Bot Flows
| Section |
Description |
| Feature Area |
Architect / AI & Bots |
| Navigation |
Admin → Architect → select flow type from the flow list |
| Primary Function |
Build native AI-powered bots that automate customer conversations before routing to a live agent |
| Flow Types |
Dialog Engine Bot Flow (voice + digital) · Digital Bot Flow (digital only) |
Genesys Cloud offers two native bot flow types built directly inside Architect. Both use Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to interpret customer input and guide conversations. The key distinction is the channel scope and PCI compliance status.
Study Notes
| Topic |
Explanation |
| Dialog Engine Bot Flow |
Native bot for voice, chat, and message channels. PCI DSS-compliant — can be used in secure call flows |
| Digital Bot Flow |
Native bot for digital/messaging channels only (chat, messaging). Not PCI DSS-compliant — cannot be used in secure call flows |
| Intent |
A customer goal or request the bot is trained to recognize (e.g., "Check Balance", "Cancel Order") |
| Utterance |
A sample phrase the customer might say to express an intent — used to train the NLU model |
| Slot |
A piece of information the bot needs to extract from the conversation (e.g., account number, date) |
| Slot Type |
Defines the format/type of a slot: built-in (e.g., date, number), custom list, regex, dynamic list, or AI-powered |
| Confirmation |
A step where the bot confirms captured slot values with the customer before proceeding |
| Learning |
The bot reviews unrecognized utterances and suggests additions to improve NLU over time |
| Intent Health |
Dashboard that shows how well intents are performing and highlights training gaps |
| Optimization Dashboard |
Per-flow dashboard showing total interactions, average duration, average turns, and end states |
| NLU |
Natural Language Understanding — the AI model that maps customer input to intents and slots |
| Call Bot Flow action |
Architect action used in an Inbound Call, Chat, or Message Flow to invoke a Dialog Engine Bot Flow |
| Call Digital Bot Flow action |
Architect action used in a Message Flow to invoke a Digital Bot Flow |
| Virtual Agent |
Advanced AI bot powered by Genesys AI — generates intents and utterances from descriptions |
| Intent Miner |
Analyzes transcripts/recordings to discover real customer intents that can be imported into a bot |
| Knowledge Integration |
Bots can query a Knowledge Base to answer customer questions automatically |
| Rich Media (Digital) |
Digital Bot Flows support quick replies, cards, and carousels for structured customer choices |
Bot Flow Type Comparison (Exam Critical)
| Attribute |
Dialog Engine Bot Flow |
Digital Bot Flow |
| Channels |
Voice, Chat, Message |
Digital (Chat, Message) only |
| PCI DSS Compliant |
Yes — can be used in secure call flows |
No — must not be used in secure call flows |
| Used In (Architect) |
Inbound Call, Chat, or Message flows via Call Bot Flow action |
Message flows via Call Digital Bot Flow action |
| Pricing — Voice |
Per minute (15-second increments) |
N/A |
| Pricing — Digital |
Per session |
Per session |
| Rich Media |
Quick replies, cards, carousels (on messaging) |
Quick replies, cards, carousels |
| Knowledge Base |
Yes |
Yes |
| Virtual Agent |
Yes |
Yes |
| Intent Miner |
Yes |
Yes |
| DTMF Input |
Yes (voice) |
N/A |
Permissions
| Permission |
Purpose |
Architect > UI > View |
Access Architect |
Architect > Flow > Add |
Create bot flows |
Architect > Flow > Edit |
Edit bot flows |
Architect > Flow > Delete |
Delete bot flows |
Language Understanding > All |
Required for NLU/intent management in bot flows |
For Virtual Agent specifically: Architect > virtualAgentFlow > Edit
Navigation
| Task |
Path |
| Open Architect |
Admin → Architect (opens in separate window) |
| Create a Dialog Engine Bot Flow |
Architect → flow type list → select Bot Flow → Add |
| Create a Digital Bot Flow |
Architect → flow type list → select Digital Bot Flow → Add |
| View Optimization Dashboard |
Architect → [selected Bot or Digital Bot Flow] → Insights & Optimizations → Optimization Dashboard |
| View Intent Health |
Architect → [selected flow] → NLU menu → Intent Health |
Key Concepts in Detail
Intents
An intent represents a specific customer goal. Each intent is trained with a set of utterances that the NLU model learns to recognize.
| Attribute |
Detail |
| Definition |
A categorized customer goal the bot recognizes |
| Training input |
Utterances (sample phrases) |
| Best practice |
Provide a diverse set of utterances per intent |
| Intent Health |
Tool to identify weak or conflicting intents |
Slots
Slots are the specific data points the bot collects during a conversation.
| Slot Type |
Description |
| Built-in |
Pre-built types: date, time, number, currency, etc. |
| Custom List |
Fixed list of values (e.g., product names) |
| Custom Dynamic List |
List fetched at runtime via a data action |
| Custom Regex |
Pattern-matched input (e.g., account number format) |
| AI-Powered |
Uses Genesys AI to extract free-form values — recommended over free-form text slots |
| Timeslot |
For appointment scheduling (e.g., available time picker) |
AI-Powered slots are recommended by Genesys. Free-form slot capture should be used carefully — see Virtual Agent slot authoring recommendations.
