Why use conversation starters?
Reducing friction
Users don’t need to think about what to ask
Showcasing capabilities
Demonstrate what your chatbot can help with
Guiding conversations
Direct users to your most important information
Increasing engagement
Make it easier for visitors to start chatting
Types of conversation starters
- Text Prompts
- Link Prompts
Text prompts send a pre-written message to your chatbot when clicked. The chatbot responds as if the user typed the question.Example prompts:
- “What are your pricing plans?”
- “How do I get started?”
- “Tell me about your enterprise features”
- “How does the free trial work?”
- “Can I integrate with my CRM?”
Use text prompts for questions your chatbot can answer directly from your training data.
Adding conversation starters
1
Navigate to settings
Navigate to Conversation Starters under Customizations in your chatbot dashboard
2
Add new prompt
Click Add Quick Prompt
3
Choose type
Choose the prompt type (Text or Link)
4
Enter title
Enter the title that users will see
5
Add content
Add the prompt text or URL
6
Save
Save your conversation starter
Best practices
Optimal number of prompts
Optimal number of prompts
Create 3-5 conversation starters that cover your most common user questions or important topics.Why 3-5?
- Too few: Users may not find what they need
- Too many: Overwhelming and cluttered interface
- Just right: Clear options without decision paralysis
Writing effective prompts
Writing effective prompts
Keep titles short and clear (3-7 words)
- ✅ “Check order status”
- ❌ “I would like to check the current status of my order”
- ✅ “Check my order status”
- ❌ “Order tracking”
- ✅ “Get pricing details”
- ❌ “Pricing information”
Continuous improvement
Continuous improvement
Update prompts based on data:
- Review chat history for common questions
- Identify topics users struggle to ask about
- Test new prompts and measure engagement
- Remove underperforming prompts
Check your chat history monthly to identify trending questions that should become conversation starters.
Testing prompts
Testing prompts
Before publishing new conversation starters:
- Test each prompt yourself
- Verify the chatbot provides helpful responses
- Check that link prompts open correctly
- Ensure prompts work on mobile devices
- Get feedback from team members
Follow-up prompts
In addition to conversation starters, you can configure follow-up prompts that appear after the chatbot responds. These help guide users to related topics and keep conversations flowing.Conversation followups
Learn how to configure prompts that appear after specific responses to guide users through multi-step conversations.