Understanding the step types for AI agent answers (Legacy)

<body>
<p id="docs-hc-snippet" style="display: none;">This article discusses the following step types:</p>
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<a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5411234991258-plan" rel="noopener" target="_blank">What's my plan?</a>
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<div class="p" id="topic_krt_qbl_gnb__note_owy_qnb_hbc">
<div class="note attention" id="topic_krt_qbl_gnb__note_f3g_4l2_f2c">
<span class="attentiontitle"></span> <span class="ph">This article describes functionality that moved into legacy
status on February 2, 2025. On December 10, 2026, this functionality will no longer
be available. For more information, see <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/10487730059034" target="_blank">this announcement</a>.</span>
</div>
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4422584657434-Building-a-bot-using-answers" target="_blank">Answers</a> are the building blocks for your AI agent for
messaging. An answer consists of a sequence of steps that are created and configured by
you in bot builder, or that are part of an AI agent's out-of-the-box behavior. Each step
represents a message the AI agent is able to show to your customer during a
conversation. </div>
<p class="p">This article discusses the following step types:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_krt_qbl_gnb__ul_omc_zg4_jnb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_iqz_fwc_k4b">Send message</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_mnf_gwc_k4b">Present options</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_grj_gwc_k4b">Show help center articles</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_il3_pmj_tvb">Add carousel</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_i5r_grz_n5b">Ask for details</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_n2v_p23_q5b">Ask if question resolved</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_d4z_fwm_2tb">Make API call</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_zqr_gwc_k4b">Transfer to agent</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_hpg_wqm_gwb">Branch by condition</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_sxz_322_sqb">Add business hours
condition</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_bq2_232_d1c">Link to another answer</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_ihk_5t5_dbc">Set variable</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="p">After getting to know the elements here, you can <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408824263578" target="_blank">create an AI agent for messaging</a> and begin <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408838909210" target="_blank">building it using answers</a>.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="topic_zpf_vbb_ccc">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Overview of answer step types</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">You can use any of the following step types in your AI agent answer:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_zpf_vbb_ccc__ul_xgk_q2b_ccc">
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_iqz_fwc_k4b" target="_blank">Send message</a>: Displays a piece of text to the customer during a conversation.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_mnf_gwc_k4b" target="_blank">Present options</a>: Displays up to 10 preconfigured quick replies the customer can interact with during a conversation.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_grj_gwc_k4b" target="_blank">Show help center articles</a>: Presents up to six help center articles to the customer during a conversation.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_il3_pmj_tvb" target="_blank">Add carousel</a>: Displays up to 10 informational panels the customer can scroll through, each with a link to an external URL.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_i5r_grz_n5b" target="_blank">Ask for details</a>: Collects information from an end user during the conversation.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_n2v_p23_q5b" target="_blank">Ask if question resolved</a>: Asks your end users whether an answer resolves their support issue and offers response options they can choose from.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_d4z_fwm_2tb" target="_blank">Make API call</a>: Presents external data in your conversation or pushes data to an external endpoint.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_zqr_gwc_k4b" target="_blank">Transfer to agent</a>: Escalates the conversation to an agent.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_hpg_wqm_gwb" target="_blank">Branch by condition</a>: Adds conditional logic to an answer flow. You can use the logic to personalize a conversation based on an end user's data.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_sxz_322_sqb" target="_blank">Add business hours condition</a>: Lets you use your schedule to branch the conversation.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_bq2_232_d1c" target="_blank">Link to another answer</a>: Links one answer in a custom-built answer flow to another.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836323738#topic_ihk_5t5_dbc" target="_blank">Set variable</a>: Used to set the value of an existing variable or of a new variable created within the step.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="p">
<div class="note" id="topic_zpf_vbb_ccc__note_agv_1yt_r3c">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> Whenever a form is presented to a customer as part of
any of the step types above, the composer is not available until the customer
enters the required information. This ensures that tickets are created
appropriately.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested1" id="topic_iqz_fwc_k4b">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title3">Send message</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Send message</strong> step inserts a predefined piece of text into the
conversation. It can be a greeting, useful information about your business, or an
automated direct reply in response to end users' free-text messages and quick reply
option selections. </p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested2" id="topic_gq2_m2t_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title4">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">Send message</strong> steps can be added anywhere in your answer. After they're
displayed, they move the conversation immediately to the next step in the
answer's flow.</p>
<p class="p">You can add the following content elements to the AI agent message in this
step:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_gq2_m2t_swb__ul_unk_xyz_nvb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5133127616282#topic_kh1_xsz_nvb" target="_blank">Images and gifs</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5133127616282#topic_ct2_xsz_nvb" target="_blank">Emoji</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5480101976218" target="_blank">Variables</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5133127616282#topic_ewh_2nm_nwb" target="_blank">Button links</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="p">
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_gq2_m2t_swb__table_pds_4wc_k4b" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 1. </span></span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col style="width:50%">
<col style="width:50%">
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e267" style="vertical-align:top;">Bot builder view</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e270" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e267" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_gq2_m2t_swb__image_fnd_swc_k4b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/flowbuilder_message_example.png" width="400"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e270" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_gq2_m2t_swb__image_ebw_5wc_k4b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/websdk_message_example.png" width="300"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title5" class="topic nested2" id="topic_qmm_42t_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title5">Example</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">In the example below, the customer entered “Receiving error ‘unsupported
platform’” which triggered the automated reply about supported platforms. That
reply was configured in the bot builder as a <strong class="ph b">Send message</strong> step; the AI
agent assessed the customer's free-text entry, identified that preconfigured
message as the most likely to address the customer's needs, and moved the
conversation to that step:</p>
<div class="bodydiv"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_qmm_42t_swb__image_g4b_wvn_jnb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/direct_reply_ex.png" width="250"></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title6" class="topic nested1" id="topic_mnf_gwc_k4b">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title6">Present options</h2>
<div class="body">
<div class="p">
<div class="div">
<p class="p">There are two ways to use the Present options step to provide quick reply options to your end
users in a conversation:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_mnf_gwc_k4b__ul_bpq_x4f_3bc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Manual</strong>: Create each option yourself.
