Buni.aiDocs

The canvas

How the Buni.ai canvas works - nodes, handles, connections, state, the node palette, sticky notes, frames and comments.

Every Buni.ai project is built on the same visual canvas. You place nodes, join them with connections, and the flow runs from node to node each time a user dials, messages, calls or triggers your project. USSD apps, chatbots, voice lines and automations all use it; what changes between them is which nodes the palette offers.

A chatbot flow on the canvas with the Nodes Library open on the left
The canvas with the Nodes Library open.

The building blocks

PartWhat it is
NodeOne step in the flow: show a menu, send a reply, call an API, branch on a condition. Double-click a node to open its settings.
HandleThe small dot on a node's edge. The input handle receives the flow; output handles send it on. Nodes that can go more than one way have one labelled output handle per path.
ConnectionA line from an output handle to the next node's input handle. It decides what runs next and passes the previous node's result along as input.
StateThe variables a run carries from node to node, such as state.phone or state.balance. Any node can read them.

Read more in Connections and Variables and templating.

How a run moves through the canvas

  1. A run starts at the entry point for your project type: the Main menu for USSD, the Trigger node for a chatbot (followed by Intent nodes), Incoming Call or Outbound Call for voice, and one or more triggers for an automation.
  2. Each node does its work, optionally saves its result to state under its Output variable name, and hands the flow to the node its output handle is connected to.
  3. Branching nodes such as Router pick one output handle; the others are skipped.
  4. The run ends when it reaches a node with nothing connected after it, or a node that ends the session, such as a USSD Last menu or End Call.

State lasts for one session: one USSD dial, one chat conversation, one call, or one automation run.

The node palette

Open the palette with Show Nodes Library on the left of the canvas. Drag a node onto the canvas or double-click it to add it. Search at the top filters by name and description, and you can switch between a compact and an expanded view.

In the expanded view, nodes are grouped into categories:

CategoryExamples
TriggersSchedule, Webhook, Manual, Form and app triggers (automation projects)
AI & LogicAI Agent, Trigger, Intent, Form, AI Voice Agent
CommunicationMessaging, Reply, Live Chat, Collect Payment, Queue, Transfer
IntegrationAPI, Integration, Respond Webhook
DataData Store, Contact, Remove Duplicates, Resolve
LogicRouter, Function, Set Fields, Filter, Date & Time, Wait, Error, Loop, Parallel
User InterfaceMenu, Play Message, Collect Input, End Call

The palette only lists nodes your project type can run. You can also drag a connection from an output handle onto empty canvas to open Add Node and insert the next node in place.

Triggers

TriggerStarts a chatbot flow when a message arrives on a connected channel, or when an external event is sent to the API.Form TriggerPublishes a hosted web form and starts the workflow each time someone submits it.Incoming CallWhere every inbound call to this project starts. Plays an optional greeting before the flow continues.Outbound CallWhere a call this project places begins, such as when an agent uses Call and speak it from the Inbox.

Conversation

MenuDisplays a list of options on a USSD screen and waits for the user to choose one.ReplySends text, images, buttons, quick replies or a WhatsApp template to the user.FormCollects several typed values as one unit, with validation, retries, confirmation and cancellation, on every channel.IntentRecognises what the user wants from sample utterances and extracts slots into structured data.Live ChatHands the conversation to a person on your team through the Inbox, with a fallback message when nobody is available.MessagingSends an SMS through Twilio, Africa’s Talking or Infobip.

Voice

Play MessageSpeaks a message to the caller, or plays uploaded audio or an audio URL, then continues.Menu (voice)Plays a menu and branches on the key the caller presses, with paths for an unrecognised key and for no input.Collect InputAsks the caller for digits or speech and stores the answer in a variable.QueueHolds the caller until someone on your team is free, telling them where they stand while they wait.TransferConnects the caller to a phone number, a SIP endpoint or an available agent, with a fallback path when nobody answers.Warm TransferCalls the agent first and tells them who is waiting. They press a key to accept, or the caller returns to the flow.RecordRecords the caller, as voicemail that ends the call or as a recording the flow continues past.Verify CallerTexts a one-time code to the caller and marks the call verified when they key it in. Protected AI tools require this.End CallEnds the call, optionally after a farewell message.

