How do I Use a Chatbot with Zapier to Respond to Community Comments

Want to keep the conversation going in your community without lifting a finger? This guide shows you how to set up a chatbot with Zapier to instantly respond to comments! *Requires a Zapier Pro account and access to the chatbot feature.*

1. Set Up Your Chatbot

2. Create a Zap to Connect Your Community and Chatbot

3. Send the Chatbot Response Back to the Community

4. Final Steps

Step 1: Set Up Your Chatbot

1. Sign up for a chatbot platform (requires a Pro account after the trial period).

2. Configure your chatbot:

   • Provide it with a knowledge base (up to 10 sources if you have a Pro plan).

   • Consider using an Excel sheet to organize and train the chatbot efficiently.

   • Avoid relying solely on URLs, as each subpage counts as a separate source.

3. Customize the chatbot’s style and branding.

4. Skip the integrations and advanced settings for now.

5. Once configured, get the chatbot’s embed link (needed for Pro accounts).

Step 2: Create a Zap to Connect Your Community and Chatbot

1. In Zapier, create a new multi-step Zap.

2. Set the Trigger:

   • Choose Passion.io (or your relevant platform) as the app.

   • Select "Comment Created" as the event.

   • Choose the relevant community post to track.

   • Test the trigger to confirm it’s capturing comments.

3. Add an Action Step for the chatbot:

   • Choose the chatbot platform.

   • Set the action to "Generate a Reply".

   • Configure the chatbot:

     • Select the chatbot you set up earlier.

     • Use User ID as the conversation key to track responses.

     • Map the comment text from the trigger step as the chatbot input.

   • Test this step to ensure the chatbot generates a response.

Step 3: Send the Chatbot Response Back to the Community

1. Add another Action Step:

   • Choose "Send Channel Message" as the action.

   • Configure the Community ID:

     • If not available directly, get it from your community admin settings.

   • Set the Post ID from the comment trigger step.

   • Use the chatbot’s generated message as the response.

2. Test the Zap:

   • Run the Zap test to ensure it sends chatbot responses back to the community.

   • If successful, enable the Zap.

Final Steps

• Rename the Zap (e.g., "Community Chatbot Auto-Responder").

• Ensure the chatbot’s memory settings are configured (it can retain context for up to 14 days).

• Monitor analytics to see chatbot interactions.

Your chatbot is now set up to automatically reply to comments in your community, improving engagement and response time.