My team and I had been testing a chatbot using MS Botframework, QNAMaker and Azure services. The test is done in the Webchat Channel that is commonly default. We noticed that when the bot replies with an image in IE11, it does not render the image. It's an FAQ bot and all answers come from QNAMaker.
We tested this chatbot on other browsers like Firefox, Chrome and Edge and they all work fine. I even tried reapplying the markdown code used in QNAMAker that is ![Alternate (https://www.google.png) and nothing.
The expected result is that the image that comes from QNAMaker is rendered in the webchat channel in IE11 browser.
I am trying to embed our bot in a customer's IE11 :( We have our own embed but we are facing that Cross Origin Request is not supported. I am even willing to just embed the standard Microsoft in page embed (that chat box with a blue top border) but users need to say something with that embed first before bot starts opening sentence..
So my questions are:
Are there any workarounds?
Is there any working web embed that I just can reuse and plug my directline into?
Is there a way to have this default microsoft embed startup the opening sentence automatically on loading?
Initially, I built up a test agent on DialogFlow console according to the document, and it works well on the Actions On Google which is a simulator of Google Assistant on mobile devices.
Then, I deployed it through the Release in the left menu as you can see the pic attached.
deployed successfully
After that, I added some Alpha Testers including my colleague and sent my opt-in link to my colleague, besides, I granted them all the viewer permission in IAM.
However, problem appeared. It didn't work well on my testers’ phone(IOS 10+) but only worked well on developer's account(mine). When they opened the link I sent to them, and clicked send to devices, then clicked the notification on top of the screen.
send to device
The result is shown as below.
Google Assistant didn't respond to "Talk to mytest app"
In my case the command was set as "Talk to hello qad", and it did work well on my phone used the developer account.
developer account works well
If my tester input the text "Talk to hello qad", it just replied some direct searching results not hello qad diaglog.
To recap:
My action has already been in "deployed" status for couple of days
I've added the tester accounts in whitelist and give them "Viewer" permission in IAM
Testers could see the action directory page in devices by open opt-in link, but they couldn't see the "I'm In" button and couldn't access the action
Appreciate for any help or advice
During my project development, I also faced a similar issue. This is how managed to do testing:
Made sure all Google Accounts were created with the US as the country.
Through IAM, share AoG project with the tester's Google accounts.
All testers to open the shared simulator link in their browsers. This is important!
Test the app on browser first using the simulator.
Once tested, use any device with the whitelisted Google Accounts.
US country was required for my use case as I was having Transaction API in my Assistant. I had to also mock my location to the US on mobile for testing US specific features.
See if the above steps help you.
I contacted Google and this is what they said:
You have to copy the link to the notes app, and then click it and in the prompt, choose “Open in Assistant”.
Full text:
Please ensure that the opt-in link is opened in Google Assistant app and not in a browser. At this time, Google Assistant app is only available in USA. For opening an opt-in link in iPhone or any iOS device, please follow the steps below:
1. Download the Assistant App in App Store
2. Log in using the included account for Beta testing
3. Copy the opt-in URL to Notes app
4. Hold press the opt-in link then select 'Open in "Assistant"'. Google Assistant and App page in the Assistant Directory will be displayed.
5. Scroll down the page until you see the "Become a Beta tester" section
6. Click the I'M IN button
7. Test the Action
This does not work for me, probably because I am not in the US. However, the app is of course available here.
I ran into a similar issue with Google Actions/Dialog Flow. Here is how I resolved it...
Share the app from within DialogFlow to the test user
Copy the current DialogFlow URL from the address bar
Launch an Incognito Window
Paste the DialogFlow URL from Step 2 in the address bar
Log into DialogFlow using the test account
At the Standard Google Account Access Prompt Allow the access so your Google Action can talk to DialogFlow.
I couldn't find this documented anywhere and wasted about 8 hours figuring it out.
For me it only worked after I shared with the user the link to test on desktop that look likes: https://console.actions.google.com/project/XXX/simulatorcreate?isDeepLink the one you can get the the console menu on the sharing icon.
I asked him to login with same google email he has opted-in in Google Assistant and
to verify if when mouse over on the devices icon on the menu he would see "Testing on Device: Enabled
You currently are able to test your Actions on all
Assistant devices connected to "xxxx#gmail.com". "
Then he could invoque almost right away the alpha version of the BOT.
All that considering that he has already clicked on the opt-in link, I had added his emails as a Alpha tester and I had also added him as a Viewer on Permissions at the console admin https://console.cloud.google.com/iam-admin.
If you are a developer of the project, the test version is enabled by default on your device. If you want to access the alpha and beta versions, make sure to disable the ‘Testing on device’ option on the Actions Console simulator.
Add users before deploying alpha release
I feel obligated to copy dedman's comment on your question here, since his solution worked for me and is the only one directly addressing the problem at hand: an alpha release is not available to testers you have added after deploying the release.
As stated in question, you first deployed the test version and then added alpha testers. You might have to publish new alpha version "after adding the testers" and then wait till you get "deployed" status on the new alpha release too... – dedman
I was encountering this exact problem with the Alpha release of my Action, i.e. assistant not responding on alpha users devices, even though I had deployed the release, shared the opt-in link with users and had them click on it to opt-in. Deploying a new alpha release after users had clicked the opt-in link solved the problem and the action is now responding correctly for all users.
IAM Viewer status is not mandatory
By the way, I can also confirm your suspicion that "Viewer" permission in IAM is not needed for alpha users to have access to your release - they only need to opt-in before you deploy a new release.
The chatbot style on the web channel changed from this:
right version (the left chat)
to this:
different version (still the left one)
to see the screenshots copy and paste manually in the browser
I do not know why but the web chat and direct line channels look the same now. How do I get the welcoming message and the icon on top again? This is the code in my HTML file:
<iframe style="height: 500px; width:350px;" src='https://webchat.botframework.com/embed/BOT_NAME?s=SECRET_FROM_WEB_CHAT'></iframe>
In the portal I have the bot details saved like this:
link
Any idea? Maybe I changed something accidentally?
The one on the left is the old style I haven't seen in some years. The one on the right is the modern style. I think you got upgraded. Andy
I am trying to test my agent on a real device. Following instruction from
Official Google video
However, my panel for integrating Actions on Google doesn't look similar to the one shown in the video.
I see neither AUTHORIZE nor PREVIEW button. I can not set invocation name and TTS voice as well.
I attached my panel that I see. Is there anything missing?
My Action on Google dialog:
That video predates recent changes in the API.AI Actions on Google screen.
The name and voice are now set in the Actions Console, but neither are required to do testing.
If you're willing to accept the default voice for testing, you can
Click on the "Test" button in the screen you're referencing.
You can then go to the Simulator (there will be a link provided) or ask any Assistant device (such as Home) to start your action with "Talk to my test app".
They launched this new platform on the Google I/O.
Now you have the invocation name and everything else in the Actions on Google Console.
It's a pretty intuitive platform, the only annoying thing is that you need to fulfill all of the App information before testing. You can see that the simulator is in this console as well.
Whenever you modify things in API.ai, click the UPDATE button (the one in your print screen), then TEST. Then you can test in the console simulator.