Integrating Existing Channels
How to integrate other messaging platforms and smart assistants, such as Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp and Google Assistant
Besides custom developed front-ends, such as web chats, mobile chats and IVR, Syntphony CAI can integrate with other messaging platforms and smart assistants, such as Facebook Messenger. This connection asks for a connector between Syntphony CAI and the channel, translating the Conversation API to the form of communication used in the channel.
Learn more about all Channel's features in Syntphony CAI
Some of these connectors exists out-of-the-box in Syntphony CAI and are explained below.
Google Assistant connector
This section shows how to integrate with Google Assistant, which can be used in Google Home as well.
1. Create your project in Google Actions
2. Action invocation
Give your action a name for users to use it. For example, if your action’s name is “eva car”, the user will use it by saying “ok google, open eva car”.
It is recommended to put simple words and test the pronunciation.
3. Configuring the action
Doing this, a file named action.json will be generated. Open this file and change the conversation name, name and URL.
The conversation name and the name are based on your action.
The following URI pattern is used to build your URL:
DEPRECATED: The following URL still works but is deprecated and will be removed in a future release:
https://[YOUR_SERVICE].eva.bot/eva-google-assistant/org/{orgUUID}/env/{envUUID}/bot/{botUUID}/conversations/{channelID}
4. Update your action
Go to the Settings tab and copy the Project ID. This information is needed to update the action with the JSON file altered in the previous step.
Update the project with the command below.
This command will provide a URL for accreditation. Access this URL and copy the code to your terminal. This works as a confirmation of your identity.
5. Test it!
Execute the command below to test your integration in the terminal.
With all steps executed, your integration is done and you can test your virtual agent. Follow the Google documentation to test it and publish.
Facebook Messenger connector
1. Create your Facebook App
In the Facebook for Developers console, create a new App or use an existing one of your choice.
2. Add Messenger configuration
In the App Home, click on the Set Up button in the Messenger box.
If this box does not appear to you, click on the plus button besides the PRODUCTS label in the left menu.
3. Get your Facebook Page ID and Name
In Facebook, access the page in which you want to enable the messenger chat and copy the Page ID and Page Name. This information will be used in the next step.
The Page ID can be found in the URL after you access your page. For example:
https://www.facebook.com/MyFacebookPage-105498651278284/?modal=admin_todo_tour&ref=admin_to_do_step_controller
The Page ID above is 105498651278284.
The Page Name is the same that appears on the screen.
4. Select the channel and configure a token in eva
Open your virtual's agent channels menu, and find the channel you want to integrate with. This channel's UUID will be listed there. This will be used it in the next SQL command.
Choose a security token. This can be any sentence to be used on both eva and Facebook to check that your Facebook Developer App and eva instance are yours. For example, a token could be simply “eva-facebook-security-token”.
Now, execute the following command replacing the values:
5. Configure Webhook
On Facebook for Developers console, go to the Messenger > Settings menu (if you clicked on the “Set Up” button before, you should be on this page already) and click on the “Add Callback URL” in the Webhooks box.
In the modal that opens, the Callback URL should be the following:
DEPRECATED: The following URL still works but is deprecated and will be removed in a future release:
https://[YOUR_SERVICE].eva.bot/eva-facebook/org/{orgUuid}/env/{envUuid}/bot/{botUuid}/fb/webhook
In the Verify Token field, put the same token created before and click on the Verify and Save button.
This step configures how Facebook will call Syntphony CAI
6. Select a Facebook Page
In the Webhooks box, click the Add or Remove Pages button and select which page you want to use. You will have to give the Facebook for Developers permission to access your account for this step to work.
A table will appear with the columns Pages and Webhooks. Click on the Add Subscriptions button and select the messages and messages_postbacks options.
Save it.
On the Access Tokens box, click the Generate Token button for your page and copy the token, it will be used to update the facebook_configuration table.
7. Configure the page token in Syntphony CAI
The final step for configuring the integration is to update the database with the page token. Execute the command below in your MySQL database replacing the page token and page id.
8. Test it!
To test your virtual agent, enable the chat button in the Facebook Page by clicking the “Add button” on the top right and select the “Send message” option. You are now ready to test your virtual agent.
Important:
This manual shows how to integrate a virtual agent with Facebook in development mode. This will not make it available to all Facebook users. To set a virtual agent to production mode, you still have to follow Facebook compliance rules and submit it for evaluation.
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