Chatbot Outbound and Inbound Channels

Table of Contents

Overview

Outbound Chatbot Channels

Inbound Chatbot Channels

Overview

Chatbots are supported on various channels and mediums, which are broadly categorized into Inbound and Outbound use cases.

• Inbound: Primarily used for sourcing and application scenarios, where candidates initiate contact or interact with a bot on a platform they visit.
• Outbound: Primarily used for data enrichment and pre-screening, where the system proactively triggers a chatbot to engage with candidates.

Outbound Chatbot Channels

Outbound chatbots are primarily used for data enrichment and pre-screening purposes.

1. Engage and Workflows

Workflows is the main platform for connecting outbound chatbots, helping with data enrichment and pre-screening. It makes it easier to manage chatbot interactions in one place and ensures smooth and consistent engagement. Engage is still available for customers who haven’t moved to Workflows yet, but Workflows is the preferred option going forward.

Linking Process: Chatbots are linked to workflows exclusively from the Workflows UI, not the Chatbot UI. To link, you go to the workflow, click the '+' button, and select the desired chatbot type (e.g., email, SMS, WhatsApp chatbot).

Email Content: The email body configuration used for Engage and Workflows workflows is similar to that of the API Bot.

2. API Bot

This feature, primarily designed for larger customers, enables them to trigger chatbots directly using APIs. They can send key details—like a candidate’s email and phone number—through an API, and the chatbot is triggered automatically without needing to use our UI.

Configuration Steps in UI:

1. Navigate to Chatbots Scope in the UI.
2. Create a new bot or edit an existing one (primarily for data enrichment use cases).
3. Click the Edit (pencil) icon to edit the bot settings.
4. Enable the API Bot option.
5. Provide an alias name, which acts as an identifier.
6. Configure the email subject (e.g., "send chatbot for screening") and a rich text email body.
7. The email body must include the link to the chatbot.
   1. CC Use Case: Recruiters can add themselves to the CC field to receive internal emails confirming that the chatbots are being sent.
8. Triggering: Once configured, the bot is triggered by directly hitting the API, with no further UI configuration needed.

3. WhatsApp Chatbot

You can use WhatsApp as a communication channel for your Chatbot by following the steps below:

1. Navigate to Chatbots Scope in the UI.
2. Create a new bot or edit an existing one (primarily for data enrichment use cases).
3. Click the Edit (pencil) icon to edit the bot settings.
4. Enable the WhatsApp option.

To enable a WhatsApp chatbot in an agency, you need to have the following: 

1. Enable agency config in Sense Admin- CHATBOT_WHATSAPP_INTEGRATION
2. WhatsApp Chatbot Number Assignment: Coordinate with the Product Ops team to get a WhatsApp number assigned to the agency. Once assigned, this number becomes visible in the chatbot flow.
3. Meta Template Approval: The Product Ops team must submit and get a WhatsApp message template approved by Meta for the respective WhatsApp Chatbot number. Approved templates will then appear in the UI for selection.
4. Template Usage: The first message sent to a candidate via WhatsApp must be an approved template.

Note: Conversation Window: Once the initial template message is sent, if the candidate replies within a 24-hour window, the conversation can proceed freely according to the chatbot's configured flow.

For more information, please refer to this article.

Inbound Chatbot Channels

Inbound chatbots are primarily used for sourcing and application use cases.

1. Web Bot / Custom Link (Standalone Chatbot)
   • Use Cases: Primarily for sourcing and application. It can be connected to Engage for sourcing.
   • Creation Process:
     1. For sourcing and application bots, navigate to the dedicated Links tab in the UI.
     2. Create a custom link. You get a default link, but it can be customized. Further, you can:
        1. Copy the conversation link:
           1. Copy Custom URL – Copies the full, customizable chatbot link.
           2. Copy Short URL – Copies a shortened version of the chatbot link for easy sharing.

2. Use a QR code:
   1. Copy QR Code – Copies the QR code image to your clipboard.
   2. Download QR Code – Downloads the QR code for use in print or digital materials.

3. Copy the link and open it to launch the web bot in a standalone browser window.

• Nature: It opens in a standalone window when the chatbot link is visited directly.

These options make it easy to share the chatbot across various channels, including email, websites, and offline materials.

2. Web Widget Bot
   • Use Case: For inbound visitors on a customer's website, such as a careers page, where a chatbot appears as a pop-up to assist.
   • Configuration:
     1. Enable the widget bot using a toggle button.
     2. Customization Options: Determine if the bot should be closed or open automatically when a candidate visits the page, and set a time delay for automatic opening.
     3. Snippet Code: A snippet code is generated, which must be embedded by the customer on their website (e.g., within the HTML code) for the chatbot to launch.
     4. Specify the URL of the page where the bot will be embedded (e.g., www.google.com).
   • Interaction: Candidates will interact with the chatbot directly on the customer's website.

3. Text to Apply
   • Applicability: Exclusively for sourcing and application bots.
   • Mechanism:
     1. Candidates send a predefined code word (e.g., "apply," "apply to") to one of the designated chatbot numbers.
     2. This SMS message automatically triggers the associated chatbot.
   • Configuration:
     1. Select one or multiple chatbot numbers to be used.
     2. Define the code words that candidates will text to trigger the bot.

API Bot

The API Chatbot integration enables the delivery of a chatbot interaction via email or SMS, triggered directly through an API. This enables seamless integration between external systems and the chatbot platform, allowing for the initiation of candidate engagement via email or SMS.

Note: API Bot is only available for Outbound use cases.

Configuration Parameters

When setting up this integration, users have control over several key identification and branding elements:

• The chatbot can be sent to the target candidate via email or SMS.
• You can define a unique Alias Name for the chatbot to ensure internal organization and tracking. To trigger the chatbot via API, the Alias Name of the chatbot, the candidate's email, and phone number are required.
• The email subject line is fully customizable to encourage higher open rates.
• Only if the chatbot is sent via Email, the customers can configure the email (basic or advanced) in the Sense Chatbot Builder UI > API Bot configuration.

Email Formatting Options

The system supports two distinct types of email formats depending on the complexity of the desired layout:

• Basic Email: This is a text-only format. When this option is selected, the email body can be added directly within the setup interface. In the email body, if you add a chatbot link, it will be replaced with an auto-generated chatbot link for the candidate. They can then click the link and continue the conversation.

• Advanced Email: This format is utilized for more sophisticated designs and is created using an HTML editor, allowing for custom branding and richer visual content.

Recipient and Logic Routing

To ensure the chatbot reaches the correct candidate, the system offers flexible recipient targeting:

• Variable-Based Routing: The email recipient can be determined dynamically based on variables passed through the API, allowing for personalized automation.
• Static Routing: Alternatively, the system can be configured to send the chatbot to specific email addresses.