botpress-messenger
Advanced tools
Official Facebook Messenger connector module for Botpress.
This module has been build to accelerate and facilitate development of Messenger bots.
There's 3 supported UMM messages: text, attachments and templates. For doing anything else, please use code (see the other methods supported in bp.messenger below).
Note on Messenger UMM
All of the Messenger messages support the
typingoption. You can specifytruea number (of milliseconds) or a natural duration string (e.g.4s).
content.ymlwelcome:
- Hello, world!
- This is a message on Messenger!
- text: this works too!
typing: 2s
- |
This is a multi-line
message :).
Tip: We created a shortcut for specifying quick replies and their payloads.
<EXAMPLE_PAYLOAD> This is the text <.EXAMPLE_PAYLOAD> Text In the latter, starting the payload with a dot (
.) will prepend the name of the bloc to the postback
content.ymlwelcome:
- text: Hello, world!
typing: 250ms
quick_replies:
- <QR_YES> Yes
- <QR_NO> No
content.ymlwelcome:
- text: Hello, world!
quick_replies:
- <.QR_YES> Yes
- <.QR_NO> No
In this example, the payloads will be welcome.QR_YES and welcome.QR_NO respectively.
content.ymlwelcome:
- text: Hello, world!
quick_replies:
- content_type: text
title: Yes
payload: QR_YES
- content_type: text
title: No
payload: QR_NO
image_url: http://petersfantastichats.com/img/green.png
- content_type: location
Tip: We created a shortcut for specifying buttons and their payload (same as quick replies)
<EXAMPLE_PAYLOAD> This is the text
content.ymlwelcome:
- on: facebook
template_type: button
text: Please click any of the buttons below
buttons:
- <BTN_RANDOM> Random cat videos
- type: postback
title: This button gives the same thing
payload: BTN_RANDOM
- type: web_url
url: https://youtube.com/?q=cats
title: Cats on Youtube
Tip: We created shortcuts for all the attachment types (see examples)
content.ymlwelcome:
- on: facebook
image: https://botpress.io/static/img/nobg_primary_black.png
- on: facebook
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIokUU4HAKU
- on: facebook
attachment: video
url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIokUU4HAKU
Installing modules on Botpress is simple. By using the CLI, you only need to type this command in your terminal to add the messenger module to your bot.
botpress install messenger
It's also possible to install it through the Botpress UI in the modules section.
To setup connexion of your chatbot to Messenger, you need to fill the connexion settings directly in the module interface. In fact, you only need to follow these 5 steps and your bot will be active.
We highly recommand to set your configuration in the botpress-messenger.config.yml file that has been automatically created for you, so you won't have any problem to migrate and commit your configuration settings. Settings in this file can (and should) be overwritten by environment variables in production.
Tip: You can also set all the other configs using this configuration file, simply add them and it will override the configuration set in the database.
These information are available on dashboard of developers page. You only need to copy them in module interface.
Acces token is available in Messenger section of developers. You need to copy it in the appropriate section of botpress-messenger UI.
You need to manually set your hostname, here are some you secure tunnels to localhost tools, we suggest you to use for local development:
In production, the hostname is your public server hostname (for example your heroku address).
Tip: To see in details how to configure completly this module, videos are available on our Youtube Channel
You can listen to incoming event easily with Botpress by using bp built-in hear function. You only need to listen to specific Messenger event to be able to react to user's actions.
bp.hear({ platform: 'facebook', type: 'postback', text: 'GET_STARTED' }, (event, next) => {
bp.messenger.sendText(event.user.id, 'Welcome on Botpress!!!')
}
})
In fact, this module preprocesses almost all types of message (message, attachment, postback, quick_reply, delivery, read, optin, referrals...) and send them to incoming middlewares. When you build a bot or a module, you can access to all information about incoming messages that have been send to middlewares.
bp.middlewares.sendIncoming({
platform: 'facebook',
type: 'message',
user: profile,
text: e.message.text,
raw: e
})
You can acces to all user's profile information by using this module. A cache have been implemented to fetch all information about users and this information is sent to middlewares.