Utterances
Sample phrases used to train the bot's NLU model. More diverse, realistic utterances improve recognition accuracy.
Confirmations
Optional step that reads back captured slot values and asks the customer to confirm before the bot proceeds.
Learning
Reviews utterances the bot did not recognize and suggests adding them to improve the model over time.
Optimization Dashboard Metrics
| Metric |
Description |
| Total Bot Interactions |
Total number of customers who interacted with the bot |
| Average Duration |
Average length of time customers spent in the bot |
| Average Turns |
Average number of steps a customer went through |
| Contained |
Interactions fully resolved within the bot (no agent handoff) |
| Transferred |
Interactions handed off to ACD |
| Agent Escalation |
Customer explicitly requested a human agent |
| Abandoned |
Customer disconnected before completing or transferring |
| Recognition Failure |
Bot could not match customer input to a known intent |
| Error |
System/expression errors during the interaction |
Data retention: Utterance history and the Bot Conversation Library are available for the last 10 days.
| Type |
Description |
| Quick Replies |
Pre-defined response buttons the customer taps to reply — structured, fast responses |
| Cards |
Bot message with image, title, body text, and action buttons |
| Carousels |
Multiple cards displayed in a scrollable horizontal layout |
| List Pickers |
Structured lists for guided selection (e.g., appointment time slots, Apple Messages for Business) |
Architect Actions (Used in Parent Flows)
| Action |
Used In |
Purpose |
| Call Bot Flow |
Inbound Call / Chat / Message flows |
Invokes a Dialog Engine Bot Flow |
| Call Digital Bot Flow |
Message flows |
Invokes a Digital Bot Flow |
| Call Dialog Engine Bot |
Voice / Chat / Message flows |
Legacy action for Dialog Engine bots (in-flow reference) |
How Bot Flows Integrate with Inbound Flows
Inbound Call / Message Flow
↓
Call Bot Flow action (or Call Digital Bot Flow)
↓
Bot Flow Runs (NLU processes customer input)
↓
Bot resolves intent → Collects slots → Confirms
↓
Exit Reason: Contained / Transfer to ACD / Agent Escalation
↓
Parent flow continues based on exit reason
Third-Party Bot Options (For Reference)
If a native Genesys bot is not used, the following third-party options are available:
| Integration |
Channel |
| Amazon Lex V2 |
Voice (Inbound Call flows) |
| Google Dialogflow CX |
Voice / Message flows |
| Google Dialogflow ES |
Voice / Message flows |
| Nuance Mix Bot |
Voice flows |
| Genesys Bot Connector |
Message flows (up to 5 third-party bots) |
| Genesys Digital Bot Connector |
Message flows (up to 5 third-party bots) |
Third-party bots are configured under Admin → Integrations.
PCI DSS Compliance Note (Exam Critical)
| Flow Type |
PCI Compliant |
Can Use in Secure Call Flow |
| Dialog Engine Bot Flow |
Yes |
Yes |
| Digital Bot Flow |
No |
No — must not be used in Architect secure call flows |
Pricing Overview
| Channel |
Dialog Engine Bot Flow |
Digital Bot Flow |
| Voice |
Charged per minute, billed in 15-second increments |
N/A |
| Digital (chat/messaging) |
Charged per session |
Charged per session |
Contact your Customer Success Manager or Genesys Sales for volume discounts.
Best Practices
| Practice |
Reason |
| Use AI-Powered slot types where possible |
More flexible than free-form; Genesys-recommended |
| Provide varied, realistic utterances per intent |
Improves NLU accuracy and reduces recognition failures |
| Use Intent Health regularly |
Identifies weak intents before they impact customers |
| Handle all exit reasons in the parent flow |
Ensures graceful routing regardless of bot outcome |
| Use Dialog Engine Bot Flow for voice/PCI contexts |
Only compliant option for secure call flows |
| Use Intent Miner on existing transcripts |
Discovers real customer intents faster than manual authoring |
| Monitor the Optimization Dashboard |
Track contained vs. transferred rates to measure bot effectiveness |
Key Takeaways
| Topic |
Summary |
| Two native bot types |
Dialog Engine Bot Flow (voice + digital, PCI-compliant) · Digital Bot Flow (digital only, not PCI-compliant) |
| Built in Architect |
Both types are authored directly in Architect — no separate tool needed |
| Core NLU concepts |
Intents → trained with utterances; Slots → extract data; Confirmations → verify data |
| Parent flow connection |
Use Call Bot Flow or Call Digital Bot Flow action in parent Inbound flows |
| Optimization Dashboard |
Tracks interactions, duration, turns, and exit states including contained vs. transferred |
| PCI distinction |
Dialog Engine = PCI DSS compliant; Digital Bot = not compliant |
| Pricing |
Voice: per minute (15s increments); Digital: per session |
| AI enhancement |
Virtual Agent, Intent Miner, Knowledge Base, and AI-Powered Slots available in both |
