With Coronavirus continuing to dominate headlines, disrupt events and impact many aspects of life, companies are looking for ways to easily and quickly send staff important company updates and direct them to useful materials, policies and resources. 

Using our COVID-19 Crisis Support System template you can create an automated tool that allows you to send this information to all or specific groups of staff. 

So, let’s show you how easy it is to build a Crisis Support bot on Workplace from Facebook. 

Summary

If you’re familiar with how the Crisis Support bot works then scroll down to the next section, otherwise we suggest taking a look at this short overview video that will show you the key screens and features. 

What you need

In order to build this bot you will need: 

Template instructions

Step 1: Creating an account

Ok, so the first thing we’re going to do is log into The Bot Platform. You can do this by clicking this link. Sign in using your TBP log in details. As we’re security conscious, we’ll use this as an opportunity to suggest all users enable 2FA too. 

Step 2: Creating a test group on Workplace

The first thing we’re going to do is create a bot testing group on Workplace. 

We’re going to start by creating a group on Workplace that’s our own closed or secret testing group for bots. This will allow us to ensure only people in this group can access the COVID-19 Crisis bot we’re building for now, and it allows you to add new stakeholders or team members to the group in order for them to use and review the bot themselves. 

When your bot is ready to launch you can then open up access to your bot to your broader or entire company on Workplace.
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Go to your Workplace instance and create a group. In this case we’re calling it “My bot testing group”. If you want to add any colleagues of yours to this group you can, or you can do that at a later point. 

Click create group and then go back to your TBP screen.

Step 3: Launching the template

If you’re a new TBP user then you’ll see a blank dashboard like the image below. As you build bots they would appear here. 

Click on the blue “Create a new bot” button. 

You’ll see our template dashboard screen. There are a number of different templates you can choose and each has a ‘Learn more’ button that clicks through to more information about that particular use case. 

For the purpose of this tutorial, we’re going to click on the ‘Crisis Support System’ icon.

You’ll then be asked to name your bot. This is the name for how your bot will appear on The Bot Platform. We will come to what your staff see when they use the bot when we connect it to Workplace in step 5. 

Type in a name for your bot, for example “Coronavirus Support”, and click the blue ‘Save’ button.

Congratulations - you have now launched your first bot! This isn’t live on Workplace yet, but you now have a template that you can start editing! 

On the dashboard screen you’ll see a description of the bot and an overview video. Clicking on the ? icon will open our Help Doc library.

We’ll come back to the orange bar at the top that says “Connect to Workplace” in step 5.

Click on the blue “Customise your bot” button and you’ll be taken to the message menu.   

The message menu contains all the messages that make up a given bot. For the COVID-19 Crisis Support template there are 17 messages which can be edited however you wish. 

If you want to add in more messages and features that’s totally possible too! 

​Step 4: Reviewing and editing the template

Click here to see an instructional video for this section, or scroll on for step by step text and images.
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We’re going to start off with the Welcome Message. Click on the blue ‘edit’ button to open that particular message.
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The Welcome Message is the first message your staff will see when they start using the bot, that is unless you introduce them to the bot via a separate broadcast message. 

The Welcome Message should greet users, provide an overview of the purpose of the bot and offer a clear call to action to click or engage. 

The Welcome Message for this template is made up of 1 message part that includes a button. 

You’ll notice the message starts with “Hey there, {{first_name}}” - this allows us to personalize the experience for your staff. It’s possible to pull in other information about staff that we’ll come on to later. 

If you wish to change any of the text in this message then just click into the text box and replace the text as necessary. You can also include emojis by clicking the emoji icon in the top right of the message bubble, or you could include an image, video or GIF by clicking the media button. 

From a text perspective, we recommend leaving in the “Click the ‘Get Started’ button below to begin.” so that your staff know what they need to do to continue. This is important for when staff are using a bot for the first time and aren’t as familiar with the messaging interface.  

Once you’re happy with the message content, you’re going to click the cog icon on the left hand side of the button. It will open a screen that looks like the below. 

Buttons can perform a number of tasks such as opening a URL, saving user data or triggering other messages. In this case we see that the button links to a message called ‘Second message’. 

