> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flowbotic.de/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating Chat Assistants

> Learn how to build and deploy AI-powered chat assistants for your website

# Creating Chat Assistants

Chat assistants enable real-time, AI-powered conversations with your website visitors. This guide walks you through the process of creating, configuring, and deploying a chat assistant on your website.

## Before You Begin

Before creating a chat assistant, it's helpful to:

* Define the primary purpose of your assistant (support, sales, information, etc.)
* Identify common questions your assistant should answer
* Prepare any knowledge documents your assistant might need
* Consider the tone and personality your assistant should have

## Creating a New Chat Assistant

### Step 1: Initiate Creation

1. Navigate to the **Assistants** section in the sidebar
2. Click the **+ Create Assistant** button in the top-right corner
3. Select **Chat** as the assistant type
4. Click **Continue**

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/create-chat-assistant.png" alt="Create Chat Assistant" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Assistant creation screen with Chat type selected]*

### Step 2: Basic Configuration

In the first section of the setup wizard, configure the basic settings:

1. **Name**: Give your assistant a descriptive name (e.g., "Support Bot", "Sales Assistant")
2. **Description**: Add a brief description of the assistant's purpose
3. **Avatar**: Upload a custom avatar image or select one from the library
4. **Language**: Choose the primary language for your assistant

<Note>
  Choose a name that reflects the assistant's function. This helps users understand who they're talking to.
</Note>

### Step 3: AI Model Configuration

Configure the AI model settings to control your assistant's behavior:

1. **Instructions**: Write detailed instructions for your assistant's behavior, knowledge, and tone
   * Be specific about how it should respond
   * Define its role and limitations
   * Specify when it should escalate to a human

2. **Model**: Select the AI model to power your assistant
   * GPT-4: Most capable model for complex conversations
   * GPT-3.5: Good balance of performance and cost

3. **Temperature**: Adjust the creativity level (0.0-1.0)
   * Lower values (0.2-0.4): More consistent, conservative responses
   * Higher values (0.6-0.8): More creative, varied responses

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/chat-model-settings.png" alt="Chat Assistant Model Settings" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Model configuration screen with parameters]*

<Accordion title="Example Instructions">
  ```
  You are a customer support representative for Acme Inc., a company that sells office supplies.

  Your name is Alex, and you should be helpful, friendly, and professional.

  You can help with:
  - Product information and recommendations
  - Order status inquiries (but you'll need an order number)
  - Return policies and procedures
  - General company information

  If asked about order specifics without an order number, politely ask for the order number.

  If users have complex issues or want to speak with a human, offer to create a support ticket or transfer them to a human agent.

  Avoid:
  - Making up information about products or policies
  - Promising specific delivery dates
  - Handling personal data like credit card information
  - Discussing competitors in detail

  Always maintain a positive, helpful tone, and don't use excessive technical jargon.
  ```
</Accordion>

### Step 4: Knowledge Base Connection

Connect relevant knowledge to help your assistant provide accurate information:

1. Click the **Knowledge** tab in the setup wizard
2. Select files from your Knowledge Base to associate with this assistant
3. Adjust the knowledge retrieval settings if needed:
   * **Relevance Threshold**: Set how closely content must match a query (0.0-1.0)
   * **Number of References**: How many knowledge snippets to include per response

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/knowledge-connection.png" alt="Knowledge Base Connection" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Knowledge connection interface with selected files]*

<Note>
  If you haven't uploaded knowledge files yet, you can add them later by editing the assistant.
</Note>

### Step 5: Communication Settings

Configure how your assistant handles conversations:

1. **Welcome Message**: Set the initial message users see when starting a conversation
2. **Fallback Response**: Define what the assistant says when it can't answer a question
3. **Conversation Timeout**: Set how long until an inactive conversation closes
4. **File Sharing**: Enable or disable file uploads from users

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/chat-communication-settings.png" alt="Communication Settings" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Communication settings screen]*

### Step 6: Human Handoff

Configure when and how your assistant transfers conversations to human agents:

1. **Handoff Triggers**: Define conditions that trigger a human handoff
   * Explicit user request
   * Multiple fallback responses
   * Specific keywords or topics
   * Sentiment detection

2. **Handoff Behavior**:
   * Set notification preferences for agents
   * Configure queue behavior
   * Define handoff messages

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/human-handoff-settings.png" alt="Human Handoff Settings" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Human handoff configuration screen]*

### Step 7: Advanced Settings

Configure additional options for your chat assistant:

1. **Persistent Context**: How much conversation history to maintain
2. **Analytics**: Enable detailed conversation analytics
3. **Message Ratings**: Allow users to rate assistant responses
4. **Custom Variables**: Define variables to track during conversations

### Step 8: Finalize Creation

1. Review all settings across the different tabs
2. Click **Create Assistant** to save your configuration
3. You'll be redirected to the assistant details page

## Testing Your Chat Assistant

Before deploying to your website, test your assistant:

1. On the assistant details page, click the **Test** tab
2. Start a conversation with your assistant
3. Try different questions and scenarios to evaluate responses
4. Check how knowledge retrieval works with various queries
5. Test human handoff functionality if configured

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/test-chat-assistant.png" alt="Testing Chat Assistant" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Testing interface with sample conversation]*

## Deploying on Your Website

To deploy your chat assistant on your website:

1. Navigate to the **Channels** tab on your assistant's page
2. Click **+ Add Channel** and select **Website Widget**
3. Configure the widget appearance:
   * Colors and theme
   * Position on page
   * Size and behavior
4. Configure visitor information collection if needed
5. Click **Save Configuration**
6. Copy the generated JavaScript code
7. Paste the code into your website's HTML, just before the closing `</body>` tag

<img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/flowbotic-442cfb46/images/chat-widget-configuration.png" alt="Chat Widget Configuration" />

*\[Screenshot placeholder: Widget configuration screen]*

<CodeGroup>
  ```html Website Integration Code theme={null}
  <!-- Flowbotic Chat Widget -->
  <script>
    window.flowboticSettings = {
      widgetId: "your-widget-id",
      assistantId: "your-assistant-id",
      theme: "light",
      position: "right"
    };
    
    (function(d) {
      var s = d.createElement("script");
      s.src = "https://cdn.flowbotic.com/widget/v1/flowbotic.js";
      s.async = 1;
      d.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(s);
    })(document);
  </script>
  <!-- End Flowbotic Chat Widget -->
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Best Practices

### Writing Effective Instructions

* Be specific about the assistant's role and knowledge
* Define the tone and personality clearly
* Include examples of good responses
* Specify limitations and escalation criteria

### Optimizing Knowledge

* Use clear, concise documents focused on single topics
* Break large documents into smaller, focused files
* Include common variations of terms and questions
* Update knowledge regularly as information changes

### Testing and Refinement

* Test with a variety of questions, including edge cases
* Review conversation logs to identify improvement areas
* Update instructions based on common misunderstandings
* Add new knowledge files to address gaps

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Configure Webchat Widget" icon="sliders" href="/communication-channels/webchat-widget">
    Customize the appearance and behavior of your chat widget
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage Knowledge Base" icon="book" href="/knowledge-base/management">
    Learn how to organize and update your assistant's knowledge
  </Card>

  <Card title="Analyze Performance" icon="chart-simple" href="/analytics/assistant-performance">
    Track and improve your assistant's effectiveness
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create Email Assistant" icon="envelope" href="/ai-assistants/email-assistants">
    Set up an assistant to handle email communications
  </Card>
</CardGroup>