Everything you need to know to get started with chatbots

As the bot ecosystem phases into being widely acceptable and known, the masses still seem to be unaware of the application of chatbots to simplify daily transactions and provide easy business solutions. Small scale business owners and entrepreneurs are curious to experiment with and integrate chatbots into their business models with the anticipation of reaching out to their preferred target audience. We at Gupshup host dozens of meetup all across the country. At these meetups, our endeavor is to throw light on the topics that may be slightly tricky to comprehend from the point of view of a non-developer.

Here are the questions we get asked frequently :

On Bots

Can I host a bot on my own server?

Yes, you can! Check out the callback URL option in the Bot Builder tool. Specify the endpoint of your server here. This endpoint is pinged when your bot is communicated with. Parse the message and then send out an appropriate reply using the Send Message API.

What are some use cases where bots work well?

Some immediate examples of use cases that work well are customer support, information services (rail timings, score checking) and location-based services. That being said, chat bots are the new apps. A majority of the services consumed by web and apps will soon move to a chatbot paradigm and users will be using chatbots to do everything – from scheduling meetings to booking movie tickets and even playing games.

On the Bot Builder platform

How to set callback URL?

You can follow the detailed instructions on this guide to solve your query regarding the callback URL <https://www.gupshup.io/developer/docs/bot-platform/guide/building-bot-outside-bot-builder-tool> to find out how you can set a callback URL.

On publishing bots on Facebook

What are the limitations for the structured messages on FB messenger?

Facebook imposes certain limitations on what can be done with structured messages. Go through the guidelines listed in this guide.

What is greeting message in Facebook and how do I set one?

A greeting message is what people see the first time they find your bot on messenger. It disappears when someone taps ‘Get Started’ button or send your bot a message.

Note: Greetings have a 160 character maximum, so keep it concise.

You can set one using one of the two procedures:

Procedure 1:

1. Click Settings at the top of your page.
2. Click Messaging in the left column.
3. Below Show, a Messenger Greeting, click to select Yes.
4. Click Change, edit the greeting, then click Save.

Procedure 2:

1. Click My Bots at the top of your Page.
2. Select bot from your bots list.
3. Select publish tab at the top of your page.
4. Select Facebook messenger publish button.
5. Under Submit your page Username and Page Access Token accordion, set greeting message under welcome message parameter.

If you have more doubts you can visit our guide section.  Did not find the question you were looking for? Find them in our FAQ section.

As the ecosystem evolves, bots will get more features and become highly interactive. Facebook regularly keeps updating and adding new features to bots to make them user-friendly, other social media channels will also follow the trend. Join us at our next meetup as we discuss the latest trends poised to shape the future of digital communication.