This repository contains code for the Bot Framework Web Chat component. The Bot Framework Web Chat component is a highly-customizable web-based client for the Bot Framework V4 SDK. The Bot Framework SDK v4 enables developers to model conversation and build sophisticated bot applications.
This repo is part of the Microsoft Bot Framework - a comprehensive framework for building enterprise-grade conversational AI experiences.
This section points out important version notes. For further information, please see the related links and check the
CHANGELOG.md
Starting from Web Chat 4.6.0, Web Chat requires React 16.8.6 or up.
Although we recommend that you upgrade your host app at your earliest convenience, we understand that host app may need some time before its React dependencies are updated, especially in regards to huge applications.
If your app is not ready for React 16.8.6 yet, you can follow the hybrid React sample to dual-host React in your app.
There is a breaking change on behavior expectations regarding speech and input hint in Web Chat. Please refer to the section on input hint behavior before 4.5.0 for details.
View migration docs to learn about migrating from Web Chat v3.
First, create a bot using Azure Bot Service. Once the bot is created, you will need to obtain the bot's Web Chat secret in Azure Portal. Then use the secret to generate a token and pass it to your Web Chat.
Web Chat provides UI on top of the Direct Line and Direct Line Speech Channels. There are two ways to connect to your bot through HTTP calls from the client: by sending the Bot secret or generating a token via the secret.
We strongly recommend using the token API instead of providing the app with your secret. To learn more about why, see the authentication documentation on the token API and client security.
For further reading, please see the following links:
-
Using Web Chat with Azure Bot Services authentication
Web Chat is designed to integrate with your existing website using JavaScript or React. Integrating with JavaScript will give you moderate styling and customizability options.
You can use the full, typical Web Chat package (called full-feature bundle) that contains the most typically used features.
Here is how how you can add Web Chat control to your website:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<script
crossorigin="anonymous"
src="https://cdn.botframework.com/botframework-webchat/latest/webchat.js"
></script>
<style>
html,
body {
height: 100%;
}
body {
margin: 0;
}
#webchat {
height: 100%;
width: 100%;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="webchat" role="main"></div>
<script>
window.WebChat.renderWebChat(
{
directLine: window.WebChat.createDirectLine({
token: 'YOUR_DIRECT_LINE_TOKEN'
}),
userID: 'YOUR_USER_ID',
username: 'Web Chat User',
locale: 'en-US',
botAvatarInitials: 'WC',
userAvatarInitials: 'WW'
},
document.getElementById('webchat')
);
</script>
</body>
</html>
userID,username,locale,botAvatarInitials, anduserAvatarInitialsare all optional parameters to pass into therenderWebChatmethod. To learn more about Web Chat props, look at the Web Chat API Reference documentation.
Assigning
userIDas a static value is not recommended since this will cause all users to share state. Please see theAPI userID entryfor more information.
More information on localization can be found in the Localization documentation.
See the working sample of the full Web Chat bundle.
For full customizability, you can use React to recompose components of Web Chat.
To install the production build from NPM, run npm install botframework-webchat.
import React, { useMemo } from 'react';
import ReactWebChat, { createDirectLine } from 'botframework-webchat';
export default () => {
const directLine = useMemo(() => createDirectLine({ token: 'YOUR_DIRECT_LINE_TOKEN' }), []);
return <ReactWebChat directLine={directLine} userID="YOUR_USER_ID" />;
};You can also run
npm install botframework-webchat@masterto install a development build that is synced with Web Chat's GitHubmasterbranch.
See the working sample of Web Chat rendered via React.
Web Chat is designed to be customizable without forking the source code. The table below outlines what kind of customizations you can achieve when you are importing Web Chat in different ways. This list is not exhaustive.
| CDN bundle | React | |
|---|---|---|
| Change colors | ✔ | ✔ |
| Change sizes | ✔ | ✔ |
| Update/replace CSS styles | ✔ | ✔ |
| Listen to events | ✔ | ✔ |
| Interact with hosting webpage | ✔ | ✔ |
| Custom render activities | ✔ | |
| Custom render attachments | ✔ | |
| Add new UI components | ✔ | |
| Recompose the whole UI | ✔ |
See more about customizing Web Chat to learn more on customization.
Bot Framework has many activity types, but not all are supported in Web Chat. View activity types docs to learn more.
View the complete list of Web Chat samples for more ideas on customizing Web Chat.
View the API documentation for implementing Web Chat.
Web Chat supports the latest 2 versions of modern browsers like Chrome, Edge, and FireFox. If you need Web Chat in Internet Explorer 11, please see the ES5 bundle demo.
Please note, however:
- Web Chat does not support Internet Explorer older than version 11
- Customization as shown in non-ES5 samples are not supported for Internet Explorer. Because IE11 is a non-modern browser, it does not support ES6, and many samples that use arrow functions and modern promises would need to be manually converted to ES5. If you are in need of heavy customization for your app, we strongly recommend developing your app for a modern browser like Google Chrome or Edge.
- Web Chat has no plan to support samples for IE11 (ES5).
- For customers who wish to manually rewrite our other samples to work in IE11, we recommend looking into converting code from ES6+ to ES5 using polyfills and transpilers like
babel.
- For customers who wish to manually rewrite our other samples to work in IE11, we recommend looking into converting code from ES6+ to ES5 using polyfills and transpilers like
View the localization documentation for implementing in Web Chat.
View the notification documentation for implementing in Web Chat.
View the telemetry documentation for implementing in Web Chat.
You can use Cognitive Services Speech Services to add bi-directional speech functionality to Web Chat. Please refer to the Cognitive Services Speech Services documentation for details.
Testing unreleased features is only available via MyGet packaging at this time.
If you want to test a feature or bug fix that has not yet been released, you will want to point your Web Chat package to Web Chat's daily feed, as opposed the official npmjs feed.
Currently, you may access Web Chat's dailies by subscribing to our MyGet feed. To do this, you will need to update the registry in your project. This change is reversible, and our directions include how to revert back to subscribing to the official release.
To do this you may add your packages and then change the registry of your project.
- Add your project dependencies other than Web Chat.
- In your project's root directory, create a
.npmrcfile - Add the following line to your file:
registry=https://botbuilder.myget.org/F/botframework-webchat/npm/ - Add Web Chat to your project dependencies
npm i botframework-webchat --save - Note that in your
package-lock.json, the registries pointed to are now MyGet. The Web Chat project has upstream source proxy enabled, which will redirect non-MyGet packages tonpmjs.com.
Re-subscribing requires that you reset your registry.
- Delete your
.npmrc file - Delete your root
package-lock.json - Remove your
node_modulesdirectory - Reinstall your packages with
npm i - Note that in your
package-lock.json, the registries are pointing to https://npmjs.com/ again.
See our Contributing page for details on how to build the project and our repository guidelines for Pull Requests.
This project has adopted the Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct. For more information see the Code of Conduct FAQ or contact [email protected] with any additional questions or comments.
View the security documentation to learn more about reporting security issues.