</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Dynamic</strong>: Use API data saved in a <a class="xref" href="#topic_d4z_fwm_2tb">Make API call</a> step to
automatically create options. </li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_mnf_gwc_k4b__image_yjf_xpf_3bc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/present_option-select_type.png" width="300"></p>
<p class="p">To add options to your answer in bot builder,
click <strong class="ph b">Present options</strong> and select <strong class="ph b">Manual</strong> or <strong class="ph b">Dynamic</strong>.</p>
<p class="p">This step displays up to 10 preconfigured quick reply options that can be offered to
your customers during a conversation, allowing them to select a likely response
rather than typing it in. </p>
<p class="p">These options can be used to represent commonly-asked questions, branch the
conversation, or help your customers navigate through a conversation with your AI
agent. You can drag-and-drop options in the Configuration panel to reorder them.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title7" class="topic nested2" id="topic_hpz_fgt_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title7">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">You cannot end an answer flow with a <strong class="ph b">Present options</strong> step. It must be
followed by one of the other step types, which must also be configured before
you can publish and move on to another step. In the example below, three options
are followed by a Show help center article step, and one by a <strong class="ph b">Transfer to
agent</strong> step. </p>
<p class="p">You can add the following content elements to the AI agent message in this
step:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_hpz_fgt_swb__ul_imk_1zz_nvb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5133127616282#topic_ct2_xsz_nvb" target="_blank">Emoji</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5480101976218" target="_blank">Variables</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="p"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5480101976218#id_kz3_dqh_twb" target="_blank">Variables</a> can be used in button links
and to insert images in this step.</p>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">Manual:</strong></p>
<div class="p">
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_hpz_fgt_swb__table_irv_wwc_k4b" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 2. </span></span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col style="width:50%">
<col style="width:50%">
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e425" style="vertical-align:top;">Bot builder view</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e428" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e425" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_hpz_fgt_swb__image_jrv_wwc_k4b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/flowbuilder_options_example.png" width="400"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e428" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_hpz_fgt_swb__image_krv_wwc_k4b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/websdk_options_example.png" width="300"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">Dynamic:</strong></p>
<div class="p">
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_hpz_fgt_swb__table_eh3_fpf_3bc" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 3. </span></span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col style="width:50%">
<col style="width:50%">
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e468" style="vertical-align:top;">Bot builder view</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e471" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e468" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image" id="topic_hpz_fgt_swb__image_bfb_zpf_3bc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/dynamic_option_flow.png" width="400"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e471" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image" id="topic_hpz_fgt_swb__image_tkd_bqf_3bc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/dynamic_option-EUX.png" width="300"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title8" class="topic nested2" id="topic_eqt_ggt_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title8">Example</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">In the following manual Present options step example, a customer is contacting a scooter
sales and rental company. Because the company knows that most customers want
information on buying, selling, or renting a scooter, after the initial greeting
they immediately offer those three options.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_eqt_ggt_swb__image_jlb_mvn_jnb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/feedback_flow_start_over.png" width="200"></p>
<p class="p">Note that as a result of conversational shortcuts, typing the message “I want to
buy a scooter” in the example above will have the same effect as clicking the
quick reply.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title9" class="topic nested1" id="topic_grj_gwc_k4b">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title9">Show help center articles</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Show help center articles</strong> step presents up to six help center articles to the customer
during a conversation. If you have public and restricted articles (articles
requiring end users to sign in), you can configure which articles to show anonymous
(unauthenticated) end users and which to show for authenticated end users. See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5503198227738" target="_blank">Suggesting restricted help center articles in an AI agent
answer (Legacy)</a> for more information.</p>
<p class="p">This differs from the automated article suggestions, which search for relevant
articles in your help center based on customer’s free-text entries. </p>
<div class="p">
<div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> The article preview doesn't support embedded video. We recommend including a brief text introduction to any articles that would otherwise contain only embedded video.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title10" class="topic nested2" id="topic_vc4_mgt_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title10">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">You can configure a maximum of six articles per step.</p>
