Robot — AI Mode Overview

What is AI Mode?

AI Mode allows your bot to respond intelligently using artificial intelligence rather than following a fixed script. Instead of relying on pre-built conversation flows, the bot draws on its training data and context to generate natural, relevant replies in real time.

How AI-Powered Responses Work

When a visitor sends a message, the bot processes the input through an AI model and generates a response based on:

• The training data and business context you've provided
• The conversation history within the current session
• Any specific instructions or guidelines set in the bot's prompt configuration

The result is a conversational experience that feels natural and can handle a wide range of questions without requiring every possible path to be mapped out in advance.

AI Mode vs. Flow-Based Bots

When to use AI Mode: Your bot needs to answer a broad range of questions, provide support, or have natural conversations where you can't predict every possible user input.

When to use Flow-Based: You need to collect specific information in a specific order (name, email, phone), qualify leads through a defined process, or trigger integrations at precise points.

Combining both: You can use AI within a Flow Builder bot by adding an AI Block as a step in your flow. This gives you the structure of a flow-based bot with the flexibility of AI responses at key points.

Configuring AI Behavior

You can shape how your AI bot responds by adjusting these settings:

• Business Context / Training: Provide background information about your business, services, common questions, and anything the bot should know. The more relevant context you provide, the better the responses.
• Prompt Instructions: Set the tone, personality, and boundaries for the bot. For example, you can instruct it to keep responses short, stay on topic, or avoid discussing certain subjects.
• Reply Length: Control the maximum length of AI responses. This affects both the quality of responses and credit usage.
• URL and PDF Training (Advanced): Train the bot on specific web pages or documents so it can reference that content in its answers.

Which Mode Should I Use?

If you're deciding where to start, the simplest guidance is: begin with standalone AI Mode, then add a flow when you find you need one.

Start with standalone AI Mode if you want:

• The fastest setup — there's no flow to build, so you can be live quickly
• Natural conversation from the very first message
• Straightforward question-and-answer handling: FAQs, support, product inquiries

Standalone AI Mode gives you value almost immediately, which makes it the best place to begin for most use cases.

Switch to a flow-based bot when you notice you want:

• To collect emails or names with proper validation
• Clickable buttons (for example, "Pricing", "Book a call", "Support")
• Different conversation paths for different visitors
• Integrations that fire at controlled points with timing you manage

Flow-based bots are best suited for lead generation, booking systems, and guided sales funnels.

A good rule of thumb: as soon as you find yourself wishing for buttons or structured lead capture, that's your signal to move into the Flow Builder. You don't have to choose perfectly up front — you can always evolve from one to the other.

A note on where your data lands: standalone AI Mode conversations are stored in the bot's chat log, while flow-based responses are saved alongside your flow's collected data. If you're running in standalone mode and still want to capture contact details, turn on lead extraction so the bot can pull that information from the conversation without dedicated form steps.

Hybrid Mode: AI Inside a Flow

You don't have to pick between a structured flow and AI conversation — you can drop an AI step right into a button-based flow. This lets visitors follow your guided path and then talk freely to the AI at the moment it makes sense.

Here's how to add an AI step to a flow:

1. Build your flow as usual using your standard blocks (messages, multiple-choice prompts, and option buttons).
2. Add a message block right before the AI step. This is important — tell visitors to type their question, for example "How can I help? Type your question below." The AI step is an input block, so without a prompt to start typing, visitors may not realize they can.
3. Drag the AI block onto the canvas at the point where you want AI to take over.
4. Connect it to the option or message block that should lead into it.
5. Open the AI block's settings to configure it:

• Custom prompt (optional): Add instructions for the AI here to override your default training settings for this step.
• Integration timing (optional): Set how long before the conversation data is sent to your connected integrations (such as a spreadsheet or an automation tool). Leave it blank to disable.

Setting how visitors exit AI mode (optional):

• Reply limit: Cap how many AI replies happen (for example, 1–4) before the flow automatically continues.
• Exit keywords: Enter trigger words that send visitors back into the flow when they type them. If you use this, mention the keywords to visitors early so they know how to move on.

Both exit methods are optional. If you don't set either one, the AI conversation simply continues until the visitor leaves.

Need more help?

If you've worked through this and still need a hand, contact support — we'll dig in with you.