Activate or deactivate chatbot

When you activate a chatbot, it is available publicly through its entry points.

Validate the chatbot

Validate the chatbot before activating it.

Select Validate. If there are errors, identify the location and description of the errors and correct them.

Activate the chatbot [#activate-chatbot]

You can either activate the chatbot manually or schedule it to activate on a specific date and time.

Activate a chatbot manually [#activate-chatbot-manual]

To activate the chatbot, select Activate. The system validates the chatbot. If there are no issues, select Activate on the confirmation screen.

Schedule activation [#activate-chatbot-schedule]

To activate the chatbot on a specific date and time, do the following:

1. In the chatbot editor, select the three-dot menu and select Schedule activation.

2. Select a time zone, date, and time.

3. To deactivate the chatbot on a specific date and time, do the following:

   1. Turn on Schedule deactivation time.
   2. Select a time zone, date, and time.

4. Select Schedule.

Activate a WhatsApp chatbot [#activate-whatsapp-chatbot]

After you activate your WhatsApp chatbot, you can view the QR code. You can also get a link to the chatbot. Select Copy link to chatbot.

You can use the QR code and chatbot link to do the following:

• Share the QR code and link with end users through your public-facing communication options. Example: Display the QR code on your website and printed materials, or share the link on social media and newsletters.
• Scan the QR code to test your chatbot.

Chatbot uses the Infobip test sender [#activate-test-sender]

If your chatbot uses the Infobip test sender, you cannot share the chatbot with others. You can test the chatbot only on your device with the number that you verified during signup.

Chatbot has errors [#errors-in-chatbot]

If there are errors, identify the location and description of the errors and correct them. Also, see the Troubleshooting section to view solutions or workarounds for some issues.

Other chatbots use the sender [#sender-used-in-other-chatbots]

Each sender can have only one active chatbot. If other chatbots use the sender, the system deactivates those chatbots. The deactivated chatbots cannot receive more conversations. For active conversations, you can do one of the following:

• Terminate sessions gracefully: Add a grace period so that open sessions on the deactivated chatbot have time to finish before the sessions are closed. End users who are engaged with the deactivated chatbot can finish their conversations before the grace period ends.

  When the grace period ends, all open sessions are closed on the deactivated chatbot.

  If the end user sends a message after the grace period is over, the message goes to the activated chatbot.

• Terminate sessions immediately: All active conversations on the deactivated chatbot are stopped immediately.

Chatbot uses AI, but AI disclosure is off [#ai-disclosure-off]

If your chatbot uses AI and AI disclosure is off, a warning appears on the confirmation screen when you activate the chatbot. Without the disclosure, end users might not know that the replies are AI-generated.

To turn on AI disclosure, select Settings in the warning. You can also activate the chatbot without turning it on.

If AI responds to end users directly, turn on AI disclosure before you activate the chatbot. For more information, see AI transparency and disclosure.

Deactivate the chatbot [#deactivate]

You can deactivate a chatbot in one of the following ways:

• Manually deactivate an active chatbot.
• (Early access) Schedule an inactive chatbot to deactivate on a specific date and time.
• (Early access) Schedule an active chatbot to deactivate on a specific date and time.

Deactivate an active chatbot manually [#deactivate-manually]

To manually deactivate an active chatbot, select Deactivate. See the chatbot administration documentation to learn about chatbot statuses and how to manage them.

Schedule deactivation for an inactive chatbot [#deactivate-inactive-schedule]

You can schedule deactivation for an inactive chatbot only when you also schedule activation.

Schedule deactivation for an active chatbot [#deactivate-active-schedule]

To deactivate an active chatbot on a specific date and time, do the following:

1. In the chatbot editor, select the three-dot menu and select Schedule deactivation.
2. Select a time zone, date, and time.
3. Select Schedule.

Redeploy the chatbot

You can change an active chatbot and redeploy it on the same sender. Make the required changes. Then, add a grace period so that open sessions have time to finish.

For more information, see the Administration > Redeployment topic.

Troubleshooting

The following are some of the most frequent errors and their solutions:

Number of training phrases in intent higher or lower than others [#number-of-training-phrases-in-intent-higher-or-lower-than-others-troubleshooting]

See the AI chatbots guidelines for troubleshooting guidance.

Incorrect intent is matched [#incorrect-intent-is-matched-troubleshooting]

See the AI chatbots guidelines for troubleshooting guidance.

Button message must not be empty [#button-message-must-not-be-empty-troubleshooting]

The button channel element has no text to show with the button. Go back to Dialogs and add the button message text.

Button caption must not be empty [#button-caption-must-not-be-empty-troubleshooting]

The button channel element has no text to show inside the button. Go back to Dialogs and add the button caption text.

Button action URL must not be empty [#button-action-url-must-not-be-empty-troubleshooting]

The button channel element has no URL for the call to action. Go back to Dialogs and add a valid URL to the button.

Chatbot channel and sender must be defined [#chatbot-channel-and-sender-must-be-defined-troubleshooting]

The chatbot has no channel or sender. Go to Settings and select a sender. Each sender can have only one active chatbot.