<p class="p">To use this type of step, you must have an active help center. </p>
<p class="p">You can add the following content elements to the AI agent message in this
step:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_vc4_mgt_swb__ul_bq2_vyz_nvb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5133127616282#topic_ct2_xsz_nvb" target="_blank">Emoji</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5480101976218" target="_blank">Variables</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="p">
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_vc4_mgt_swb__table_dyy_wwc_k4b" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 4. </span></span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col style="width:50%">
<col style="width:50%">
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e585" style="vertical-align:top;">Bot builder view</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e588" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e585" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_vc4_mgt_swb__image_eyy_wwc_k4b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/flowbuilder_articles_example.png" width="400"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e588" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_vc4_mgt_swb__image_fyy_wwc_k4b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/websdk_articles_example.png" width="300"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title11" class="topic nested2" id="topic_v5x_mgt_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title11">Example</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">In the example below, the customer selected a quick reply option, "I want to buy
a scooter", and received a specific article recommendation in response, which
also included the text responses prior to the recommendation:</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_v5x_mgt_swb__image_llf_j22_3rb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/option_in_facebook.png" width="400"></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title12" class="topic nested1" id="topic_il3_pmj_tvb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title12">Add carousel</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Add carousel</strong> step inserts an array of up to 10 panels into an answer step
the customer can scroll through, each with a link to an external URL. Each panel
displays configurable text and an interactive link. After the carousel is displayed,
it moves the conversation immediately to the next step in the answer. The customer
interacts with the carousel using the right and left arrow icons to scroll through
the panel array. They can interact with the carousel at any time during the
messaging conversation, after the step is reached.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title13" class="topic nested2" id="topic_uhx_rgt_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title13">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">Carousels can be added anywhere in an answer flow. </p>
<p class="p">A carousel must a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 10 panels.</p>
<p class="p">Each panel must include:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_uhx_rgt_swb__ul_ztn_ptj_tvb">
<li class="li">A title</li>
<li class="li">A complete URL</li>
<li class="li">Text for the button link</li>
</ul>
A description is optional, but recommended.</div>
<p class="p">You can add the following rich content elements to the AI agent message in this
step:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_uhx_rgt_swb__ul_fpk_5j4_nwb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5133127616282#topic_kh1_xsz_nvb" target="_blank">Images and gifs</a></li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5133127616282#topic_ewh_2nm_nwb" target="_blank">Button links</a>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="p">
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_uhx_rgt_swb__table_sw1_ppj_tvb" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 5. </span></span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col style="width:50%">
<col style="width:50%">
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e704" style="vertical-align:top;">Bot builder view</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e707" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e704" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_uhx_rgt_swb__image_tw1_ppj_tvb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/flowbuilder_carousel_ex.png" width="500"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e707" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_uhx_rgt_swb__image_uw1_ppj_tvb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/webwidget_carousel_ex.png" width="300"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title14" class="topic nested2" id="topic_hzb_cxx_hzb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title14">Using array variables in carousels</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">Dynamic carousels support arrays, allowing for a flexible data structure where
you can fetch data from an external system. We iterate through the array of up to 10 items
and dynamically generate a template, mapping each item and its value to a
carousel form field. For example, you can retrieve the list of recent orders,

including details such as the date ordered, order number, and so forth.</p>
<p class="p">For an example of using array variables in carousels, see
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4572971586586" target="_blank">Using the Make API call step</a>.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title15" class="topic nested2" id="topic_btm_5xx_hzb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title15">Saving customer responses in carousels</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">You can capture a customer’s selection in a variable and use that variable
downstream in bot builder. For example, using a carousel you display a
customer’s most recent orders. If the customer selects the second card or item,
you can then reference that second card’s variable in a later step in bot
builder. Saving customer responses can be used in (static) carousels, dynamic
carousels, and
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5280598023450" target="_blank">branch by condition</a>
steps.</p>
<p class="p">A carousel panel can include a maximum of three buttons. These buttons can be used to open links
or save a response. However, you can have only one button to save a response.
