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Response Rules Overview

Response rules let you create custom answers for specific questions or topics. When a visitor asks something that matches your rule, the chatbot responds with exactly what you've written.

What Are Response Rules?

Think of response rules as shortcuts. Instead of relying on the chatbot to figure out an answer from your documents, you tell it exactly what to say for certain topics.

Example: When someone mentions "hours" or "schedule," you want your chatbot to always give the same, accurate response about your business hours.

When to Use Response Rules

Response rules work best for:

  • Frequently asked questions - Questions you get daily
  • Critical information - Hours, location, contact details
  • Specific promotions - Current sales or special offers
  • Call-to-action moments - When you want to capture leads or book appointments

Response Rules vs. Documents

Response Rules Documents
Exact answer you write AI-generated answer from content
Triggered by specific keywords Used when relevant to the question
Best for critical, consistent info Best for detailed, varied content
You control the exact wording Chatbot interprets and summarizes

Use both together: Documents provide your chatbot with broad knowledge, while response rules ensure key topics get precise, consistent answers.

The Response Rules Page

Click Response Rules in the left menu to see:

Response rules list

  1. Add Rule button - Create a new response rule
  2. Rule list - All your existing rules
  3. Toggle switch - Turn rules on/off without deleting
  4. Edit/Delete - Modify or remove rules

How Response Rules Work

graph LR
    A[Visitor asks question] --> B{Matches a rule?}
    B -->|Yes| C[Show rule response]
    B -->|No| D[Search documents]
    D --> E[Generate AI response]
  1. Visitor types a question
  2. System checks if any keywords match your rules
  3. If matched, your custom response appears
  4. If not matched, the chatbot searches documents and generates an answer

What You Can Do With Response Rules

Basic Text Responses

Write exactly what you want the chatbot to say. Use formatting like:

  • Bold text for emphasis
  • Bullet points for lists
  • Numbered steps for instructions
  • Links to pages on your website

Interactive Actions

Response rules can also trigger special actions:

Action What It Does
Show contact form Displays a form to collect name, email, phone
Redirect to page Sends visitor to another page on your site
Add clickable link Shows a button visitors can click
Request email Asks for just the visitor's email
Request phone Asks for just the visitor's phone number
Book appointment Shows an appointment scheduling form
Email conversation Offers to send the chat transcript

These actions are added through the rule editor—just click the action you want to include.

Example Use Cases

Business Hours

Trigger words: hours, open, schedule, when

Response: Lists your hours with any special notes about holidays or seasonal changes.

Contact Request

Trigger words: speak to someone, human, contact, representative

Response: A friendly message explaining how to reach you, with a contact form to collect their details.

Appointment Booking

Trigger words: appointment, book, schedule, consultation

Response: Information about your services with an appointment request form.

Promotions

Trigger words: sale, discount, promotion, deal

Response: Current offers with a link to your promotions page.

Tips for Effective Rules

  1. Choose trigger words carefully - Use words your customers actually use
  2. Keep responses concise - Long answers are harder to read in chat
  3. Test your rules - Ask questions the way customers would
  4. Update regularly - Remove outdated promotions, update seasonal info
  5. Don't overuse - Too many rules can make the chatbot feel robotic

Next Steps