Bolt Assistants for Students
How do I create and manage Bolt Assistants for Students?
How do I create and manage Bolt Assistants for Students?
Navigate to Engagement > Bolt Assistants to manage assistants. From here, you can add new assistants, edit existing ones, preview their interactions, and customize their settings, including their name, type, skills, avatar, greeting, voice, and descriptions. Assistants must be assigned to a team to be active.
What are Teams, and what is their purpose?
What are Teams, and what is their purpose?
Teams are groups of Assistants that determine where and when the Assistants are active. By applying condition filters like Page URL, Path URL, UTM Parameters, and Conversation Channel, you can specify the pages where a team of Assistants should appear. The system evaluates teams sequentially, activating the first team whose conditions are met.
What skills can be assigned to Bolt Assistants?
What skills can be assigned to Bolt Assistants?
Skills enhance the task completion capabilities of Bolt Assistants. Examples include "Human Team Member Handoff," "Start an Application," "Get Application Status," "Register for Event," "Schedule Appointments," "Common App Knowledge," "Financial Aid Knowledge," and "Inquiry Flow." The specific skills available depend on the Element451 package.
How does Content Moderation work for Bolt Student Assistants?
How does Content Moderation work for Bolt Student Assistants?
Content Moderation automatically flags conversations containing inappropriate, harmful, or manipulative content based on predefined categories like hate speech, harassment, self-harm, and sexual content, using OpenAI's API. Customizable actions and flags allow efficient management of flagged content. Each flag can be configured with a custom message, priority, and actions (disable assistant, block conversation).
How should I test Bolt Assistants before making them live?
How should I test Bolt Assistants before making them live?
For Live Chat, create a test page and a Student Assistant Team with a page URL condition that limits the team to that page. For Email/SMS, create a test segment containing only test users and limit the Assistants to that segment in the channel settings. This allows you to test the Assistant's functionality and interactions before deployment.
What are Handoffs, and how do I configure them?
What are Handoffs, and how do I configure them?
Handoffs allow Bolt Student Assistants to transfer conversations they can't resolve to human agents. To configure handoffs:
Enable the "Team Member Handoff" skill in the Assistant's settings.
Create a Conversation Rule with the "Bolt Assistant Handoff Intent" condition to define the action taken upon handoff, such as assigning the conversation to a specific team or user. Rules can be specific (based on intent keywords like "financial aid") or apply to all handoff conversations.
Before creating a handoff rule, we strongly advise you to review our documentation for a complete understanding of the behavior.
How should I structure Bolt Assistants?
How should I structure Bolt Assistants?
Balance specialized and generalist assistants. Generalist assistants should handle broad inquiries on general website areas, while specialized assistants should focus on specific topics like academic programs or financial aid. Limit overlap in general contexts to avoid confusing responses and use internal descriptions to facilitate handoffs between assistants. Always test your assistants.
What is the difference between Bolt Assistants and Bolt Discovery?
What is the difference between Bolt Assistants and Bolt Discovery?
Bolt Discovery is a generative search tool that provides quick, accurate information from your knowledge base, acting as an alternative to traditional website search.
Bolt AI Student Assistants, on the other hand, are personalized digital team members designed to have 1:1 conversations with students, providing tailored support and guidance using the same knowledge base.
Bolt Discovery is ideal for instant information retrieval, while Bolt AI Assistants are better suited for complex, nuanced interactions requiring personalized advice. However, because of their integration with one another through messenger handoffs, they can be extremely powerful when used together.
Explore more here →
What's the difference between the various messenger conditions settings?
What's the difference between the various messenger conditions settings?
TL;DR
Conversation Settings > Messenger > Conditions: Controls where the Messenger chat widget exists on your external website (for the Messenger channel only).
Conversation Settings > Bolt Assistants > Teams: Teams organize your assistants and control where they are available using conditions. These conditions act as filters, determining which team is active based on criteria such as Page URL, Path URL, UTM parameters, and Conversation Channel (Messenger, SMS, or Email).
Conversation Settings > Bolt Assistants > Messenger Conditions: A less flexible alternative to using Teams for Messenger-only deployments (not recommended unless you only use the default assistant; even then, we recommend using a team).
Detailed Explanation
Conversation Settings > Messenger > Conditions
These conditions control the visibility of the Messenger widget on your external website pages. These settings determine where the Messenger chat bubble appears (and thus where a user could potentially interact with your Bolt Assistants if it's configured for Messenger).