Click the blue ‘save’ button. You will go back to the message builder screen for the Welcome Message.

Click the blue ‘save’ button again to save any changes you’ve made to the Welcome Message and you’ll then be taken back to the message menu. 

Now we’re going to look at the ‘Second message’. Click here for a video tutorial of this section or scroll on for text and image instructions. 

Click the blue ‘Edit’ button. 

The ‘Second message’ is an optional message that some people may decide isn’t necessary. 

It includes 4 message parts, 3 message delays of 3000 milliseconds each and 2 buttons. 

Scroll down the messages to take a look at the content that’s in them. 

The first message part sets up COVID and reminds staff to be careful but remain calm. There is then a message delay of 3 seconds. Message delays help create a more natural messaging experience and looks like the bot is ‘typing’ as the user waits for the next message. 

Using message delays can help break up long messages into more digestible chunks. 

The second message part then mentions the main company policy on COVID-19 which was posted to Workplace. If you have a company announcement you would like to link to, you can do this by clicking the cog icon in the button that says “See policy”.

In this instance the URL points to our website. You’ll want to fetch the URL of the relevant Workplace post you want to link to and replace it here. Then click the save button. 

The third message part tells users that they will receive updates and urgent announcements from the bot.

The fourth message part then outlines the additional features of the bot, whether that be receiving alerts, reading helpful hygiene tips or instructions on what to do if you’re unwell. 

Clicking the cog in the button that says ‘See main menu’ will bring up the screen below and shows the button links to a message called ‘Main menu’. 

Click the blue ‘Save’ button and you’ll go back to the message builder. 

Make any changes you want to the text in these messages. If you don’t have a policy to link to or want to remove any of the text bubbles then you can do that by clicking the ‘X’ icon in the relevant text bubble. You can do the same with the message delays by clicking the ‘X’ icon as well. 

Once you’re happy with the message click the blue ‘Save’ button and you’ll be taken back to the message menu. 

If you decide you don’t need to have this message included in your bot at all then you’ll simply need to change the message your ‘Welcome message’ links to from ‘Second message’ to ‘Main menu’. 

Now we’re going to edit the main menu. This is the message that contains links to the different features and functionality of the bot. 

Click here to watch a video tutorial, or scroll on for instructions in text and images.
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Click the blue ‘Edit’ button for the ‘Main menu’ and you’ll see a screen like the below. 

The main menu contains one message part and a 7 panel carousel. Each panel links to a different piece of functionality such as: 

You may decide you don’t need all of these features. For any that you don’t want you can click the ‘X’ in the right hand corner of the panel to remove it from the carousel. You can also re-order the panels by clicking the < > arrows in the top left of each panel. 

Each carousel image can also be changed by clicking the picture icon in the center of each panel image. 

We’re going to start with the first panel which links to various company policies. In this case, we have three buttons each with a link to a URL for that particular Workplace post or document. 

We have one button that links to a general update, one button that links to a policy on remote working and another that links to a policy on business travel. 

You can change any of these titles by clicking into the button and typing. Buttons have a limit of 20 characters for any text and you can also include emojis in the button text by clicking the emoji icon next to the cog. 

To add in the URL click the cog icon on the left hand side of the button.

For this button the URL points to our website. Paste in the correct URL for the policy or document you want to link to and then click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

Now we’re going to look at the second panel in the carousel. Click on the arrow that points right to show the next panel. 

This panel links to a message that contains trusted sources of news from government or world health organisations. 

Clicking on the cog in the button that says ‘Trusted sources’ and you’ll see the following screen. 

You can see the message that the button links to is called ‘Official news sources’. 

Click the blue ‘Save’ button to go back to the message builder for the main menu.  

Then click the blue ‘Save’ button to go back to the message menu. 

Scroll down until you locate the message called “Official news sources” and click the blue ‘Edit’ button. 

This message contains one message part and three buttons. The first two buttons link to the WHO and CDC website. If you wish to change these news sources you can do so by clicking into the button and changing the text and then clicking the cog icon in each button to change the URL. 

