Core Concepts

Understand the building blocks of Monology and how they work together.

How It All Connects

Chatbot
Widget
Conversation

Chatbots define the logic → Widgets deploy the interface → Conversations capture interactions

Chatbots

A Chatbot is the execution strategy for conversations. It defines how your chatbot responds to users through a series of connected steps. Every chatbot has:

  • A Start (entry point)
  • An End (exit point)
  • One or more processing steps in between
Learn more about Chatbots

Step Types

Steps are the building blocks of chatbots. Each step type serves a specific purpose:

Start
Entry point for every conversation. Configure auto-reply messages and initial instructions.
AI Agent
AI-powered step that processes messages using LLMs. Supports tools, knowledge bases, and structured outputs.
Branch
Control flow based on conditions. Route conversations using AND/OR logic on previous responses.
Form step
Render custom forms to collect structured data from users during conversations.
Message
Send fixed messages with optional dynamic variables from previous step responses.
Action
Perform external actions: send emails, Slack messages, API calls, or create Zendesk tickets.
End
Terminates the chatbot. Attach widgets and configure sharing options here.

Widgets

A Widget is the user-facing chat interface that connects to a chatbot. Widgets are highly customizable and can be embedded on websites or shared via links.

Widget capabilities:

  • Full theme customization (colors, sizes, animations)
  • Identity verification for spam reduction
  • Token limits per user/IP
  • Origin whitelisting for security
  • Multiple embedding options (JS, React, shareable links)
Learn more about Widgets

Forms

Forms allow you to collect structured data from users during conversations. Create custom forms with various field types and attach them to Form steps in your chatbots.

Supported field types include: Text, Email, Number, Phone, File upload, Checkbox, Dropdown, Radio buttons, Toggle switches, and Star ratings.

Learn more about Forms

Conversations

Conversations are the recorded interactions between users and your chatbot. Each conversation captures:

  • All user and bot messages
  • Form submissions
  • Client information (IP, browser, device)
  • Timeline and duration
  • Associated chatbot and widget
Learn more about Conversations

Knowledge Base

A Knowledge Base is a collection of your data that Agent steps can access to provide accurate, context-aware responses. You can add knowledge from:

  • CSV files - Structured data in tabular format
  • PDF files - Documents, manuals, guides
  • Website links - Web pages to crawl and index
Important: The quality of AI responses depends on the quality of your data. Ensure your knowledge base content is clean, accurate, and well-organized.