Glossary ​

A ​

Action Desk ​

Action Desk is your customizable control center. You can use the Action Desk to have an overview of everything going on in your account at any given time.

Activate a Flow ​

Activation makes the Flow available for execution by compiling and deploying the source code, thus enabling the Flow trigger(s). To activate a Flow, click the Activate button while in View mode, or click Save and Activate in Edit mode after making changes to your Flow. Activation can fail due to errors in custom code, incorrect or missing Step template configurations, and/or previously existing Flows with triggers that match the new Flow’s triggers.

Admin ​

A user type. Can manage users in the current account with User/Admin/Guest permission levels and manage identifiers. Has access to protected entities (e.g., password-protected Bots).

AI ​

Artificial Intelligence. AI is essentially a marketing term for a field of computer science that uses extremely advanced statistics, pattern recognition, and machine learning to make computers more efficient.

Annotation ​

Notes by way of explanation or comment. You can add these to your Flows to help others understand what the Flow is doing.

API ​

API stands for Application Programming Interface. The OneReach.ai platform uses RESTful APIs to connect to and integrate with third-party services over HTTP. You can accomplish this in a variety of ways, the simplest being the Make API Request Step.

Array ​

Data structure consisting of a collection of elements, which are indexed starting at 0.

Artificial delay ​

A delay in the user experience added to a Bot intentionally.

ASR ​

Automatic speech recognition. Use of AI to allow computers to recognize human speech.

Authentication ​

Verifies the identity of a user or service.

Authorization ​

Determines a user or services access rights.

Automation ​

Machines performing tasks that humans would typically perform.

AWS ​

Amazon Web Services - the servers the OneReach platform is hosted on.

B ​

Bot ​

An internet Bot, also known as a web robot, or simply Bot, is a software application that runs automated tasks (scripts) over the internet. At OneReach.ai, we think of a Bot as a complete solution, and a Bot that you create in the Designer can contain a wide range of Flows that handle its various skills. Typically, Bots perform tasks that are both simple and structurally repetitive at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human alone. They can combine many such tasks to achieve complex goals and can even be integrated with third-party services across the Web to create additional layers of functionality.

Body Parameters ​

Used to send more secretive information through an API.

Boolean ​

A true or false value.

Branch ​

Most Steps in a Flow have one or more exit branches. The branches represent the possible outputs or results of the Step’s execution and, thus, which Step will execute next. This allows for handling a variety of possible inputs or outcomes with different sequences of Steps. For example, the Make API Call Step has three branches: Success, Error, and Timeout. If the API call is successful, the Step will exit via the Success branch and execute whatever Step is on the subsequent node of that branch. If the API call fails or receives an error code, the Step will exit via the Error branch, and if the call times out the Timeout branch will be taken. When building a custom Step, you can create custom exit branches, either hardcoded based on predetermined conditions or dynamically created based on how you configure the Step UI in the Flow.

Bundle ​

A bundle is a tag assigned to every OneReach.ai service in the master branch at the beginning of each month (ex.: bundle/2208, where 22 represents the year, and 08 - the month). This tag represents a stable master version ready to be deployed to clients.

C ​

Canvas ​

The Canvas is the area of the Designer UI where the visual representation of the Flow logic appears. You can drag Steps onto the Canvas to add them to the Flow logic, and you have several tools available for further manipulation of the visible Flow architecture (Split, Clone, Delete, Zoom, etc.). Steps you have not currently connected to the main Flow logic will appear greyed-out on the Canvas.

Card ​

An interactive UI block designated to suit different purposes within the OneReach.ai services infrastructure. You can use Cards to show different types of content, interactive controls, data visualizations, etc. A common use case for the Card is showing the reporting data for a Flow under the Cards tab in the Flow Configuration panel. Cards are also used in Action Desk within Views.

Channel ​

A communication method or service that has been integrated into the OneReach.ai platform and has associated Step templates in the Library. For example, SMS, Phone/Voice, and Rich Web Chat (RWC) are all channels.

Context ​

A category within a Knowledge Model that contains phrase and response pairs.

Conversational AI ​

A set of technologies behind automated messaging and speech-enabled applications that offer robust interactions between computers and humans.

Custom Step template ​

You can create Custom Step templates in the Designer by clicking the Create a new step template button at the bottom of the Templates tab while editing a Flow. The creation of a Custom Step template generally requires some level of development knowledge. Custom Step templates are useful for connecting to proprietary services or databases, for turning complex or repetitive logic into easily reusable components, and for any other task not already available as a Step template in the Library. Once you have created a Custom Step template, you can import it into any other Flow in that OneReach.ai account.

