Set Up Bots in Intercom

Prerequisites

• Intercom account with Messenger configured
• Help articles created (see intercom-help-articles)
• User properties and events flowing into Intercom

Steps

1. Understand bot types. Intercom offers several bot types: Resolution Bot (answers common questions with articles), Custom Bot (interactive conversation flows), and Task Bot (collects information before routing to a human). Start with Resolution Bot for the highest ROI.

2. Configure Resolution Bot via API. Use the Intercom API to map question-answer pairs: common questions ("How do I reset my password?") to help article IDs. Intercom uses AI to match similar phrasings. Start with your top 10 support questions and expand as new patterns emerge.

3. Build a custom qualification bot. Create a Custom Bot via the API that qualifies inbound leads. Trigger: new conversation from a visitor. Flow: "Are you looking to [use case]?" > Collect company size > Collect role > If enterprise, route to sales. If SMB, suggest self-serve signup. This replaces manual lead qualification.

4. Build an onboarding bot. Create a Custom Bot triggered on first login. Flow: "Welcome! What are you trying to accomplish?" > Present 3-4 use case options > Based on selection, link to the relevant product tour (see intercom-product-tours) or help article. This personalizes onboarding.

5. Set up escalation rules. Configure handoff conditions via the API: if the user says "talk to a human" or "agent" (immediate handoff), if confidence score is below 50% (handoff with context), if the conversation exceeds 3 bot replies without resolution (handoff). Never trap users in a bot loop.

6. Measure bot effectiveness via API. Query bot metrics: resolution rate (% resolved without human), deflection rate (questions answered by articles), and satisfaction scores. Target 30%+ resolution rate. If lower, add more question-answer pairs.