Custom Data is where you declare the keys that the Custom Data node and the Live Call Transfer node use to send extra information along with the bot's reply. In those nodes you pick a key from a list and cannot type a new one, so a key must exist here first. A key is only a name and an optional description. Its value is set in the node. For an overview, see Projects.
To open it, click the gear icon on the project card, then click Custom Data in the Project Settings sidebar.
The page
1. Name and Description: The key's name and its description. You can sort the list by either column.
2. Created Date and Modified Date: When the key was created and when it was last changed.
3. New Key: Opens the Create Key window.
Adding a key
In this example, you add a key named customerSegment.
- Click New Key. The Create Key window opens.
- In Key Name, type
customerSegment. The field is required. - In Description, optionally note what the key carries and who reads it. The description is for your team.
- Click Save.
A key name must follow these rules:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| First character | A letter, _ or $. |
| Other characters | Letters, digits, _ or $. No spaces or hyphens. |
| Length | Up to 512 characters. |
| Uniqueness | Unique in the project. |
| Reserved words | JavaScript reserved words, such as class or return, are not accepted. |
Using a key in a flow
Once a key exists, you can select it in two nodes:
- Custom Data node: you add key-value pairs. Pick the key, then write the value. A value can include context variables. The node has two lists of pairs:
- Pairs in one list are sent in the body of the reply. They arrive in the reply Activity's
channelData.CustomProperties. - Pairs in the other list are sent as HTTP headers of the reply.
- Pairs in one list are sent in the body of the reply. They arrive in the reply Activity's
- Live Call Transfer node: uses the same keys for the custom data it passes on a transfer.
The pairs travel with the bot's next outgoing message, not at the moment the node runs, so place the node before the message that should carry the data.
The data is read by the application on the other side of the channel, such as your own client or a contact-center integration. It can use the values to route or tag the conversation, or to prefill information.
Renaming and deleting
- When you rename a key, every flow that uses it is updated.
- A key that a flow uses cannot be deleted. Remove it from the nodes first.
- Your changes are saved in the draft, and live conversations start using them only after you publish the project.