D ​

Deactivate a Flow ​

Clicking the Deactivate button under an active Flow while in View mode will cease the Flow’s execution and deactivate any triggers or listeners, making the Flow unresponsive on whichever phone number/URL/event/etc. it was subscribed to.

Deployment ​

The creation and activation of the microservice described by the Flow logic. Or, more broadly, the push to the production of a solution.

Deployment logs ​

Once you have activated a Flow, it will begin to log all actions taken during each execution. You can use these logs for debugging and view them retroactively or in real time by clicking in the lower left-hand corner of the Canvas.

E ​

Edit mode ​

The Edit mode allows you to make changes to your Flow. To enter Edit mode, click the Edit button after opening a Flow.

Environment ​

An environment is a platform used for building software solutions.

Event ​

OneReach.ai uses an event-based architecture built with the EventManager.js Node package. An event is a notification sent from one piece of code to another, which can potentially trigger another action. Events can contain complex metadata. This makes it possible for disparate parts of a solution or disparate products in the platform to quickly and seamlessly communicate with one another. Events are used to trigger Flows and Subflows, send reporting information, etc. For example, an event is created on the OneReach.ai backend when a Bot number receives an SMS from an end user. Any Flow starting with the Wait for SMS Gateway Step creates an event listener when it is activated. If a new incoming SMS event matches an active incoming SMS event listener, the Flow in question is triggered and begins its execution.

Execution time ​

The time (in milliseconds) a single Step takes to execute its function or a Flow takes to complete its active task.

F ​

Files ​

A local storage linked to your account. You can create folders to organize different file types, such as images or audio files.

Flow ​

A Flow is a sequence of Steps executed in a certain order to accomplish certain tasks. Flows are the building blocks for Bots.

Flow source ​

The Flow source is the source code of a Flow, which is compiled and deployed when a Flow is activated. Flows are stored as JSON objects which contain all of the data about the Flow, including the full code for all Step templates downloaded or created, the configuration and placement of all Steps on the Canvas (regardless of whether they are connected to the main logic tree), all reporting tags, metadata, etc. This means that you can save a Flow to an external repository or share it with colleagues in full outside of the Designer.

G ​

Gateway ​

When building a complex integration with a third-party service (one requiring more than just a Custom Step), it is standard practice to create a Gateway Flow or a Gateway Bot containing multiple Flows. This Gateway logic will handle any backend interactions required between OneReach.ai and the third-party system, so all messages in and out will pass through the Gateway.

Gateway Step ​

The Gateway Step is the first Step in any Flow. This Step determines how the Flow can be triggered and is responsible for setting up any listeners, as well as creating necessary configurations for the appropriate channel. Without a Gateway Step, a Flow will not function, as there is no way for it to start executing. In the Library, Gateway Steps are conventionally shaped like a down-arrow and generally start with “Wait for…”. Examples of Gateway Steps include Wait for Call (Phone), Wait for Message (SMS), Wait for Chat (RWC), Wait for Request (HTTP), Wait for Trigger from Other Flow, etc.

Guest ​

The user type with the lowest permission level. Guest users do have a OneReach.ai username and password but can only log in to the specific Views that have been shared with them, using the shared URL.

H ​

History ​

Clicking the History section in the General tab of a Flow while in View mode allows you to view a log of changes made to the Flow. This log is a list of dates/times in reverse chronological order, each representing a separate edit/save action. Select a date/time to load that version of the Flow.

I ​

Identifier ​

A phone number.

ITR ​

An abbreviation for Interactive Text Response. An ITR allows a Bot to interact with a human over text messages. A Flow that responds to an incoming SMS sent by an end user is an ITR.

IVR ​

An abbreviation for Interactive Voice Response.

J ​

Journey Map ​

Journey maps illustrate a user’s step-by-step journey through an experience.

JSON ​

An abbreviation for JavaScript Object Notation. JSON is a lightweight data-interchange format that is relatively simple for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. It is the default format for API calls and responses in the Designer and is the format in which Flows are stored. JSON objects can contain many levels of nested data.

K ​

Keyword ​

A word which, when assigned to a listener (e.g. SMS) in a Flow’s Gateway Step, restricts the Flow to start only when that word is sent by the end user. An example would be “Text VINO to 55555 for your chance to win free wine for a year!” Keywords make it possible to use the same phone number for multiple solutions or use cases at once.

