Facebook Messenger chat bots are a way to communicate with the companies and services that you use directly through Messenger. The goal of chat bots is to minimize the time you would spend waiting on hold or sifting through automated phone menus. By using keywords and short phrases, you can get information and perform tasks all through the Messenger app. For example, you could use bots to purchase clothing, or check the weather by asking the bot questions. Bot selection is limited, but more are being added all the time. You can also interact with bots using the Facebook website.
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 2:
Connecting with a Chat Bot
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Update to the latest version of Messenger. Using the Messenger app is the easiest way to connect with chat bots. You'll need the latest updates in order to connect with chat bots using the Messenger app. You can update Messenger using the app store on your device.
- Android - Open the Play Store and select "My apps" from the menu. Look for Messenger in the list of apps awaiting updates.
- iOS - Open the App Store and tap the "Updates" tab. Update Messenger if it is on the list.
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Search for the bot you want to add. At the time of this writing, there are about a dozen bots available, with more being added every day. Chat bots are available for customer service, news, ordering, and more, depending on the company that releases it. For example, you could get news from the CNN bot and order flowers from the 1-800-flowers bot. The process for finding a bot varies depending on your device: [1] X Research source
- iOS - Start a new message and search for the name of the bot you want to talk to. You'll see bots listed in the "Bots and Businesses" section of the search results. Look for the Messenger icon to see if they are a bot.
- Android - Tap the "+" button in the Recents tab and select "Search." Search for the name of the bot you want to talk to. Bots will be listed at the bottom of the results in the "Bots and Businesses" section. Look for the Messenger icon on the profile picture, which indicates that its a bot.
- You cannot currently search for a new chatbot to chat with on your Facebook site's Messages section, however you can search through existing conversations with chatbots from within your Facebook messages and restart your chat at a later time.
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Scan a Messenger Code to add a bot. Besides searching for bots, you can scan Messenger Codes at businesses to add them to your contacts. This is the equivalent of visiting a m.me/ user page. Only a few businesses are using these codes now, but expect more and more to start soon. [2] X Research source
- You can scan in codes from the "People" tab. Tap the "Scan Messenger Code" option.
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Tap "Get Started" to start a conversation with the bot. Once you've found the bot you want to talk to, you can start a new conversation with it. The "Get Started" button appears when you select a bot and open the conversation window.
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Use the Facebook website to connect with chat bots. You can use the Facebook desktop and mobile sites to connect to chat bots as well. You can use this to access the chat bot features without having to use the Messenger app/website:
- Open the Facebook page for the bot you want to connect with (e.g. facebook.com/cnn ) in your desktop or mobile browser.
- Click or tap the "Message" link in the "About" section of the page. If you don't see this link, the company does not have a bot available.
- Click "Get Started". Note: if you don't see this at the bottom of the message window, the company/product is not using a bot and the messages you type in will simply go to their inbox
- Start chatting with the bot. Click or tap the "Get Started" link in the chat to see some basic commands. You can find all of your previous conversations with bots in the Messages section of the Facebook site.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:
Interacting with a Chat Bot
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Try saying "Hi." Many bots will respond to a basic greeting with information on how to get started. This is not a universal feature, and some of the new chat bots do not respond to this. Still, it's a good way to try to get some quick information up front.
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Try some basic commands. Chat bots work by recognizing keywords and basic commands. Natural language doesn't work as well, so you'll get better results by sticking with keywords and phrases. The types of commands and phrases you can use depends on the type of bot you are chatting with.
- Most bots are designed to fulfill a specific role. For example, the 1-800-flowers bot is designed to help order flowers and get help with an existing order.
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Ask some questions. Some bots can handle being asked certain types of questions, but support for natural language is currently very limited. For example, you can ask Poncho what the current weather is in your location, but you may find it more difficult if you try to ask about the weather next week.
- Expect chat bot functionality to increase and improve over time as more people use them and companies refine them. Chat bots don't explicitly learn from your interactions with them, but companies and Facebook will continue to make improvements so that they work naturally.
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Tap links given by the bot. Oftentimes a bot will respond with information accompanied with some links. Tapping these links can open websites or get more details.
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Try your inquiry again with different language if it doesn't work. The language you can use with chat bots is limited. For example, with the CNN bot typing "top headlines" will not get a response, but typing "headlines" will get you the top stories of the day. If your inquiry is met with no response, try phrasing it in a different way. [3] X Research source
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Check out other bots. If you can't get a bot to do what you want it to, try looking for another one. more and more bots are being added all the time, so hopefully you'll be able to find bots that compete in the same space.Advertisement
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References
- ↑ http://metro.co.uk/2016/04/12/heres-how-to-use-facebooks-new-messenger-chatbots-right-now-5812783/
- ↑ http://mashable.com/2016/04/12/how-to-use-facebook-messenger-bots/#WKHULsx2NsqE
- ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-messenger-chatbots-bot-platform-how-to-use-a6982171.html
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