Set Up Script Actions

With script integrations, you can create custom script actions to use in bot responses in dialoguesClosed Bot stories and rules in CXone Bot Builder.. Creating script actions requires writing code in JavaScript. CXone Bot Builder scripts operate on the server, so there are some limitations to consider while building your scripts.

Concept Definition Example What the Bot Does
Message envelope icon

Utterance

Anything a contact says in an interaction. Sometimes called a message.

"I lost my password."

"What is my balance?"

"Are you a bot?"

 The bot uses Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to analyze each contact utterance to determine its meaning, or intent.
Magnifying glass icon

Intent

What the contact wants to communicate or accomplish. Every message the contact sends has an intent.

"I lost my password" has the intent of "reset password".

"Hello" has the intent of "greeting".

The bot analyzes a contact's message using NLUClosed This process expands on Natural Language Processing (NLP) to make decisions or take action based on what it understands. to determine the intent. Once it knows that, it can respond with a message of its own. You configure the response you want the bot to use for each intent.
Information icon

Entity

A defined piece of information in a contact's message. Person or product name, phone number, account number, location, and so on. The bot uses NLU to identify entities in a contact's message. Entities help the bot understand what the contact's message means.
Slot icon

Slot

An entity extracted from a contact's message and saved for use in bot responses. Similar to a variable. Creating a slot for contact name lets the bot use that name in responses during an interaction, making it more personal. When configured to do so, the bot extracts an entity from a contact message and saves it in a slot. You can have the bot use this information later in the conversation.
Rule icon

Rule

Defines a bot's response to messages that don't change meaning with context.
  • Single-turn interactions with fixed responses: What are your hours? What is your address?
  • Conversation building blocks: Greetings, good-byes, thank yous and transitions; simple yes/no questions; and acknowledgments. CXone Bot Builder comes with default intents and rules for several of these, including greetings, handoverClosed Any contact message that should trigger transfer to a live agent requests, and more.
  • FAQs
  • Insults and classic bot challenges
Rules are one of two ways you can configure how the bot responds to an intent. Rules are useful for certain kinds of intents, but not all intents.
Story icon

Story

Trains a bot to handle an interaction based on message intent and conversational context. In an interaction about a forgotten password, the bot would respond to, "How do I do that?" in one way. If the interaction were about creating a new account, the response would be quite different even though in both cases the contact is using the same words with the same intent – to get more information. Stories are the second of two ways you can configure how the bot responds to an intent. Stories teach the bot how to use the context of the conversation to respond appropriately.
Action icon, notated by three cogs

Bot Action

Anything a bot says or does while handling an interaction.

In an interaction about a forgotten password, the bot responds by sending the link to the password reset FAQ on the website.

When a contact expresses frustration, such as "I don't understand! It's not working!!!" the bot responds with "I'm sorry. Would you like me to transfer you to a human agent?" When the contact says yes, the bot initiates the transfer.

Actions are the options you have when defining how you want the bot to respond to each intent. They give you the flexibility to configure each response to achieve the outcome that meets the contact's needs.

Create a Script Integration

A script integration holds one or more custom script actions. Each script action has its own script.

  1. In CXone, click the app selector and select Bot Builder.

  2. Click the bot you want to work with.
  3. Click Integrationsicon, which looks like a plug. in the left icon menu.
  4. Click the Scripts tab, then click New Integration.
  5. Click the title to rename the integration.
  6. Create script variables to use in this integration, if any are needed.
  7. Add one or more script actions to the integration. This is where you create your scripts. Any script action you create in this integration can reference the integration's script variables.

  8. When you're finished making changes, click Train and Stage to update your bot modelClosed Version of a bot that has been trained and staged to test this change.

Create a Script Action

Script actions can be added to bot responses in storiesClosed Used to train bot for interaction handling based on intent and context, rulesClosed Used to define bot's response to messages that don't change with context., and fallbackClosed A plain text alternative sent when the destination doesn't support rich media..

