Encyclopedia
Website chatbot
What a website chatbot is, how it is added to a site, and what separates a scripted one from an AI one.
Website chatbot is a chat widget embedded on a website that answers visitors' questions in real time; a modern one is powered by AI and answers from the site owner's own knowledge rather than fixed scripts.
How a website chatbot is added
A website chatbot loads through a small script that the site owner pastes into their pages, usually just before the closing body tag. The script renders a launcher in the corner of the page; opening it starts the chat. Because it is one snippet, it works on most platforms, from custom sites to WordPress, Shopify and Webflow.
Scripted versus AI website chatbots
A scripted website chatbot offers fixed buttons and canned answers and breaks on anything unexpected. An AI website chatbot understands free-text questions and answers from the business's knowledge base, and a capable one can also complete tasks and hand off to a human.
What to consider
- Knowledge: an AI website chatbot is only as accurate as the knowledge it is given.
- Handoff: it should pass a visitor to a person when it is uncertain or asked.
- Channels: the strongest setups reuse the same agent on WhatsApp and phone, not only the website.
From reference to practice
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