# Custom bots and FAQ bots

Connect registered bots to eligible conversations and control when they can respond or hand work back.

*Release 3.3 · admin, developer, operator*

**Settings › Bots › Custom Bots** · **Settings › Bots › FAQ Bots**

## What it is

**Custom Bots** connect external bot services to INSIDE conversations. **FAQ Bots** use intent-based responses, including Dialogflow integration. Registration, targeting and participation options decide which conversations a bot can handle.

## Who uses it and why

- Administrators with **Bot Trainer** access review bots and switch eligible bots on or off.
- Developers work with Powerfront to connect custom services and conversation notifications.
- Operators use bot assistance and take over conversations according to the configured handover rules.

## Where to find it

With the **Bot Trainer** role, open **Settings › Bots › Custom Bots** or **Settings › Bots › FAQ Bots**. Bot cards show the registration and on/off state. **FAQ Bots** also provides **Train** for intent content.

Powerfront creates, edits and deletes registrations. Ask Powerfront to change a bot's integration, identity, targeting, schedule, participation options or expiry.

## How it works

A bot must be enabled and the website's bot capability must be active. Custom chat-control selection applies to visitor-initiated conversations. INSIDE considers the bot's **Chat Control** choice, message integration, visitor conditions and schedule.

FAQ bots can participate in proactive conversations only when **Proactive Chats** is enabled and the other eligibility checks permit participation. Supported language and conversation mute state can also prevent a bot response. A task-triggered intent lookup has its own checks, so test it separately from an ordinary visitor message.

Custom integrations can receive message context and notifications about conversation assignment, ending and work pushed to a queue. A configured bot identity represents the bot; it is not evidence that a human operator is online.

**Chat Expiry (s)** controls the configured bot chat-expiry interval. The new custom-bot editor initially shows 30 seconds. A non-empty value is constrained to 10 to 60 seconds. Leaving it unset disables this configured expiry. This setting is separate from other conversation inactivity controls.

An actively running task prevents bot-control expiry from interrupting it. A paused task does not provide the same protection and may be ended before an expiry task starts.

## Configure it

1. Give Powerfront the bot type, intended conversations, visitor targeting, schedule and required handover behaviour.
2. For a custom bot, have your developer agree the message and lifecycle notification integration with Powerfront.
3. Ask Powerfront to configure the registration, bot identity, participation options and expiry. Confirm any requested expiry task separately.
4. With **Bot Trainer** access, review the bot card and switch it on or off as required, confirming the change.
5. Test visitor-initiated and proactive conversations, supported languages, muted conversations and task interactions that you use.

FAQ response training and automatic-send thresholds are covered separately from registration.

### Fields

| Field | Where | Required | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bot name | Settings › Bots › Custom Bots | Yes | Names the bot registration. Powerfront manages registration changes. |
| Role(s) | Settings › Bots › Custom Bots | No | Selects the bot's participation options. These are bot options, separate from operator roles. |
| Chat Control | Settings › Bots › Custom Bots | No | Makes an eligible custom bot a candidate for chat control on visitor-initiated conversations. |
| Bot Messages | Settings › Bots › Custom Bots | No | Controls inclusion of bot messages in the custom bot's message handling. |
| System Messages | Settings › Bots › Custom Bots | No | Controls inclusion of system messages in the custom bot's message handling. |
| Proactive Chats | Settings › Bots › FAQ Bots | No | Allows eligible FAQ bot participation in proactive conversations. |
| Chat Expiry (s) | Settings › Bots › Custom Bots | No | Sets the configured bot chat-expiry interval. The editor initially shows 30 seconds and entered values are constrained to 10 to 60 seconds. |
| Web Hook | Settings › Bots › Custom Bots | Yes | Holds the custom bot's external message and conversation notification integration. Powerfront must supply valid integration configuration with your developer. |

### Permissions

| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Bot Trainer | Access FAQ Bots and Custom Bots, train FAQ content and switch a bot on or off where editing is allowed. Registration creation, editing and deletion are Powerfront-managed. |

## Limits and good to know

- Bot participation options under **Role(s)** are different from operator roles and permissions.
- **Proactive Chats** does not make custom chat-control selection apply to proactive starts.
- An enabled bot is not necessarily eligible for every visitor or message.
- Switching a bot on does not configure its external service or credentials.
- Request token or credential changes through Powerfront and coordinate any corresponding changes with the integration developer.
- A lifecycle notification is not a guarantee that the external bot processed it successfully.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Configured in** [Operator accounts](ADM-007.md): A custom bot can use a configured operator identity to represent its participation.
- **Configured in** [Visitor event and bot schedules](ENG-003.md): Time filters can restrict bot participation.
- **Configured in** [FAQ bot training and automatic replies](ENG-021.md): Intent training defines FAQ responses and their automatic-reply thresholds.
- **Works better with** [Proactive chat invitations](ENG-004.md): Eligible FAQ bots need Proactive Chats to participate in proactive conversations.
- **Works better with** [Virtual Assistant task steps and branches](ENG-011.md): An active task affects bot expiry and tasks can invoke bot intent responses.
- **Works better with** [Virtual Assistant task pauses and handover](ENG-015.md): Bot handover and paused tasks interact with expiry.
- **Works better with** [Chat queue](CHAT-005.md): Custom integrations can receive notification that work was pushed to a queue.
- **Works better with** [Transferring conversations](CHAT-010.md): Conversation assignment and handover affect bot control.
- **Related** [Starting, ending and expiring chats](CHAT-001.md): Bot-control expiry and conversation expiry are separate controls that can affect the same chat.
- **Needs licence or module** Admin settings and feature switches (managed by Powerfront): Bot participation requires the website's bot capability to be enabled by Powerfront.

### Used by

- **Required by** [FAQ bot training and automatic replies](ENG-021.md): The FAQ bot registration and its eligibility determine whether intent matching participates.
- **Required by** [Autopilot for live chat](AI-003.md): Saving an Autopilot feature creates or updates its linked bot.
- **Required by** [Autonomous agents for proactive chat](AI-005.md): The linked bot must be enabled and match the current Autopilot configuration.
- **Configures** [Visitor event updates to customer context](ENG-007.md): Bot registrations supply the bots whose conversation contexts an event can change.
- **Enhances** [Departments](CHAT-006.md): Optional department context actions use configured bots.
- **Enhances** [Virtual Assistant task pauses and handover](ENG-015.md): Bot expiry waits for a running task but can end a paused task.
- **Related** [Visitor event and bot schedules](ENG-003.md): Bot registrations can use date and time restrictions to limit participation.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

**Why does an enabled bot not answer?**

Check the conversation's mute state and language. Ask Powerfront to review the website capability, targeting, schedule and integration. FAQ response thresholds can also affect automatic replies.

**Why does the bot answer reactive chats but not proactive chats?**

Custom chat-control selection is for visitor-initiated chats. FAQ participation in proactive chats needs **Proactive Chats** as well as the other eligibility checks.

**Why can I see a bot but not edit its registration?**

Registration changes are Powerfront-managed. Ask Powerfront to make the required change.

**Why has the bot not expired while a task is running?**

Bot-control expiry waits for an actively running task. A paused task follows different expiry handling.

**Why did an entered expiry value change?**

The configured non-empty expiry is constrained to 10 to 60 seconds. Ask Powerfront to review the intended expiry and any follow-up task.