Knowledge Model (KM) ​

The basis of trainable natural language understanding in the CS2.0 platform.

L ​

Library ​

The Library is the collection of Bot, Flow, Card, and Step templates created by OneReach.ai and available for use.

Listener ​

A listener is another way to refer to a trigger that is waiting for some incoming communication. An SMS listener set up on a Bot number, for example, is waiting for an inbound SMS to be sent to that number, at which point it will tell its associated task to execute.

Logs ​

Records of Flow activity and data that can be retrieved in real time or for a selected time period.

M ​

Memory Size ​

The amount of memory allocated to a Flow for its execution. Larger memory allocations cost more but allow for shorter execution times. If a complex Flow frequently times out during execution, increasing the memory size can help.

Merge field ​

A Merge field is a Flow variable. Assigning a Merge field to some item allows reusing said item throughout the Flow and creates dynamic interactions. Since Flow data can take many types, including JSON objects, Merge fields support object notation (e.g. apiResponse.body.ErrorMessage).

N ​

Node (in a Flow) ​

A node refers to a Step in a Flow or a location where a Step can be placed. An empty node is represented on the canvas with a gray Plus button, indicating that you can place a Step there.

O ​

P ​

Prompt ​

A message send/spoken to an end user that expects a response from the user to continue the interaction.

Q ​

R ​

Reporting ​

The organization and presentation of Bot usage data.

Request body ​

Information or data included in an API request, especially in POST, PATCH, PUT methods. An API request almost always has to send a response body to clients, but clients don’t necessarily need to send request bodies all the time.

Rich Web Chat ​

Rich Web Chat (RWC) is a channel that OneReach.ai has created to allow users to build and deploy web-based chatbots. You can use the suite of RWC Steps in the Library to create complex interactions using HTML forms and messaging. The resulting chatbot can be hosted on our servers or deployed to yours, and can even be added to pages on your website. The default RWC tools can easily be configured by non-developers, but the style and functionality are also completely customizable.

S ​

SSO ​

Single sign on

Step ​

An autonomous piece of logic. Steps are building blocks for Flows and normally accomplish minor tasks within the Flow, for example: Send a message; Check condition; Initiate phone call.

Subflow ​

A Subflow is a Flow that is triggered by another Flow. This is usually accomplished using the Wait for Trigger from another Flow Gateway in the Subflow itself, and the Trigger another Flow Steps in the main Flow. Subflows are useful in a variety of situations: they can be triggered to do calculations and return data to the main Flow, they can take over a conversation, and they can run synchronously or asynchronously. The use of Subflows is recommended to reduce the size and complexity of Flows, as extremely large Flows can take longer to load and edit, and smaller Flows can easily be reused and quickly iterated upon.

T ​

Template (Flow) ​

An example of the most common scenarios the platform can run. Flow templates in the Library contain all of the necessary Steps and tree structures required for the Flow to run, and only need to be configured to the specifics of the account and use case before they can be activated.

Template (Step) ​

A pattern that describes an operation to be executed in a Flow. Step templates downloaded from the Library create an instance of that template in the target Flow. Custom Step templates live in the Flow in which they were created and can be disseminated into other Bots and Flows.

Timeout ​

In a Flow, the timeout value is a measure of how long the Flow will continue an active process before automatically shutting down. In a Step, the timeout value can mean different things depending on the channel in question.

Tool Kits ​

Collections of Steps that are built to interact or operate with each other to produce more complex behaviors. Will usually have some degree of data-sharing between them and will rely on a pool of shared resources.

Tree (in a Flow) ​

A tree is a collection of Steps organized logically. Flows are represented as Step trees. Steps in a tree execute in order, starting from the top and moving downward. Steps with more than one possible type of outcome can have multiple exits, creating “branches” on the tree.

Trigger ​

Refers to the specific action required to initialize a Flow or some other process. For example, creating a Flow with the Wait for Request (HTTP) Gateway creates an HTTP trigger.

U ​

User ​

A user has a unique username and password that allows them to log into OneReach.ai. There are different users with different permission levels: Super Admin, Admin, User, Guest.

V ​

View ​

A collection of cards in Action Desk. Views have names, descriptions, separate URLs, and other configurable properties.

View mode (Flow) ​

The read-only mode of accessing a Flow reached by opening a Flow.

W ​

X ​

Y ​

Z ​