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How to Set Up AI Chatbots

AutomationsUpdated 7 min read

An eCourtDate chatbot answers from the source content you give it, and it sends only what your settings allow. This article covers the knowledge sources on the chatbot edit page, the settings that control handoff and approval, and the Inbox where your team reads and releases what the chatbot writes.

Overview​

Every chatbot is set up on its own edit page under Automations > Chatbots. The Web Crawler and Upload Knowledge Base Files cards give the chatbot something to answer from, the Escalation Threshold slider and a Transfer to Human Agent skill control when it points a client to a person, and Require Human Approval holds its replies as drafts until someone releases them.

  • What it does: Points a chatbot at your own website and files, sets how readily it suggests human help, and routes its replies through staff review.
  • Why it matters: A chatbot that answers from your published content, and whose messages your team can check before they go out, is safe to put in front of clients.
  • Who uses it: Agency administrators who can open the Admin menu.
  • Expected outcome: A chatbot that answers from your content, suggests human help when it should, and whose conversations you can read, edit, approve, or reject in the Inbox.

Prerequisites​

Before you set up a chatbot, make sure you have:

  • An eCourtDate account that can open the Admin menu
  • A chatbot already created on the Chatbots page
  • A website address, or files, that you want the chatbot to answer from
  • An email address for the Human Approval Email field, if you plan to hold replies for review

How-To Steps​

Step 1: Open the chatbot​

  1. Go to Admin > Automations.
  2. Click the Chatbots tab.
  3. Click the edit button on the row of the chatbot you want to set up.

Step 2: Crawl a website for source content​

  1. Enter the address of the site in Website URL on the Web Crawler card, starting with https://.
  2. Enter any addresses the crawler should skip in Exclude URLs.
  3. Select a Crawl Frequency (Disabled, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly).
  4. Enter a Max Pages value for how many pages to crawl.
  5. Enter a Max Depth value for how far to follow links from the starting address.
  6. Enter a Rate Limit in seconds between requests.
  7. Click Save, since the crawler runs against the saved settings.
  8. Click Crawl Now.

The rest of the crawler fields appear only after Website URL holds a valid address.

Step 3: Upload knowledge base files​

  1. Drop files onto the Upload Knowledge Base Files card, or click the card to browse and select them. The upload starts as soon as you drop or select files, and a progress bar shows while it runs.
  2. Review the file list below the card, where each file has a download button and a delete button.

Step 4: Set the escalation threshold​

  1. Scroll to Personality & Behavior Settings on the Edit Chatbot card.
  2. Drag the Escalation Threshold slider between Low (suggest human help quickly) and High (try to help independently). The label reads Escalation Threshold (Low), (Medium), or (High) as you drag it.
  3. Click Save.

Step 5: Add a transfer skill​

  1. Scroll to Skills.
  2. Enter a Skill Name.
  3. Select Transfer to Human Agent in the Action list.
  4. Enter Description / Instructions telling the AI when and how to use the skill.
  5. Click Add Skill.
  6. Click Save.

Step 6: Hold replies for human approval​

  1. Check Require Human Approval on the Edit Chatbot card.
  2. Enter a Human Approval Email.
  3. Enter a Human Approval Template, which defaults to "We have received your message and will respond shortly."
  4. Click Save.

Step 7: Test the chatbot in the preview panel​

  1. Select a Channel (Website, Portal, Text (SMS), Email, or Voice) in the preview panel on the right.
  2. Type a question in the message box.
  3. Press Enter, or click the send button.
  4. Compare the answer against your source content, then click the trash button to clear the test conversation.

Step 8: Review conversations in the Inbox​

  1. Click View Inbox at the top of the chatbot edit page, or click the inbox button on the chatbot's row in the Chatbots list.
  2. Select the chatbot in the Chatbots column.
  3. Select a conversation in the Inbox column.
  4. Click Approve on a message marked with a Draft badge, Edit to change it first, or Reject and confirm to discard it.
  5. Type a reply in the message box and click Send to answer the client yourself.

What to Expect​

Crawl Now starts a crawl right away and eCourtDate shows an alert with the result, while Crawl Frequency controls the repeat schedule. Uploading or deleting a knowledge base file syncs the chatbot for you. Everything else on the edit page applies when you click Save, and eCourtDate confirms with a "Chatbot updated" alert. With Require Human Approval checked, the chatbot's replies appear in the Inbox with a Draft badge and wait there until someone clicks Approve. The Inbox reloads the selected chatbot's conversations every 30 seconds.

Best Practices​

  • Enter the full address, including https://, in Website URL, since the other crawler fields stay hidden until the address is valid.
  • Set Max Pages and Max Depth to cover the pages clients actually ask about instead of your whole site.
  • Keep Require Human Approval checked while a new chatbot is still being tested.
  • Add a Transfer to Human Agent skill so the chatbot has a defined way to hand a conversation to staff.
  • Run Crawl Now after you publish new pages rather than waiting for the next scheduled crawl.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Can the chatbot answer from help article categories I select?

No. A chatbot's knowledge comes from the Web Crawler, the files on the Upload Knowledge Base Files card, and the Instructions and Response Templates you write. There is no article category picker and no training button.

Can I connect Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box?

Not yet. The Connectors card lists all four, but every Connect button is disabled. Use the Web Crawler card or Upload Knowledge Base Files instead.

Do I need to sync the chatbot after changing its files?

No. eCourtDate syncs the chatbot after each file upload and each file delete. You can also run it yourself: click Tools, then Sync Chatbot.

What does the Escalation Threshold change?

It controls when the chatbot suggests transferring to a human agent. Low (suggest human help quickly) hands off sooner, and High (try to help independently) keeps the chatbot working on the question longer.

Where do replies waiting for approval appear?

In the chatbot Inbox. Open the conversation and look for messages with a Draft badge, each with Edit, Reject, and Approve buttons.

Troubleshooting​

The Web Crawler card shows only the Website URL field.

Symptoms: The field is marked invalid with "Please enter a valid URL (e.g., https://example.com)" and there is no Crawl Now button.

Solution:

  1. Enter the full address in Website URL, starting with http:// or https://.
  2. Click outside the field.
  3. Complete the crawler fields that appear, then click Crawl Now.
The chatbot's replies never reach the client.

Symptoms: Every outbound message in the Inbox carries a Draft badge.

Solution:

  1. Open the conversation in the Inbox.
  2. Click Approve on each draft you want released.
  3. Open the chatbot and uncheck Require Human Approval, then click Save, if you no longer want replies held.
The chatbot answers without using a file you uploaded.

Symptoms: The file is listed under Upload Knowledge Base Files, but preview answers do not reflect it.

Solution:

  1. Confirm the file appears in the list below the card.
  2. Click Tools, then click Sync Chatbot.
  3. Ask the question again in the preview panel.

Important: If you continue to experience issues after following these troubleshooting steps, sign in to eCourtDate and create a ticket by clicking the ticket button in the bottom right corner of the screen.