Integrations

What are bot integrations?

There are integrations with messaging channels and integrations with third-party services.

Channel integrations

• Purpose: Make your bot able to respond in more than one channel, e.g. Webchat, WhatsApp, telegram etc.
• Value: It is not necessary to create a bot for each channel. With this you get the same conversational experience for all channels. It is easier to maintain and update a single bot.
• Scope: You need to have a bot created and deployed before adding integrations.

Third party

• Purpose: Integrate with an external service, e.g. salesforce, zendesk, paperdutty.
• Value: No need to develop extra logic to integrate a service that is already supported.
• Scope: You need to have a bot created and deployed before adding integrations.
  

Key Concepts

• WhatsApp Cloud: Integration with WhatsApp using Meta infrastructure. It is necessary to have a purchased mobile phone number (we use Twilio to purchase phone number).
• WhatsApp Playground: This is a test number. You have to add your phone number to be able to see the experience inside WhatsApp but you can only add 10 phone numbers (can't be used for production).

How to use it?

• Before adding an integration you need to have a bot deployed.

Example: integrate a Webchat

1. Go to the Integrations page/URL of a bot. Here you can see the integrations with the different channels available.

2. Set a name for the Webchat, e.g. Webchat production. You can also define on which websites the Webchat will be visible and a default queue used (these two options are not mandatory and are not normally used).

3. Clicking on Enable Webchat will show us an example of the code that has to be added to the web to have the Webchat. There is a button to copy the code.

Here you can see the APP ID that will identify this Webchat and the URL where the bot code (netlify) is deployed:

4. If you click on Add another messenger or go back to the setting tab/URL, you will see the integration created and you can see the example code again or edit the URL where the Webchat will be shown etc.

Example: integrate a WhatsApp playground

1. Click on Add integration, and then in WhatsApp Playground button.

2. Add your phone number, and then click on Connect WhatsApp Playground.

3. Your phone number cannot be connected to two WhatsApp Playground from different bots.

4. Finally you can talk to the bot using the link that appears in the integration.