Optional Question¶
Description¶
An Optional Question Node requests specific information from the user. The Node can be configured to expect different types of input. As soon as the selected type of data is detected in the user input, the Optional Question Node is answered.
Comparison with the Question Node
The Optional Question Node is non-blocking. This means that the user can continue their conversation with the Flow if they haven't provided an answer to the Optional Question. Before regular Flow execution, the Cognigy.AI checks if the user input answers the Optional Question to find a result. If not, the Flow execution follows a different path. Watch this Episode of Cognigy Sessions for a technical deep dive.
Parameters¶
Basic Settings
| Type | Required user input to answer question |
|---|---|
| Text | Any text input. |
| Yes / No | A positive or negative response. |
| Intent | One of the trained Intents must be identified from the user's response. |
| Slot | A System Slot or Lexicon Slot must be detected within the user's response. The slot is defined by name. |
| Date | Any date (system-defined). |
| Number | Any number (system-defined). |
| Temperature | Any temperature (system-defined). |
| Age | Any age (system-defined). |
| Duration | Any time duration (system-defined). |
| Any email address (system-defined). | |
| Money | Any monetary value (system-defined). |
| URL | Any reference/address to a resource on the Internet, for example, http://example.com. |
| Percentage | Any percentage (system-defined). |
| Regex | Any custom data format defined by a regex expression must be detected in the user's response. |
| Data | Any data (input.data) input. |
Supported Data Formats for System-Defined Slots
All data formats supported by the Cognigy NLU for system slot mapping are listed on the Slot Mapping page.
Channels and Output types
The Optional Question Node output types carry the same functionality as the Say Node.
Date Questions
If you select the Date as a Question Type, the Question Node automatically renders a datepicker if the channel supports it. Refer to Datepicker for more information.
Advance
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Store detailed Results | When enabled, stores a more detailed JSON object under the result property of the input. This is useful in case more information is needed. |
| Stop Flow execution after Answer | When enabled, Flow execution stops after the "On answer" case and wait for another input. |
| Forget Question Threshold | The difference with a regular Question Node is that the Optional Question Node doesn't need to be answered. If the Optional Question Node is triggered and no answer is provided, the fact that the question was "asked" is nonetheless kept in memory. With this setting, you can decide for how many inputs the Optional Question should be kept in memory. |
| Parse CognigyScript | Lets you decide on which user input the CognigyScript after Answer should be executed. |
Result Storage
If Store Result in Context is enabled, the Question Result is also stored in the Context object.
Question Information in Input
When an Optional Question is "active", meaning the AI Agent waits for an answer, information about the Optional Question is added to the Input object.
"activeOptionalQuestion": {
"nodeId": "cb81db3a-6230-49e7-8ce4-12f877abe0cb",
"type": "yesNo",
"lastExecutedAt": 1,
"forgetQuestionThreshold": 3
}
AI-Enhanced Output¶
To use AI-enhanced output rephrasing, read the Generative AI article.