Get Started with BoldDesk AI Chatbots
BoldDesk AI Chatbots (AI Agents) help support teams deliver instant, automated responses to customer queries across multiple channels. This guide walks you through setting up and customizing AI chatbots in BoldDesk to improve support efficiency, reduce response times, and enhance customer satisfaction.
How BoldDesk AI Chatbots Enhance Customer Support
In today’s digital world, customers expect instant, 24/7 support—something that’s often costly and impractical for many businesses. BoldDesk’s AI Agent offers a scalable solution by automating customer service and enhancing the support experience.
It seamlessly integrates chatbot functionality into your operations, enabling instant responses, efficient handling of repetitive queries, and freeing up human agents for complex tasks. The result is faster support, improved customer satisfaction, and greater operational efficiency.
The result is a consistent, personalized support experience that not only boosts customer satisfaction but also enhances operational scalability.
- The Scale (Legacy) and Momentum (Legacy) plans are no longer offered to new customers. They remain available only to current subscribers of these plans.
- Chatbot functionality is available only as an add-on for Momentum (Legacy) and Enterprise plans.
- In BoldDesk, a chatbot refers to the AI Agent integrated into Live Chat.
- BoldDesk no longer supports custom AI bots, meaning you cannot integrate your own chatbot within the Live Chat application. The only available option is to use BoldDesk’s built-in AI solution.
What Is an AI Chatbot?
An AI chatbot is a live chat AI Agent that simulates human-like conversations. It serves as the first point of contact for customers, handling:
- Routine inquiries
- Process guidance
- Task automation
Unlike rule-based bots, BoldDesk chatbots are context-aware and content-trained, enabling personalized and relevant responses.
Why Use Chatbots in Customer Service?
When customers reach out for support, they often seek quick answers. Long wait times can lead to frustration and losing business. Integrating chatbots into your support system helps:
- Automate repetitive tasks
- Provide instant answers
- Improve customer satisfaction
- Allow agents to focus on strategic or sensitive issues
How to Set Up an AI Chatbot in BoldDesk
Follow the steps below to create and configure your Chatbot in BoldDesk:
1. Create and Configure the AI Agent
You need to configure your AI Agent to respond to customer queries from live chat; refer to How to Create and Configure BoldDesk AI Agent.
2. Train AI Chatbot
Train your AI Agent using one or more of the following content sources:
- Knowledge base articles
- Web pages
- Uploaded files
- Q&A entries
You can train the bot using all available content or select specific sources for more focused responses. Learn How to Add Data Sources for AI in BoldDesk.
AI can only access knowledge base articles that have Public visibility, meaning articles designated as “Any Users”. Articles limited to certain contact groups are excluded from AI responses.
3. Configure Your Live Chat
You need to then configure your live chat to enable real-time customer interactions. Learn more on How to Set Up a Live Chat Widget in BoldDesk.
4. Enabling AI Agent in Live Chat
The AI Agent enhances live chat by handling customer queries with automated responses. Refer to Enable AI Agent in BoldDesk Live Chat for 24/7 Support.
If you use AI Agents exclusively for chat support, set your business hours to offline to ensure proper chatbot behavior. Explore how to How to Customize the Away Configuration for the Live Chat Widget.
5. Adding Live Chat to External /Customer Portal in Live Chat
The live chat widget may be integrated into the BoldDesk customer portal or an external website. To add it to the customer portal, explore Embedding the BoldDesk Live Chat Widget in the Customer Portal. Alternatively, for instructions on embedding the widget on an external website, learn How to Set Up a Live Chat Widget in BoldDesk.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the difference between a chatbot and an AI Agent in BoldDesk?
In BoldDesk, a chatbot is the AI Agent configured to operate within Live Chat. An AI Agent can operate across omnichannel contexts (as described in this article).
Q2: Can I use chatbots without business hours?
Yes. If AI Agents are used exclusively for chat support, set business hours to offline to ensure proper chatbot behavior.
Q3: What content types can be used to train the chatbot?
Knowledge base articles, web pages, uploaded files, and Q&A entries.
Q4: Are KB articles restricted to contact groups used by the AI Agent?
No. AI can only access KB articles with Public visibility (articles visible to Any Users). Articles restricted to contact groups are excluded from AI responses.
Q5: Can I integrate a custom chatbot into BoldDesk Live Chat?
No. BoldDesk no longer supports custom AI bots inside the Live Chat application. The available option is BoldDesk’s built-in AI solution.
Q6: Is chatbot functionality available in the Enterprise plan?
Yes. Chatbot functionality is available as an add-on for the Enterprise plan.
Q7: Is chatbot functionality available in Momentum (Legacy)?
Yes, as an add-on for Momentum (Legacy). Momentum (Legacy) is not offered to new customers.
Q8: Can I train the AI Agent on all content, or only some sources?
You can train the AI Agent using all available content or select specific sources for more focused responses.