If you wish to remove any of the buttons then click the red ‘Remove’ button. 

The last button then links users back to the main menu. This is good bot building practice as it avoids any dead ends. 

Once you’ve made your changes click the blue ‘Save’ button and you’ll be taken back to the message menu. 

Find the ‘Main menu’ message and click the blue ‘Edit’ button. 

Now we’re going to click the text in the blue bar that says ‘Switch to Navigation’.

Clicking this will make the page reload and now the bar will be orange instead of blue, denoting you are in Navigation mode. Navigation mode allows you to click on the various messages to see how the bot is put together and is a great way of easily seeing which messages link where.  

Click the arrow pointing to the right on the first card in the carousel until you get to the third panel that says ‘Daily check in’.

This panel gives staff information about any daily check ins you want to send to staff to ensure they’re feeling ok and report/alert anyone to any staff members who may be feeling unwell. 

If you don’t require this functionality then click the “Switch to Edit” button in the orange bar to go back to edit mode and then you can click the ‘X’ in the corner of the panel to remove it from the main menu carousel. 

If you do want to keep this functionality then click on the button that says “Learn more” while in Navigation mode and you’ll be taken to the message that the button links to, in this case called ‘Daily check in - about’. 

This message explains how the daily check ins help keep staff safe. If you wish to edit any of this text then click the “Switch to Edit” button in the orange bar to go back to edit mode. Make any changes you want and then click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

You will then go back to the message menu. 

If you have decided to keep the Daily check in feature then you’ll now want to edit those messages. Scroll down until you see a message called ‘Daily check in - broadcast’ and then click the blue ‘Edit’ button. 

The ‘Daily check in’ is a message that is sent via a broadcast. You can decide how often you want to send it out, whether it’s daily, weekly, bi-weekly etc. You can also decide who to send these broadcasts to - whether it be your entire company or select groups of staff.  

We’ll show you how to set up broadcasts in step 7. 

The message consists of one message part and two quick replies. Quick replies are buttons that disappear after they are clicked. They are great for things like quizzes, surveys and message journeys where you don’t want people to go back and change their mind or answer. 

Edit any text as you wish in the message bubble. You can also change the text in the quick reply buttons too by doing the same. 

Clicking on the cog in the first quick reply button that says ‘Feeling fine’ shows it links to ‘Daily check in - broadcast - feeling well’. 

The quick reply that says ‘Feeling unwell’ links to a message called ‘Daily check in - broadcast - feeling well’. 

Click the blue ‘Save’ button to close the quick reply options screen. Then finish your changes to the message and click the blue ‘Save’ button to go back to the message menu. 

Now we’re going to locate the message called ‘Daily check in - broadcast - feeling well’. 

This is the message people see if they click the ‘Feeling well’ button. It contains one message part and two buttons, one of which links to a ‘Feeling unwell’ message and the other which takes users back to the main menu. 

Click the text to edit it as you wish and then click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

In the message menu we’re now going to locate the message that people click on if they’re feeling unwell. This is called ‘Daily check in - broadcast - feeling unwell’. 

Click here for a video tutorial of this section, or scroll on. 

Click the blue ‘Edit’ button to open the message. 

This message is made up of one Q&A message. A Q&A message allows you to capture and save a user’s feedback or response to a question. 

In this case, we know the staff member is feeling unwell so we’re asking them for more details on their symptoms and how they’re feeling. You can edit and change the text in this however you wish. 

Once you’ve done that click the cog icon at the bottom of the message bubble where it says ‘Add Q&A settings’. 

You’ll notice we are saving this information as a user attribute called $Symptoms. We are then accepting anything in the response, as opposed to locking it to a date or number format, and then the message that is triggered from a user response is shown at the bottom. 

Click the blue ‘Save’ button to go back to the message builder screen. Then click ‘Save’ again and you’ll go back to the message menu. 

Now we’re going to locate the message ‘Daily check in - broadcast - feeling unwell - response’. This is the message that is triggered after a staff member replies with their symptoms. 

The message consists of one ‘Send message to user’ part and one message part with a button. 

