Robot — Button-Based vs AI Chatbot: How to Choose
Robot gives you two ways to build a chatbot. Each works differently, and the right choice depends on the kinds of questions your visitors will ask. This article explains both approaches so you can pick the one that fits — or combine them.
Button-based chatbots
A button-based chatbot follows a path you design in advance. Visitors move through the conversation by clicking the options you give them, instead of typing freely.
They are best for:
- Lead generation
- Appointment booking
- Simple FAQ routing
- Order tracking
Strengths
- Predictable behavior — it does exactly what you set up
- Easy to build
- Works the same way every time
- No AI processing involved
Limitations
- Restricted to the paths you create
- Can't handle questions you didn't plan for
AI-powered chatbots
An AI chatbot understands natural language and responds conversationally. Visitors can type questions in their own words, and the bot answers based on the information you've given it. This works well when people might ask varied or unexpected questions.
Strengths
- Handles almost any question
- Natural, free-form conversation
- Low ongoing maintenance
- Scales well as your needs grow
Trade-offs
- Less predictable than a fixed flow
- May occasionally give an imperfect answer
Combining both
You don't have to choose only one. A hybrid setup uses buttons for structured tasks — like booking or lead capture — while letting the AI handle open-ended questions. This gives you the reliability of a guided flow plus the flexibility to answer anything.
Where to start
If you're new to building a bot, start with an AI chatbot. It's the fastest to set up and handles the widest range of questions out of the box. Once it's running, you can layer in button-based flows for the specific tasks where you want a guided, repeatable path — like collecting a lead or booking a time.
Need more help?
If you've worked through this and still need a hand, contact support — we'll dig in with you.