Conversation Settings > Bolt Assistants > Messenger Conditions
This section is primarily intended for schools that exclusively use the default assistant in Messenger and don't utilize Teams. It's a direct way to specify that your Bolt Assistant should be active in the Messenger channel. However, even in this case, we strongly recommend using Teams instead, as it offers greater flexibility and control. This setting is essentially a shortcut for setting a Team condition of "Channel = Messenger."
Conversation Settings > Bolt Assistants > Teams
Teams are the central hub for managing Bolt Assistant deployment. You create a Team, add your assistant(s) to it, and then set conditions on the Team to control when and where the assistants appear. Teams allow you to group assistants and apply conditions based on various criteria like Page URL, Path URL, UTM parameters, and Conversation Channel.
Bolt Assistant returned an answer that didn't match my Knowledge Base.
Bolt Assistant returned an answer that didn't match my Knowledge Base.
If you’ve checked your Knowledge Base and confirmed that the content is accurate, here are some key things to consider:
Understanding Semantic Search Across All Sources
Bolt Assistants use semantic search to retrieve the most relevant chunks of information from your Knowledge Base—not the entire source. For example, if a student asks, “How many graduate programs do you offer?” the assistant will extract snippets of text that best match the query, regardless of whether they’re from a URL, Text Source, or Custom Answer.
This means the assistant’s response may only reflect the retrieved chunks, which could lead to incomplete or misinterpreted answers if the content isn’t clear, concise, or well-structured.
Prioritization of Custom Answers
Custom Answers are prioritized in Bolt Assistants because they are designed to provide direct, predefined responses to frequently asked questions. For example:
Anticipated Question: “How many graduate programs do you offer?”
Custom Answer: “We offer 10 graduate programs, including programs in Business, Education, and Healthcare.”
By using Custom Answers for specific, high-priority questions, you can ensure that the assistant provides accurate and comprehensive responses tailored to common inquiries.
Avoiding Duplicate or Conflicting Information
Duplicate or conflicting content in your Knowledge Base can lead to inconsistent answers. For example, if one source states, “We have 10 graduate programs,” and another incorrectly mentions “8 graduate programs,” the assistant may retrieve conflicting chunks of information, causing confusion.
What to do:
Regularly audit your Knowledge Base for duplicate or outdated content.
Use clear, specific language in your sources to avoid ambiguity.
If there is critical information students often ask about, like program counts or deadlines, include it as a Custom Answer to ensure consistency.
What should I name my Assistant?
What should I name my Assistant?
When naming your Bolt Assistant, choose something natural and engaging rather than a functional title like “Financial Aid” or “Admissions.” The assistant’s title (displayed next to its name) can provide added context, and the description can further explain its expertise.
Since the assistant may reference its name in greetings, a more natural, human-like name will create a better experience. For example, instead of “Financial Aid,” consider a name like “Finley” with the title Financial Aid Assistant to maintain clarity while keeping interactions more natural.
Bolt Assistants for Staff
What are Element451 Staff Assistants?
What are Element451 Staff Assistants?
Staff Assistants are AI-powered tools integrated within Element451 that leverage large language models (LLMs) to automate tasks, streamline communication, and provide quick access to information. They help staff members increase efficiency by generating content, answering questions about Element451 features, completing tasks, and summarizing information, all within a conversational interface and specialized modules. By handling routine and repetitive work, Staff Assistants free up staff time to focus on higher-priority activities.
Where can I access Staff Assistants within Element451?
Where can I access Staff Assistants within Element451?
Staff Assistants are accessible through the BoltAI interface, which can be found via the Start Page or top navigation bar. Additionally, Staff Assistant-powered tools are integrated throughout various modules within Element451, such as Campaigns, Conversations, and Pages. This pervasive integration ensures AI assistance is readily available wherever staff members are working.
How do the BoltAI Writing Tools enhance content creation and editing?
How do the BoltAI Writing Tools enhance content creation and editing?
BoltAI Writing Tools, powered by the Copywriter Assistant, streamline writing and editing within the Campaigns, Conversations, and Pages modules. These tools can generate custom replies, improve writing quality (e.g., fixing spelling and grammar), adjust tone, shorten or expand text, and translate content. They also offer a summarization feature, which creates shareable notes from conversations. These features save time and ensure content is polished and aligned with institutional brand guidelines.
What are shortcuts, and how do they expedite common tasks?
What are shortcuts, and how do they expedite common tasks?
