Building actions from templates

When you create actions, you can choose a template that relates to the problem you’re trying to solve. Templates help tailor your actions to include items specific to your business need. The examples in each template can also help you to learn how actions work.

Templates are available for different use cases, for example, booking a meeting, creating a support ticket, or making a payment. Templates include all the pieces that make up an action, such as steps, conditions, and different response types to collect customer answers.

You can use templates in English-language assistants only.

These features are included as examples in action templates:

Features
Feature	Description	More information
Step conditions	A step condition is a Boolean test, based on a runtime value. The step is used only if the test evaluates as true.	Adding conditions to a step
Options synonyms	Synonyms are variations of an option value that customers might enter.	Options
Customized response validation	When you edit a step that expects a customer response, you can customize how validation errors are handled.	When your customer gives invalid answers
Action variables	When customers reply to your assistant, they share information about themselves and what they want. Your assistant remembers this information, and other information about a conversation, as variables.	Using variables to manage conversation information
Session variables	A value that is not necessarily tied to a particular action can be stored as a session variable. Session variables are long-term memory: they persist throughout the user's interaction with the assistant, and your assistant can reference them from any action.	Using variables to manage conversation information
Regex response type	A regex response collects a text string that matches a pattern that is expressed as a regular expression. Use this response to capture a value that must conform to a particular pattern or format, such as an email address or telephone number.	Regex
Yes/No response type	A confirmation response presents customers with the choices of either Yes or No as buttons.	Confirmation
Connect to agent	If your assistant is integrated with one of the supported service desk systems, you can build in logic that transfers the conversation to a live agent when necessary.	Connecting to a live agent
Embedded video	Includes a video to display a how-to demonstration, promotional clip, or other video content. In the web chat, a video response renders as an embedded video player.	Adding a Video response
Customer responses referenced in URLs	In your assistant's output, you can reference variables to personalize a URL link, including information specific to the customer such as account number or email address	Adding and referencing variables
Customized agent hand off information	If your assistant is integrated with one of the supported service desk systems, you can build in logic that transfers the conversation to a live agent when necessary. You can customize messages the assistant displays as part of the transfer	Connecting to a live agent

Creating actions from templates

To create actions from templates:

Open the Actions page.
If you have no actions, choose Create a new action. If you already have some actions, choose New action.
On Create an action, choose Quick start with templates.

Create an action
On Quick start with templates, click a template to read details about what it does. Or, you can click the checkbox to select the template right away.

If you choose a starter kit template, these actions require you to add a custom extension before you add the actions from the starter kit. For more information, see Starter kit extension setup.

Quick start with templates
Review the details of the template, then click Select this template.

Template details
Your list of selected templates includes all the ones that you chose. You can select as many templates as you want. If you change your mind, click the trash can icon to remove a template from the list.

Selected templates
When you're ready, click Add templates.
In the actions editor, you can use a new action as-is, or modify it to fit your use case.

New action

You can create multiple actions from the same template. For example, if you used the Book a meeting template to create an action, you can choose that template again. If the first action is still named Book a meeting, the new action is added with the name Book a meeting (1).

Preview actions

Most action templates are complete. (Starter kit templates are marked with an asterisk and require setup.) You can try out an action right away even without making any changes.

To preview the action that you created from a template:

In the actions editor, click Preview.
Try some example phrases from Customer starts with to see how the assistant responds.

Preview

Starter kit extension setup

Starter kit templates add actions that can use extensions to connect to data and systems outside of watsonx Assistant. To learn more about extensions in general, see Build a custom extension.

It's important to add the extension to your assistant first, so the starter kit actions can detect the installed extension. Don't add the starter kit actions without adding the extension first.

This table lists each starter kit, a link to download an OpenAPI specification file that you need to set up the extension, and a link to setup instructions.

Starter kits
Starter kit	OpenAPI specification file	Setup instructions
Coveo search	coveo.openapi.json	Coveo search setup
Google custom search	google-custom-search-openapi.json	Google custom search setup
HubSpot	hubspot.advanced.openapi.json	HubSpot setup
NeuralSeek	Requires a file specific to your instance of NeuralSeek. Refer to the setup instructions.	NeuralSeek extension setup
ServiceNow	sn.openapi.json	ServiceNow extension setup
Zendesk	zendesk-openapi.json	Zendesk extension setup

Coveo search extension setup

To set up the extension for Coveo search, see Coveo search extension setup.

Google custom search extension setup

To set up the extension for Google custom search, see Google custom search extension setup.

HubSpot extension setup

To set up the extension for HubSpot:

In HubSpot, you need to create a developer account and then create a private app. The private app includes an access token that you need for authentication. For detailed instructions, see Getting private app access token in the HubSpot Custom Extension starter kit GitHub repository.
Your HubSpot account needs custom properties. Follow the instructions in Adding Custom Properties in HubSpot in the HubSpot Custom Extension starter kit GitHub repository.
Download the OpenAPI specification file: hubspot.advanced.openapi.json.
In your assistant, on the Integrations page, click Build custom extension and use the OpenAPI specification file to build a custom extension. For general instructions on building any custom extension, see Building a custom extension.
After you build the HubSpot custom search extension and it appears on your Integrations page, click Add to add it to your assistant. Use your HubSpot private app access token to authenticate. For general instructions on adding any custom extension, see Adding an extension to your assistant.
Open the Actions page.
If you have no actions, choose Create a new action. If you already have some actions, choose New action.
On Create an action, choose Quick start with templates.
On Quick start with templates, add the HubSpot starter kit.

NeuralSeek extension setup

To set up the extension for NeuralSeek, see NeuralSeek extension setup.

ServiceNow extension setup

To set up the extension for ServiceNow:

Request a ServiceNow Personal Developer Instance. For detailed instructions, see Personal Developer Instances.
Download the OpenAPI specification file: sn.openapi.json.
In your assistant, on the Integrations page, click Build custom extension and use the OpenAPI specification file to build a custom extension. For general instructions on building any custom extension, see Building a custom extension.
After you build the ServiceNow extension and it appears on your Integrations page, click Add to add it to your assistant. Use your ServiceNow admin username and password to authenticate. Replace the default instance server variable with your own. For general instructions on adding any custom extension, see Adding an extension to your assistant.
Open the Actions page.
If you have no actions, choose Create a new action. If you already have some actions, choose New action.
On Create an action, choose Quick start with templates.
On Quick start with templates, add the ServiceNow starter kit.

Zendesk extension setup

To set up the extension for Zendesk:

In Zendesk, open the Admin Center, for example, https://{server-domain}.zendesk.com/admin.
In Apps and integrations, click Zendesk API.
On the Settings tab, enable Password access.
Download the OpenAPI specification file: zendesk-openapi.json.
In your assistant, on the Integrations page, click Build custom extension and use the OpenAPI specification file to build a custom extension. For general instructions on building any custom extension, see Building a custom extension.
After you build the Zendesk extension and it appears on your Integrations page, click Add to add it to your assistant. Use your Zendesk username and password to authenticate. For general instructions on adding any custom extension, see Adding an extension to your assistant.
Open the Actions page.
If you have no actions, choose Create a new action. If you already have some actions, choose New action.
On Create an action, choose Quick start with templates.
On Quick start with templates, add the Zendesk starter kit.