---
title: Bot Message
slug: intelligent-chat-agent/bot-message
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-09-26T10:54:11.294Z
---

## Overview

**Bot Messages** are a fundamental category of elements within the Flow Builder used for one-way communication from the chatbot to the user. Their primary purpose is to present information, provide responses, and display rich media to guide and engage users throughout a conversation. Unlike "Prompts," which are designed to collect user input, Bot Messages are purely for output.

These elements are essential for crafting a user-friendly and interactive experience. You can use them to send a simple greeting, display a product image, share a detailed brochure, or present a scrollable list of options. The Exo-Chatbot platform supports a wide variety of message types to cater to different conversational needs and channels.

The available Bot Message types are:

- **Text**: For standard text-based communication.
- **Image**: For displaying static images.
- **File**: For sharing downloadable documents.
- **Audio**: For playing sound clips.
- **Table**: For presenting data in a structured grid.
- **Video**: For sharing video content.
- **Carousel**: For showcasing a series of interactive, scrollable cards.

By combining these elements, you can build rich, dynamic, and visually appealing bot responses that go far beyond simple text.

## How to Use Bot Messages

Bot Messages are added as elements inside a node on the Flow Builder canvas.

### 2.1 Adding a Bot Message

- On the Flow Builder canvas, either click the + icon on an existing node or the Add More button inside a node to add to the current step.
- From the element menu, select the **Bot Messages** category.
- Choose the specific type of message you want to send (e.g., Text, Image, Carousel). 

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SK2urIgCC2ml99YyqWOSl/Qipb9GLttK_vvJ799s8fB-20260729-060559.png?1757937790)

- **2.2 Configuration Details for Each Message Type**
- **Text**
- **Enter Message Text**: Type your message in the text box. You can use the formatting toolbar for **bold**, italics, and headers.
- **Variables**: Insert dynamic data (e.g., a user's name) by using curly braces \{} to select a saved variable.
- **Recommendations**: Add quick reply buttons that appear below the text message to suggest the user's next step.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SK2urIgCC2ml99YyqWOSl/lAJYDPQUu3W__X7SegqAH-20260729-060559.png?1757937861)

**Image**

- **Upload**: Drag and drop an image or click **Choose File(s)** to upload from your computer.
- **URL**: Alternatively, paste a publicly accessible image URL.
- **Constraints**: Maximum file size is **10 MB**. Supported formats are jpg, jpeg, png, gif.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SK2urIgCC2ml99YyqWOSl/9PX07VvQ7rq2g0iyKavUa-20260729-060600.png?1757938123)

**File**

- **Upload/URL**: Upload a document or provide a public link.
- **Constraints**: Maximum file size is **50 MB**. Supported formats are pdf, docx.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SK2urIgCC2ml99YyqWOSl/FOQ8wIHHAxK44Dv6Mj86U-20260729-060601.png?1757938217)

**Audio**

- **Upload/URL**: Upload an audio file or provide a public link.
- **Constraints**: Maximum file size is **50 MB**. The primary supported format is mp3.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SK2urIgCC2ml99YyqWOSl/kOTz2xlIb9xRDK32xPoK9-20260729-060602.png?1757938360)

**Table**

- **Configuration**: Click within the cells to enter values. Use the floating + icons that appear on hover to add new rows or columns.
- **Constraints**: A maximum of **4 columns** is allowed.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SK2urIgCC2ml99YyqWOSl/Fh4wXMn39de2EL8_aKGXm-20260729-060602.png?1757938389)

**Video**

- **Upload/URL**: Upload a video file or provide a public link.
- **Constraints**: Maximum file size is **50 MB**. Supported formats include mp4, mov, avi, mpeg, webm, mkv.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SK2urIgCC2ml99YyqWOSl/xORSkaffM43CWWl5p0M8p-20260729-060604.png?1757938490)

**Carousel**

The carousel is a powerful element for displaying a list of items. It consists of multiple cards that the user can scroll through horizontally.

- **Card Setup**: For each card, you can upload an image or file (pdf, docx, jpg, etc., up to 50 MB).
- **Enter Title & Description**: Add a title and descriptive text for each card.
- **Add Quick Action**: Each card can have up to two buttons. Configure each button to either:
  - **Open Link**: Redirect the user to an external URL.
  - **Trigger Flow**: Start a different conversation flow when the button is clicked.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SK2urIgCC2ml99YyqWOSl/N8pMMmYifXL7J18EAnKsm-20260729-060604.png?1757938563)

## Common Use Cases

- **Product Showcase (Carousel)**: Display a catalog of products, where each card shows a product image, its name, and a "View Details" button that triggers a specific flow for that item.
- **Sending a Ticket (File)**: After a user books an event, send them a confirmation message with their ticket attached as a downloadable PDF file.
- **Displaying Business Hours (Table)**: Use a table to clearly show opening and closing times for each day of the week.
- **Video Tutorial (Video)**: When a user asks "How do I set up my account?", respond with a short, helpful video tutorial.
- **Personalized Welcome (Text)**: Greet a returning user with, "Welcome back, \{​user\_name}!" by pulling their name from a variable.

## Best Practices

- **Use Rich Media to Enhance Experience**: Don't rely solely on text. Use images, carousels, and videos to make the conversation more engaging and to convey information more effectively.
- **Keep Text Concise**: Break down large blocks of information into multiple, smaller text messages to avoid overwhelming the user.
- **Provide Context for Media**: When you send an image, file, or video, always accompany it with a text message that explains what it is and why the user is receiving it.
- **Optimize for Mobile**: Ensure images and videos are of a reasonable file size to load quickly on mobile devices.
- **Check Your Links**: Double-check that all URLs provided for images, videos, and files are public and not broken.

## Common Mistakes

- **Broken Media Links**: Using internal or private URLs for images or files will result in them not displaying for the user. Always use publicly accessible links.
- **Overly Long Carousels**: A carousel with 15-20 cards can be frustrating to scroll through. If you have many items, consider categorizing them and using multiple, smaller carousels or a different approach.
- **Missing a Call to Action**: Sending a carousel of products without any buttons for the user to click ("Quick Actions") is a missed opportunity. Always guide the user on what to do next.**Ignoring Channel Limitations**: A rich, interactive element like a Carousel will look great on the web or Facebook Messenger but will not render on a simpler channel like SMS. Use the Channel Filter logic element to design fallback experiences for different channels.