How to create a bot for Google Home and Google Assistant

Through Bot Libre, you can now use your own bot to send and receive messages on Google Home or any other Google Assistant-compatible device. This "How To" will give you a step by step process to connect your bot with Google Assistant.

Step 1 - Create a Bot

First you must create a bot that you want to connect to Google Assistant, or you can use one of your existing bots. To create a bot, follow the instructions here: How to create your own chat bot in 10 clicks.

Step 2 - Create Google Assistant Action

Go to https://developers.google.com/actions/ and sign in to your Google account. Once you are signed in, click the "Go To Actions Console" button.

Click the "+ Add/import project" button to continue.

Enter a project name and select your language and country, then press "Create Project" to continue.

Next, select a category for your bot, or press "Skip" to pick later.

Step 3 - Google Assistant Action Settings

On the left sidebar, select the "Invocation" option.

From here, you can enter a "Display name" which the user will say or type to begin interacting with your bot. You can also select a voice that your bot will use on Google Assistant.

Press "Save" when finished. Next, click the "Actions" option on the left sidebar.

Click the "Add Your First Action" button. Select "Custom intent", then click the "Build" button on the bottom right.

A new tab will open for you to create a Dialogflow Agent.

Step 4 - Create Dialogflow Agent

Your project name should be filled in automatically when you enter this page. Click the "Create" button to continue.

Click the "Fulfillment" option on the left sidebar.

Click the "Webhook" toggle to enable it, then return to the Bot Libre website. 

On the Bot Libre website, navigate to your bot's Admin page by clicking the gear icon on your bot's page.

Select the "Google Assistant" link on your bot's Admin page to continue to the next screen.

Copy the "Google Assistant Webhook URL" to your clipboard and return to the Dialogflow website.

Paste the URL into the "URL" field, then scroll down and press the "Save" button.

Next, click the "Intents" option on the left sidebar.

Click on "Default Fallback Intent". Scroll to the bottom of the page and expand the Fulfillment section. Toggle "Enable webhook call for this intent" to the on position. Press the "Save" button. Repeat the same process for the "Default Welcome Intent".

Step 5 - Bot Libre Settings

You may now close the Dialogflow website and return to your bot's Admin page on the Bot Libre website.

In the "End Conversation Phrases" box, enter some phrases/words the user can say that will cause the conversation to end.

Click the "Save" button when finished.

Step 6 - Finish

You should now be able to test your bot using the Simulator available on the the Google Actions Console, or on any device associated with the Google account used to create your Google Assistant action. To test using the simulator, make sure the "Web & App Activity", "Device Information", and "Voice & Audio Activity" permissions are enabled on the Activity controls page for your Google Account.

To make your Google Assistant Action available to the public, click the "Directory information" option in the left sidebar and fill out the required information.

Next, click the "Release" option in the left sidebar. If all necessary information has been completed, you will be able to click the "Submit for Production" button to make your bot available to all Google Assistant users.

Your bot will now be able to send and receive messages on Google Home or any other Google Assistant-compatible device. If you encountered any issues, or would like help setting up your bot please email us at support@botlibre.com or upgrade to our Platinum service and we can build your bot for you.

You can now also talk to the Bot Libre Help Bot, Brain Bot, and Julie on Google Home and Google Assistant.

say "talk to Bot Libre" (lee bra) to talk with the Bot Libre Help Bot

say "talk to Brain chatbot" to talk with the Brain Bot

say "talk to Julie chatbot" to talk with the Julie