Shortcuts are pre-defined actions that allow users to quickly access information or perform tasks within Element451 without typing out full prompts. They are categorized as General, User, and Contact shortcuts and are accessible via the Shortcuts tab in the BoltAI side sheet. Examples include "Catch Me Up" (provides a summary of recent tasks and conversations), "Summarize Contact" (generates a summary of a student's profile), and "User Tasks" (retrieves tasks assigned to a specific user).
How are Staff Assistants context-aware?
How are Staff Assistants context-aware?
Staff Assistants are designed to be context-aware, meaning they can automatically detect where you are within Element451 and tailor their responses and suggestions accordingly. For example, when viewing a student's record and using a shortcut like "Summarize Contact," the Staff Assistant will automatically populate the student's name. This eliminates the need for manual searches and selection, reducing errors and saving time.
What are the Brand Writing Style settings?
What are the Brand Writing Style settings?
Element451's Brand Writing Style settings allow you to customize the tone, voice, point of view, writing intent, language complexity, and formatting of content generated by Staff Assistants. You can manually adjust these settings or use the "Infer from Example" feature, which analyzes sample text to generate suggested style settings. Regularly updating and refining these settings ensures consistency and alignment with the institution's communication objectives. The Brand Writing Style Settings are accessible via Settings > General > Branding.
What is the purpose of the Campaigns and Pages Assistants?
What is the purpose of the Campaigns and Pages Assistants?
The Campaigns Assistant helps create comprehensive drip campaigns (creates multiple communications + the workflow that powers them), including generating subject lines, preview text, and email content with tone and grammar checks.
The Pages Assistant assists in developing ready-to-publish pages with branded headlines, text, and other components. Both assistants use natural language prompts and leverage the Knowledge Base and Content Tokens to personalize and tailor content.
Note that Campaigns and Pages Assistants are available with the Element Ignite and Engage packages.
Can I ask Staff Assistants to help me with Element451 features?
Can I ask Staff Assistants to help me with Element451 features?
Staff Assistants can provide immediate answers to questions about Element451 features and functionalities. By asking questions in natural language within the BoltAI interface, users can receive information sourced directly from Element451 help articles and product documentation. This allows users to quickly learn about features and resolve issues without leaving their current workflow.
Bolt Discovery
What is Bolt Discovery, and how does it differ from traditional search?
What is Bolt Discovery, and how does it differ from traditional search?
Bolt Discovery is an AI-powered search tool within the Element451 platform that utilizes large language models (LLMs) and natural language processing (NLP) to provide quick, relevant, and human-like responses to user queries. Unlike traditional search, which typically returns a list of links, Bolt Discovery comprehends the intent behind questions, providing direct answers and maintaining a conversational flow with follow-up questions.
Explore more here →
How can I integrate Bolt Discovery?
How can I integrate Bolt Discovery?
Bolt Discovery can be deployed in three main ways:
Element451 Pages: Add it as a content block, customizing the design and adding thread starters. You can also configure buttons to trigger Bolt Discovery with a pre-defined question.
Website Embedding: Embed a script into your website's header and use commands to trigger Bolt Discovery, or use the Element451 WordPress plugin for easier integration.
Shareable URL: Share the direct Bolt Discovery URL in communications, campaigns, or as a QR code. You can append a pre-configured question to the URL to create personalized experiences.
Explore more here →
What are Thread Starters, and how do I configure them?
What are Thread Starters, and how do I configure them?
Thread Starters are predefined prompts displayed under the search bar in Bolt Discovery, designed to guide users toward relevant information quickly.
They are configured in Bolt Discovery Settings by navigating to Engagement > Bolt Discovery > Settings > Starters. You can add a Title (what the student sees) and a Message (the question sent to Bolt Discovery). Optional conditions based on Page URL, Path URL, or UTM Parameters can be added to tailor the starters to specific contexts.
On Element451 Pages, starters are added and managed directly within the Content Block editor.
How does the 'Lead Capture Form' work in Bolt Discovery?
How does the 'Lead Capture Form' work in Bolt Discovery?
Bolt Discovery intelligently detects potential prospects based on their queries.
A follow-up question appears alongside search results and other intelligent follow-up questions.
The follow-up question button will have a paper/pencil emoji (📝) and typically displays a message like "I'd like to request more information about the
[program name]and the application process."
When a prospect clicks the prompt, either a custom form (selected from existing prospect-type forms) or a default form (asking for First Name, Last Name, and Email Address) appears.
