Automations

Welcome to the Automations screen. Here you'll find all the necessary tools to automate processes in your contact center, optimizing response times and improving customer service experience. Ready?

What can you do from here?

This screen allows you to manage four main types of automations:

• Outbound Hubs: to process massive contact lists for voice and text channels.
• IVRs: to create interactive voice menus.
• Bots: to automate conversations on text channels.
• Functions: to execute custom logic through events, webhooks, and tasks.

Outbound Hubs

Outbound Hubs are tools designed for massive processing of contact lists on voice (telephony) and text (SMS, WhatsApp, Email) channels. They allow you to manage contact lists, configure dialing and distribution strategies, and optimize agent productivity in sales, collections, surveys, or mass communication campaigns.

What will you find on this screen?

A list with all created Outbound Hubs, where you can search by channel name, Hub name, Hub type, and associated campaign name.

Information for each Outbound Hub

• Channel: channel associated with the Outbound Hub.
• Name: unique name that identifies the Outbound Hub.
• Type: type of Outbound Hub configured (Preview, Predictive, or Broadcast).
• Campaign: campaign to which the Outbound Hub is associated.
• Status: indicates if the Outbound Hub is active (green circle) or disabled (red circle).

Available actions

From this screen you can perform the following actions:

• Search Hubs: use filters to search by channel, name, type, or campaign.
• Create new Hub: create a new Outbound Hub by configuring all its parameters.
• Edit Hub: modify the configuration of an existing Hub (except parameters in the "Basic" tab).
• Delete Hub: delete a Hub that is no longer used.

How to create an Outbound Hub?

Check the Outbound Hubs creation guide to learn the complete step-by-step process.

IVRs

IVRs are automated systems that allow you to create interactive phone menus. Customers can navigate options through their phone keypad or voice commands, enabling you to provide self-service, direct calls to the correct department, or collect information before connecting with an agent.

What will you find on this screen?

A list with all IVRs, IVR Functions, and Simple IVRs created in uContact, where you can search by name, type, and description.

Information for each IVR

• Name: unique name that identifies the IVR.

• Type: type of IVR (IVR, IVR Function, or Simple IVR).

• Description: description of the IVR's purpose. Appears empty if no description was added when creating it.

• Last deploy: IVR activation status.

  There are two possibilities:

  Indicates the IVR was never activated.
  Indicates the date of the last activation of the IVR and the user who performed it.

Available actions

From this screen you can perform the following actions:

• Search IVRs: use filters to search by name, type, or description.
• Create new IVR: create a new IVR from scratch with the visual flow editor.
• Edit description: modify only the description of the selected IVR.
• View history: access the complete change history of the flow, with date, user, and the ability to restore previous versions.
• Copy IVR: create an exact copy of the selected IVR to use as a template.
• Delete IVR: delete an IVR that is no longer used.

How to create an IVR?

Check the IVR creation guide to learn the complete step-by-step process.

Bots

Bots are automated assistants that allow you to manage conversations on text channels such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, SMS, WebChat, and Email. They can answer frequently asked questions, guide customers through processes, collect information, and perform automatic actions, freeing your agents from repetitive tasks.

What will you find on this screen?

A list with all Bots and Bot Functions created in uContact, where you can search by name, type, and description.

Information for each Bot

• Name: unique name that identifies the Bot.

• Type: type of automation (Bot or Bot Function).

• Description: description of the Bot's purpose. Appears empty if no description was added when creating it.

• Last deploy: Bot activation status.

  There are two possibilities:

  Indicates the Bot was never activated.
  Indicates the date of the last activation of the Bot and the user who performed it.

Available actions

From this screen you can perform the following actions:

• Search Bots: use filters to search by name, type, or description.
• Create new Bot: create a new Bot from scratch with the visual flow editor.
• Edit description: modify only the description of the selected Bot.
• Enable/Disable: activate or deactivate the Bot as needed.
• View history: access the complete change history of the flow, with date, user, and the ability to restore previous versions.
• Copy Bot: create an exact copy of the selected Bot to use as a template.
• Delete Bot: delete a Bot that is no longer used.

