Facebook Messenger Bots: Everything You Need To Know

Facebook introduced its Messenger bots platform this week at its F8 briefing and if you lot have been wondering what it's all virtually, we are hither to let you know. Well, chatbots or bots aren't entirely a new concept and it has been here since a long time. Remember Microsoft's Clippy? As well, diverse other platforms like Twitter, Telegram, Kik etc. already have their very ain bots platform. So, what makes Facebook's implementation better? Well, here's everything yous should know about Facebook Bots:

What are Facebook Messenger bots?

Messenger bots are basically Facebook accounts of businesses or pages, powered by Artificial intelligence algorithms to respond to your queries and execute specific tasks. Basically, these bots are expected to converse with users in a natural linguistic communication while answering questions or doing tasks. Mark Zuckerberg'southward argument rightly explains the idea behind bots, "You should be able to message a concern similar you lot would bulletin a friend".

Facebook aims to cut down app overload on devices by letting these bots do all the tasks without a user having to open up an app or doing a web search. Too, these bots are expected to know you lot over fourth dimension and remember your previous chats to make certain that they are much more useful than say a virtual assistant software like Siri or Cortana. At present that you've got a basic thought of Facebook bots, here's how to use them on your smartphone/tablet or PC.

How to find and apply Messenger bots?

The Facebook bots are part of the Messenger Platform, so you can only utilise them on Messenger. In that location'southward no style to find or use bots on the stand-alone Facebook app or webpage. So, here'southward how y'all can find and use bots in the Messenger app on Android and iOS:

Note : Earlier you start finding bots on your Android or iOS device, make certain to update the app to the latest version.

1. Open the Messenger app and tap the floating "+" button and select "Search".

2. In the search bar on the peak, search for the bot you want. For instance, search for "CNN".

iii. Once the search is completed, scroll downwards below to find "Bots and Businesses".

4. And so, tap the CNN bot and sent a greeting to start conversing with the bot.

Notation : To place bots among normal business organisation pages, wait for the blue Messenger badge that we are used to seeing on people accounts that utilise Messenger.

You lot tin can even effort conversing with the Facebook bots from a PC. Hither'due south how to use Messenger bots on a PC:

1. Open browser and get to Messenger.com.

2. Search for a bot in the search bar on top. For case, search for the bot 1-800-Flowers.com.

iii. You will run into a list of businesses and people. Click on the bot with the messenger icon and start conversing.

One time you starting time conversing with a bot, the bot will suggest you some questions you can ask. It volition even show you options yous can select instead of typing everything. For example, the CNN bot gives you options to "Read Story", check out "Stories for yous" or "Ask CNN", where you volition accept to tell the bot near something you lot want to read like politics, tech, sports etc. In that location are bots that fifty-fifty let you purchase things like the 1-800-Flowers.com bot, which lets you gild flowers correct from the Bot'southward message thread.

Check out all the bots available

Unfortunately, Facebook hasn't yet implemented a Bot Store in Messenger, and then yous will have to rely on searching for bots. Nonetheless, there's a tertiary political party solution. A website dubbed Botlist features a listing of all the Messenger bots available before long. We expect the website to keep things updated, so yous can only visit the site to keep a bank check on new bot arrivals.

You can even get-go a chat with i of the bots directly from the website in a PC. To do information technology, simply click on the bot to see more info nigh it. In the bot info page, you lot will find a link dubbed "m.me", which will take y'all directly to the Messenger website with a new chat thread with the bot. Non all the bots in the website include a m.me link yet simply we can expect things to improve soon.

Are bots useful?

The answer of this question is both yep and no, because bots in its current iteration are nowhere near the functionality Facebook promises us. Notwithstanding, nosotros tin can wait them to become a whole lot smarter and functional in the futurity. In a nutshell, bots are a good start merely at that place's still some time earlier it really becomes a useful solution. While bots are supposed to make talking to businesses a lot more friendly, the nowadays bots aren't that flexible and they but seem to respond to a few specific pre-set questions.

Also, as we've come to await from Microsoft'southward Tay Twitter bot, things don't e'er become well when it comes to bots. So, while we can order flowers or know the weather through these bots, information technology'll take quite some time earlier nosotros entrust a bot with some complex and important task. To sum things upward, you lot tin can give these Messenger bots a shot merely chances are, you volition come back unimpressed. Well, hither's hoping that bots become a lot more functional in the coming times and get every bit useful as Facebook really wants them to be.

Build bots for your business concern

If y'all own a concern, you lot'd want to jump over to the Messenger Bots bandwagon. It doesn't matter if your business organization is small or huge, bots can come up in really handy for you. Thankfully, Facebook has detailed everything around the Messenger platform, which makes creating bots pretty easy. Hither's everything yous demand to know most building bots.

SEE ALSO: 15 Crawly Twitter Bots You Should Follow

Ready to talk to Facebook bots?

While these Messenger bots might not be ready for prime-time usage, they are the future, then you should give them a shot. It's pretty easy to utilize, so you should have no problems with it. Well, that's all from our side, do let united states know how you like the cool new Facebook bots. Sound off in the comments section below.

Source: https://beebom.com/facebook-bots-everything-you-need-know/

Posted by: bergmanhison1971.blogspot.com

Share this post