Chatbot Creation Best Practices

How to Think While Designing a Chatbot

This document defines the principles, mindset, and best practices that must be followed whenever creating or modifying a chatbot.

The goal is not to build an information dump.

The goal is to create a guided conversation that leads to an outcome.

1

Core Philosophy: Conversational First, Informational Later

• A chatbot must feel like a conversation, not a FAQ page.

• Information should never be dumped upfront.

• The bot should:

  • Then provide the next relevant piece of information

  • Ask a question

  • Understand the response

  Think like a human sales or support executive, not like documentation.

❌ Bad: Explaining everything in one message ✅ Good: Asking what the user wants, then responding step by step

2

Engagement Is Mandatory, Not Optional

Every chatbot flow should be interactive by design.

• The bot should:

  • Ask questions frequently

  • Use buttons, quick replies, or choices wherever possible

  • Make the user feel involved in the conversation

If the user is only reading and not responding, the chatbot is failing.

Rule of thumb: After every 1–2 bot messages, the user should be encouraged to act.

3

Message Length & Readability Rules

• Never send long paragraphs.

• Never send dense text blocks.

• Even if information is complex:

  • Break it into 2–3 short messages

  • Send them sequentially

Message structure guidelines:

• Short sentences

• One idea per message

• Easy to scan on mobile

If it looks heavy on a phone screen, it’s wrong.

4

Use Rich Media to Reduce Cognitive Load

Whenever possible:

• Use images, GIFs, or short videos

• Especially for:

  • Product explanation

  • How something works

  • Social proof

  • Pricing or plans

Media should replace text, not accompany long text.

If an image can explain it, don’t write a paragraph.

5

Context Continuity Is Critical

The chatbot must continue the conversation the user already started elsewhere.

Always account for the source:

• Ad click

• Email campaign

• WhatsApp broadcast

• Website CTA

• Support entry point

Examples:

• From an ad → acknowledge the ad intent

• From an email → reference the email topic

• From a campaign → continue that narrative

The user should never feel like they are starting from zero.

6

Human Handoff: Set Expectations Clearly

Whenever a human transfer is required:

• Explicitly tell the user

• Set expectations upfront

The bot should communicate:

• Why a human is needed

• What will happen next

• When they can expect a response

Transparency builds trust. Silence breaks it.

7

Always Know the End Objective of the Chat

Every chatbot must have a clear primary objective.

In most cases, this is:

• Lead capture

• Lead qualification

Mandatory data points to attempt capturing:

• Name

• Phone number

• Email

• Use-case / intent

• Any qualification info relevant to the business

This should happen naturally through conversation, not as a form dump.

Try to auto-capture information wherever possible.

8

Progressive Disclosure of Information

Never ask for everything at once.

• Start light

• Build trust

• Ask deeper questions gradually

Example flow:

1. Understand intent

2. Provide relevant value

3. Ask for basic details

4. Qualify further if user is engaged

9

The Bot Should Feel Helpful, Not Pushy

• Avoid sounding salesy

• Avoid forcing forms too early

• Avoid repetitive follow-ups

Instead:

• Offer help

• Give choices

• Let the user feel in control

A good chatbot guides. It does not pressure.

10

Error Handling & Drop-Off Thinking

Always assume:

• Users may give incomplete answers

• Users may stop responding

• Users may give unexpected inputs

The bot should:

• Gracefully handle ambiguity

• Gently re-prompt

• Never blame the user

Never sound robotic when confused

11

Tone & Personality Guidelines

• Friendly

• Warm

• Simple language

• No jargon unless user is clearly advanced

Avoid:

• Corporate tone

• Over-formal language

• Long explanations

The chatbot should sound like:

“A smart, helpful person chatting on WhatsApp.”

12

One Conversation = One Journey

• Do not mix multiple objectives in one flow

• If needed, branch intelligently

• Keep the user oriented at all times

The user should always know:

• What the bot is helping with

• What comes next

13

Think in Outcomes, Not Messages

When designing a chatbot:

• Do not think message by message

• Think:

  • What problem is the user solving?

  • What decision are they making?

  • What information do we need to move them forward?

Messages are just tools. Outcome is the goal.

14

Final Mental Model for Chatbot Creation

Whenever creating or reviewing a chatbot, ask:

• Is this conversational?

• Is this engaging?

• Is this easy to read on mobile?

• Is this continuing the user’s context?

• Is the end objective clear?

• Are we capturing and qualifying leads naturally?

• Would a human enjoy this conversation?

If the answer to any of these is no, redesign the flow.

Summary

A chatbot is not a knowledge base. It is a guided conversation designed to move a user from intent to action.