If you need to gather information beyond what platforms like Facebook provide, User Input and Attributes come to the rescue. Whether you're dealing with limited options or free-text data, we've got you covered.
What is User Input?
User Input is a powerful feature that allows you to collect and store crucial information from your contacts, enabling you to personalize their interactions with your chatbot. This information can be used for a variety of purposes, such as:
- Personalizing conversations: Gather user preferences, interests, and needs to tailor responses and provide a more engaging and relevant experience.
- Collecting feedback: Gather feedback on products, services, or support to improve offerings and meet user needs.
- Qualifying leads: Collect information about potential customers, such as their budget, needs, and timeline, to prioritize sales efforts.
User Input Types
- Free Text with User Input: This type allows users to express themselves freely, providing open-ended feedback or information
- Quick Replies or Buttons Options: This type restricts users to selecting from a predefined set of options, making it suitable for collecting specific information or guiding users through a process. Learn more about implementing Quick Replies or Buttons for enhanced functionality.
Different Formats and Validating User Input
User Input supports a variety of data formats, including:
- Default Validation: Checks that the input is not empty.
- Condition: Allows you to specify a custom condition for the input, such as a valid email format or phone number range.
| Formats | Use | Default Validation | Condition |
| Text |
Store all sorts of things like words, sentences, numbers, dates, signs, emojis, images, media, and even links, etc.
|
Free input without any Validation
|
|
| Phone | Store user's phone number. | If the user enters invalid characters, the bot will send a "Retry message" and ask them to try again. |
|
| Store user's email. | If the user enters invalid characters, the bot will send a "Retry message" and ask them to try again. |
|
|
| Number |
Store any number the user inputs Note: All countries' numbers are supported (including country codes). |
None |
|
| Location | Store a sent location | None |
|
| Date & Time | Store a set date and time. | None |
|
| URL | Store a URL | None |
|
| Regex | Regex can be used to define a custom pattern for valid phone numbers based on your region or country code. | None |
|
| Date | Store the date | None |
|
| Time | Store the time | None |
|
Note: Only input that matches its specified type will be accepted. For example, if you need to save a number, use the "Number" type. The "Text" type accepts any input.
To Create User Input to save user input in a user attribute
- Display a message: Inform the user that you are collecting information from them.
- Add a "User Input": This will capture the user's response.
Remember, always add a question first and then place the "user input" right below it.
- Assign a unique user attribute name to each question for accurate tracking.
- Select the data format: Choose the appropriate data format based on the question type (text, phone number, email, number, location, date & time, URL).
- Add a condition (optional): Validate the user input using a condition if necessary.
- Add a retry message: Provide a message to be displayed if the user enters an invalid input multiple times.
- Set retry time: Set the number of allowed retries for invalid input.
- Select the next flow: Choose the next flow in the conversation after the user has entered invalid input.
Importance of Unique Attribute Names
It is important to give each user attribute a unique name to avoid overwrites.
For example, if you have two questions about food and drink, you should give each question a different user attribute name, such as "favorite_food" and "favorite_drink".
Handling Invalid Input
Gracefully handle invalid user input to maintain a positive user experience:
- Providing clear error messages: Let users know when they have entered invalid input and explain why.
- Offering suggestions: Provide suggestions for how to correct the invalid input.
- Retrying: If the user enters an invalid input multiple times, you can automatically retry the question.
Managing your custom attributes
You can manage your user attributes in the Settings menu -> Attributes -> User Attribute.
- Edit: Modify attribute details.
- Archive: Temporarily archive unused attributes.
Please, notice that archiving User Attributes allows you to restore them later.
Note: User Input Saves attributes in the "User Attributes" section
Integration with Google Sheets
You can seamlessly integrate User Input data with Google Sheets for comprehensive storage and easy tracking. Follow this guide to learn how to integrate your chatbot with Google Sheets. 🗃️
Additional Tips
- Use clear and concise language when asking questions.
- Provide context for your questions to help users understand what you are asking.
- Use multiple input messages if you need to collect multiple pieces of information from the user.