Generative replies deliver automated, AI-generated answers in response to customer requests, with information from your own trusted help center content, without needing to build custom answers.
Through the use of generative AI, when a relevant help center article is identified, generative replies are displayed as a single message with a link to the source article. These messages are short (generally under 100 words) and reflect the bot persona if it's being used.
This article includes the following sections:
About generative replies
When used on an account with an active help center, generative replies can immediately begin to respond to questions from your end users. These responses use generative AI to evaluate articles in your help center, then use that knowledge to provide concise answers within the ongoing conversation. End users get the information they need without leaving the conversation channel to read an article.
Generative replies can respond to a customer question when:
- No intents are detected for that question.
- An intent matching that question is configured to generate a reply.
These replies are always followed by a standard request for end-user feedback (“Was this helpful - yes/no”). You can configure bot responses to this feedback.
To use generative replies, your account must meet the following requirements:
- Agent workspace is activated.
- Messaging is activated.
- An active Zendesk knowledge base is connected to the bot's assigned brand.
- Is assigned a matching intent model (Intent-related features only).
If you’re using a restricted help center, the bot response respects the article view permissions set in Guide, which means:
- If the end user is authenticated via the messaging authentication protocol and user mapping established with an external ID, the bot can suggest relevant restricted articles.
- If the end user is unauthenticated, the bot will suggest only public articles.
Activating and configuring generative replies
You can activate generative replies when creating a new bot or add it to an existing bot.
To turn on generative replies when creating a new bot
- In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Bots and automations > Bots.
- Click Manage bots, then click Create bot at the top of the page.
- Configure the following information in the Create conversation bot flow:
- Enter a name for the bot. This name is displayed at the top of the widget where you deploy the bot.
- Add a custom avatar (optional). The custom avatar replaces the default bot avatar.
- If you're using multiple brands in your account, use the Brand drop-down to select which one the bot will be associated with. If you have a single brand, it will appear here.
- Use the Language drop-down to indicate the language used to create your bot.
- Click Turn on generative AI features. Selecting this option turns on both generative replies and bot personas.
- Click Create bot at the bottom of the page. The new bot's edit page opens.
- Click the Test bot button and enter phrases the bot can match to existing help center content to view samples of replies your end users might receive.
- Click Publish bot to apply your changes.
To turn on generative replies in an existing bot
- In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Bots and automations > Bots.
- Click Manage bots, then click the bot you want to use with generative replies.
- In the bot's Behavior tab, click to expand the section If the bot finds relevant articles.
- Make sure Generate a reply is selected. When you select this
option:
- Any intents without an assigned answer setting are updated to Generate a reply.
- After the bot replies to an end user’s comment, it sends a request for feedback (“Was this helpful - yes/no”). If the end user selects Yes or No, it’s followed by a customizable response. See Configuring feedback responses for more information.
- Click the Test bot button and enter phrases the bot can match to existing help center content to view samples of replies your end users might receive.
- Click Publish bot to apply your changes.
Configuring feedback responses
As described in the previous section, every reply the bot generates from help center content is followed by a standard request for feedback from the end user (“Was this helpful? Yes/No”). After the end user selects an option, the bot replies based on whether the answer is deemed helpful or unhelpful.
You can customize the bot’s responses to this feedback, or choose to use the default responses.
- In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Bots and automations > Bots.
- Click Manage bots, then click the bot you’re using with generative replies.
- In the bot’s Behavior tab, click to expand the section After the
bot answers.In the section’s Helpful answer tab, configure
the bot’s response if the end user chooses Yes.
- Message. Leave the default message (“Great, knowledge is power. You can ask me another question at any time.”) or edit it to create a custom response.
- Generate variations (accounts with bot personas turned on). Select this option to create variations of the message based on your chosen persona.
- Answers. Use the drop-down to select up to 10 answers to present to customers as preconfigured options displayed after the message defined above. For example, you can include an answer that thanks customers for the feedback or asks them to submit another question.
- In the section’s Unhelpful answer tab, configure the bot’s response
if the end user chooses No.
- Message. Leave the default message (“Sorry I couldn’t find a good answer to your question. But here are some options that might help.”) or edit it to create a custom response.
- Generate variations (accounts with bot personas turned on). Select this option to create variations of the message based on your chosen bot persona.
- Answers. Use the drop-down to select up to 10 answers to present to customers as preconfigured options displayed after the message defined above. For example, you can include an answer that offers to transfer them to an agent.
- Click Publish bot to apply your changes.
Using generative replies with intents
To manage generative reply settings for specific intents
- In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Bots and automations > Bots.
- Under Conversation bot, click Manage bots.
- Click the bot you’re using with generative replies.
- In the Intents tab, for each intent use the drop-down to select an
option:
- Generate a reply (default) lets the bot create a response to a customer’s matching free-text entry.
- Don’t generate a reply prevents the bot from responding to a customer’s matching free-text entry. Instead, it replies with the standard fallback response (“Sorry I couldn't find a good answer to your question. Here are some topics that might help though”).
- Show an answer lets you connect the intent to an existing answer, or create a new answer for it.
Use the filters at the top of the Topic list to locate specific intents more quickly.
You can also choose whether you want to generate a reply for any question asked by an end user that does not have a matching intent. By default, a reply will be generated for any customer free-text entry that matches an intent if that intent is not associated with an answer in the conversation bot.
To manage generative replies to questions without matching intents
- In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Bots and automations > Bots.
- Click Manage bots.
- Click the bot you’re using with generative replies.
- In the Intents tab, use the drop-down at the top of the page to select Generate a reply or Don’t generate a reply.
These changes are applied when the bot is published.