{
id: profile.id,
platform: 'facebook',
gender: profile.gender,
timezone: profile.timezone,
locale: profile.locale
}
Note: All new users are automatically saved by this module in Botpress built-in database (bp.db).
An event is sent to middlewares for each incoming text message from Messenger platform with all specific information.
{
platform: 'facebook',
type: 'message',
user: profile,
text: e.message.text,
raw: e
}
Then, you can listen easily to this event in your module or bot
bp.hear('hello')
{
platform: 'facebook',
type: 'postback',
user: profile,
text: e.postback.payload,
raw: e
}
The original attachments messenger event. May contain multiple attachments. Individual attachments are also emmited individually (see Image, Video, File below)
{
platform: 'facebook',
type: 'attachments',
user: profile,
text: e.message.attachments.length,
raw: e
}
Individual Attachment extracted from the Attachments event.
Note that Stickers, Thumbs Up, GIFs and Pictures are considered images too.
{
platform: 'facebook',
type: 'image', // Same for 'video', 'file' and 'audio'
user: profile,
text: 'http://www.image.url',
raw: { type: 'image', payload: { url: '...' }}
}
Same signature as Image above.
{
platform: 'facebook',
type: 'referral',
user: profile,
text: e.referral.ref,
raw: e
}
{
platform: 'facebook',
type: 'quick_reply',
user: profile,
text: e.message.quick_reply.payload,
raw: e
}
{
platform: 'facebook',
type: 'optin',
user: profile,
text: e.optin.ref,
raw: e
}
{
platform: 'facebook',
type: 'delivery',
user: profile,
text: e.delivery.watermark,
raw: e
}
{
platform: 'facebook',
type: 'read',
user: profile,
text: e.read.watermark,
raw: e
}
By using our module, you can send anything you want to your users on Messenger. In fact, this module support all types of messages that are available on Facebook (text, images, videos, audios, webviews...).
Note that all the below actions are available under two format: send___ and create____, the latter effectively only creating the middleware Event without sending it to the outgoing middleware. This is useful when combining libraries together (for example Botkit):
// This message won't be sent
const message = bp.messenger.createText(event.user.id, 'What is your name?')
// But `message` is a fully formed middleware event object, ready to be sent
// example using the botpress-botkit module
convo.ask(message, function(response, convo) { /* ... */ })
In code, it is simple to send a message text to a specific users (facebook doc).
sendText(userId, text, [options]) -> PromiseuserId (String): Correspond to unique Messenger's recipient identifier. Usually, this recipient_id is available from input message.
text (String): Text message that will be send to user.
options (Object): An object that may contain:
quick_replies which is an array of quick replies to attach to the messagetyping indicator. true for automatic timing calculation or a number in milliseconds (turns off automatically)waitDelivery the returning Promise will resolve only when the message is delivered to the userwaitRead the returning Promise will resolve only when the user reads the message(Promise): Send to outgoing middlewares a formatted Object than contains all information (platform, type, text, raw) about the text message that needs to be sent to Messenger platform. The promise resolves when the message was successfully sent to facebook, except if you set the waitDelivery or waitRead options.
const userId = 'USER_ID'
const text = "Select between these two options?"
const options = {
quick_replies: [
{
content_type: "text",
title: "Option 1",
payload: "DEVELOPER_DEFINED_PAYLOAD_FOR_OPTION_1"
},
{
content_type:"text",
title:"Option 2",
payload: "DEVELOPER_DEFINED_PAYLOAD_FOR_OPTION_2"
}
],
typing: true,
waitRead: true
}
bp.messenger.sendText(userId, text, options)
.then(() => {
// the message was read because of `waitRead` option
})
By using this function, you can send any type of attachment to your users (facebook doc).
sendAttachment(userId, type, url, [options]) -> PromiseuserId (String): Correspond to unique Messenger's recipient identifier
type (String): Specific type of attachment can be 'audio', 'file', 'image' or 'video'
url (String): Correspond to specific url of the attachment that need to be sent.
