Create, edit, or delete an intent

Each intent represents a specific problem, question, or request that your virtual service agent can help resolve for your customers.

When the virtual service agent detects an intent in a customer’s message, it asks them to confirm that the intent detected is correct. Once confirmed, the virtual service agent starts the conversation flow for that intent.

Intents can have one of two statuses:

• Test – the intent is active in test mode and the Slack test channel, but not in any customer-facing channels. Read more about test mode.

• Live – the intent is active in customer-facing channels, test mode, and the Slack test channel.

When you create a new intent, its status is set to Test by default. When you’re ready to activate it for customers, you can change the status to Live. Read more about activating or deactivating an intent, or about virtual service agent channels.

Create a new intent

1. From your service project, select Project settings, then Channels & self service, then Virtual agent..

2. Select Intents, and then Create intent.

   • To use a template, select Browse templates. Hover over a template to see its details. Select a template to use it.

3. Enter (or edit) the Name, Description, or Display name.

   • The Display name may appear for customers as an option they can select to start the conversation flow for this intent, so make it short and clear.

4. Select Next.

5. Enter (or edit) three Training phrases. Find out how to train your virtual service agent to recognize an intent.

6. Select Create.

7. Build the conversation flow for your intent. Find out how to build a conversation flow.

8. Select Save changes.

Once you’ve created your intent and finished building its conversation flow, it’ll automatically be active in test mode and your Slack test channel. We recommend going to test mode and testing your intent before activating it for your customers. Read more about testing your virtual service agent, or find out how to activate an intent.

Edit an intent

To make changes to an intent:

1. From your service project, select Project settings, then Channels & self service, then Virtual agent..

2. Select Intents, and then select the intent you want to edit.

3. Select Flow to edit the intent's conversation flow. Find out how to build a conversation flow.

4. Select Training to edit the intent's Training phrases. Find out how to train your virtual service agent to recognize an intent.

5. Select Settings to edit the intent's Description, Display name, or Confirmation question.

6. Select Save changes.

Delete an intent

To delete an intent:

1. From your service project, select Project settings, then Channels & self service, then Virtual agent..

2. Select Intents.

3. Hover over the intent you want to delete, and then select Delete () on the right hand side.

4. Select Delete.

If you want to keep your intent but don’t want it to be active for customers, you can deactivate it instead. Find out how to deactivate an intent.