Create Guide Templates

Templates determine how Guide displays selected entry points on your website. Template types include:

  • Single channel: Use this to offer a single entry point in the Guide widget.

  • Multi-channel: Use this to offer multiple entry points in the Guide widget.

  • Customer portal: Use this to offer a CXone Expert knowledge base as a customer portal and additional entry points in the Guide widget.

Be sure you create the channel buttons and entry points before starting this task.

If you are using a multi-channel template, you will need channel buttons and a menu button. Visitors click the menu button to display the channel buttons.

Create a Single Channel Template

Use a single channel template when you want Guide to direct visitors to just one channel.

Myra, the Jungle Support manager, wants to offer the chat channel on the home page of the website. She creates a single channel template that offers the chat button that appears at the bottom-left of the home page of the Jungle website:

A round button with an image of chat bubbles that customers click to start a chat with an agent.

If a visitor clicks the chat button, the chat channel appears in the Guide widget:

The Guide chat window where you enter identifying information before starting a chat.

Watch a short video on setting up a single channel template.

  1. Click the app selector and select ACD.
  2. Go to DFO > Points of Contact Digital.
  3. Under General channel features, click Guide.
  4. Scroll down to the Templates area and click Add Template.
  5. Enter a Template name.
  6. Set Template type to Single Channel - One Button.
  7. Set Template position to Bottom left or Bottom right to determine where the Guide template appears on your website.
  8. If needed, enter a Theme color to use for the template. Leave this field blank to use the Theme primary color set in the branding. To override the branding, enter the color in hex code.
  9. Click Save,
  10. Finish defining the template.

  11. Click Save.
  12. Check the appearance and behavior of the template.

Create a Multi-Channel Template

Use a multi-channel template if you are using Guide to display multiple channelsClosed A way for contacts to interact with agents or bots. A channel can be voice, email, chat, social media, and so on. at a time. You can include up to four channels.

Myra, the Jungle Support manager, wants to offer the chat and email channels on the home page of the website. She creates a multi-channel template. The menu button that she set for the template appears at the bottom-left of the home page of the Jungle website:

A round button with an image of concierge desk bell that customers click to display the Guide channel menu.

A website visitor can then click the menu button to display the menu of channels:

An example Guide menu that offers the chat and email channels. The chat channel shows two chat bubbles. The email channel shows an envelope.

For example, if the visitor wants to start a chat, the chat window appears:

The Guide chat window where you enter identifying information before starting a chat.

Watch a short video on setting up a multi-channel template.

  1. Click the app selector and select ACD.
  2. Go to DFO > Points of Contact Digital.
  3. Under General channel features, click Guide.
  4. Scroll down to the Templates area and click Add Template.
  5. Enter a Template name.
  6. Set Template type to Standard Menu - Multiple Buttons.
  7. Set Template position to Bottom left or Bottom right to determine where the template buttons appear on your website. You can change this later.
  8. If needed, enter a Theme color to use for the template. Leave this field blank to use the Theme primary color set in the branding. To override the branding, enter the color in hex code.
  9. Click Save.
  10. Finish defining the template.

  11. Click Save.
  12. Check the appearance and behavior of the template.

Create a Customer Portal Template

Use a customer portal template to offer a CXone Expert portal and up to four channelClosed A way for contacts to interact with agents or bots. A channel can be voice, email, chat, social media, and so on. entry points at the same time. This requires an integration with CXone Expert.

Myra decides to offer customer portal that provides articles about the top 10 questions visitors ask Support. She also wants to offer some other channels, such as chat and email. She creates a customer portal template. The menu button that she set for the template appears at the bottom-left of the home page of the Jungle website:

A round button with an image of concierge desk bell that customers click to display the Guide customer portal.

A website visitor can then click the menu button to display the portal and the channels she configured:

An example Customer Portal template that shows buttons for the chat and email channels followed by two CXone Expert articles.

Watch a short video on setting up a customer portal template.

  1. Click the app selector and select ACD.
  2. Go to DFO > Points of Contact Digital.
  3. Under General channel features, click Guide,
  4. Scroll down to the Templates area and click Add Template.
  5. Enter a Template name.
  6. Set Template type to Customer Portal.
  7. Set Template position to Bottom left or Bottom right to determine where the portal appears on your website.
  8. If needed, enter a Theme color to use for the template. Leave this field blank to use the Theme primary color set in the branding. To override the branding, enter the color in hex code.
  9. Click Save.
  10. Finish defining the template.

  11. Click Save.
  12. Check the appearance and behavior of the template.

Check the Template Appearance and Behavior

  1. Click the app selector and select ACD.
  2. Go to DFO > Points of Contact Digital.
  3. Under General channel features, click Guide.
  4. Locate your template, then click Initialization & Test to confirm its appearance and behavior.

    The Initialization & Test page displays a test version of the Guide template at the bottom of the page. The test template is either on the left or right side of page, depending on the Template Position you set.

  5. If needed, click the button to display the channel or channels you set for the template. Make sure that any heading text you entered fits correctly and is not cut off.

  6. When you are satisfied with the template, define an engagement rule that uses the Guide Template action to display the template.