The first ‘Send message to user’ message won’t be seen by the staff member interacting with the bot. Instead, this message is actually sent to either the staff member’s manager according to the Org chart or is sent to another specific person. Equally, you can also post this information to a secret Workplace group that your HR and Crisis management team have access to. 

We will come back to this message once we’ve connected our bot to Workplace. 

For now, feel free to make any changes to the second message by clicking into the message bubble and changing any of the text. Then click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

We’re now going to locate the message called ‘Main menu’ again. Click the blue ‘Edit’ button.

Click across the carousel panels until you see one that says ‘Opt in to receive company alerts’. 

Some companies have asked for the ability to send optional broadcasts to staff with more general updates but as not all staff may want to receive these and they’re not necessarily urgent announcements that everyone needs to see, if might be that you don’t feel that this is necessary. 

Remember - you can send all or specific groups of staff broadcasts, so this feature of the template isn’t a necessity in order to still send broadcasts. 

If you feel like you don’t need this feature then you can click the ‘X’ icon in the top right corner of that particular carousel panel. If this applies to you then you can jump ahead to the next feature.  

If you do want to include this then read on. 

Click the cog icon in the button that says ‘Receive alerts’ and you’ll see the following screen. 

We can see in the button settings that the action is set to opt in users to a segment called ‘Subscribers’. The message that is triggered by opting in is called ‘Subscribe confirmation’. 

Click the blue ‘Save’ button to go back to the main menu. Then click ‘Save’ again to go back to the message menu. 

Locate the message called ‘Subscribe confirmation’ and click the blue ‘Edit’ button. 

This message consists of one message part with a button that links staff back to the main menu. 

Click into the text bubble and edit the message as you wish. Then click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

Now we’re going to edit the message that a user will see if they type in something like ‘stop’ to opt out of these optional alerts.

Locate the message called ‘Alerts options’ and click the blue ‘Edit’ button. 

This message contains two buttons that allows staff to opt in or opt out of receiving these optional alerts. Edit the text as you see fit and then click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

In the message menu we’re now going to locate the message that staff see if they unsubscribe from these optional alerts. 

Find the message called ‘Unsubscribe’ and click the blue ‘Edit’ button. 

This message consists of one message part with a button that takes staff back to the main menu. Edit the text as you wish and then click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

Now we’re going to go back to our main menu message. Click across the carousel until you see the ‘Read hygiene tips’ panel. 

This message includes hygiene tips and advice for your staff. 

If you feel like you don’t need this feature then you can click the ‘X’ icon in the top right corner of that particular carousel panel. If this applies to you then you can jump ahead to the next feature.  

If you do want to include this then read on. 

Click the blue ‘Save’ button and you’ll go back to the message menu. 

Then find the message called ‘Hygiene tips’ and click the blue ‘Edit’ button. 

This message contains three message parts with 2 and 3 second delays between each. 

The first message part includes hand washing tips and advice on how to hygienically catch coughs and sneezes. If you want to change the text or information in this message you can do so by simply clicking into the text bubble and deleting/typing. 

The button that says ‘Hand washing tips’ links to an instructional video by the CDC.

If you want to change this video to something else then you can do so by clicking the cog in the button and changing the URL. Then click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

The second message part gives advice on avoiding touching your face and unnecessary contact with others. Again, if you wish to change any of this or even delete the message entirely you can do so by clicking into the text bubble or clicking the ‘X’ icon in the top right of the message. 

The last message part increases awareness of high touch objects such as door handles and counter surfaces, cleaning electronic equipment and staying at home if you feel unwell. 

There are then two buttons. The ‘Feeling ill’ button links off to a message that captures more information on their symptoms and then alerts the relevant person/team internally. 

The ‘main menu’ button links staff back to the menu. 

Once you’ve made your edit to this message and are happy with it click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

The next message we’re going to edit is the message that tells staff what to do if they are feeling unwell. 

Look for the message called ‘Feeling unwell’ in the message menu and then click the blue ‘Edit’ button. 

In this message add instructions for your staff on what to do if they’re feeling unwell. This could be general government issued advice specific to your country or region, or it could be company advice or contact information. 

