Interactive replies in AI Chat – Assembled

Interactive Replies in AI Chat

Interactive replies transform text-based chat conversations into visual, clickable experiences. Instead of asking users to type responses, you can present them with buttons, images, and carousels that make it easy to select options with a single tap.

Interactive replies are configured within Workflows and display personalized content based on each user's specific context—like their recent orders, linked accounts, or available options. Users can still type freely if their situation doesn't match the provided options.

There are two types of interactive replies:

Type	Best for	Max items
Button List	- Categorizing issue types (e.g., "Item not received," "Wrong item," "Damaged") - Selecting from a list of accounts, subscriptions, or products - Confirming yes/no or multiple choice options - Any selection where visual previews aren't needed	Up to 5 buttons
Carousel Cards	- Displaying recent orders with product images - Showing items that are easier to recognize visually than by name - Presenting options where images add meaningful context	Up to 10 cards

Button List Configuration

Static buttons — Define fixed options that are the same for every user:

In your Workflow Guide step, provide a prompt for when to use an interactive reply.
Select "Button list" as the type.
Choose "Fixed options" for the button source.
Add each button option with a title and saved value.
Select your preferred layout (horizontal or vertical).
Determine how you'd prefer to save the users response. You can either save the response as a new workflow variable or within an existing smart field.

Dynamic buttons — Pull options from user data via API:

In your Workflow Guide step, provide a prompt for when to use an interactive reply.
Select "Button list" as the type.
Choose "Dynamic" for the button source.
Select the smart field containing your data.
Only select Use smart field as-is if your smart field is already configured as a drop-down type. You can re-configure this within your smart field configuration if needed.
If your smart field is not formatted as a drop down, you can extract the values with a prompt.
Select your preferred layout (horizontal or vertical).
Determine how you'd prefer to save the user’s response. You can either save the response as a new workflow variable or within an existing smart field.

Carousel Cards

Carousel cards display rich content with images in a horizontally scrollable format. Use them when visual context helps users make better decisions.

Components

Each carousel card can include:

Component	Description	Required
Image	Product photo or visual	Yes
Title	Primary text (e.g., product name)	Yes
Description	Secondary details (e.g., order number, date)	Optional
Selection button	Lets user select this card	Yes
Supplementary buttons	Additional actions (e.g., "Track order")	Optional (up to 2)

Configuration

In your Workflow, add an interactive reply step.
Select "Carousel cards" as the type.
Select the smart field containing your data array.
Map each component to the appropriate field in your data:
- Image URL field (e.g., transactions.listingImage)
- Title field (e.g., transactions.listingTitle)
- Description field (e.g., transactions.orderNumber)
Configure the selection button and any supplementary action buttons.
Preview how the carousel will appear to users.

How Users Interact

When an interactive reply appears in the chat:

Users see their personalized options displayed as buttons or cards.
They can tap/click any option to select it.
The chat confirms their selection (e.g., "Great, I'll help you with Order #1123").
Users can always type a response instead if they prefer.

The selected option is saved to the configured smart field for use later in the workflow.

Best Practices

Keep button text concise. Users should be able to scan and select quickly. Aim for 2-5 words per button when possible.
Use carousel cards when images add value. If users can easily identify options by name alone, a button list is simpler and faster.
Limit the number of options. While you can display up to 5 buttons or 10 carousel cards, fewer options often lead to faster decisions. Consider filtering to the most relevant items.
Provide consistent image dimensions. For carousel cards, ensure images from your API have similar aspect ratios for a polished appearance. Square or landscape orientations work best.
Always allow free-text input. Interactive replies should streamline common paths, not restrict users. Someone with an unusual situation should still be able to type their response.
Test with real data. Preview your interactive replies with actual API responses to ensure they display correctly across different scenarios (varying numbers of items, missing images, etc.).

Troubleshooting

Buttons or cards not appearing:
- Verify the API call in your workflow is returning data.
- Check that the smart field is populated before the interactive reply step.
- Confirm the field path matches your data structure (e.g., transactions.listingTitle).
Images not loading:
- Ensure image URLs are publicly accessible.
- Verify the image URL field path is correct.
- Check that the API response includes valid image URLs.
Wrong number of options showing:
- Button lists display up to 5 items; extras are truncated.
- Carousel cards display up to 10 items; extras are truncated.
- Consider filtering data in your API call if you consistently have too many items.