AI Frontdesk: Getting started with the AI Chat Assistant
Please use the “Print” function at the bottom of the page to create a PDF.
Valid for: AI Chat Assistant (Momentum AI)
Your AI Chat Assistant answers questions from visitors to your website around the clock and records their inquiries, so that you never miss a request. The Setup Assistant helps you get started: it asks you the most important questions in a chat and configures your assistant based on your answers. You can also skip the guided setup and configure all the settings yourself. You can combine both methods at any time. The following sections show you how to proceed and how to integrate your assistant into your website.
Requirement
- You have an AI Chat Assistant contract.
Open AI Frontdesk
- Log in to your IONOS account.
- Click on Menu > AI Frontdesk in the title bar.
- In the contract overview, click on Manage in the tile for the contract you want.
Note
If you add the AI Chat Assistant to an existing AI Receptionist, your shared details, including company knowledge, inquiries, and the website widget, also apply to the chat. You only need to specify the channel-specific details: the chat greeting, suggested questions, and chat behaviour. You can find out how to customise these in the Next steps section.
Set it up together or configure it yourself
To get started, choose one of two options:
- Set it up together: The Setup Assistant asks you the most important questions and configures your assistant based on your answers. This takes just a few minutes and is the quickest way to get your assistant up and running.
- See what it can do first: The Setup Assistant explains in the chat what your assistant can do and then asks whether you would like to set it up. Nothing is changed in the process.
This choice does not commit you to anything:
- You can start the guided setup at any time. To do so, simply tell the Setup Assistant in the chat that you would like to start the setup.
- You can also use the Setup Assistant for individual settings without going through the whole dialog, for example, to change only the chat greeting. For instructions, see AI Frontdesk: Using the Setup Assistant.
- You can configure all the settings yourself and not use the Setup Assistant at all. You can find the relevant instructions in the Next steps section.
How the dialog works
The Setup Assistant asks you a series of questions about your business and how you would like your assistant to handle chats with your website visitors. Please note the following:
- Answers by click or free text: For many questions, the Setup Assistant suggests suitable answers that you can select directly. Alternatively, you can type your answer in your own words in the text box at the bottom of the chat.
- Suggestions for confirmation: Before applying key settings, such as the chat greeting, the Setup Assistant suggests a text and asks you to confirm it.
- Changes are applied immediately: As soon as the Setup Assistant adjusts a setting, it displays a Configuration updated card. This card shows a comparison of the previous and new values, for example, for the language or chat greeting.
Note
The Setup Assistant responds in the language you use to write to it, and your assistant also uses this language. You can change the language at any time, either in the dialog or later in your assistant’s settings.
The Setup Assistant guides you through these topics
The Setup Assistant usually covers the following topics. Depending on your answers, some topics may be omitted or added.
Website content
The Setup Assistant asks for your company’s website and extracts its content so that your assistant can answer questions from your visitors in line with your business. To do this, enter your domain, for example, example.com.
This takes only a moment. The Setup Assistant then shows you how many sections it has extracted and summarises the key points, such as your business activities, target group, support, and contact details. Check this summary and confirm it, or correct specific points in the chat.
Note
If you do not have a website yet or do not want to provide one at this stage, let the Setup Assistant know. The setup then continues without a website. You can add your website content at any time later.
Chat greeting
The Setup Assistant drafts a chat greeting based on your website content and asks you to confirm it. You can either accept the suggestion or provide your own text.
Chat behaviour
The Setup Assistant defines rules of conduct so that your assistant answers questions from your visitors in a structured and appropriate manner. Among other things, these rules specify which inquiries the assistant answers directly, when it collects contact details, and which topics it does not handle in the chat.
The rules appear on a Configuration updated card. Read the text and, if necessary, adjust it in the chat or later in your assistant’s settings.
Inquiries and inquiry forms
The Setup Assistant suggests inquiry forms tailored to your services so that inquiries from your visitors reach you in an organised way, for example, a consultation request and a general callback request. For each form, it specifies which details your assistant asks for and which of these are mandatory.
Confirm the suggestions to set up the forms. You can add further inquiry types yourself at any time.
Conversation summaries
All conversations are saved in your dashboard under Conversations. In addition, your assistant sends you a summary by email after every chat.
The Setup Assistant tells you which recipient is currently stored and asks whether this person should receive the summaries. If you want to use a different email address, simply provide the name and email address in the chat.
Finish setup
Once the basic setup is complete, the Continue configuring button appears in place of the input field. It takes you directly to your assistant’s settings.
The Setup Assistant remains open alongside the settings. You can therefore continue to use it for specific adjustments, such as uploading documents or setting up appointment booking. To do this, simply tell the Setup Assistant what you would like to change. Alternatively, you can configure all the settings yourself in the individual sections. To hide the Setup Assistant and view the full interface, use the ··· menu at the top of the chat.
Tip
First, check the content that the Setup Assistant has taken from your website. This ensures that your assistant works with the correct details right from the start.
Next steps
Your assistant is now set up. You can now customise it in detail and publish it on your website:
Overview
- To find out which sections you see in your dashboard and why this varies depending on the product you have ordered, see AI Frontdesk: An overview of products, channels, and the user interface.
- To use the Setup Assistant later for questions and individual changes, see AI Frontdesk: Using the Setup Assistant.
Knowledge and behaviour
- To check and supplement the extracted knowledge and upload documents, see AI Frontdesk: Storing and managing company knowledge.
- To customise greetings, suggested questions, and behaviour, see AI Frontdesk: Customising language, voice, and behaviour.
- To define inquiry forms and recurring conversation scenarios, see AI Frontdesk: Setting up inquiries.
Appointments
- To enable appointment booking, see AI Frontdesk: Setting up appointment booking with Cal.com or Calendly and AI Frontdesk: Setting up appointment booking with Google Calendar or Microsoft 365.
Everyday use
- To review conversations, see AI Frontdesk: Viewing call history.
- To change the summary recipients, see AI Frontdesk: Setting up conversation summaries by email.
Contract
- To add further products or change your package, see AI Frontdesk: Adding additional products or changing your package.
- To find out what changes in your dashboard after you add a product, see AI Frontdesk: What changes when a new product is added.
Publishing on your website
To enable your visitors to chat with your assistant, integrate it into your website using the website widget. You can also customise the appearance of the chat button there. For instructions, see AI Frontdesk: Setting up and integrating the website widget.