Summary
The Question Box is one of the most commonly used elements in the Wati Chatbot Builder. It allows you to ask users questions, collect their responses, validate different types of input, and store answers for use later in your chatbot flow.
This guide explains the different parts of the Question Box, how to configure each option, and how to collect both text and media responses.
Instructions
Understanding the Question Box
The Question Box is used whenever your chatbot needs information from a user. Depending on your use case, you can:
Ask a question and collect free-text responses.
Provide predefined answer options.
Validate user input, such as numbers, dates, email addresses, or custom formats.
Save responses as variables for later use.
Accept media files, including images, documents, and videos.
Parts of the Question Box
1. Question Text
The Question Text is the message displayed to the user.
You can customize it by:
Adding variables (for example,
@{Variable Name}) to personalize the message.Including emojis to make the conversation more engaging.
Formatting text using bold, italic, or strikethrough styles.
2. Answer Variants
Answer Variants are predefined responses that users can select.
For example:
Yes = 1
No = 2
When Answer Variants are configured, users must reply by entering the corresponding number. If the user enters 1, the chatbot records the response as Yes.
If you want users to provide their own response instead, leave the Answer Variants field empty. The chatbot will then accept free-text input.
Handling unmatched responses
Users may sometimes enter an unexpected response instead of selecting one of the available options.
For example, if the available options are:
Yes = 1
No = 2
A user might type "Hi" instead.
To handle these situations, configure the General fallback option. This allows you to redirect users to another chatbot flow whenever their response does not match any of the predefined answer variants.
Saving user responses
You can save a user's response in a variable. Stored variables can be used to:
Display the user's response later in the conversation.
Pass information to another chatbot step.
Evaluate conditions and control the chatbot flow.
For example, you can:
Store a customer's name for use later in the conversation.
Save an order number for verification.
Check a stored value to determine which path the chatbot should follow next.
Advanced Options
Validating user responses
If you're collecting free-text responses, you can use Advanced Options to validate the information users enter. Validation ensures that responses match the expected format before the chatbot continues.
1. Number Validation
Use Number Validation when users must enter a numeric value.
You can:
Specify minimum and maximum values.
Display a custom error message if the value is outside the allowed range.
Configure the chatbot to exit after multiple invalid attempts.
For example: Please enter a number between 1 and 1000.
2. Date Validation
Use Date Validation when users need to enter a date.
Supported formats include:
M/d/yyyyMM/dd/yyyyM/dd/yyyyMM/d/yyyy
Example dates:
1/1/202101/11/20211/11/2021
3. Date and Time Validation
Use Date and Time Validation when users must provide both a date and a time.
Supported examples include:
1/9/2021 8:00:00 AM12/25/2020 03:59:05
4. Time Validation
Use Time Validation when only a time is required.
Supported examples include:
02:35 PM14:37:212:37:00 PM
5. Pattern (Regex) Validation
Pattern validation uses regular expressions (regex) to ensure responses match a specific format.
Some common examples include:
Use case | Example pattern |
Only letters |
|
Email address |
|
No emojis |
|
Instagram profile URL |
|
Pattern validation is useful when responses must follow a specific structure, such as email addresses, usernames, or URLs.
Accepting media responses
In addition to text responses, the Question Box can also accept media files.
Previously, media files sent to the chatbot resulted in an error. You can now configure the Question Box to accept supported media types.
Supported Media Types
The Question Box supports:
Documents
Images
Videos
Note: Audio files and voice notes are not supported.
Media response options
When media responses are enabled, you can configure the Question Box to:
Accept only a specific media type.
Display a validation error if the user uploads an unsupported file type.
Download uploaded media using the
getMediaAPI endpoint.Save the uploaded file location in a variable for use in later chatbot steps.
For example, if your chatbot asks users to upload an image, uploading a PDF document will trigger a validation error.
Best Practices
To create a better chatbot experience:
Use clear and concise questions.
Use Answer Variants when users should choose from a fixed set of options.
Use free-text responses only when users need to provide custom information.
Validate user input whenever a specific format is required.
Store important responses in variables so they can be reused throughout the conversation.
Configure fallback paths to handle unexpected user input gracefully.
Restrict media uploads to the file types required by your chatbot flow.
Conclusion
The Question Box is one of the most flexible components in the Wati Chatbot Builder. It enables you to collect structured user input, validate responses, save information as variables, and even receive media files. By combining answer variants, validation rules, variables, and fallback options, you can build chatbot conversations that are both reliable and easy for users to complete.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Understanding the Question Box
1. What is the Question Box in the Wati Chatbot Builder?
The Question Box is a chatbot component that allows you to ask users questions, collect their responses, validate different types of input, save responses as variables, and accept media files. It can be used to collect free-text responses, predefined answers, and structured information for use later in a chatbot flow.
2. What can I customize in the Question Box?
You can customize the Question Box by:
Adding variables (for example,
@{Variable Name}) to personalize the question.Including emojis.
Formatting text using bold, italic, or strikethrough styles.
Providing predefined answer variants or allowing free-text responses.
3. How do Answer Variants work in the Question Box?
Answer Variants are predefined response options that users select by entering the corresponding number. For example, if Yes = 1 and No = 2, entering 1 records the response as Yes. If the Answer Variants field is left empty, users can enter free-text responses instead.
4. How can the Question Box handle unexpected user responses?
You can configure the General fallback option to handle responses that do not match any predefined Answer Variants. When a user enters an unexpected response, the fallback option can redirect them to another chatbot flow.
5. Why should I save user responses in variables?
Saving user responses in variables allows you to reuse the information later in the chatbot flow. Stored variables can be displayed back to the user, passed to another chatbot step, or evaluated in conditions to control the conversation flow.
Validation Options
6. What validation options are available in the Question Box?
The Question Box supports the following validation options for free-text responses:
Number Validation to accept numbers within a specified range.
Date Validation to accept supported date formats.
Date and Time Validation to accept both date and time values.
Time Validation to accept supported time formats.
Pattern (Regex) Validation to validate responses against a custom regular expression, such as an email address, username, or URL.
Media Responses
7. Can the Question Box accept media files?
Yes. The Question Box can accept documents, images, and videos. Audio files and voice notes are not supported. You can also configure the Question Box to accept only specific media types, display validation errors for unsupported files, download uploaded media using the getMedia API endpoint, and save the uploaded file location in a variable.
Best Practices
8. What are the best practices for using the Question Box?
To create a better chatbot experience:
Use clear and concise questions.
Use Answer Variants when users should select from predefined options.
Use free-text responses only when custom input is required.
Validate user input whenever a specific format is expected.
Save important responses in variables for later use.
Configure fallback paths to handle unexpected responses.
Restrict media uploads to only the file types required by your chatbot flow.