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      URL link to your bot

      Here, we cover how to use a URL link for a bot and how the link behaves in different scenarios.

      In this article, you'll find explanations for these topics:

      How to use the URL link

      This URL is a link that you can use in your browser to access a bot's communication flow.

      The link can be useful if you want colleagues to test your bot, as they can go through the bot's communication flow without needing access to the bot and without having to integrate the bot.

      The link can also be useful for e-mail campaigns, as you can send readers straight to the bot.

      Where to find the URL link

      The link can be found in all Modules. To access it, simply open a Module and select "Copy URL link" at the bottom.

      module_referral_url__1_.jpg

      Be aware that the URL link is specific to the Module you copy it from. This means the bot will always start from that Module.

      Next, you'll have to select "Copy link" in the full-screen option.

      copy_link_2.png

      The link will look similar to this:

      https://app.certainly.io/webchat/c756edd9-f8f9-42e6-8572-172df8854bdf/?ref=52209

      At the end of the URL link, you can see the referral id, which is tied to the specific Module. This link can be inserted directly into the address bar of your browser. 

      The behavior of the URL link

      Active chats

      The following table will illustrate the URL link's behavior when a chat is considered to be active. Whether or not a conversation is considered to be active is controlled by Session Expiration.

        Default load of URL link with no customization Load of URL link to a specific module ID URL link with mode=clear_past_conversations added The behavior if the end user deletes cookies
      Will custom variables persist on a reload of the URL link?  Yes Yes Yes, custom variables are tied to the user and not the chat No 

      Are previous messages displayed?

      		  Yes Yes No No

      Will the bot automatically start the conversation?

      		 Not when the user is returning to a chat Yes Yes No 

      Expired chats

      The following table will illustrate the URL link's behavior when a chat is considered to be expired. Whether a conversation is considered to be expired is controlled by Session Expiration. 

        Default load of URL link with no customization Load of URL link to a specific module ID URL link with mode=clear_past_conversations added The behavior if the end user deletes cookies
      Will custom variables persist on a reload of the URL link?   Yes Yes  Yes, custom variables are tied to the user and not the chat No

      Are previous messages displayed?

      		  Yes Yes  No  No

      Will the bot automatically start the conversation?

      		  Yes Yes  Yes  No

      How to clear previous conversations

      Sometimes you don't want the URL link to remember past conversations when it is reloaded, and in those cases, it can be great to use mode=clear_past_conversations.

      First, you'll have to find the URL link, which will look something like this:

      https://app.certainly.io/webchat/c756edd9-f8f9-42e6-8572-172df8854bdf/?ref=52209

      At the end of the URL link, you should add &mode=clear_past_conversations, so the URL looks like this: 

      https://app.certainly.io/webchat/c756edd9-f8f9-42e6-8572-172df8854bdf/?ref=52209&mode=clear_past_conversations