phone, Notes, custom fields, or saved question answers. Formatting: *bold* _italic_ ~strikethrough~.
- 1 Send A Message: text and optional footer; media None / Image / Video / Document. Body limits: 4096 plain or 1024 with buttons/media.
- 2 Add up to 3 buttons: Quick Reply, CTA - Call, or CTA - Visit Website (CTAs are blocked when media is attached). Button text max 20 characters.
- 3 Send A List: interactive list with header/body/footer, list button label, sections and rows (max 10 rows). Each row is a branch handle.
- 4 Ask A Question: free-text answer. Saving is built into this same node — choose where to store the reply (Contact Name, Phone, Notes, DOB, Anniversary, a custom field, or Don’t save). There is no separate “Save Contact Data” / “Save to CRM” node.
- 5 Send A Call / Open A Link: use an approved call or web template, or create and submit one for Meta approval from the node.
Conditions, fallback, delay, handoff, switch bot
Branch logic and exits. Send start over (any casing) in WhatsApp to confirm and reset a stuck session, then re-trigger.
- 1 Add A Condition: branch on User Input, Name, Email, Phone, or Custom Field with operators such as equals / contains. First matching branch wins; the red output is the fallback path.
- 2 Send A Fallback: connect from the condition red dot (or similar) with copy that re-prompts or recovers the conversation.
- 3 Add A Delay: wait Minutes / Hours / Days before continuing.
- 4 Transfer To Human: terminal handoff to Inbox (round robin or specific agent). Needs team inbox access.
- 5 Switch Bot: terminal jump to another Active bot that has a published Trigger — use to chain specialized flows.
Bookings, Flows, Catalog, products, and payments
Integration nodes are plan-gated. Locked palette items open an upgrade path. See related docs for full product setup.
- 1 Book A Slot: pick an Active Booking Event from Booking Automation (see Bookings docs). Optional Capture Payment can Fetch from connected Booking node.
- 2 Send A Flow: select a published WhatsApp Flow and Button Text (default Start, max 30). Submissions appear in Flow entries.
- 3 Send Catalog: Catalog message, Single product, Product list, or Catalog link (see Catalog docs). Order Fulfillment pairs with Catalog Order Received triggers.
- 4 Show Products (WooCommerce cart commands) and Sell Digital Product (Digital Store — Sell or Browse) can feed Capture Payment.
- 5 Capture Payment: “Pay Securely” with amount Manual or from Booking / Products cart / Digital Product; gateways Auto / Razorpay / Stripe (configure under Payment Gateways).
Ask AI, webhooks, Ice Breakers, test, and analytics
AI knowledge is managed on the AI Chatbot card; Ask AI uses those sources inside a flow.
- 1 Ask AI: answers from your knowledge base with success and fallback paths. Configure documents via Manage Documents on the AI Chatbot card (see AI chatbot docs).
- 2 Call Webhook: send session and collected answers to your URL (for CRM or custom systems).
- 3 Map Ice Breakers (WhatsApp Suite) with Chatbot on tap so new chats start a specific flow. Campaign Chatbot Trigger buttons can start bots mid-journey.
- 4 Test (Beta) runs a local simulator only — it does not send real WhatsApp messages. Always smoke-test on a real phone after Activate.
- 5 Analytics (from the builder): Total sessions, Completed, Completion rate, and Node funnel (Entered / Completed / Dropped). Empty until the flow is published and has non-test conversations.
Tips
- One job per node keeps flows easy to debug; name bots clearly (e.g. Support — keyword hello).
- Always define Fallback (and Ask AI fallback) for unexpected replies.
- Publish then Activate — forgetting Activate is the most common “bot does nothing” issue.
- Send start over between WhatsApp tests so you do not stay stuck mid-session.
- Prefer approved templates for Call / Web CTAs and for outreach that starts outside the 24-hour window.
- Team permissions and your plan control which nodes appear unlocked (Flows, Booking, Catalog, Digital Store, AI, and create/edit/delete for chatbots).