Action Buttons
Configure quick-reply action buttons that appear on the webchat welcome screen.
Action buttons are pre-defined quick-reply shortcuts shown to customers on the webchat welcome screen before they start typing. They let customers jump directly into a topic — such as scheduling a service appointment or browsing inventory — with a single tap.
How Action Buttons Work
When a customer clicks an action button, the widget sends a message to the AI on their behalf. The button can either:
- Send a message — The bot receives the text and continues the conversation as if the customer had typed it themselves
- Trigger an API event — An event is dispatched to your website JavaScript for custom handling
The AI then responds in the same way it would to any customer message.
Configuring Action Buttons
Action buttons are managed in the DealerAI portal under Settings → Webchat → Action Buttons. You can add, reorder, and remove buttons without touching any website code.
Each button has two required fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | The label displayed on the button (e.g., "Book a Service") |
| Message | The text sent to the AI when the customer clicks the button |
Example configuration
| Title | Message sent to AI |
|---|---|
| Book a Service | I'd like to book a service appointment |
| Browse Inventory | Show me your available vehicles |
| Get a Trade-In Value | What's my car worth? |
| Contact Sales | I'd like to speak to someone about buying a car |
Dynamic Action Buttons via Active Messages
If you have configured Active Messages, the action buttons shown in the welcome screen can be overridden by the matching active message rule. This lets you tailor the button set to the page the customer is currently browsing.
For example, when a customer is on a vehicle detail page:
- Default buttons: Browse Inventory, Book a Service, Contact Sales
- Active message override buttons: More about this vehicle, Test Drive, Finance Calculator
Active messages are evaluated in real time when the widget loads, so the correct buttons appear automatically without any extra code.
Appearance
Action buttons appear as pill-shaped tap targets in the welcome screen, below the welcome message. They inherit the widget's primary accent colour for their border and text on the light theme, and switch to white text on the dark theme.
On mobile, buttons stack vertically for easier tapping. On desktop, they flow horizontally and wrap to multiple rows when needed.
There is no hard limit on the number of action buttons, but we recommend no more than 5–6 buttons to avoid overwhelming customers. Too many choices can reduce engagement.