What is AI Actions?
AI Actions are how your chatbot moves beyond just answering questions — they let it actually do things.
From retrieving data and sending alerts to processing requests or triggering external systems, AI Actions allow your chatbot to deliver outcomes, not just responses. They connect your AI agent with real-world services, tools, and workflows.
Key Benefits
- Turn conversations into actions: Users don’t just chat — they can book, update, search, notify, or trigger real-time tasks.
- Automate workflows: Instantly connect your chatbot to platforms like Calendly, Slack, Shopify, or your internal APIs.
- Personalized and dynamic: The AI can decide which action to take based on what the user says, when, and how.
Types of AI Actions
There are two main ways to set up AI Actions:
1. Ready-to-Use Actions
Pre-built integrations for popular tools like:
- Calendly: Retrieve and book meeting slots.
- Slack: Send messages to a Slack channel.
- Shopify: Fetch product data, manage carts, and more.
- Cal.com: Display available times and let users schedule appointments.
No coding required — just connect your account, define a condition, and you’re ready.
2. Custom Actions
Custom Actions let you connect your chatbot to virtually any third-party service or internal system using no-code or low-code platforms. These actions are flexible and ideal for advanced or tailored workflows.
You can create custom actions using the following methods:
- Webhooks: Send or receive data from any external system. Great for triggering workflows, sending form submissions, or updating databases.
- Open API: Upload your API definition and automatically generate tools your chatbot can use — no manual setup required.
- Zapier: Automate tasks across thousands of apps. For example, create a support ticket, update a CRM record, or trigger an email when a user submits a request.
- Make.com: Build powerful multi-step automation scenarios. Connect your chatbot to spreadsheets, databases, CMS tools, and more — without writing code.
These options give you full control over what your AI chatbot can do and how it connects with your tech stack.
How AI Actions Work
Each AI Action includes:
- A Name: What this action is called in your dashboard.
- A Condition: When the action should run (e.g., “user mentions refund”).
- Optional Input Fields: Collect extra information before triggering the action.
- Fallback Message: What the AI says if something goes wrong.
When a visitor says something that matches your defined condition, the AI will:
- Collect any needed inputs
- Run the AI Action
- Return the result as a chatbot message — all in real time
Use Cases
- Book a meeting when a user asks about scheduling
- Alert a support team on Slack when someone reports a payment issue
- Pull product availability from Shopify based on a user’s query
- Retrieve custom order data from your internal database via webhook
AI Actions help your chatbot go from smart to powerful — turning everyday messages into meaningful outcomes.