Make any necessary changes to this message and then click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

The last message we need to look at in the main menu carousel is the help message. This message is triggered by the button that says ‘Get in touch’ and also if a staff member types in ‘help’ to the bot. 

If you don’t need this message you can delete it from the main menu carousel by clicking the ‘X’ icon.  

In the message menu look for the message called ‘Help message’ and click the blue ‘Edit’ icon. 

Add in any help information to this message such as people at the company to contact, emergency instructions or COVID-19 related Workplace groups that staff can post in. 

Once you’ve made these changes click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

Now we’re going to edit the ‘Get started message’. This is the intro text that appears when a user first interacts with your bot - however, it’s worth noting this screen will only be seen by staff who search for your bot or are introduced to it in ways that don’t include broadcasts. 

Scroll down the left hand menu until you see the section called ‘Settings’. Then click on the ‘Get started message’ button. 

The ‘Get started message’ already has some pre-filled text as part of the template. If you wish to edit this you can do so by clicking in the text box on the right hand side, replacing the text and then clicking the blue ‘Save’ button. 

Now we’re going to edit the persistent menu. This is a shortcut menu that can highlight the most important features of a bot and can contain up to three buttons.  

In the left hand menu scroll down until you see the ‘Settings’ section. Then click ‘Persistent menu’. 

You’ll see a screen like the above. The template includes a link to the main menu from the persistent menu. If you want to add any buttons to other messages or content then you can do so by clicking where it says ‘Add a button’. 

You’ll see a screen like the above. Select the action such as sending a message or opening a URL and then choose the reply message. Then click save. 

Once you’re happy with your persistent menu click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

​Step 5: Connecting to Workplace

OK awesome, your COVID-19 Crisis Support bot is nearly finished. Now we’re going to connect it to Workplace. 

Click here to watch an instructional video of this section, or scroll on. 

Click on the ‘Connect to Workplace’ button in the orange bar. 

You’ll see a screen that asks you to connect your Workplace account. Click the blue ‘I am a Workplace Admin’ button. If you’re not an admin, you’ll need to involve someone from your company who is in order to add the bot to your Workplace instance.

On the next screen ensure all the bot permissions are ticked and then click the red ‘Next’ button.

Now we have the ability to customise how the bot will look to your staff and which groups on Workplace it has access to. 

We’ll start off with the bot name, description and logo. 

Click the ‘Customise’ button and enter the name you’d like your bot to appear as in the ‘Integration name’ section. 

Then update the description of the integration. Change it to something short and sweet like “A helpful tool to keep you safe and informed”. 

You can change the logo/icon of the bot too. Click the ‘Update logo’ button, add one from your computer and resize as appropriate. Then click Crop and Save. 

Once you’ve added in the Integration name, description and logo click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

Now we need to select which groups have access to the bot. You can change this whenever you want, so our suggestion is to start off by connecting it to the test group we created in Step 2 of this tutorial. 

Click the ‘Specific groups’ button and start typing the name of the group or groups you want to connect the bot to. This means only people in those groups will be able to find and access the bot. 

Once you’re ready to launch it to the whole company you can add more groups or change the settings to ‘All groups’. 

Once you’ve added the correct groups, click the blue ‘Add to Workplace’ button. 

Wait a few seconds and then you’ll be redirected back to The Bot Platform and you should now see a green bar at the top of your dashboard that says “Success! Your bot has been successfully connected to Workplace”. 

Your bot is now connected to Workplace! Easy, right!!
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Step 6: Adding in the post to group or alert manager feature 

Now our bot is connected to Workplace, we can add in the functionality such as posting to groups, alerting manager or sending broadcasts. 

Click here for a walkthrough video that shows you how to set this feature up, or scroll on for a text based tutorial.
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Click on the ‘Messages’ button in the left hand navigation menu. 

Scroll down until you find the ‘Daily check in - broadcast - feeling unwell - response’ and click on the blue ‘Edit’ button. 

Click into the top message part where it says ‘Send to: Manager’. 

Click into the ‘Type’ box and select whether you want to send this information to the manager of the user or to a specific user. If you click ‘Send to specific user’ you will need to know the email address of that person that’s associated with their Workplace profile. 

