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Why is my chatbot not working?

After configuring a chatbot automation, you may have run into cases where your chatbot does not trigger or has stopped.

In this article, we will cover the most common scenarios.

Why is my chatbot not triggering?

  • Starting Node not connected or not properly set

If there is no starting step or no message or any text set in any node, it might pass the impression that the chatbot did not trigger, but it was the due to the lack of data. Below is an example of setting a starting step: 

Click the three dots button, then select "Set start node"

  • Keyword not matching 

Check if the keyword configured to trigger the chatbot automation is the correct one.  Some keywords are configured  as “Exact Match”, meaning that if one letter is different or is missing, the keyword will not trigger.

  • Chat assignment

In order for the chatbot to trigger from keywords or default actions, the chat should be assigned to a Bot. Automation will not work if the chat is assigned to an operator. 

Why did my chatbot stop?

There are several scenarios in which the trigger works properly but the chatbot stops working and does not complete. 

  • The customer sends a media file (e.g. picture or video), but the chatbot node is not set to accept a media response. Because of that, the chatbot is stopped.
    Check this article on how to enable chatbot to accept a media response: https://support.wati.io/l/en/article/j6va74rglr-how-to-use-questions-for-flowbuilder#accept_a_media_response
  • There is an expiration time to each chatbot. If the contact does not respond within the set time, the chatbot will end. You can set the expiration time below: 
    • As per the configuration below, if there is no reply in 2 minutes, the chatbot will end, and the contact’s reply afterwards will not be considered by the chatbot.
    • Please note that the minimum amount of time allowed will be 1 and the maximum will be 1440 minutes (24 hours).

After clicking in the "Chatbot Timer" in the upper right corner, you will be able to set the expiration time : 

  • Misconfiguration of subsequent nodes could also be a reason. Webhook nodes, Google Spreadsheet nodes and other nodes could have been misconfigured and prevents the chatbot to keep on running. 
  • Select buttons or list messages in the previous steps of the chatbot
  • Unexpected answers are also a possible reason. For example, the chatbot is expecting “1”, “2” or “3” and if the contact replies with something different like “4” or “hello”, the chatbot will also stop.
Details
For unexpected answers, you can make use of the "General"/"Default" option to cater all responses that are unmatched with all the available options in the question/button node. You may link to a message asking user to answer again and link it back to the original node or link to other nodes based on the design of the chatbot.
  • If a chatbot has used features that require a Pro plan, it can only be used if the account is on a Pro plan. If you are using the regular plan, once you remove the pro features from the chatbot, you would be able to trigger it through a keyword.

How did we do?

How to test a chatbot?

Advanced Chatbot Builder: Trigger Chatbot

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