Messaging App Articles

What are messaging applications in Digital DX AI?

Messaging applications in Digital DX AI enable you to communicate with your customers over popular messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams.

Note: Messaging applications are in beta. Contact your Customer Success Manager to learn more.

When you set up a messaging channel, you have the following options depending on your support needs:

  • Provide bot-only support if you do not have human agents
  • Provide agent-only support if you want your customers to always talk to a human agent
  • Use the combination of bot and agent support, if you want the bot to cover out of hours support and help your agents during business hours
Note: You need access to the AI Console if you want to use a bot only on your messaging application. For an agent-only and a bot and agent experience you need to have access to both the Agent Workspace and the AI Console.

Customers can interact with agents on their favorite messaging application in their own pace. The connection between the customer and the agent is permanent from the customer's perspective. Customers can start and stop the conversation in the messaging application anytime without losing connection to the agent.

To learn more about what the experience is like for customers and agents, see these articles:

How to configure messaging channels

Once you created a messaging channel for WhatsApp or Microsoft Teams, you can change the default status messages, define a context, or set up to auto-end conversations.

Make sure you have created a messaging channel.

  1. In the AI Console, go to Touchpoints > Widgets.
  2. Under Conversation configuration, select Messaging applications.
  3. Choose (Configure) next to the channel that you want to configure.
  4. Adjust the options as necessary.
    Status messages

    You can change the default messages for the following cases:

    • The conversation is escalated or closed
    • There is a network issue and the customer's message cannot be delivered
    • There are multiple answers for a customer question
    Contexts If you use context to have article variations for the WhatsApp or Microsoft Teams channel, you can specify the context here to let the bot know which variations it can display to customers. See How do I define an article's context? to learn more.
    Auto-end configurations

    Bold360 can automatically end conversations after the specified time measured from the last customer-sent message. You can define an interval between 30 minutes and 24 hours.

    You can also define a message for customers when their conversation automatically ends.

    Nanorep Entities

    When users ask questions on Microsoft Teams, now they can receive personalized answers . For example, if Bold360 is integrated with a third-party ticketing system and the agent asks How many open tickets do I have?, Bold360 can deliver a response that is specific to the user.

    To enable personalized answers, select the Enable Nanorep Entities option for the Microsoft Teams channel you configured under Touchpoints > Widgets > Messaging applications. Then create articles with personalized answers using entities.

  5. Save your changes.

What's the customer experience like in WhatsApp?

Learn how articles created in Bold360 AI are displayed in WhatsApp.

The way articles are displayed in WhatsApp differs from how they are displayed in widgets because WhatsApp is a text-based messaging app. When creating articles that are to be presented in WhatsApp, keep the following in mind:

  • WhatsAppcandisplay text, but it doesn?t present inline bulleted and numbered lists, tables, or carousels.
  • It supports simple URL links but can?t handle links to email addresses or to other articles in the knowledge base.
  • It automatically removes embedded videos and advanced text formatting from articles.
  • Conversational flows and entities are supported except for persistent and quick buttons. Persistent and quick buttons are presented as texts and the user can enter the number of the option or the name of the option to continue the flow.
  • When the bot finds multiple answers to the user's query, the bot lists options as a numbered list and suggests the user to enter the number of an option. Should customers change their mind, they can still select a different option:
  • Agent escalation works by setting up channeling policies in Bold360 AI. Once the conversation is channeled, the bot stops responding and lets the agent continue the conversation. Customers see a message when the conversation is escalated to an agent and when it ends. Customers however don't have an option to end the conversation with the agent.

How to add and customize the Bold360 search widget in Microsoft Teams

As an administrator of your company, you must install the Bold360 app in Teams just as any other app.

What's the customer experience like in Microsoft Teams?

Learn how articles created in Bold360 AI are displayed in Microsoft Teams.

The way articles are displayed in Microsoft Teams differs from how they are displayed in widgets. When creating articles that are to be presented in Microsoft Teams, keep the following in mind:

  • Microsoft Teams can display text, lists, tables, but it can't present carousels.
  • It supports URL links, links to email addresses and to other articles in the knowledge base.
  • It can display embedded videos and advanced text formatting in articles.
  • Conversational flows and entities are supported except for persistent buttons. Persistent buttons work the same way as quick buttons: once the user selects an option, the buttons disappear.
  • When the bot finds multiple answers to the user's query, the bot presents the options as buttons.
  • Agent escalation works by setting up channeling policies in Bold360 AI. Once the conversation is channeled, the bot stops responding and lets the agent continue the conversation. Customers see a message when the conversation is escalated to an agent and when it ends. Customers however don't have an option to end the conversation with the agent.

How to set up a WhatsApp messaging channel

To use WhatsApp for communicating with your customers, you need to create a messaging channel in Bold360 AI.

Make sure the following steps have been completed:

  • You purchased a WhatsApp Business Account and your Customer Success Manager has completed the necessary configuration settings to enable WhatsApp integration.
  • You have created an API key in Bold360 AI that meets the following criteria:
    • It is set up to have access to the knowledge base you selected in the previous step
    • It has all permissions set to write
    • Its allowed IP ranges are set to 0.0.0.0-255-255.255.255

      Go to Admin Center > API Keys in Bold360 AI to see a list of already existing API keys or to create one. See How to create an API key in Bold360 AI to learn more.

  • If you want to use live agents too, make sure you have integrated Bold360 AI with Bold360 Agent.
  1. In the AI Console, go to Touchpoints > Widgets.
  2. Under Conversation configuration, select Messaging applications.
  3. On the Channels tab, choose the plus icon to create a new channel.