When a customer clicks a button that opens a link, the predefined URL opens in a
separate tab. A button that saves a response passes a variable and its value to
bot builder when a customer clicks it. See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5133127616282" target="_blank">Adding rich content to answers in your AI
agents for messaging (Legacy)</a> for more information.</p>
<p class="p">When presenting a carousel with a button to save a response, the conversation is
paused until the customer responds to the button. If the customer types in the
text box instead of clicking the button to save a response, the conversation
continues with the text box flow. If no button to save a response is configured,
the conversation continues to the next step in the flow. </p>
<p class="p">This feature has the following limitations:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_btm_5xx_hzb__ul_jrj_cfx_c1c">
<li class="li">Saving customer responses in carousels is not supported on Unity
channels.</li>
<li class="li">You can't <a class="xref" href="#topic_btm_5xx_hzb">save customer
responses</a> in the Add carousel step.</li>
<li class="li">Only the first 280 characters of a variable's value are saved.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title16" class="topic nested1" id="topic_i5r_grz_n5b">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title16">Ask for details</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Ask for details</strong> step requests information from an end user during the
conversation and adds that information to the generated ticket. You can use default
or custom text and drop-down ticket fields to define the information you
want to collect. Customer responses are automatically saved as <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5480101976218" target="_blank">variables</a>. See the example below for how you can
configure order tracking using this step. </p>
<div class="p">
<div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> On social messaging channels, only the customer’s answers are
saved to the ticket. Custom fields aren’t captured in the ticket and any next
steps tied to a specific answer aren’t followed.</div>
</div>
<p class="p">If a conversation field is configured through client APIs, then the custom value used
here will be pre-filled. End users have the option to overwrite the pre-filled
values while interacting with the AI agent. See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5658339908378" target="_blank">Using conversation metadata with the Zendesk Web Widget and
SDKs</a>.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title17" class="topic nested2" id="topic_fs1_ygt_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title17">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">Ask for details can be added anywhere in your answer. The step must
include:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_fs1_ygt_swb__ul_u15_jvz_n5b">
<li class="li">A name to identify the step. This won’t be visible to your
customer but will help your team to identify the step.</li>
<li class="li">Custom text and drop-down ticket fields to capture customer data
such as name, email, and any other information that can be helpful to
collect to power the rest of the conversation.
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_fs1_ygt_swb__ul_g5c_1pm_z5b">
<li class="li">Custom ticket fields must be
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408883152794#topic_ubz_ynk_xj" target="_blank">created in Admin
Center</a>
before you can add them to the step.</li>
<li class="li">Permissions for ticket fields must be set to
<strong class="ph b">Editable for end
users</strong>. When a field is included in an Ask for details
step, end users are required to submit a response, regardless of
the requirement configuration on the permissions page.</li>
<li class="li">Nested drop-down fields are not supported.</li>
<li class="li">The name specified in the ticket field's <strong class="ph b">Title shown to
customers</strong> is included in a drop-down field. The ticket
field's <strong class="ph b">Display name</strong> doesn't appear in the drop-down
field, and won't appear in ticket search results. See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408883152794#topic_ubz_ynk_xj" target="_blank">Creating custom ticket
fields</a>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p class="p">You can add up to 8 ticket fields in a step.</p>
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_fs1_ygt_swb__table_p2b_gwz_n5b" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 6. </span></span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col style="width:50%">
<col style="width:50%">
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e892" style="vertical-align:top;">Bot builder view</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e895" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e892" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_fs1_ygt_swb__image_nkm_gxz_n5b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ask_details_step-fb.png" width="400"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e895" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_fs1_ygt_swb__image_cx4_3xz_n5b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ask_details_step-ww.png" width="300"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title18" class="topic nested2" id="topic_s3s_ygt_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title18">Example</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">In the following example, the AI agent captures order information for the
customer and displays the shipment status of the order.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_s3s_ygt_swb__image_wvx_nyz_n5b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ask_details_ex.png" width="300"></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title19" class="topic nested1" id="topic_n2v_p23_q5b">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title19">Ask if question resolved</h2>
<div class="body">
<div class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Ask if question resolved</strong> step type asks your end users whether an answer
resolves their support issue, and offers response options they can choose from. It
provides a way to capture end user data to measure how well each answer is
performing, and indicates which answers can be refined and optimized.<div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> Explore
reports capturing the number of sent feedback requests, as well as the number
and types of responses left by end users, will be available later this
year.</div>
</div>
<p class="p">The step type inserts a piece of text into the conversation, followed by two quick
response-style options, which are each followed by a message or additional
step.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title20" class="topic nested2" id="topic_yvn_3ht_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title20">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">This step cannot be the first step in an answer, and cannot be added after a
<strong class="ph b">Transfer to agent </strong> step.</p>
<p class="p">By default, when you insert this step into an answer the following text appears
in each element:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_yvn_3ht_swb__ul_y33_q23_q5b">
<li class="li">“Was this helpful?” (Question resolved AI agent message)</li>
<li class="li">“Yes, problem solved” (Resolved response)</li>
<li class="li">“No, I still need help” (Unresolved response)</li>
<li class="li">“Great. Knowledge is power. You can ask me another question at any time.”