Licenses required!

Remember that to activate a Bot, you need to have a Bot license available. Each activated Bot consumes a Bot license, Bot functions do not consume licenses. You can check more details with the Sales team.

How to create a Bot?

Check the Bot creation guide to learn the complete step-by-step process.

Functions

Functions are blocks of custom logic that execute in response to specific system events, calls from external webhooks, or scheduled through a scheduler. Unlike Bots and IVRs that interact directly with customers, Functions execute background processes such as integrations with external systems, database updates, or automated tasks.

What will you find on this screen?

A list with all Functions created in uContact, where you can search by name, type, and description.

Information for each Function

• Name: unique name that identifies the Function.
• Description: description of the Function's purpose. Appears empty if no description was added when creating it.
• Type: type of Function (Event, Webhook, or Scheduler).
  • Event: executes automatically when a specific event occurs in the system.
  • Webhook: executes when it receives an HTTP call from an external system.
  • Scheduler: executes on a schedule at specific dates and times.
• Status: indicates if the Function is active (enabled) or disabled.

Available actions

From this screen you can perform the following actions:

• Search Functions: use filters to search by name, type, or description.
• Create new Function: create a new Function by selecting the type (Event, Webhook, or Scheduler).
• Edit description: modify only the description of the selected Function.
• Edit flow: access the visual flow editor to modify the Function's logic. Applies only to Events and Webhooks.
• View history: access the complete execution and change history of the Function.
• Duplicate Function: create an exact copy of the selected Function to use as a template.
• Delete Function: delete a Function that is no longer used.

Important considerations

Key points to keep in mind

• Bot licenses: Each activated Bot consumes a license. Bot Functions, IVRs, and Functions do not consume Bot licenses.
• Activation required: Bots and IVRs must be activated (put into production) before they can be used in campaigns or channels.
• Version history: All changes to Bots, IVRs, and Functions are recorded. You can restore previous versions at any time.
• Specific Outbound Hubs: Outbound Hubs are associated with a specific campaign and cannot be shared between multiple campaigns.
• Bot Functions vs Functions: Bot Functions are reusable blocks within other Bots, while Functions (Events, Webhooks, Schedulers) are independent processes.
• Testing before production: Always test your automations before activating them in production to avoid negative impacts on customer service.
• Clear naming: Use descriptive names for your automations that clearly indicate their purpose (e.g., "Bot_Welcome_WhatsApp", "IVR_Main_Menu").
• Documentation: Use the description field to document the purpose and operation of each automation, making future maintenance easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Bot and an IVR?

IVRs are used exclusively on the Telephony channel to create interactive voice menus, while Bots are used on text channels such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, SMS, WebChat, and Email.

Can I temporarily disable a Bot without deleting it?

Yes, you can use the "Enable/Disable" option to temporarily deactivate a Bot. This keeps it in the system but prevents it from executing until you activate it again.

Can I use the same Bot in multiple campaigns?

Yes, Bots are global and can be configured in multiple campaigns and channels simultaneously. You just need to select them in the configuration of each channel where you want to use them.

How do I recover a previous version of a Bot or IVR?

Access the "History" option of the Bot or IVR, view the saved previous versions with their date and user, and select "Restore" on the version you want to recover.

Do Functions consume licenses?

No, Functions (Events, Webhooks, and Schedulers) do not consume licenses. Only activated Bots consume Bot licenses.

What type of Outbound Hub should I use?

It depends on your business, the channel, and your objectives. There are 3 types:

• Preview: the agent sees the contact information before it is processed. Available for voice and text channels.
• Predictive: the system predicts agent availability and processes multiple contacts simultaneously to optimize productivity. Mainly available for voice channels.
• Broadcast: allows massive processing of contacts without agent intervention. Available for voice channels (automatic calls) and text (SMS, WhatsApp, Email).