Ask Order

The Ask Order action allows the chatbot to collect product or service order details from users during a conversation.

This action enables customers to select items directly from a product catalog, confirm quantities, and submit their order within the chatbot interface.

The selected product details are captured and stored in a variable, allowing the system to process orders automatically and continue the workflow.

When to Use Ask Order

Use the Ask Order action when the chatbot needs to collect product selections from a catalog.

Common Use Cases

  • Restaurant food ordering

  • E-commerce product purchases

  • Service bookings with package options

  • Menu-based ordering systems

  • Product selection during checkout

Example interaction:

Bot: Order your favorite food now! Please select the items you would like to order from our menu catalogue. User: Selects items from catalog

The chatbot captures the selected products and order details.

How to Add Ask Order

Follow these steps to add the Ask Order action to your bot workflow.

  • Open Bot Builder

  • Click Add Node

  • Select the Ask tab

  • Choose Ask Order

  • Configure the required fields

  • Click Create

Once created, the chatbot will prompt users to select items from the configured catalog.

Ask Order Configuration

When creating an Ask Order action, several configuration fields must be completed.

Action Name

The Action Name identifies the order collection step within the bot workflow.

This name is visible only inside the bot builder.

Example:

Collect Customer Order Food Order Selection Product Order Capture

In the walkthrough example, the action name is "Collect the order."

Message

The Message field contains the prompt displayed to users.

Example:

🍔 Order Your Favorite Food Now! We're ready to serve you 😊 Please select the items you would like to order from our menu catalogue below. 🔗 View Full Menu Here: https://wa.me/c/919876543210 Select the products and confirm the quantity to continue.

This message instructs users how to choose items from the catalog.

The message supports:

  • Dynamic variables

  • Text formatting

  • Emojis

Variables can be inserted using the Add Variable option.

Error Attempt

The Error Attempt field defines how many invalid attempts are allowed.

Example:

Error Attempt: 3

If the user does not select items properly, the chatbot triggers the configured Action on Invalid behavior.

Error Message

The Error Message is displayed when the user submits an invalid order response.

Example:

Please select items directly from the catalogue to place your order.

This helps guide users to select products correctly.

Action on Invalid

This setting defines how the chatbot behaves when the user exceeds the allowed number of invalid attempts.

Available options include:

End the Flow

Stops the chatbot conversation.

Skip the Question

Allows the chatbot to continue without collecting order details.

Fall Back Flow

Redirects the user to another predefined flow.

Store Response in Variable

The Store Response in Variable option saves the order details collected from the catalog.

Example variable:

ordered_details

The walkthrough shows creating a variable such as ordered_details to store the order response data.

Creating a New Variable

If a variable does not already exist:

  • Click Create New Variable.

  • Enter a variable name.

Example:

ordered_details

  • Select the variable in the Store Response field.

  • Click Create to save the configuration.

Data Captured by Ask Order

When a user places an order, the chatbot captures structured order details, including:

  • Selected product name

  • Quantity

  • Product price

  • Currency

  • Total order value

The diagram on page 15 shows that these values are captured in a structured format for further processing in the workflow.

Example Ask Order Interaction

Example chatbot conversation:

Bot: Order your favorite food now! Please select the items you would like to order from our menu catalogue. User: Selects Pizza (2) and Burger (1)

The chatbot stores the order details in the variable:

ordered_details

and continues the workflow.

Best Practices

Follow these recommendations when using Ask Order.

Provide clear ordering instructions

Explain how users should select products from the catalog.

Include a catalog link

Provide a direct menu or product catalog link when needed.

Use meaningful action names

Clearly label the order collection step.

Provide helpful error messages

Guide users when incorrect responses occur.

Store order data properly

Save order details in variables for processing.

Summary

The Ask Order action enables chatbots to collect product orders directly from a catalog during conversations.

With Ask Order, you can:

  • Allow customers to select products within the chatbot

  • Capture product selections and quantities

  • Store order details in variables

  • Validate order inputs

  • Automate order processing workflows

This feature helps businesses streamline product ordering and improve customer purchasing experiences through chatbot automation.

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