  1. In CXone, click the app selector and select Bot Builder.

  2. Click the bot you want to work with.
  3. Click Integrationsicon, which looks like a plug. in the left icon menu.
  4. On the Scripts tab, click the script integration you want to work with.
  5. Under Actions, click New Action.
  6. Enter a name for the action and press Enter.
  7. Click the new action to expand its properties.
  8. Click Open Editor to code your custom JavaScript:
    1. In the editor, replace the default Hello World code, but keep all new code within the main function. You can structure other functions within main if needed. Code outside of main will not be executed.
    2. Include script variables in your code as needed. Create the variables, if you haven't already done so.
    3. Click the execute script triangle A triangle arrow pointing to the right. in the toolbar at the top of the editor to see the output results of the script. The results appear in the Console pane on the right side of the editor.
  9. Click the open angle bracket An open angle bracket <. in the top left corner of the editor to return to the script integration page where the lists of actions and variables are.
  10. Click the action you're working with.
  11. In the Editable Variables drop-down, select any script variables that you referenced in your code.
  12. Enable your action when it's ready to test.
  13. Add your action to a story, rule, or fallback to test it.

  14. When you're finished making changes, click Train and Stage to update your bot modelClosed Version of a bot that has been trained and staged to test this change.

  15. Carry out the necessary testing. For example, you can chat with your bot. If necessary, make adjustments to your script ang, train and stage, and test again.

Create Script Variables

The variables you create can only be used in the script integration where you create them. They cannot be used in other script integrations, even in the same bot.

  1. In CXone, click the app selector and select Bot Builder.

  2. Click the bot you want to work with.
  3. Click Integrationsicon, which looks like a plug. in the left icon menu.
  4. On the Scripts tab, click the script integration you want to work with.
  5. Under Variables, click New Action.
  6. Enter a name and press Enter.
  7. Click the variable in the list to expand its properties.
  8. To create a single-value variable that can be made editable in a script action: 
    1. Click Text or Number.
    2. Enter the Default Value for this variable. If you don't want the variable to have a default value, leave this field empty. You can update the variable value when it's used in a script action.
    3. For number variables only, enter a Min Value and a Max Value to provider upper and lower limits on the values the variable can hold.
  9. To create a read-only, single-value variable:
    1. Click Secret.
    2. Enter the Value. Bot Builder masks all but the first five characters of the value you enter. The value is fully visible if you view the contents of a variable in the console.
  10. To create a list of possible values for this variable:
    1. Click Select.
    2. Enter the possible variable Values separated with a comma ( , ). For example, red,blue,green.
    3. Click Default Value and select the value you want to be the default.
    4. To remove the default value, hover the cursor over the field and click X.
  11. Use your variable in a custom script.

  12. When you're finished making changes, click Train and Stage to update your bot modelClosed Version of a bot that has been trained and staged to test this change.

Make Variables Editable

You can make a variable editable in a script if you want to be able to specify or select a value for that variable when you use that action in a bot response. If you use a variable in more than one action in a script integration, you must make it editable in each action. Additionally, the variable must be referenced in a script before you can make it editable in that script.

  1. In CXone, click the app selector and select Bot Builder.

  2. Click the bot you want to work with.
  3. Click Integrationsicon, which looks like a plug. in the left icon menu.
  4. On the Scripts tab, click the script integration you want to work with.
  5. Under Actions, click an action on the script integration page to expand its properties.
  6. Select one or more variables in the Editable Variables drop-down. Secret variables do not appear in this list. They cannot be made editable. Changes are saved automatically.
  7. Specify the value of the variable when you use the selected custom action in a story, rule, or fallback.

  8. When you're finished making changes, click Train and Stage to update your bot modelClosed Version of a bot that has been trained and staged to test this change.

Enable a Script Action

When a script action is ready to be used in a bot response, you must enable it. Actions that aren't enabled won't show up in the script actions list when you're working in a dialogueClosed Bot stories and rules in CXone Bot Builder..

  1. In CXone, click the app selector and select Bot Builder.

  2. Click the bot you want to work with.
  3. Click Integrationsicon, which looks like a plug. in the left icon menu.
  4. On the Scripts tab, click the script integration you want to work with.
  5. Under Actions, click an action on the script integration page to expand its properties.
  6. Click Disabled Icon of a toggle switch. to enable the action. Click it again to disable the action and remove it from the Scripts tab on the bot action menu.