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Configuring Structured Content Interaction

Technical Configuration Guide
    Updated:
    1 min read

    This guide provides detailed instructions on configuring structured content (SC) interaction controls in LivePerson. It enables brands to create guided and structured bot conversations by managing user interactions with older SC and disabling free text input fields. These features address critical challenges in conversational design by ensuring smoother, more predictable bot interactions and improving the overall user experience. 

    The following are the key features:

    1. Non-Interactive Old Structured Content: Prevents users from interacting with older SC that the bot is not expecting, thus avoiding conversation flow disruptions.
    2. Guided-Only Experience: Restricts user input to the latest SC options, eliminating the risk of bot flows breaking due to unexpected free text inputs.

    To achieve these controls, LivePerson introduces a dual-level configuration approach:

    • Brand-Level Settings: Applied across all flows unless overridden, these settings provide high-level management for SC interactions via the management console.
    • Component-Level Flags: Embedded directly in the JSON of each SC component, these flags offer granular control, taking precedence over brand-level settings when defined.

    Structured content enhances conversational commerce by enabling richer interactions, seamless customer journeys, and operational efficiency. While existing behaviors are preserved by default, brands can tailor SC configurations to meet their specific conversational needs. Despite some limitations such as current restrictions in the Bot Studio and Agent Workspace, planned updates will expand functionality and address gaps.

    This guide equips the following audience with the tools to implement SC effectively while adhering to LivePerson’s best practices:

    • Developers: Implementing SC configurations.
    • Product Teams: Defining user interaction flows.
    • Administrators: Managing brand-level settings.

    Feature Capabilities

    Disabling Old Structured Content

    Objective: Prevent users from interacting with SC that is no longer the latest message.

    Behavior: When the flag blockSCWhenNotLastMsg is enabled:

    • Old SC elements are grayed out.
    • Action buttons are disabled but remain visible.
    • Screen readers indicate these items as disabled.

    Locking Text Input Field

    Objective: Restrict user responses to SC options, disabling free text input.

    Behavior: When the flag blockTextInput is enabled:

    • Text input becomes non-interactive.
    • The “Send” button is disabled.
    • Users must select one of the SC options.

    Customer Benefits

    • Enhanced Flow Control: Enforces response patterns that align with bot or agent expectations.
    • Minimized Errors: Reduces instances of unintended user interactions.
    • Improved UX: Provides clear, guided pathways for users to follow.

    Configuration Overview

    Brand-Level Settings

    • messaging.web.blockSCWhenNotLastMsgDefault: Controls default SC interactivity behavior.
    • messaging.web.blockTextInputDefault: Controls default text input interactivity.

    SC-Level Flags

    • blockSCWhenNotLastMsg: Overrides brand-level setting for SC interactivity.
    • blockTextInput: Overrides brand-level setting for text input.

    Configuration Precedence

    SC-level flags always take precedence over brand-level settings.

    Implementation Details

    Example Configurations

    JSON schema for enabling SC Non-Interactivity flag:

    javascript:
    { "blockSCWhenNotLastMsg": true }

    JSON schema for enabling Lock Text Input flag:

    javascript:
    { "blockTextInput": true }

    JSON schema for enabling both flags:

    javascript:
    { "blockSCWhenNotLastMsg": true, "blockTextInput": true }

    UI/UX Behavior for Disabled SC

    • Disabled SC components appear grayed out.
    • Screen readers announce them as “disabled.”
    • Users can view but not select actions.

    Enablement Steps

    Setting Up Brand-Level Defaults

    1. Navigate to Site Settings in the Management Console.
    2. Configure messaging.web.blockSCWhenNotLastMsgDefault and messaging.web.blockTextInputDefault.

    Configuring SC-Level Flags

    1. Update the SC JSON schema with the required flags.
    2. Test the SC to ensure flags behave as expected.

    Testing and Validation

    Verify SC interactivity and text input restrictions in a non-production environment.

    Conversational Design Guidelines

    • Use these features sparingly to avoid limiting user experience.
    • Always provide a fallback, such as a “Something Else” option.

    Button Naming Standards

    • Use action-oriented, clear labels.
    • Avoid jargon and ensure consistency.

    Use Cases

    • Guided Flows: Use for close-ended questions, e.g., “Yes/No” or “Select an Option.”
    • Restricted Input Scenarios: API-driven workflows where free text increases error likelihood.
    • Drag-and-Drop Support: Configuration fields are not supported in the drag-and-drop UI.
    • Bot Preview Issues: Universal Tile preview does not reflect SC flag behavior.

    For more information on Structured Content, refer to the following in Developer Center:


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