Send Structured Content to End Users

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

Explain the full scope and benefits of each messaging component type.
Outline how messaging components are sent to customers.

So far, we’ve explored user verification, customizing the pre-chat form, and conditional availability of the chat button—all of which enhance an end user’s initial experience with messaging. Now that we have those front-end enhancements down, let’s explore ways to optimize the conversation itself. Enter Messaging components. These structured, pre-written messages to end-users increase efficiency because agents don’t have to spend time creating them in advance.

While there are many different types and formats of messaging components, they fall into two broad categories: Components that agents can choose to send and components that are automatically sent. In this unit, we get to know the components in each category.

Messaging Components Agents Can Send

Most of the available Messaging for In-App and Web component types can be sent to customers manually by agents.

When an agent works from the enhanced conversation window of the agent console, they have a Messaging Components button available by default. This button lets an agent send messaging components with static values. In other words, it sends components that never change.

Agent console with Messaging Components button highlighted.

Agents can also send components with dynamic values that change depending on org or end-user data. You can add a flow component to the agent console, which lets agents send the dynamic messaging components that you make available. The sequence of events involved in sending a time selector component via a flow component in the agent console. The final screenshot shows the customer experience of receiving the messaging component.

Three component types can be sent this way: Questions with Static Options, Enhanced Links, and Secure Forms. Let’s explore them.

Questions with Static Options

Using this component type, you can ask a question with a predefined set of answers via the Messaging Components button in the enhanced conversation window.

End-user’s messaging conversation window with a Question with Static Options messaging component in the thread.

Enhanced Links

Using enhanced links, you can present a URL with a custom image and text via the Messaging Components button in the enhanced conversation window.

End-user’s messaging conversation window with an Enhanced Link messaging component in the thread.

Secure Forms (Beta)

With secure forms, you can collect sensitive data from end users and then control whether agents can view it, and where the data gets stored.

A series of four screenshots showing the end-user experience of filling out and submitting a secure form.

These messaging component types have something in common: The language presented to the end user is always the same. You may have a business need to tailor the content of a messaging component to your or your end-user’s data. For this purpose, let’s explore two dynamic messaging component types that agents can also send via a flow.

Questions with Dynamic Options

Ask a question with a set of dynamic answers that are populated by record data. Create an Omni Flow to populate the dynamic options. Agents send the component via a flow component in the agent console.

End-user’s messaging conversation window with a Question with Dynamic Options messaging component in the thread.

Time Selectors

Ask your end user to choose between a list of time slots.

End-user’s messaging conversation window with a Time Selector messaging component in the thread.

To create your own messaging components, check out Interactive Messaging Components and Add Messaging to the Service Console.

Messaging Components That Are Automatically Sent

While it may seem like agents can send an infinite variety of messaging components to end-users, there are only two types of messaging components that can be sent automatically from your org: Auto-Response components for Messaging for In-App and Web, or Notification components for Messaging for In-App.

Since Auto-Response components are available to both In-App and Web, let’s start by reviewing them. There are four points in a messaging conversation where an auto-response can be triggered.

Point of Conversation	Definition
Conversation Acknowledgement	Let the end user know that their initial message was received.
Start Conversation	Let the end user know that their conversation was accepted by an agent.
End Conversation	Let the end user know that their conversation was ended by an agent. Optionally, send a post-conversation survey.
Inactive Conversation	Let the end user know that their conversation ended because they stopped responding.

Creating an auto-response component is highly customizable, especially if you decide to use formula templates or sObject formulas to populate values. So let’s just cover the basic building blocks. You create and send an auto-response component in two places.

Auto-response components are built and sent in two places: Create the component in the Lightning Component Builder, then insert it into one of four conversation points in the Messaging Settings setup page for your messaging channel.

First, you create the auto-response component in the Lightning Component Builder (1). Then, you add the component to one of the four conversation points available in the Messaging Settings setup page for your channel (2).

Here, we can see it in action. We added the Ursa Major CSAT auto-response component to the End Conversation box.

Messaging Settings editor with an auto-response component in the End Conversation field.

Now, when an agent or end-user ends the conversation, the component triggers a message that prompts the end user to fill out the survey.

End-user’s messaging conversation window with an Auto-Response messaging component that sends a survey at the end of a conversation.

When you’re ready to create and send your own Auto-Response Component, check out the Create and Send Auto-Response Components in Messaging Sessions page in Salesforce Help.

Messaging for In-App admins can also send notification components, which are sent automatically from your Salesforce org to an In-App conversation window. These fill any use case that isn’t met by the four Auto Response scenarios. For example, you want to give your end-user a heads up that an event has occurred, such as a shipping notification.

End-user’s messaging conversation window with a Notification messaging component in the thread.

When you’re ready to create and send notification components, check out Set Push Notifications or Messaging for In-App.