options (Object): An object that may contain:
quick_repliestypingwaitDelivery the returning Promise will resolve only when the message is delivered to the userwaitRead the returning Promise will resolve only when the user reads the message(Promise): Send to outgoing middlewares a formatted Object than contains all information (platform, type, text, raw) about the attachment that needs to be sent to Messenger platform.
const userId = 'USER_ID'
const type = 'image'
const url = 'https://botpress.io/static/img/nobg_primary_black.png'
bp.messenger.sendAttachment(userId, type, url)
By using this module, it's easy to send any type of supported template to your users (facebook doc).
sendTemplate(userId, payload, [options]) -> PromiseuserId (String): Correspond to unique Messenger's recipient identifier
payload (Object): Specific payload object for your selected template. Actually, many types of template (button, generic, list, receipt...) are supported by Messenger.
options (Object): An object that may contains:
typingwaitDelivery the returning Promise will resolve only when the message is delivered to the userwaitRead the returning Promise will resolve only when the user reads the message(Promise): Send to outgoing middlewares a formatted Object than contains all information (platform, type, text, raw) about the template that needs to be sent.
const userId = 'USER_ID'
const payload = {
template_type: "button",
text: "Have you seen our awesome website?",
buttons: [
{
type: "web_url",
url: "https://www.botpress.io",
title: "Show Website"
}
]
}
bp.messenger.sendTemplate(userId, payload, { typing: 2000 })
By using options argument, you can easily add quick replies to text messages or attachments.
const options = {
quick_replies: [
{
content_type :"text",
title: "Option",
payload: "DEVELOPER_DEFINED_PAYLOAD_FOR_OPTION"
}
]
}
As quick replies, you can add an automatic typing indicator to your messages by adding typing to options argument.
const options = { typing: true }
This module support postbacks. Postbacks occur when a Postback button, Get Started button, Persistent menu or Structured Message is tapped (facebook doc).
This module also support referrals. In fact, the value of the ref parameter is passed by the server via webhook and we are able to access these referrals in parameters of input messages (facebook doc).
To active get started button on Messenger, users can modify display setting directly in user interface (facebook doc).
Directly in module view, users are able to modify greeting message (facebook doc).
Users can directly modify persistent menu in module user interface. By using UI, it's possible to add, modify and remove items (facebook doc).
Directly in UI, users can setup if they want to automatically mark all messages as read (facebook doc).
Directly in UI, users can setup if they want to deactivate or not the user input (facebook doc).
By using UI, users can configure (add, modify and remove) trusted domains (facebook doc).
Using the UI, you can set the home URL for your chat extension (facebook doc).
Note: the URL you specify must use HTTPS. Facebook will return an error if you enter an URL that is not using HTTPS.
Chat extensions supports the following configuration options:
Using the UI, you can assign users to be "Payment Testers."
In order for this to work, the user must be a registered admin, developer or test user through your Facebook developer console and they must have initiated conversation with your bot. You cannot just add any user to be a payment tester. It is also important to note that this is the only way to run a test payment with Messenger Extensions.
When adding a new user, you can start typing their name into the box. This will pull up a list of matching users who have been communicating with your bot. The value in the parentheses is the page-scoped user ID for that user.
Profiles are automatically lookedup using Facebook Graph API. The profile of the user can be found in the incoming middleware events: event.user
The following properties are available: first_name, last_name, locale, gender, timezone.
Users are automatically persisted in the built-in botpress database using the built-in bp.db.saveUser function.
botpress-messenger verifies that requests really come from Facebook's servers by validating requests hash.
There's a Slack community where you are welcome to join us, ask any question and even help others.
Get an invite and join us now! 👉 https://slack.botpress.io
botpress-messenger is licensed under AGPL-3.0
FAQs
Official Facebook Messenger connector for botpress
The npm package botpress-messenger receives a total of 24 weekly downloads. As such, botpress-messenger popularity was classified as not popular.
We found that botpress-messenger demonstrated a not healthy version release cadence and project activity because the last version was released a year ago. It has 4 open source maintainers collaborating on the project.
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