# Ask Action

The **Ask Action** allows you to engage users by asking questions and collecting responses in an interactive, dynamic way. Whether gathering personal details, feedback, or preferences, the Ask Action gives you the flexibility to structure your chatbot conversations for optimal user interaction. From handling various input types to managing response validation, the Ask Action simplifies data collection in WhatsApp flows, ensuring seamless and error-free interactions.

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### Key Features:

* Collect user input through customizable fields (text, address, etc.)
* Handle invalid responses with automated error messaging
* Use dynamic variables to personalize questions
* Configure fall-back actions for invalid inputs
* Store responses for later use in the flow

### Why Use the Ask Action?

The **Ask Action** is an essential tool for building conversational flows where collecting and validating information is key. Whether you need to ask for names, addresses, phone numbers, or other user details, this action provides a robust framework for asking the right questions and ensuring you receive valid responses. Customize each question, manage error attempts, and store data easily for further actions.

### List of Ask Action Modules

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="files"></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td> <strong>Ask Text</strong></td><td>Collect text-based responses from users for questions such as names or feedback.</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/iBCT9umuIAkekmndTrmp">/pages/iBCT9umuIAkekmndTrmp</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><strong>Ask Number</strong></td><td>Ask users to input numerical data, such as age, phone numbers, or IDs.</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/J0p6dHWvOl2U5ino8c9J">/pages/J0p6dHWvOl2U5ino8c9J</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><strong>Ask Email</strong></td><td>Request users to enter their email addresses and validate the format.</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/ltFPi2kN2svXz9fN4qKH">/pages/ltFPi2kN2svXz9fN4qKH</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><strong>Ask Phone Number</strong></td><td>Capture phone numbers, formatted correctly, for contact purposes.</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/EzL6Q8J39PkZ7i2PxF8G">/pages/EzL6Q8J39PkZ7i2PxF8G</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><strong>Ask Date</strong></td><td>Allow users to input a date using a predefined format (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD).</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/eRvpdKDSetR5kFEoveAs">/pages/eRvpdKDSetR5kFEoveAs</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><strong>Ask File</strong></td><td>Enable users to upload files or images directly within the chat.</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/G1FewPVNAMT81oB2wE8s">/pages/G1FewPVNAMT81oB2wE8s</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><strong>Ask URL</strong></td><td>Request users to input a valid URL, ensuring the response follows proper web address formatting.</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/JLBQgCM4KrVaebcXr1bc">/pages/JLBQgCM4KrVaebcXr1bc</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><strong>Ask Location</strong></td><td>Collect the user’s location details, such as latitude and longitude, enabling location-based responses.</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/46P8djcUN7ro8XykO2c4">/pages/46P8djcUN7ro8XykO2c4</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><strong>Ask Address</strong></td><td>Gather complete address information, including city, state, and postal code, in a structured format.</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/Jth1EszzdYzMZoKRIdPx">/pages/Jth1EszzdYzMZoKRIdPx</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><strong>Ask Address List</strong></td><td>Provide a list of saved addresses for the user to choose from, simplifying the selection process.</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/6X9kr7PnaB1ic3HB07QI">/pages/6X9kr7PnaB1ic3HB07QI</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><strong>Ask Flow</strong></td><td>Request users to engage in a predefined flow, guiding them through a series of inputs for more complex data collection.</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/WKmWoU6gc0kVzbS6lJSf">/pages/WKmWoU6gc0kVzbS6lJSf</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

**Why Use Send Actions?**

The **Send Action** feature empowers you to design versatile and engaging chat flows. Whether you are sending product information, guiding users through selection options, or delivering multimedia content, the flexibility of the **Send Action** helps improve user engagement and makes communication seamless.

By understanding the variety of content types that can be sent, you can tailor each interaction to meet user needs, foster better engagement, and ultimately deliver a higher-quality experience within your OwnChat WhatsApp Chatbot.

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**Explore each send action type in detail** to understand how to effectively use them within your chatbot flows and optimize user engagement.


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.ownchat.app/bot/ask-action.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.