Upon submission, the system checks if the user exists in the database; if so, the record is updated, and if not, a new contact record is created. A prospect milestone, including a link to the conversation thread, is then assigned to the contact.
Pro Tips for Accessing Prospects from Bolt Discovery
Use advanced filtering on the All Threads (Engagement > Bolt Discovery > All Threads) page to filter threads with submitted forms.
Create a calculated segment that uses the filter
Milestone Name is BoltDiscovery.When a form is submitted from Bolt Discovery, a prospect milestone is added. This applies whether you use the default form or a custom one. However, using a custom form, you can also create a segment based on form submissions. Just be aware that if the form is accessible outside of Discovery, then contacts completing it in those locations will also be included in your segment.
A significant benefit to using this method is that you can also utilize the segment as a trigger in a workflow. When a contact joins the segment, you can automate processes like assigning a task to an admissions counselor to follow up or sending a campaign to the contact.
How does Bolt Discovery integrate with Messenger?
How does Bolt Discovery integrate with Messenger?
Bolt Discovery intelligently detects when the user could benefit from connecting with someone from your team.
This feature is only available when Messenger is enabled on the same page as Bolt Discovery.
A follow-up question appears alongside search results and other intelligent follow-up questions.
The follow-up question button will have a chat bubble emoji (💬) and typically displays a message like "Can you connect me with someone who can provide more details about
[thread topic]?" or "I have additional questions about[thread topic]. Can I speak to a representative?"
Clicking the button opens the Messenger widget, closes Bolt Discovery, and sends the original question via Messenger on the user's behalf.
If you have Bolt Assistants enabled and the conditions are met for their execution, they will assist the student. Otherwise, your human staff can manage the conversation just like any other Messenger conversation.
Where does Bolt Discovery get information and how do I add to it?
Where does Bolt Discovery get information and how do I add to it?
Bolt Discovery uses your public Knowledge Base. You add knowledge sources by navigating to Data + Automations > Knowledge. In addition to your curated knowledge base, Element451 pre-loads universal information from financialaid.gov and commonapp.org. These are the only sources used by Bolt Discovery.
What is the difference between Bolt Discovery and Bolt Assistants?
What is the difference between Bolt Discovery and Bolt Assistants?
Bolt Discovery is a generative search tool that provides quick, accurate information from your knowledge base, acting as an alternative to traditional website search.
Bolt AI Student Assistants, on the other hand, are personalized digital team members designed to have 1:1 conversations with students, providing tailored support and guidance using the same knowledge base.
Bolt Discovery is ideal for instant information retrieval, while Bolt AI Assistants are better suited for complex, nuanced interactions requiring personalized advice. However, because of their integration with one another through messenger handoffs, they can be extremely powerful when used together.
Knowledge Base
What is the purpose + importance of my Knowledge Base?
What is the purpose + importance of my Knowledge Base?
The Knowledge Base is the foundation for Element451's BoltAI features (Bolt Assistants for Students and Staff and Bolt Discovery), providing the information these tools use to answer user queries and create content.
It powers the semantic understanding behind these tools, enabling them to analyze the meaning behind questions and retrieve relevant knowledge.
Maintaining a healthy Knowledge Base ensures BoltAI delivers accurate and contextual answers, empowering students, staff, and users while freeing up your team.
What is the difference between the Public and Private Knowledge Base?
What is the difference between the Public and Private Knowledge Base?
The Public repository is used by Bolt Assistants (both Student and Staff) and Bolt Discovery. It contains general knowledge accessible to students and staff.
The Private repository is exclusive to Bolt Assistants for Staff and is designed for internal institutional knowledge, such as internal policies and procedures. Use the Public repository for information you want both students and staff to access, and use the Private repository for information only internal staff should see. It is recommended to specify that the Staff Assistant use information from the internal knowledge base to avoid searching the Element451 help center.
What are the different types of sources that can be added?
What are the different types of sources that can be added?
The Knowledge Base supports several source types:
Text: For adding knowledge directly as text. Best for simple information but remember that formatting will not be retained.
URL: For linking to a single webpage. Ideal when you want updates to your website to automatically update the Knowledge Base via daily sync.
Website: For adding information from a collection of webpages via a website's sitemap. Useful for quickly adding content from multiple related pages. A best practice is to limit website knowledge sources to 20-30 pages.
