Skip to content
Salesforce Dictionary - Free Salesforce GlossarySalesforce Dictionary
Full Bot Dialog entry
How-to guide

How to create a Bot Dialog in Einstein Bot Builder

You create a Bot Dialog inside Einstein Bot Builder, then fill it with steps. These instructions cover making the dialog itself; adding and configuring steps happens on the canvas afterward.

By Dipojjal Chakrabarti · Founder & Editor, Salesforce DictionaryLast updated Jun 16, 2026

You create a Bot Dialog inside Einstein Bot Builder, then fill it with steps. These instructions cover making the dialog itself; adding and configuring steps happens on the canvas afterward.

  1. Open Bot Builder and go to Dialogs

    From Setup, open your Einstein Bot, then choose Bot Builder. In the Bot Builder menu, click Dialogs to see the list of existing dialogs for this bot.

  2. Create a new dialog

    In the Dialogs panel, click New. Give the dialog a clear name that describes its job, such as Check Order Status or Verify Identity, so other builders can find it later.

  3. Set the API name and description

    Confirm or adjust the auto-generated API name and add an optional description that explains what the dialog handles. Decide whether it should appear in the bot's options menu, then save.

  4. Add steps on the canvas

    With the dialog open, drag components from the Dialog Component Library onto the canvas to add Outbound Messages, Questions, Actions, and Rules. Configure each step in the Step Properties panel.

  5. Train the dialog intent and test

    If the dialog should be triggered directly by customers, add a dialog intent and train it with twenty or more utterances. Use the preview to test the conversation before activating the bot version.

Dialog Namerequired

A human-readable label shown in Bot Builder. Make it describe the dialog's purpose so the team can navigate the bot.

API Namerequired

The unique developer name used in references and metadata. Bot Builder suggests one from the dialog name and you can adjust it.

Descriptionrequired

Optional but recommended text explaining what the dialog does, which helps when a bot has dozens of dialogs to maintain.

Gotchas
  • A dialog with no associated intent will not fire from direct customer input. It can only be reached by navigation from another dialog.
  • Changes apply to the bot version you are editing. You must activate a new version for them to reach live customers, so test in preview first.
  • Do not pack an entire customer journey into one dialog. Extract reusable steps like identity checks into their own dialogs and navigate to them.

See the full Bot Dialog entry

Bot Dialog includes the definition, worked example, deep dive, related terms, and a quiz.