    Result: You are taken to the Create Channel page.

  4. On the Create Channel page, enter a name and a description for the channel.
  5. Select the knowledge base that the bot should use to serve your customers.
  6. Enter the knowledge base API key.

    You need to provide an API key here that meets the following criteria:

    • It is set up to have access to the knowledge base you selected in the previous step
    • It has all permissions set to write
    • Its Allowed IP ranges are set to 0.0.0.0-255-255.255.255

      Go to Admin Center > API Keys in Bold360 AI to see a list of already existing API keys or to create one. See How to create an API key in Bold360 AI to learn more.

  7. Select Bold360ai for Escalation Provider Type.
    • Make sure you have the correct Bold360 integration URL.

      Your integration is either in the US or EU region. For an EU-based integration, add -eu into the integrations field. Otherwise, leave it empty.

    • In the API Key filed, enter your Bold360 Agent API key.

      To get this API key, log in to the Bold360 Admin Center and go to Integrations > API Access Keys and create a new key. Make sure you select the correct chat window.

    • Select the Smart Advisor Knowledge Base that will offer potential responses to your human agents during chat.
  8. Select WhatsApp for Provider.
  9. In the DeploymentID field, enter your WhatsApp deployment ID.

    To get the DeploymentID, go to the WhatsApp Deployments tab of messaging applications.

    Note: The WhatsApp deployment was created beforehand with the help of your Customer Success Manager and should be active.
  10. Save your channel settings.
What's Next?
  • Read this article to learn how to configure your messaging channel further.
  • See this article to complete additional configuration in Bold360 AI.
  • Read this article for additional configuration steps in Bold360 Agent.

How to set up a Microsoft Teams messaging channel

To use Microsoft Teams for communicating with your customers, you need to create a messaging channel in Bold360 AI.

Make sure the following steps have been completed:

  • You have created an API key in Bold360 AI that meets the following criteria:
    • It is set up to have access to the knowledge base you selected in the previous step
    • It has all permissions set to write
    • Its allowed IP ranges are set to 0.0.0.0-255-255.255.255

      Go to Admin Center > API Keys in Bold360 AI to see a list of already existing API keys or to create one. See How to create an API key in Bold360 AI to learn more.

  • If you want to use live agents too, make sure you have integrated Bold360 AI with Bold360 Agent.
  1. In the AI Console, go to Touchpoints > Widgets.
  2. Under Conversation configuration, select Messaging applications.
  3. On the Channels tab, choose the plus icon to create a new channel.

    Result: You are taken to the Create Channel page.

  4. On the Create Channel page, enter a name and a description for the channel.
  5. Select the knowledge base that the bot should use to serve your customers.
  6. Enter the knowledge base API key.

    You need to provide an API key here that meets the following criteria:

    • It is set up to have access to the knowledge base you selected in the previous step
    • It has all permissions set to write
    • Its Allowed IP ranges are set to 0.0.0.0-255-255.255.255

      Go to Admin Center > API Keys in Bold360 AI to see a list of already existing API keys or to create one. See How to create an API key in Bold360 AI to learn more.

  7. Select Bold360ai for Escalation Provider Type.
    • Make sure you have the correct Bold360 integration URL.

      Your integration is either in the US or EU region. For an EU-based integration, add -eu into the integrations field. Otherwise, leave it empty.

    • In the API Key filed, enter your Bold360 Agent API key.

      To get this API key, log in to the Bold360 Admin Center and go to Integrations > API Access Keys and create a new key. Make sure you select the correct chat window.

    • Select the Smart Advisor Knowledge Base that will offer potential responses to your human agents during chat.
  8. Select Microsoft Teams for Provider.
  9. In the Channelid field, enter your Microsoft Office tenant ID.

    To get your tenant ID, in Microsoft Teams, right-click a team and select Get link to team. Ask your administrator if you need help.

  10. Save your channel settings.
What's next?
  • Make sure Allow sideloading of external apps and Allow external apps in Microsoft Teams are enabled and use the .zip file attached to this article to add the Bold360 app to Microsoft Teams. For more information refer to Microsoft?s documentation.
  • Read this article to learn how to configure your messaging channel further.
  • See this article to complete additional configuration in Bold360 AI.
  • Read this article for additional configuration steps in Bold360 Agent.

Announcements

Genesys DX/Bold360 End of Life: January 2024

The Genesys DX (Bold360) platform will end of life on January 31st, 2024. This difficult decision was announced in March, 2023.  

Genesys continues to make a strong commitment to Genesys Cloud, while tightening the portfolio to further accelerate feature growth on the platform. Part of that included bringing over key Genesys DX features to Genesys Cloud CX, such as Knowledge Optimizer that focuses on ease-of-use knowledge management. Digital only licenses for Genesys Cloud were also introduced late last year, which are suitable to those who are not looking for voice capabilities or who need agent seats that only feature support for digital channels. 

Details on the end of life timeline

As of January 31st, 2024, access to Genesys DX product interfaces and customer-deployed components stop to function. Users will no longer be able to log into product interfaces, and all of the boldchat/bold360/nanorep domains will become unavailable for use. If you are curious on what the code on your website related to this might look like and how to remove it, we encourage referencing this post on the DX community

After January 31st, 2024, admins will still be able to get access for an additional 30 days. This period is meant to allow for extracting the necessary data from the platform. Historical data extraction from your account will be available to retrieve by data extraction APIs (Bold360 APIs and Nanorep APIs).