Testing and publishing

A chatbot has two versions. The development version is rebuilt each time you save the canvas, and it is what the simulator talks to. The production version is what your channels talk to, and it changes only when you publish. The header shows both version numbers as Dev and Prod. See Environments.

Test in the simulatorCopy Anchor Link

1. Save the canvas with the save button in the header (tooltip Save changes) and wait for Saved. The canvas also saves on its own after about 30 seconds without changes.
2. Select Simulate.
3. Chat with the bot in the window that opens. It runs your latest saved flow, including changes you have not published.

A log panel opens alongside the chat and lists each step as it runs. Select an entry to jump to its node on the canvas. You can filter the log levels, Download logs or Clear logs from the panel.

You can use the simulator before you have ever published. See Simulators for the simulators of other project types.

What to testCopy Anchor Link

• Each intent with several phrasings, including ones that are not in your sample utterances.
• Each required parameter, by leaving it out so the bot has to ask for it.
• Every button, to check it reaches its Target Intent.
• The fallback, with a message the bot should not understand.
• Failure paths, such as an API returning an error or a record that does not exist.
• The handoff, if you use one. See Test the handoff.

The simulator shows the web version of each message. Check channel-specific behaviour, such as button limits on WhatsApp, on the real channel after you publish.

Fix validation issuesCopy Anchor Link

The canvas checks the flow as you build, for example that the Trigger has an introduction message, that intents have unique names and sample utterances, and that there is a fallback intent. Saving is blocked while there are critical issues, and publishing is blocked while there are critical or high-priority ones. The canvas shows the list of issues when that happens. See Checks before you publish.

PublishCopy Anchor Link

1. Select Publish in the header.
2. Optionally add Release Notes and a Version Name. Leave the version name empty to generate one.
3. Select Publish. (Create backup before publishing is on by default.)

Publishing promotes the current development version to production. If you change the flow later, save it and publish again. Your channels keep running the previous version until you do.

To take the bot offline, open the menu next to Publish and select Unpublish. The webhook stops accepting messages.

See Publishing and Version history.

Connect channelsCopy Anchor Link

After you go liveCopy Anchor Link

In Settings › General, you can also turn on Use this project's conversations to suggest improvements. Buni then looks at the messages the bot failed to understand when you ask it to improve the flow.

TroubleshootingCopy Anchor Link

RelatedCopy Anchor Link