Channel elements
Channel-elements are elements that are specific to a channel. These elements are present in the Chatbot sends and Chatbot receives sections in the chatbot editor.
Each channel has a different set of elements. Some elements are available only in one channel. Example: Apple Pay (Apple Messages for Business) and Single Product Message (WhatsApp). Some elements, such as Carousel, are available in multiple channels. However, the features and specifications of the element may be different in each channel.
For more information about the specifications of an element, refer to the Message Types sections in the channel documentation.
The following table shows the file formats for some of the chatbot elements, based on the channel.
Elements | Channels | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apple Messages for Business |
Google's Business Messages |
Instagram Messaging |
Line | Live Chat |
Messenger | RCS | SMS | Telegram | Viber Bots |
Viber Business Messages |
|||
Audio | X | X | X | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | X | X | ✓ | |
Button | X | X | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | X | X | X | X | ✓ | X | |
Carousel | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X | X | ✓ | X | X | |
Document | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | X | X | |
File | ✓ | X | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | X | X | X | X | X | ✓ | |
Image | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
List | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ✓ | |
Location | X | X | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | X | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Quick Reply | ✓ | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
Reply button | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ✓ | |
Rich Card | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
Rich Link | ✓ | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
Sticker | X | X | ✓ | X | X | X | X | X | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | |
Text | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
URL | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ✓ | X | X | |
Video | X | X | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ |
To use a channel in Answers, you must enable it first. View the instructions in the documentation for that channel.
For any channel, you can use only senders that are registered with Infobip.
To view elements that are common to all channels, refer to the Core elements section.
To view the elements for a specific channel, select the channel in the following filter.
Instagram Messaging
Instagram Messaging is a two-way messaging channel that helps businesses communicate with end users.
Instagram Messaging offers a variety of message types such as rich cards and carousels. Refer to the messaging limitations for each message type.
To use Instagram Messaging in Answers, you must enable this channel in your Infobip account.
Carousel
Carousel messages enable you to send multiple rich cards in a single message. In addition to text, you can include an image, a hyperlink, and buttons for each rich card. End users can use horizontal scroll to view the rich cards, compare the items, and take action for individual rich cards.
A carousel contains a minimum of 1 rich card and a maximum of 10 rich cards.
To add a carousel, drag and drop the Carousel element from Chatbot sends.
Cards: Add rich cards to the carousel. To add a rich card, click Add card.
Each rich card contains the following elements:
- Card title
- Subtitle (optional)
- Image (optional): Either upload an image or add the URL for the image. Supported file types are .jpg and .png.
- Action URL: Enter a URL that opens when the end user clicks the title or image in the rich card.
- Buttons: You can add a maximum of three buttons
Buttons: You can add buttons either manually or from a list attribute. To add a button manually, click Add button. To add a button from a list attribute, select Add button from list attribute.
Buttons contain the following elements:
- From attribute: The attribute used to create the button. Applicable if you create a button from a list attribute. If the list attribute contains more than three values, the message will not be sent
- Iteration label: Name of the attribute value placeholder. Applicable if you create a button from a list attribute
- Title: Enter the text that is displayed on the button.
- Type and value: Choose the button type. Depending on the type, specify the value
Type | Description | Value |
---|---|---|
Postback | Instead of typing a reply to your message, customers can click these buttons to send you a predefined reply. This enables you to capture specific responses from end users. | Postback value |
URL | Share a URL. When end users click the button, the link opens. | URL of the website |
For more information about carousels, refer to the Instagram documentation.
Image
Send images to end users.
In the chatbot editor, drag the Image element from Chatbot Sends. You can either upload the image or add the link to the image.
To add the link to an image, in the Link tab, enter the public URL that contains the image. You can use attributes to customize the URL.
Supported file types are .jpg and .png. Maximum supported file size is 10 MB, whether you use the upload or link option.
Rich card
Send templated rich card messages to users which allows them to quickly reply selecting one of the options provided in the message.
Rich card messages combine other simple message types all into one and allow you to add an image, text, a link, and buttons all in one.
If you are using the option to populate the values from a list attribute, bear in mind that only 3 values from the list can be populated as buttons, and use the Iteration label for the name you give to the attribute value placeholder.
As soon as you enter the Iteration label text, it appears as an item in the Personalize {} list and can be used as both the title and postback placeholder.
Use image ratio 1:1. The Suggested image size is 600x600 pixels and the maximum file size is 30MB.
Sticker
Send a sticker as a reaction to an end user's message. The sticker is sent as a separate message
In the chatbot editor, drag the Sticker element from Chatbot sends.
In the Sticker ID field, choose the sticker. Only the heart sticker is supported.
For more information about stickers, refer to Instagram Messaging documentation.
Text
Send text messages to end users. Text messages include text and optional quick replies.
In the chatbot editor, drag the Text element from Chatbot sends.
Each text element contains the following fields:
- Message
- (Optional) Quick replies
Message: Can contain a maximum of 4,096 characters including spaces, new line, emojis, special characters, hyperlinks, and attributes. If you add attributes, make sure that the message length does not exceed the limit after the attribute values are filled. If the message length exceeds the limit, the message may not be sent.
You can add variants of the message. When the chatbot sends the Text message, the end user receives one of these variants at random. Message variants add variety to the end user experience. You can add a maximum of 5 message variants.
To add a new message variant, click Add variation.
To remove a message variant, click the delete icon.
Quick replies (Optional): Include a set of quick reply buttons to obtain information from the end user. Instead of typing a reply to your message, the end user can click one of these buttons to send you a predefined reply.
You can add a maximum of 13 quick reply buttons. You can add buttons in one or more of the following ways.
- Manually: Click Add quick reply to add each button one by one.
- Through a list attribute: Click Add quick replies from list attribute to add a set of buttons.
Configure the following for each button:
- Quick reply title: The text that is displayed on the button
- Postback: The value that the chatbot receives when the end user clicks the button. Use this value in other chatbot elements to direct the chatbot flow. Example: You can use this value in the Conditions element.
To edit or delete a quick reply button, click the three dots against the button and choose an option. You can also edit the button by clicking on it.
To reorder the buttons, use the six dots against a button to drag the button to the required position.