# Chatbot Best Practices, Ideas & FAQ

## We observed that a few of our contacts are replying to the answer step after the chatbot flow has timed out. How can we handle this situation?

{% hint style="warning" %}
If you are using V4, enable the "Context & Fallback Settings" from the Chatbot Settings. This will allow the chatbot to continue from where it left off, even after timing out.
{% endhint %}

There is no direct solution, as the Picky Assist Chatbot flow is designed to time out. The default timeout is 30 minutes, but you can set it for up to 7 days.

When a contact is engaged in a specific chatbot flow, all inputs from that contact are directed to that chatbot flow only

Below are a few workaround solutions you can try:

#### 1. **Set Up Smart Replies**

* Create a unique keyword for the specific chatbot, such as **"Restart Flow \<name>"**, and set up an action to trigger the chatbot again.
* There is an option to copy the direct link for triggering the chatbot with that specific keyword.

#### 2. **Enable Bot Customization**

* Go to **Flow Settings → Bot Customization** and enable the option **"Restart the flow from the step where the contact left off for incomplete flows."**
* Refer to the step-by-step process here: <https://help.pickyassist.com/setting-up-guide/setting-up-flow-builder/create-manage-test-and-publish-flows#bot-customization>.

#### 3. **Modify Your Timeout Message Logic**

**If the timeout is less than 24 hours:**

* Send a message containing a **direct WhatsApp link**, prompting the user to click the link to restart or resume the flow from where they left off.

**If the timeout is more than 24 hours:**

* Request a **WhatsApp template** with a **Quick Reply button** containing the same text you configured for smart replies.
* Create an action that sends this template message as a **Timeout Action** to the user.

**Note:** These solutions work only if the user clicks the URL and sends the predefined message or clicks the button in the template. If the user types something that is not recognized, you need to consider the **Default Fall Back settings** in Smart Replies:\
<https://help.pickyassist.com/setting-up-guide/smart-reply-v2/settings#default-fall-back-message-and-smart-actions>.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://help.pickyassist.com/setting-up-guide/setting-up-flow-builder/chatbot-best-practices-ideas-and-faq.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.