Get started with TextWork in 4 steps

A script is what the assistant says. A report template is what gets saved when the conversation is done. An action is what TextWork does with that report. Here is how to set those up, then how to bring people in.

1/ Create your first script

On the dashboard, open Scripts and choose Create New Script.

1. Name the script for the job it does, such as Applicant screen.
2. Write the instructions the way you would brief a person. Say what to ask, what to decide, and when to stop. These instructions are what the assistant follows.
3. Leave API Only off if someone should be able to start this script from the dashboard. Save.

You can also open From Persona on that page and start from a sample, or choose Import from Library on the Scripts list.

2/ Create your first report template

A report template is the shape of the report TextWork writes when a conversation finishes. On the dashboard, open Reports and choose Create New Report. The page is titled New Schema.

1. Name the template.
2. Add a short description of what the report is for.
3. Define the fields. Each field is one thing you want saved, such as a name, a yes or no, or a date. Choose Insert Example if you want a starting model.
4. Save.

class Report(BaseModel):
    name: str
    interested: bool
    notes: str = Field(default="", description="Anything they added that the other fields do not cover")

Open the script from step 1 and, under Report Types, select this template. The first one you select is the default. When that script finishes, TextWork fills the template from the conversation and saves a report. One template can be attached to more than one script.

3/ Set up custom actions

An action runs when something happens. Open Company Settings, choose Actions, and choose New Action.

1. Pick a trigger. Report completed is the usual first one. It fires when a conversation produces the report template from step 2. The other triggers are an integration event, an email received, or a schedule.
2. Under Then do, choose what happens: Send message, Start session, Send email, or Call webhook.
3. If you start a session, pick the script. If you send a message or an email, write it. Fields from the report can be dropped in as keywords. If you call a webhook, paste the URL.
4. Save. The action is listed under Actions, and you can see how often it has fired.

A first action is often: when the report is completed, text a teammate or start a follow-up script.

Next steps

The script, the report, and the action are in place. Next, decide how someone reaches that script.

• How conversations begin covers join codes, SmartRecruiters and Zillow webhooks, and the chat widget, booking widget, and forms you put on your own site.