Messaging Automation APIs FAQs

The collection of Message Automation APIs is used to facilitate communication between a Customer via a Gladly channel and a 3rd party Automation service, such as a chatbot. See Message Automation on the developer guide for more information.

What Channels does Messaging Automation support? #

For now, only Chat

Are there best practices or code samples for how to integrate with Messaging Automation? #

Yes! Check out the backend-chatbot code sample.

In a nutshell:

• Configure Glad App to allow Messaging Automation – this means that any chat sessions initiated by this particular Glad App will first be handled by the Messaging Automation integration.
• Configure and listen to the AUTOMATION/MESSAGE_RECEIVED webhook . This will tell you anytime you receive an Automation message.
• Use the POST Send Outbound Automation Message API to respond to the message.
• If your integration can’t handle subsequent messages, handoff to live Agents using the POST Agent Handoff API. Note that all handoffs will be sent to the default Inbox configured in the Entry Points settings on Gladly.
• You may also close the interaction if the bot has successfully handled and deflected the inquiry using the POST Close Automation Session API without handing it off to an Agent.
  

Can I report on Messaging Automation? #

• Yes! You’ll be able to see Conversations initiated and handled by the Messaging Automation APIs by downloading the Conversation Export Report in Gladly.
• Conversations initially directed to the Messaging Automation API will have “Inbox Id – Created” set to “MESSAGING_AUTOMATION.”
• Conversations that were closed without being handed off to an Agent (either via an API call OR by customer abandonment) will be marked as Closed, with “Inbox ID – Current” set to “MESSAGING_AUTOMATION.”
• Conversations handled by Messaging Automation API will NOT show up in Contact Export or Work Sessions report unless the integration specifically calls the POST Agent Handoff API.

Will Conversations handled by the Messaging Automation API appear in Liveboards? #

• Yes! Conversations that were created and then directed to the Messaging Automation API will appear as New Conversations in Liveboards.
• The Conversation will NOT appear in the “Chat” statistics on Liveboards unless the integration specifically calls the POST Agent Handoff API.

Will Conversations handled by Messaging Automation API be searchable? #

Contents of the handoff message (or auto-closed message) will not be searchable. While Messaging Automation integration is handling Conversation (prior to handoff to Agent), the Conversation will be marked as “New” but will not be in a particular inbox

Can I route Messaging Automation handoffs to an inbox other than the one in Entry Points? #

• No. The contents of the handoff message are not routable, and you cannot specify an inboxId to hand off to.
• If you’d like to route to an inbox other than the one in Entry Points, you will need to call the PATCH Conversation API to update the inboxId of choice – but keep in mind that at the point of request completion, the Chat may already have been assigned to an Agent.

What happens if a customer doesn’t reply to the Messaging Automation API? Will the Conversation just be left dangling? #

If the customer (or Messaging Automation integration) doesn’t reply for 5 minutes, the Conversation will be closed without getting handed off to an Agent.

Is the 5-minute timeout window configurable? #

No, the five-minute timeout window is not configurable.