(Follow-up message to resolved response)</li>
<li class="li">”Got it. Try rephrasing your question.” (follow-up message to unresolved
response)</li>
</ul>
<p class="p">These elements must be present in the step for the answer to be published
successfully.</p>
<p class="p">The text above can be customized as needed. Additionally, the follow-up messages
can be deleted and replaced by other step types.</p>
<p class="p">While the text in the Question resolved and response messages is customizable,
the resolution status by end user’s responses is fixed. That is, when the end
user selects the first/left hand option (“Yes, problem solved”) it is considered
a positive, or resolved response. The second/right hand option is captured as a
negative, or unresolved response (for example, “No, I still need help”).</p>
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_yvn_3ht_swb__topic_v1g_34x_f5b__table_sf2_w4x_f5b" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 7. </span>Table 4.</span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col>
<col>
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry nocellnorowborder" id="topic_yvn_3ht_swb__d51e400" style="vertical-align:top;">Bot builder view</th>
<th class="entry cell-norowborder" id="topic_yvn_3ht_swb__d51e403" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry row-nocellborder" headers="topic_yvn_3ht_swb__d51e400" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_yvn_3ht_swb__image_z33_q23_q5b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ask_if_resolved-fb.png" width="400"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="topic_yvn_3ht_swb__d51e403" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_yvn_3ht_swb__image_aj3_q23_q5b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ask_if_resolved-enduser.png"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title21" class="topic nested1" id="topic_d4z_fwm_2tb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title21">Make API call</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Make API call</strong> step can be used to push conversation details out to your
CRM, pull product information into your AI agent messages, and more.</p>
<p class="p">This step can be used to do two things: retrieve and present data from an external system in a response or send data from the conversation to an external endpoint
such as Amazon Event Bridge or Google Analytics. It's especially useful when a
customer requests information that is updated frequently or is particular to
them, such as order status or current wait time for assistance. You can also use the Make API call step to send events to analytic and tracking services, such as Google Analytics or Pendo.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title22" class="topic nested2" id="topic_hwc_nht_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title22">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">API call steps can be added anywhere in your answer flow. Adding this
step splits the flow into two branches:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_hwc_nht_swb__ul_ms3_3mh_4tb">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">If success</strong>: Appears when the external source is
queried and supported information is returned. </li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">If failed</strong>: Appears when the API call fails, due to a
client or server error, or if the response is not supported by the bot
builder.</li>
</ul>
<p class="p">Information returned from the queried source must be in JSON format,
and be less than 2MB.</p>
<p class="p">Admins must include the following information in the step
configuration:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_hwc_nht_swb__ul_b23_nmh_4tb">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Supported HTTP request method.</strong> Supported HTTP request
methods are <strong class="ph b">GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE</strong><ul class="ul" id="topic_hwc_nht_swb__ul_c23_nmh_4tb">
<li class="li">POST, PATCH and PUT must include a Body field sent with
request </li>
<li class="li">GET and DELETE operations do not have a Body field. </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Endpoint URL</strong>, the URL of the external source. </li>
</ul>
<p class="p">Admins must add step type after each branch before publishing the
flow.</p>
<p class="p">Admins can create <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5480101976218" target="_blank">variables</a> during the configuration of
this step that can be used when creating AI agent messages subsequent to this
step. Only the first 280 characters of a variable's value are saved. </p>
<p class="p">The Add an API call step has a number of configuration options that may require
assistance from a developer on your team. See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4572971586586" target="_blank">Using the Make API call step</a> for more
information.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title23" class="topic nested2" id="topic_bws_nht_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title23">Example</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">Let's say the customer selects the quick reply option “Zendesk office
location” which triggers the <strong class="ph b">Make API call</strong> step. The API call is
configured to get the information from Google’s Places API. </p>
<p class="p">If the external system returns a response, the Success branch is
triggered, and the information is inserted into the response framework created
by the admin, and presented to the end user.</p>
<p class="p">If a response is not returned, or the response is not supported by the
bot builder, the Failed path is taken, and fallback behavior defined by the
admin is presented to the end user. </p>
<p class="p">For an example answer using the <strong class="ph b">Make API call</strong> step, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5414486254618" target="_blank">Messaging recipe: Getting external data with
an AI agent for messaging (Legacy)</a>.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title24" class="topic nested1" id="topic_zqr_gwc_k4b">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title24">Transfer to agent</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Transfer to agent</strong> step escalates the conversation to an
agent.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title25" class="topic nested2" id="topic_o3f_rht_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title25">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">In this step, you can configure:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_o3f_rht_swb__ul_vr3_jxc_k4b">
<li class="li">A final message to send before transferring a customer to an
agent.</li>
<li class="li">Tags that are added to the ticket that is created when the conversation is
transferred. These tags can be used in ticket routing and other business rules.
See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408888664474-About-tags" target="_blank">About tags</a>. <ul class="ul" id="topic_o3f_rht_swb__ul_hhw_5pm_z5b">
<li class="li">You can add up to 10 tags to each <strong class="ph b">Transfer to agent</strong>
step in an answer.</li>
<li class="li">Each tag can be up to 80 characters. </li>
<li class="li">Spaces and special characters such as #, @, and ! aren't
allowed in tags. </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="li">Custom ticket fields that can be used to collect information from end users
then added to tickets to provide better context for admins.
