Helpium

Creating an AI Action

Navigate to Settings → Integrations → AI Actions and click Add Action to get started.

Step 1: Basic Information

Name: A short, descriptive name (e.g., "Look Up Order Status"). The AI uses this to decide when to trigger the action
Description: Explain what the action does in plain language. Be specific. The AI reads this to understand when the action is relevant

Step 2: API Configuration

HTTP Method: Choose GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, or DELETE depending on your API
URL: The full API endpoint URL (must use HTTPS). Use {parameter_name} syntax for path parameters (e.g., https://api.example.com/orders/{order_id})

Step 3: Authentication

Choose an authentication method:

None: No authentication required (public APIs)
Bearer Token: A fixed token sent in the Authorization: Bearer <token> header
Customer Bearer Token: Uses the customer's own token (stored on their profile) for per-user API access, with a fallback to the default token

See AI Actions Authentication Methods for detailed guidance on each option.

Step 4: Parameters

Add parameters the chatbot should collect from the conversation:

Name: Parameter identifier (e.g., order_id, email)
Type: String, Number, or Boolean
Description: Tells the AI what this parameter represents
Location: Where the parameter goes in the request: Path, Query, Body, or Header
Required: Whether the AI must collect this value before calling the API

Step 5: Timeout

Set a timeout between 1 and 30 seconds (default: 10). If the external API doesn't respond in time, the chatbot informs the customer and suggests contacting a human agent.

Testing Your Action

Click Test Action to run the action with sample parameter values. You'll see the full HTTP response including status code and body. Fix any errors before enabling the action.

Enabling the Action

New actions are disabled by default. Toggle Enable when you're ready for the chatbot to start using it. You can disable an action at any time without deleting it.

Creating and Configuring AI Actions