Flows overview

Flows

The Flows module is a simple graphical tool used to create flows of dialog. Flows is a no-code (or low-code, depending on the user preference), drag-and-drop user interface with a built-in chat tester. It uses modularity to divide the conversation into different contexts and allows you to see the whole client's experience from a single perspective.

The logic of the dialogue is determined by corresponding blocks and conditional connections between them.

Where to find the flows of a chatbot?

Flow Components

1. Multiple flows

Automate allows you to have multiple flows. We use multiple flows to:

group topics into specific flows e.g FAQs or Automated processes.
separate languages.

✅ Do this	❌ Don't do this
1 flow per language. Duplicate flows and customize it per language, thus allowing the bot to easily switch from one language to the other.	Adding 2 or more languages in the same flow. The flow will work but the workspace will quickly become messy & unclear.

2. Flows settings: Set as entry flow

Use the three-dot menu on the right for settings. Set as entry flow will set the flow to be the starting point of the conversation. The house icon shows you the current entry flow.

3. Flows settings: Export

This option allows you to export each flow separately as a JSON file. Use it to:

duplicate a flow by importing it to the same project,
import it as a whole flow to another project,
import chosen contexts to another project (learn more),
add changes to the flow directly on JSON file.

4. Canvas

Automate allows you to drag and drop the Block components from the toolbar on the infinite Canvas.
See the supported Keyboard shortcuts while building your flow!

5. The toolbar

The toolbar and its extendable drawer contain all the necessary blocks to build a conversation.

See Blocks to read more about the components and their use cases! 👀

6. The chat tester

Thanks to the built-in webchat, bots being built can be tested and debugged immediately. See Chat tester.

7. Blocks highlighting

Block that have taken part in the last conversation turn will be highlighted in light blue making it easy to navigate the Flow of your bot.

8. Back to Start

When working on the Flow of your bot, use thectrl/cmd + S shortcut to centre Canvas to the uppermost Start Block in a given Context. Use it again to move to each next Start block.
You can also find the Back to Start button in the toolbox in the bottom left corner of the Flow module.

📘
This feature was first introduced as an Experimental feature.
From version 200 it was possible to use the S hotkey to move to the uppermost Start Block.
In version 203 the S hotkey was replace by the ctrl/cmd + S shortcut and it was possible to switch between all the Start Blocks in a given Context.