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Deploying a Bot

  • Messaging

Updated ~ minute read

This article explains how to deploy a bot. 

Note: The steps in this article apply to our modern Messaging platform, not to our legacy Live Chat platform.

Prerequisites 

Before you can deploy a bot, you must have already created one in Conversation Builder.

Tip: The following articles can help you create your bot, if you have not done so yet. 

   • Creating a Pre-conversation Survey Bot
   • Creating a Routing Bot
   • Creating a Post-conversation Survey Bot (Deployment for post-conversation survey bots is a bit different than the steps listed in this article. The steps to deploy that type of bot are included in the article about creating the bot.)

These are some of the most commonly deployed basic bots. For instructions on other types of bots or more advanced functions, consult the articles in our Chat Bots section.

Step 1: Create a Live Assist Bot Agent for your Bot

The first step in deploying your bot is to create a bot agent for it in Live Assist for Dynamics 365 (LAD365).

As a reminder, you must have already created your bot at this point. Creating a "bot agent" does not create a bot itself, but rather allows an already created bot to interact with your engagements. 

Note: Bot agents use your licenses just as human agents do. The exact effect depends on how your licenses work or how you are billed. If you are not using CPI billing yet, each bot will consume one seat license.

  1. Login to the LAD365 Admin Portal. (How to Log in to the Admin Portal)
  2. Go to the USERS > Bots tab.
    The users menu of the LAD365 Admin Portal, with the Bots entry highlighted
  3. Click the Add button.
    The Add button in the LAD365 Admin Portal
  4. Add the following details:
    • Nickname: Display name for the Bot Agent. 
    • Connection Type: Choose LP for the bot framework type.

    The Add a Bot dialog in the LAD365 Admin Portal

  5. Click the Save button

Step 2: Set Login Method and Assign the Bot Agent to a Skill in the Engagement Portal

Now you need to set up the login method and assign a skill for the bot agent that you just created.

  1. Login to the Engagement Portal. (How to Log in to the Engagement Portal)
  2. Go to User Management and find the new bot agent that you just created.
    The User Management page of the Engagement Portal with a bot agent highlighted
  3. Click on the bot agent to edit its profile.
  4. Choose API Key as the login method and choose Generate API Key.
    The Edit User page for a bot agent with the login method set to API key and the API key option set to Generate API Key
  5. Choose No chats as the "Max no. live chats." This bot agent will only work with engagements on our Messaging platform. Entering this setting makes sure it doesn't attempt to accept engagements on our legacy Live Chat platform.
    The max number of live chats field is set to no chats on the Edit User page of the Engagement Portal
  6. Assign an existing skill to the bot agent. Or create a new skill and assign it. Assigning your bot agent to a skill will allow it to accept engagements for that skill. (Learn about skills)
    The Skills field of the Edit User page of the Engagement Portal. A Skill called LA Bot has been added to the field.
  7. Click the Save button

Step 3: Create an Engagement that Routes to the Skill you Assigned to the Bot Agent (if not already done)

You can skip this step if you (1) assigned your bot agent to an existing skill, (2) you already have a web engagement that routes to that skill, and (3) that engagement works in a way that is appropriate for your bot. If all three of those are true, you can skip this step and proceed to step 4.

For example, if you were following the steps to create a pre-conversation survey bot, you may have already made a web engagement at that time.

Otherwise, you now need to create a web engagement. Follow the instructions in the Creating Web Engagements article. Create an engagement that routes to the skill you just assigned to your bot. 

Step 4. Connect the Bot Agent to the Bot 

You now need to connect your bot to the bot agent that you made in step 1. 

  1. Login to the Engagement Portal if it isn't still open from steps 2 and 3. (How to Log in to the Engagement Portal)
  2. Go to Automate > Conversation Builder.
    The left sidebar navigation menu of the Engagement Portal. The Automate heading is expanded and the Conversation Builder link is selected.
  3. Find your bot in the list of bots.
    The Bots list on the Conversation Builder page of the Engagement Portal. A bot agent named LA Bot is highlighted in the Ungrouped Bots list.

    Note: Can't find your bot in the conversation builder? Double check the steps you took to make the bot, prior to starting the steps in this article. Make sure the steps you followed were for bots in our modern Messaging platform, not our legacy Live Chat platform. Some articles that can help you are linked under the Prerequisites heading. 

  4. Click on your bot to open the page for it. Then click on the Vertical Ellipsis or Three Dots icon icon and select Agent Connectors from the menu.
    A menu is open from the Vertical Ellipsis or three Dots icon on the Conversation Builder page for the bot agent named LA Bot. The Agent Connectors menu option is highlighted.
  5. Click on the Add Agent Connector button and the Add Agent Connector dialog will appear.
  6. Specify the following in the dialog:
    • Agent User ID: Select the login name of the bot agent you created in Step 1.
    • Role: Select the profile that's assigned to the bot agent.
    • Conversation Type: Select “Messaging.”
    • Deploy to: Select either "Demo" (for testing) or "Production," as appropriate.
    The Add Agent Connector dialog in the Conversation Builder. The Agent User ID has been set to LA Bot, the role to Agent, the Conversation Type to Messaging, and the Deploy to setting to Production.
  7. Then click the Save button to create the connection between the bot agent and the bot.
  8. Start the connection by clicking on The Start button.
    The location of the Start button is shown in the Integrations list for the bot agent

Step 5: Test your Bot

You can test using our demo environment. 

  1. Get your account ID from the Engagement Portal URL.
    The Engagement Portal is open in Google Chrome. A specific part of the URL is highlighted that contains the account ID.
  2. Go to our demo site URL (shown below) but replace the XXXXXX in the URL with your account ID.
    https://demo.liveassistfor365.com/hotel/index.html?accountId=XXXXXX.

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