<ul class="ul" id="topic_o3f_rht_swb__ul_mfq_nwd_m1c">
<li class="li">Text and drop-down custom fields are currently supported.</li>
<li class="li">The field values set on here will overwrite values set
previously, including those from the Ask for details step and
Messaging metadata API.
</li>
<li class="li"> Custom ticket fields must be <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408883152794#topic_ubz_ynk_xj" target="_blank">created</a> before you can add them
to the step.</li>
<li class="li">Permissions for custom fields must be set to Editable for end
users. If the end user’s response is over 255 characters for
the Email or Name field, it will be left blank.</li>
<li class="li">Up to 20 custom fields can be set per step.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p class="p">You can add the following content elements to the AI agent message in the
Transfer to agent step:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_o3f_rht_swb__ul_scp_bzz_nvb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5480101976218" target="_blank">Variables</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="p">Transfer to an agent is an end step, which means it is the last step in
the conversation, and you cannot add any more steps after it. As part of this
step – unseen by the customer – a ticket is created, which includes their
conversation history to help the agent address the issue. </p>
<div class="p">
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_o3f_rht_swb__table_edc_xwc_k4b" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 8. </span></span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col style="width:50%">
<col style="width:50%">
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e1262" style="vertical-align:top;">Bot builder view</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e1265" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e1262" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_o3f_rht_swb__image_fdc_xwc_k4b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/flowbuilder_transfer_example.png" width="400"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e1265" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_o3f_rht_swb__image_gdc_xwc_k4b" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/websdk_transfer_example.png" width="300"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title26" class="topic nested2" id="topic_f2p_rht_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title26">Example</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The customer has chosen a quick reply option that indicates they need assistance
with upgrading their plan, which requires agent involvement.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_f2p_rht_swb__image_wjy_jzn_jnb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/agent_escalation_ex.png" width="250"></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title27" class="topic nested1" id="topic_hpg_wqm_gwb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title27">Branch by condition</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Branch by condition</strong> step consists of two or more branches. A conversation's <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5480101976218" target="_blank">variables</a> are compared to each branch's conditions. When a conversation meets a
branch's conditions, it follows the branch's next steps.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title28" class="topic nested2" id="topic_xdz_vht_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title28">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">You can add a <strong class="ph b">Branch by condition</strong> step anywhere in an answer
flow.</p>
<div class="p">By default, a <strong class="ph b">Branch by condition </strong> step has two branches:<ul class="ul" id="topic_xdz_vht_swb__ul_ovw_xqp_mwb">
<li class="li">
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">If this:</strong> If the branch's conditions are met, the
conversation follows the branch's steps</p>
</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Else</strong>: If the conversation doesn't match the conditions of any
other branch, the conversation follows this branch's steps. You can't
remove this branch.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p">You can add up to four additional branches, to a maximum of six branches.</p>
<p class="p">Each condition includes a variable, an operator, and a value. You can also nest
conditions to create more complex conditional logic.</p>
<p class="p">Admins can’t create or update variables in a
<strong class="ph b">Branch by condition</strong>
step.</p>
<p class="p">Branches are checked in the order they're included in the step. If conditions for
more than one branch are met, the answer flow follows the first matching
branch.</p>
<p class="p">For more information, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5280598023450" target="_blank">Understanding the Branch by condition step in bot builder
(Legacy)</a>.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title29" class="topic nested2" id="topic_dgj_wht_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title29">Example use cases</h3>
<div class="body">
<ul class="ul">
<li class="li">You can use an
<strong class="ph b">Ask for details</strong>
step to collect data from an end user
as variables. You can then check this data against conditions in a
<strong class="ph b">Branch
by condition</strong>
step. The
<strong class="ph b">Branch by condition</strong>
step determines
whether the user is sent to a
<strong class="ph b">Transfer to agent</strong>
step or a
<strong class="ph b">Show
help center articles</strong> step.</li>
<li class="li">You can use a
<strong class="ph b">Make API call</strong>
step to get a package's delivery status
from an external API. You can then use the
<strong class="ph b">Branch by condition</strong>
step
to display different messages based on the status.</li>
<li class="li">You can use the
<strong class="ph b">Branch by condition</strong>
step to send different responses
based on an end user's VIP or membership status.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title30" class="topic nested2" id="topic_p23_mv2_3zb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title30">Saving customer responses</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">Similar to
<a class="xref" href="#topic_btm_5xx_hzb">saving customer
responses in carousels</a>, you can use
<strong class="ph b">Branch by condition</strong>
to
test against a variable to make the appropriate response. Each condition
includes a variable, an operator, and a value. For variable, select the variable
you defined previously in bot builder. Then select an operator and value to test
against.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title31" class="topic nested1" id="topic_sxz_322_sqb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title31">Add business hours condition</h2>
<div class="body">
<div class="p">
<div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> Business hours are not available on Team plans.</div>
</div>
<p class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Add business hours condition</strong> step is used to configure the AI agent to
respond differently based on your availability. </p>
