Maximize your website's potential by directing visitors to key pages using the URL open option in your Virtual Sales Assistant (VSA) or Conversational Webform (CW). Whether you want to highlight real-time availability and pricing, showcase interactive floor plans, or drive traffic to your blog, this feature allows you to seamlessly guide visitors to specific pages, enhancing their experience and engagement.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily add these options to your Further tools. The instructions apply to both VSA and CW.

Note: 

• Locate Chat
• Add URL Open Option in VSA and/or CW
  • Adding to the Initial Menu
  • Step in an Existing Chat Flow
• Add URL to the URL Open Option

Locate Chat

First, you need to locate the chat for the community and tool type that you want to add a link to. For more information on how to locate chats, see our article here. 

Once you’ve selected the appropriate chat, click the Dialog Flows tab. 

Add URL Open Option in VSA and/or CW

The option that will redirect to the specific website URL can be added anywhere in the dialog flow. You can add this just to the home screen, aka the opening buttons, and/or you can add it to an existing dialogue flow, inside that flow.

Best Practice Note: Although you can add a URL open option anywhere in your tool(s), we find it to be a more ideal user experience if you add that option as a new button to the opening buttons. Since these URLs will open in a new browser, if you place the URL open option somewhere down the existing chat flow, prospects will be redirected out of the chat flow before they are prompted to provide their contact information thus creating a lead. It’s usually best not to interrupt the chat flows for your communities. 

• Adding to the Initial Menu 
• Step in an Existing Chat Flow

Adding to the Initial Menu 

To add the button to the menu, click the pencil icon at the top of the first module. 

Scroll down the module and click + Add Option at the bottom. 

Enter the new button name in the blue section. If you do not name the option, it will not save.

Then select Branch into a separate dialog flow.. 

Scroll back to the top of the module and click the green checkmark to save the new button. 

Now, click the arrow next to your new button to expand the options and select Add Module. 

In the Type dropdown, select Link. Click the green checkmark to save your changes.

Make a note of the Module Number displayed for your new module, which you will need in the next steps. 

Click Save in the top right and then select Save and Publish in the confirmation box. 

Now it’s time to add the URL to your button. 

Step in an Existing Chat Flow

When you add a URL open option inside a chat, the user will open a new tab with the selected URL. This might interrupt your chat flow and prevent a user from completing the questions to provide their contact information and become a lead. Caution should be used when adding a URL open option inside a flow. It is recommended to only add them at the end of a flow when possible.

To add a URL open option inside a chat, locate the step before the moment you want the URL to open. Click Insert Step.

For the Type dropdown, select Link. Remember the Module Number as you will need it in the next steps. 

Click the green checkmark when you’re done. 

Select Save in the top right and then click Save and Publish when prompted to confirm your changes.

Now it’s time to add the URL to your URL Open option. 

Add URL to the URL Open Option

Select the Related Communities tab. Make sure that the correct community is selected on the community list on the left side under Linked communities.

Scroll down to the Chat Module Overrides section. 

For Trait Type select Link. Enter the desired URL for your link in the Value field. 

Use the Module dropdown to select the Module Number from the previous step. You can start typing the number to narrow the options. Click Add Trait to finalize the link. 

When you’re done click Save in the top right. 

Select Save and Publish and then Confirm to push your updates.