# Rich content in AI replies

Let AI return supported cards, images and actions alongside text, with readable fallback text where cards are unavailable.

*Release 3.3 · admin, operator, visitor*

**Settings › AI › Features**

## What it is

**Rich Content** lets supported AI features answer with cards, images, lists and actions as well as text. INSIDE validates this content before delivery. A readable text version supports channels that cannot display the structured reply.

## Who uses it and why

- Users with **Settings** and permission to manage **AI**, or **Developer**, choose which content types an AI feature may use.
- Operators review AI suggestions and, when alternative replies are enabled, select the answer and cards they want to use.
- Visitors receive supported content in their conversation, such as product information or an appropriate order summary.

## Where to find it

Open **Settings › AI › Features** and edit an **Ask AI**, **Copilot** or **Autopilot** feature. Its options include **Enable Rich Content**, **Prefer Rich Content Replies** and **Rich Content modules**.

Operators see rich answers in the relevant AI reply or suggestion area.

## How it works

1. The AI selects a supported content type and supplies its content or references to approved results.
2. INSIDE resolves the required information and checks the content's structure, size and intended audience.
3. It delivers a supported card or other component. Where the channel cannot display it, INSIDE uses fallback text.
4. In Copilot, separately enabled alternative replies can each carry different text, cards and citations. The selected reply retains its associated content.

Product and order details can come from configured commerce tools rather than being filled in freely by the AI. Visitor delivery also removes protected operator-only order details.

## Configure it

With **Settings** and permission to manage **AI**, or **Developer**:

1. Edit the supported feature at **Settings › AI › Features**.
2. Turn on **Enable Rich Content**.
3. Optionally turn on **Prefer Rich Content Replies**.
4. Select **Rich Content modules** to restrict the available components, or leave the selection empty to permit all published modules.
5. Save the feature.

Ask Powerfront to enable alternative structured replies if required. They are off by default and are separate from enabling rich content.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enable Rich Content | Settings › AI › Features | website | Off | Settings role, Developer role | Allows a supported AI feature to return native INSIDE rich content. |
| Prefer Rich Content Replies | Settings › AI › Features | website | Off | Settings role, Developer role | Prefers supported rich components and can request a bounded retry to represent an answer as rich content. |
| Rich Content modules | Settings › AI › Features | website | Not set: all published modules are available | Settings role, Developer role | Restricts which modules the AI may emit; structural text and list modules remain available. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Configure rich content when AI is allowed under Settings Permissions. |
| AI | Allows AI configuration within Settings Permissions. |
| Developer | Configure rich content on AI features. |

## Limits and good to know

- Validation permits at most 100 top-level content items, 50 items in bounded collections, 20 actions per validated action list and a nesting depth of 16.
- Text and metadata values have limits of 16,000 characters.
- Content resolution defaults to a 15-second timeout.
- Up to five structured reply alternatives are retained for delivery.
- Unknown or invalid content may reduce to fallback text or an unavailable-content message.
- Rich content preference does not guarantee that every answer becomes a card.
- A workflow transfer discards buffered AI rich output rather than delivering it afterwards.
- Operator content may lose private details, actions or citations when projected for a visitor. Sharing does not bypass audience restrictions.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Configured in** [AI feature settings and change history](AI-001.md): Each supported AI feature controls its rich content settings.
- **Configured in** [Product card configuration and shopping actions](COM-014.md): Product Card configurations control product-card appearance in the selected chat theme.
- **Configured in** [Order card configuration and access](COM-015.md): Order Card configurations control order presentation and guest matching requirements.
- **Works better with** [AI functions and required inputs](AI-016.md): Approved tool results can supply facts for cards.
- **Works better with** [AI answer citations and summaries](AI-028.md): Rich replies and individual alternatives can retain their own citations.
- **Related** [Messages and rich content](CHAT-002.md): Supported conversation screens display rich replies or their text fallback.
- **Related** [Internal comments](CHAT-014.md): Visitor delivery excludes protected operator-only content.

### Used by

- **Enhances** [Rich content in visitor chat](VX-018.md): AI replies can supply structured content and choices.
- **Enhances** [Autopilot for live chat](AI-003.md): Rich content can present supported cards and reply options.
- **Enhances** [Copilot reply suggestions](AI-006.md): Supported suggestions can include rich content and alternative replies.
- **Enhances** [Ask AI beside a visitor conversation](AI-008.md): Supported replies can include rich content.
- **Enhances** [AI answer citations and summaries](AI-028.md): Rich replies and alternative options retain their own citations.
- **Enhances** [AI reply streaming settings](AI-037.md): Final responses can include supported rich content alongside text.
- **Enhances** [AI model provider selection](AIP-003.md): Enabled rich replies let compatible providers return structured content for supported AI features.
- **Enhances** [OpenAI API connection options](AIP-004.md): Enabled rich replies let compatible OpenAI models return validated structured content.
- **Enhances** [Google AI Studio model connection](AIP-005.md): Enabled rich replies let compatible Gemini models return validated structured content.
- **Enhances** [Personal information masking for AI](AIP-021.md): Restoration includes supported text within rich content and reply options.
- **Enhances** [AI guardrail policy connections](AIP-022.md): Output checks include supported rich-content text and reply options.
- **Enhances** [Salesforce Models API connection](AIP-027.md): Enabled rich replies can use validated Salesforce structured output when tool emulation supports the requested format.
- **Enhances** [Custom integrations](EXT-017.md): Rich-content support lets AI replies present supported cards using information returned by custom tools.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why is the answer plain text?

The feature may have rich content disabled, the selected module may be unavailable, or the channel may need fallback text.

### Why are no alternative replies shown?

Alternative structured replies require separate enablement. **Enable Rich Content** alone does not turn them on.

### Why does the visitor's order card show less detail?

Visitor delivery removes protected operator-only information.

### Why did a card fail to appear?

The card may have failed validation or its information could not be resolved in time. Check the feature's permitted modules and its configured data tools.