Once you’ve done this click the blue ‘Save’ button. 

Then click the ‘Save’ button in the message builder and you’ll be taken back to the message menu. 

If you would prefer to replace this with a post to a group, such as a closed or private group for your Crisis management team, you can do that by clicking ‘Group Post’, copying the text from the ‘Send to manager’ message part and then selecting the relevant Workplace group you want to post the information to. Be aware that if you have locked the bot to a specific group you will only be able to post the information to that group. This can easily be changed in the integration settings once you’re ready to launch.

Because your bot is now connected to Workplace you’ll need to push your changes live. Do this by clicking the button in the orange bar. 

Your bot is now ready to use. Click on the name of the bot in the top left of the dashboard. In the image above we would click on the button that says ‘Coronavirus Support’ with the Workplace icon next to it. 

Click on that and your bot will open in a new tab on your computer. Or, search for the name of your bot on Workplace Chat on your phone.

The screen you’ll see is the Get Started message you edited earlier. Click the ‘Get Started’ button at the bottom of your screen to start using the bot. 

Your bot is now working! Have a play with it and run through the flow.

Step 7: Sending broadcasts

We’re now going to set up the broadcasts. This allows you to send messages out to your staff. 

There are a number of ways of targeting your staff with broadcasts. 

In this example we’re going to send a broadcast to members of a group on Workplace. This is useful if you have a group that all staff are members of, or if you have groups for different offices or countries and are looking to broadcast to those specific staff members.  

Click here for a video tutorial on how to set up broadcasts, or scroll on. 

As our bot is currently still locked to our testing group on Workplace we’re going to broadcast to users of that group. We may want to add some of our own colleagues or other COVID-19 crisis support stakeholders to this group so we can send them a broadcast message that introduces the bot we’ve been building. 

Click on the ‘Broadcasts’ button in the side navigation. You’ll see a screen like the one below. Click on the blue button that says “Create a broadcast”.

In the section that says ‘Select the message to schedule’ start typing and then select ‘Welcome Message’. 

If you’d prefer to have different wording than what’s in your Welcome Message, you can choose to create a new message that you can select as the broadcast. 

In the choose a target for your broadcast select ‘Workplace Groups’ and in the ‘Send to group(s)’ section start typing the name of the test group you set up earlier, or a group that has people in that you want to test or use the bot. 

If you don’t see the group when you start typing then click the ‘Refresh groups’ button and try again. Remember - if you’ve locked the bot down to a specific group only that group will appear for now. 

Scroll down the page and click the ‘Date / time’ section. This will bring up a calendar. Select the day and time you want to send the broadcast. Or, if you want to send it now, click the ‘Set to now’ button. Then press the blue ‘Schedule’ button to save the broadcast. 

You’ll then be redirected to your Broadcasts menu where you can edit, test and delete scheduled broadcasts. 

If you set up any features like the ‘Daily check ins’ you’ll want to set these up as recurring broadcasts. 

​Step 8: Changing the integration access settings 

Once you’re happy that your bot is working the way you want it to work then you can create a new broadcast to the relevant Workplace group or segment of staff by following the same process above. 

If earlier in the process you locked your bot to a specific group then you will need to change those settings. You can do that in the Admin panel on Workplace. Click the admin icon and then the ‘Integrations’ option in the ‘Manage’ section. 

Click on the bot you’ve just added and you’ll open up the same Integration settings menu we saw when we connected the bot to Workplace earlier in this process. 

Add in the names of the other groups you want to give access to, or delete the group and select the ‘All groups’ option. 

Then click the ‘Save’ button. 

And that’s it. You’ve now successfully built a bot that helps keep your staff and workforce informed of important updates, company policies and health information related to COVID-19. 

Congratulations! 

Extra features and functionality to consider 

Some other features that you could look at using are:

As well as the functionality we have mentioned in this tutorial, we’ve also had customers add other elements to their bot such as: 

If you'd like to discuss these additional ideas, or any other features you want to add to your COVID-19 Crisis Support bot then please get in touch with us and we'll be happy to help!