9bx Connect
Chatbot
Menus and questions that run before a person joins the chat.
A newer visual builder is in Message flows.
Contents
- What it is for
- Who can use it
- Where to find it
- The screen explained
- Tasks
- Example scenario
- Tips
- Troubleshooting
- Related pages
What it is for
A chatbot flow greets visitors, shows buttons, asks for details, looks up information and hands over to the right team, so agents receive chats that already have the basics.
Who can use it
Users with the Chatbot manage permission.
Where to find it
Chat & Messaging → Chat settings → Chatbot
The screen explained
A flow shown as an outline of steps with the editor.
| Item | Meaning |
|---|---|
| New flow, Flow name | Creates a flow. "No flows yet" until you do. |
| Pick a flow | Opens an existing flow (or create a new one). |
| Flow (outline) | The steps. "not reachable" marks a step nothing leads to. |
| Add step | Adds a step. |
| Make this the first step | Sets the starting step. |
| Delete this step | Removes it. |
| Save draft | Keeps work without going live (Draft). |
| Publish | Makes it live ("Published."). |
| Fix before publishing | Lists problems that block publishing. |
Step types
| Type | What the bot does | Main fields |
|---|---|---|
| Message | Says something. | What the bot says, Then go to |
| Menu | Shows buttons. | What the bot asks, per button Button text and Goes to, Add button |
| Ask a question | Collects an answer. | What the bot asks, Save the answer as (name, email, phone or your own like order_id), Check the answer is (any text, an email, a phone number, a number, a pattern), If the answer is wrong |
| Knowledge base | Searches your articles. | If found, go to, If nothing found, go to |
| API lookup | Calls your system. | API secret, Address (use {{field}} to insert an answer), Reply (use {{api.status}} for returned values), If it fails, go to |
| Opening hours | Branches by hours. | If open, go to, If closed, go to |
| Hand over to a person | Puts the chat in a queue. | Team, Skills needed |
| End | Finishes the flow. |
Tasks
Build a simple greeting menu
- Press New flow and name it "Main menu".
- Add a Menu step: "How can we help?" with buttons "Billing" and "Internet down".
- Point "Billing" to a Hand over to a person step for team Billing, and "Internet down" to an Ask a question step that saves
phone. - Press Make this the first step on the menu, fix any items under Fix before publishing, then Publish.
- In Widgets, pick the flow under Chatbot.
Look up an order or account
- Create a secret under Channels → Chatbot lookup secrets.
- Add an API lookup step, pick the secret, and enter the address with
{{order_id}}. - Write the Reply and set If it fails, go to.
Example scenario
A visitor at Padma Net Support taps "Check my bill", types their customer ID, the bot calls the billing system and replies "Your bill is 1,200 BDT, due 10 Nov." If the lookup fails it hands over to Billing.
Tips
- Always give every branch an ending: a handover or End.
- Use Opening hours so the bot can offer the away form outside hours.
Troubleshooting
Cannot publish. Read Fix before publishing. Usually a step has no next step.
The bot never starts. The widget must have the flow selected under Chatbot.