File Upload: For uploading documents. Use for existing documents but be mindful of file size (under 10MB is recommended). Formats supported include .eml, .html, .json, .md, .msg, .rst, .rtf, .txt, .xml, .jpeg, .png, .csv, .doc, .docx, .epub, .odt, .pdf, .ppt, .pptx, .tsv, .xlsx.
Custom Answers: For creating specific question-and-answer pairs. Prioritized by BoltAI and best for frequently asked questions and crucial information.
How can I use the Insights Dashboards to improve the performance of BoltAI?
How can I use the Insights Dashboards to improve the performance of BoltAI?
The Insights Dashboards provide metrics for understanding how your Knowledge Base is performing.
The Conversations Dashboard (for Bolt Assistants) shows metrics such as the number of times an assistant encountered an uncertain response (Knowledge Base Gap Card and Log) and the most referenced articles.
The Bolt Discovery Dashboard shows gaps in Discovery results, common search terms leading to unanswered queries, and top articles referenced. Use the Query Log to evaluate the accuracy of answers and identify areas for improvement. Identify common trends in the logs and keyword data to prioritize adding detailed content in specific areas.
An answer provided doesn't match the information in my Knowledge Base
An answer provided doesn't match the information in my Knowledge Base
First, ensure the information in your Knowledge Base is accurate and clearly states key facts. If you’ve confirmed that the content is accurate, here are some key things to consider:
Understanding Semantic Search Across All Sources
Bolt Assistants use semantic search to retrieve the most relevant chunks of information from your Knowledge Base—not the entire source. For example, if a student asks, “How many graduate programs do you offer?” the assistant will extract snippets of text that best match the query, regardless of whether they’re from a URL, Text Source, or Custom Answer.
This means the assistant’s response may only reflect the retrieved chunks, which could lead to incomplete or misinterpreted answers if the content isn’t clear, concise, or well-structured.
Prioritization of Custom Answers
Custom Answers are prioritized in Bolt Assistants because they are designed to provide direct, predefined responses to frequently asked questions. For example:
Anticipated Question: “How many graduate programs do you offer?”
Custom Answer: “We offer 10 graduate programs, including programs in Business, Education, and Healthcare.”
By using Custom Answers for specific, high-priority questions, you can ensure that the assistant provides accurate and comprehensive responses tailored to common inquiries.
Avoiding Duplicate or Conflicting Information
Duplicate or conflicting content in your Knowledge Base can lead to inconsistent answers. For example, if one source states, “We have 10 graduate programs,” and another incorrectly mentions “8 graduate programs,” the assistant may retrieve conflicting chunks of information, causing confusion.
What to do:
Regularly audit your Knowledge Base for duplicate or outdated content.
Use clear, specific language in your sources to avoid ambiguity.
If there is critical information students often ask about, like program counts or deadlines, include it as a Custom Answer to ensure consistency.
Can I add my social media URLs (like Facebook and Instagram) as sources?
Can I add my social media URLs (like Facebook and Instagram) as sources?
The Knowledge Base cannot ingest or retrieve content from your social media accounts, such as posts, comments, or updates. However, you can add your social media handles or URLs as a Text Source or Custom Answer to make them accessible for sharing with students.
For example: “You can check out Element University on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ElementUniversity!”
This allows your Bolt Assistants or Bolt Discovery to provide links to your social media pages when students ask how to find you online. Keep in mind that this is for sharing access to your pages—not the content within them.
We've updated a page on our website, but BoltAI returns outdated information.
We've updated a page on our website, but BoltAI returns outdated information.
Ensure you have daily sync enabled on the page in question. This will ensure that BoltAI checks for updates on that page each day. Alternatively, you can use the "relearn" feature on a source to capture the most recent information.
To ensure we only reindex pages with updated information, Daily Sync will reindex a webpage only when BoltAI detects that a change has been made. BoltAI verifies this by checking the following:
The last-modified header
The etag header
The meta tag in the HTML with name="date"
The sitemap lastmod date
Can I index my entire .edu site using a single website knowledge source?
Can I index my entire .edu site using a single website knowledge source?
While it is technically possible to index entire websites (although larger sites may exceed our rate limit), there are downsides to this approach. One is that many college and university websites have outdated or contradictory information listed on different pages. By adding an entire site, we may inadvertently include information that could confuse Bolt Assistants.
Using the Website loader, you can start at a path you are most confident in. For example, if you work in admissions like elementuniversity.edu/admissions. You can also select/deselect one or more pages/paths to include/exclude from your website knowledge source.
We recommend keeping individual website knowledge sources to, at most, 20-30 web pages.