<p class="p">Adding this step splits the answer flow into two branches: </p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_sxz_322_sqb__ul_sbp_4n2_sqb">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When open</strong>: Appears to the end user during scheduled business
hours</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">When closed</strong>: Appears to the end user outside of scheduled
business hours</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p">Deleting the business hours condition step removes both subsequent branches from your
answer. Therefore, it's a good idea to design your answer with this in mind, and put
it towards the end of the flow.</p>
<p class="p">This step only affects the flow of the conversation with an AI agent. It doesn't
impact the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4500737327258#topic_kzg_ync_gnb" target="_blank">business hours set in your messaging
response</a> or <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5600997516058" target="_blank">service level agreements</a> applied to the resulting
ticket. </p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title32" class="topic nested2" id="topic_old_c3t_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title32">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_old_c3t_swb__ul_hqf_jt5_dbc">
<li class="li">To include a business hours condition step, you must <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408842938522" target="_blank">set a schedule</a>.</li>
<li class="li">When you have a schedule, a preview of your business hours
in the configuration panel is displayed, indicating the times of day customers are sent down the
open and closed branches. Note that holidays aren't shown in the preview, but are respected by the condition.</li>
<li class="li">(Enterprise only) If you have defined multiple schedules, you must select the appropriate
schedule from the drop-down in the configuration panel.</li>
<li class="li">Answer flows can't end on a business hours condition step. It must be followed by at least one step of a different type.</li>
</ul>
<p class="p">In the example below, the business hours condition step is followed by a
<strong class="ph b">Transfer to agent</strong> step in both the open and closed branches, each with a unique message describing the transfer experience.</p>
<div class="p">
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_old_c3t_swb__table_tpq_fj2_sqb" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 9. </span></span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
<col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
<col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e1546" style="vertical-align:top;">Bot builder view</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e1549" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view (When open)</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e1552" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view (When closed)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e1546" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_old_c3t_swb__image_odz_yn2_sqb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/flowbuilder_business_hours.png" width="400"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e1549" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_old_c3t_swb__image_qs2_b42_sqb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/flow_ex_when_open.png" width="300"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e1552" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_old_c3t_swb__image_u53_g42_sqb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/flow_ex_when_closed.png" width="300"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title33" class="topic nested2" id="topic_qqk_13t_swb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title33">Example</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">In this example, the agent transfer step is configured with different messages to use for the open and
closed branches, which explain what happens next in each context:</p>
<div class="p">
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_qqk_13t_swb__table_aqm_1qq_5qb" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 10. </span></span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col style="width:50%">
<col style="width:50%">
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e1603" style="vertical-align:top;">The end user's experience during business hours</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e1606" style="vertical-align:top;">The end user's experience outside of business hours</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e1603" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_qqk_13t_swb__openflowex" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/flow_ex_when_open.png" width="300"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e1606" style="vertical-align:top;">
<img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_qqk_13t_swb__closedflowex" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/flow_ex_when_closed.png" width="300">
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title34" class="topic nested1" id="topic_bq2_232_d1c">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title34">Link to another answer</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Link to another answer</strong> step offers a way to link one answer in a custom
built answer flow to another. When adding the step to the end of an answer branch,
you’re prompted to select from a list of existing answers. </p>
<p class="p">This step allows you to:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_bq2_232_d1c__ul_k3x_5tf_3bc">
<li class="li">Reuse existing answers rather than duplicating steps throughout your AI
agent configuration, which can reduce the number of steps in your AI agent. </li>
<li class="li">Let your end users start a conversation over so they can easily return to a
main menu of options and continue to self-serve via AI agent conversation. </li>
<li class="li">You can allow your end users to return the welcome message during a
conversation.</li>
<li class="li">Offer related answers at the end of an answer branch so end users can
continue to self-serve without needing to guess at the right terms to enter. </li>
<li class="li">Pass variables captured in an earlier answer, so they can be used in the
linked answer and in downstream actions.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p">Actions that link to another flow do not increase the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5352026794010#topic_m1n_sq4_jwb" target="_blank">automated resolution
count</a>.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title35" class="topic nested2" id="topic_eq2_232_d1c">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title35">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_eq2_232_d1c__ul_c1b_jcp_21c">
<li class="li">The <em class="ph i">Link to another answer</em> step must be the final step in
an answer branch. No subsequent steps can be added after it. </li>
<li class="li">The <em class="ph i">Link to another answer</em> step can’t be added after a
<a class="xref" href="#topic_zqr_gwc_k4b">Transfer to agent</a>
step. </li>
</ul>
<div class="p">
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_eq2_232_d1c__table_fq2_232_d1c" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 11. </span></span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col style="width:50%">