AI

AI AgentAn LLM agent that understands intent, answers from your knowledge base and calls APIs, integrations and data stores.AI Voice AgentHolds a spoken conversation with the caller, with limits on length and cost and a handoff path to a person.

Logic

RouterSends the flow down one of several paths based on conditions you define.Set FieldsSets or transforms state variables by assigning expressions to named fields.FilterContinues only when a condition is true, and stops the run quietly otherwise.FunctionRuns your own JavaScript and passes its return value to the next node.LoopRepeats the nodes on its body handle once for each item in a list.ParallelRuns several branches at the same time, then continues once all of them finish.WaitPauses the workflow for a fixed duration before continuing.ApprovalPauses the workflow until a person approves or rejects it.Date & TimeGets the current time, formats and parses dates, adds or subtracts durations and computes differences.ErrorShows the user a message when their input is invalid, then lets them try again.

Data

Data StoreCreates, reads, updates and deletes records in one of your data stores.Remove DuplicatesRemoves duplicate items from a list in state, optionally comparing one field.ContactCreates or updates contacts, adds them to groups and sets custom properties from flow state.ResolveMarks the conversation’s underlying report as resolved, for loop-closure reporting.

Integrations

APICalls any HTTP endpoint and passes the response to the next node.IntegrationRuns an action in a connected service such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Sheets or Slack, without AI.Collect PaymentRequests a payment by mobile money prompt or card checkout link, on USSD, chat or a call.Respond WebhookReturns a custom HTTP status, headers and body to whoever called your webhook or trigger.

See the node reference for every node's settings.

Working with nodes

Right-click a node, or select it, to open its menu:

ActionShortcut (Mac / Windows)
Edit⌘E / Ctrl + E
CommentC
Duplicate⌘D / Ctrl + D
DeleteDelete
Group N nodes (two or more selected)⌘G / Ctrl + G

The same menu lets you give a node a colour or remove it from a group. Select several nodes with Shift + drag for an area, or ⌘ + click / Ctrl + click one at a time.

Sticky notes, frames and comments

Three tools help you explain a flow without changing how it runs.

Sticky notes are free-form notes on the canvas. Press Shift + N, then click where the note should go. Double-click a note to write in it, and pick a colour from its toolbar. Notes are saved with the flow and its versions.

Frames group related nodes under a label. Select two or more nodes and press ⌘G / Ctrl + G. Double-click the frame's label to rename it; Group options lets you change its colour or Ungroup. Collapse a frame to hide its nodes while you work on something else. A frame follows its nodes when you move them.

Comments are threaded discussions pinned to the canvas. Press C to toggle comment mode, click where the comment belongs, and type. Use @ to mention a teammate. Comments can be replied to, reacted to and resolved, and they are not part of the published flow.

Finding your way around

  • ⌘F / Ctrl + F searches the nodes on the canvas and jumps to a match.
  • Select a long connection and choose Make jump link to replace it with a pair of chips you can click to jump between its two ends. Restore edge turns it back into a line.
  • ⌘Z / Ctrl + Z undoes and ⇧⌘Z / Ctrl + Shift + Z redoes, including changes Buni made.
  • Press ? or select Open keyboard shortcuts to see every shortcut.

Changes save automatically as you work; Save forces a save straight away. Saving does not change what your users see until you publish.

Next steps

Build a flow

Plan, place and connect nodes for your project type.

Variables and templating

Read and write state and secrets in any field.

Build with Buni

Describe a flow and let the assistant build or fix it.

Node reference

Settings and outputs for every node.

Last reviewed 24 September 2026

Version history

See every saved and published version of a project, compare a version with the current Draft node by node, annotate versions and roll back.

Build a flow

Plan a flow, place and connect nodes, store and reuse values, and test it, with the differences between USSD, chatbot, voice and automation projects.

On this page

The building blocksHow a run moves through the canvasThe node paletteWorking with nodesSticky notes, frames and commentsFinding your way aroundNext steps