Botframework-sdk: Can I start the conversation with messenger bot? (FB + BotFramework)

[Daij-Djan]

My bot is running fine when the user starts the conversation. But what I want to know is if I can start the conversation with the user instead user with it.

Based on the Facebook docs, I think I can do this with FB directly once I got the page scoped usedId -- e.g. through using the 'message us' plugin on our page

Now though - I use the MS botframework and wonder how to do it using that framework or if I just have to 'circumvent' the framework and do a manual POST for the initial message

cross-opted to SO: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/39524913/can-i-start-the-conversation-with-messenger-bot-fb-botframework

---

https://github.com/Microsoft/BotBuilder/issues/1239 looks promising but says it doesn't really work yet

[SamuelTassell]

On Facebook messenger I resulted in using the 'Get Started Button' which you can then use to start a dialog using the postback. I also use this to gather the users information before starting a conversation with them ;).

[Daij-Djan]

I might be too dumb to get it but.. you aren't writing proactively to the user though

for fb, I can use the fb send API with the page-scoped userID, but how to do it with ms bf – Daij-Djan 37

[SamuelTassell]

Well you use the postback from the Get Started Button to then start a dialog. See issue: #1238, there I explain how to setup various FB messenger settings. From there you can initiate the conversation in said prompt. For example I get the users information using the page scoped id:

// Get users profile
bot.dialog('/getprofile', [
    function (session) {
        console.log("=== DIALOG: GETPROFILE | STEP: 1/1 ====");

        // Store the returned user page-scoped id (USER_ID) and page id
        session.userData.userid = session.message.sourceEvent.sender.id;
        session.userData.pageid = session.message.sourceEvent.recipient.id;

        // Let the user know we are 'working'
        session.sendTyping();
        // Get the users profile information from FB
        request({
            url: 'https://graph.facebook.com/v2.6/'+ session.userData.userid +'?fields=first_name,last_name,profile_pic,locale,timezone,gender',
            qs: { access_token: process.env.FB_PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN },
            method: 'GET'
        }, function(error, response, body) {
            if (!error && response.statusCode == 200) {
                // Parse the JSON returned from FB
                body = JSON.parse(body);
                // Save profile to userData
                session.dialogData.firstname = body.first_name;
                session.dialogData.lastname = body.last_name;
                session.dialogData.profilepic = body.profile_pic;
                session.dialogData.locale = body.locale;
                session.dialogData.timezone = body.timezone;
                session.dialogData.gender = body.gender;
                // Return to /getstarted
                session.endDialogWithResult({ response: session.dialogData });
            } else {
                // TODO: Handle errors
                console.log(error);
                console.log("Get user profile failed");
            }
        });
    }
]);

Hope this helps :).

[brandonh-msft]

this comment on another similar issue may also help

[slidenerd]

@SamuelTassell how are you invoking the /getprofile dialog
is your condition inside the / dialog similar to this
if(!session.userData.user){
session.beginDialog('/getProfile')
}

[SamuelTassell]

Hi @slidenerd. I'm simply using the postback from the getstarted button as I referenced on #1238.

In my case:

{
  "setting_type":"call_to_actions",
  "thread_state":"new_thread",
  "call_to_actions":[
    {
      "payload":"action?getstarted"
    }
  ]
}

Then create a dialog action to handle the postback:

bot.beginDialogAction('getstarted', '/getstarted');
bot.dialog('/getstarted', [
    function (session) {
        console.log("=== DIALOG: GETSTARTED | STEP: 1/4 ====");

        console.log(session.userData);
        // Let the user know we are 'working'
        session.sendTyping();
        if( !session.userData.firstRun ) {
            // Store the returned user page-scoped id (USER_ID) and page id
            session.userData.userid = session.message.sourceEvent.sender.id;
            session.userData.pageid = session.message.sourceEvent.recipient.id;

            // DELAY ISN'T THE REQUEST - I THINK IT'S THE INITIAL REQUEST TO BOTFRAMEWORK

            // Move to the /getprofile dialog
            session.beginDialog('/getprofile');
        } else {
            // The firstname has been stored so the user has completed the /getstarted dialog
            // Stop this dialog and Welcome them back
            session.replaceDialog('/welcomeback');
        }
    }.....

A bit late, but I hope it helps.

[sushovannits]

@SamuelTassell Thanks for the example code. I am trying to implement the Facebook persistent menu inside the get started dialog. The thing is how from the "get started" dialog we can invoke the waterfall steps? I mean after I have pressed the get started button in messenger it populates the menu but then bot does not move forward with the steps specified in waterfall function list.