<col style="width:50%">
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e1717" style="vertical-align:top;">Bot builder view</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e1720" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view (When open)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e1717" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image" id="topic_eq2_232_d1c__image_pfm_4v4_21c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/Link_to_answer_step-builder.png" width="400"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e1720" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image" id="topic_eq2_232_d1c__image_txy_2w4_21c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/Link_to_an_answer-enduser-ex.png" width="300"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title36" class="topic nested2" id="topic_jq2_232_d1c">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title36">Example</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">In the following example, the end user engaged with the AI agent, and the admin
wants to know whether they need further assistance. </p>
<p class="p">The admin creates a new answer, named "Question resolved?," which starts with the
<strong class="ph b">Ask if question resolved</strong> step:</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_jq2_232_d1c__image_mqz_nw4_21d" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/Link_to_answer-ex-1.png" width="400"></p>
<div class="p">
<div class="div">
<p class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Yes, problem solved</strong> branch directs the AI agent to respond
with the default “Great. Knowledge is power. You can ask me another
question at any time.”</p>
The <strong class="ph b">No, I still need help</strong> branch
directs the AI agent to present two options, using the <strong class="ph b">Present
options</strong> step:<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_jq2_232_d1c__image_qtl_vw4_21c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/Link_to_answer_step-builder-2.png" width="400"></p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_jq2_232_d1c__ul_cnl_zw4_21c">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Start of the conversation</strong>: Use the <strong class="ph b">Link to another
answer</strong> step to display the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4422584657434#topic_e41_f1q_hvb" target="_blank">Start of the
conversation</a> in the standard response. </li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Talk to a human</strong>: Use the <strong class="ph b">Link to another answer</strong>
step to display the previously created answer, "Talk to a
human." </li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title37" class="topic nested1" id="topic_ihk_5t5_dbc">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title37">Set variable</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The <strong class="ph b">Set variable</strong> is used to set the value of an existing variable or for a new
variable created within the step. Variables can be used to manage data in your AI
agent and power end-to-end workflows.</p>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title38" class="topic nested2" id="topic_lhk_5t5_dbc">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title38">Configuration rules</h3>
<div class="body">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_lhk_5t5_dbc__ul_isl_xt5_dbc">
<li class="li">Up to 12 variables can be added in a step.
</li>
<li class="li">Each AI agent can include a maximum of 50 <em class="ph i">unique</em> variables across all
answers. However, each unique variable can be used in an answer flow as many
times as needed. </li>
<li class="li">Variables are “global” – that is, once captured in an answer, they can be
used anywhere in the same AI agent’s conversation. </li>
<li class="li">Only the first 280 characters of a variable's value are
saved.
</li>
</ul>
<p class="p">See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5480101976218" target="_blank">Using variables in AI agents for messaging
(Legacy)</a>.</p>
<div class="p">
<div class="tablenoborder">
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="table" frame="border" id="topic_lhk_5t5_dbc__table_nhk_5t5_dbc" rules="all" summary="">
<caption><span class="tablecap"><span class="table--title-label">Table 12. </span></span></caption>
<colgroup>
<col style="width:50%">
<col style="width:50%">
</colgroup>
<thead class="thead" style="text-align:left;">
<tr class="row">
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e1870" style="vertical-align:top;">Bot builder view</th>
<th class="entry cellrowborder" id="d89e1873" style="vertical-align:top;">Customer view (When open)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="tbody">
<tr class="row">
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e1870" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image" id="topic_lhk_5t5_dbc__image_ohk_5t5_dbc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/set_variable_ex2.png" width="400"></td>
<td class="entry cellrowborder" headers="d89e1873" style="vertical-align:top;"><img class="image" id="topic_lhk_5t5_dbc__image_phk_5t5_dbc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/set_variable_ex-bot.png" width="300"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title39" class="topic nested2" id="topic_qhk_5t5_dbc">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title39">Example</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">In the following example, the AI agent welcomes visitors with the <strong class="ph b">Present
options</strong> step, which asks end users, “What’s your favorite roast?” and
presents three options: Light, Medium, and Dark.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_qhk_5t5_dbc__image_rhk_5t5_dbc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/set_variable_ex1.png" width="600"></p>
<div class="p">
<div class="div">When the user selects a roast type, the option branch moves to a <strong class="ph b">Set
variables</strong> step, where the value for the roast_type variable is set
based on the user's selection. <p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_qhk_5t5_dbc__image_shk_5t5_dbc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/set_variable_ex2.png" width="600"></p>
<p class="p">Branches for all three
options end with a <strong class="ph b">Link to another answer</strong> step, pointing to the
same answer, “Good taste.”</p>
<img class="image" id="topic_qhk_5t5_dbc__image_z1p_v55_dbc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/set_variable_ex3.png" width="600">
</div>
</div>
<p class="p">The variable set in the AI agent's welcome answer, "Good taste," is used to
customize a <strong class="ph b">Send message</strong> step for the end user, as well as in the message
of the <strong class="ph b">Transfer to agent</strong> step.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_qhk_5t5_dbc__image_zbq_w55_dbc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/set_variable_ex4.png" width="600"></p>
<p class="p">The final conversation looks something like this:</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_qhk_5t5_dbc__image_xwn_z55_dbc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/set_variable_ex-bot.png" width="300"></p>
</div>
</div>
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