How To: Create Your First Bot
Tutorial 1 of the Getting Started Series
Follow these simple steps to create a working bot in 10 minutes
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ 🤖 CREATE YOUR FIRST BOT │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Step │───▶│ Step │───▶│ Step │───▶│ Step │ │ │
│ │ │ 1 │ │ 2 │ │ 3 │ │ 4 │ │ │
│ │ │ Access │ │ Create │ │Configure│ │ Test │ │ │
│ │ │ Suite │ │ Bot │ │ Bot │ │ Bot │ │ │
│ │ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Objective
By the end of this tutorial, you will have:
- Created a new bot instance
- Configured basic settings
- Written a simple greeting
- Tested your bot by talking to it
Time Required
⏱️ 10 minutes
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:
- Access to General Bots Suite (URL provided by your administrator)
- A web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)
- Administrator or Bot Creator permissions
Step 1: Access the Suite
1.1 Open Your Browser
Launch your preferred web browser by clicking its icon.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🌐 Browser [─][□][×]│
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ← → ↻ │ https://your-company.bot:8080 │ ☆ │ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Loading... │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
1.2 Navigate to Your General Bots URL
Type your General Bots address in the address bar and press Enter.
💡 Tip: Your URL will look something like:
http://localhost:8080(development)https://bots.yourcompany.com(production)https://app.pragmatismo.cloud(cloud hosted)
1.3 Log In (If Required)
If you see a login screen:
- Enter your username or email
- Enter your password
- Click Sign In
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ┌────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 🤖 General Bots │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Username: │ │
│ │ ┌────────────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ admin@company.com │ │ │
│ │ └────────────────────┘ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Password: │ │
│ │ ┌────────────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ •••••••••••• │ │ │
│ │ └────────────────────┘ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ ┌────────────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Sign In ──► │ │ │
│ │ └────────────────────┘ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
✅ Checkpoint: You should now see the General Bots Suite interface.
Step 2: Create a New Bot
2.1 Open the Apps Menu
Click the nine-dot grid icon (⋮⋮⋮) in the top-right corner of the screen.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🤖 General Bots [⋮⋮⋮] ◄── Click here │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ │
2.2 Select “Sources”
From the apps menu that appears, click Sources.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ┌───────────────────┐ │
│ │ 💬 Chat │ │
│ │ 📁 Drive │ │
│ │ ✓ Tasks │ │
│ │ ✉ Mail │ │
│ │ 📝 Paper │ │
│ │ 📊 Analytics │ │
│ │ ▶ 📋 Sources ◀───┼─── Click here │
│ │ 🎨 Designer │ │
│ │ ⚙️ Settings │ │
│ └───────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
2.3 Click “New Bot”
In the Sources application, locate and click the New Bot button.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Sources │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │
│ │ Templates │ │ Prompts │ │ Bots │ ◄── Active Tab │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Your Bots ┌─────────────────┐ │
│ ───────── │ ➕ New Bot │ ◄── Click │
│ └─────────────────┘ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ No bots yet. Create your first bot! │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
2.4 Enter Bot Details
A dialog box will appear. Fill in the following fields:
| Field | What to Enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bot Name | A unique identifier (no spaces) | mycompany |
| Display Name | Friendly name shown to users | My Company Assistant |
| Description | What your bot does | Helps employees find information |
| Template | Starting point (select from dropdown) | default |
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Create New Bot [×] │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Bot Name * │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ mycompany │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ ⚠️ Use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only │
│ │
│ Display Name * │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ My Company Assistant │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Description │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Helps employees find information and complete tasks │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Template │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ default [▼] │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ │
│ │ Cancel │ │ Create Bot ──► │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
2.5 Click “Create Bot”
Click the Create Bot button to create your bot.
💡 Tip: The bot creation process takes a few seconds. You’ll see a progress indicator.
✅ Checkpoint: Your new bot should appear in the bot list.
Step 3: Configure Basic Settings
3.1 Open Bot Settings
Click on your new bot to select it, then click Settings (or the ⚙️ icon).
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Your Bots │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 🤖 mycompany [⚙️] │◄──│
│ │ My Company Assistant │ │
│ │ Status: ● Active │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
Click the ⚙️ icon
3.2 Set the Welcome Message
Find the Welcome Message field and enter a friendly greeting:
Welcome Message:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Hello! 👋 I'm your Company Assistant. I can help you with: │
│ │
│ • Finding documents and information │
│ • Answering questions about policies │
│ • Creating tasks and reminders │
│ │
│ How can I help you today? │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
3.3 Configure AI Model (Optional)
If you have API keys for AI services, configure them:
| Setting | Description | Example Value |
|---|---|---|
| LLM Provider | AI service to use | anthropic |
| Model | Specific model | claude-sonnet-4.5 |
| API Key | Your API key | sk-... |
⚠️ Warning: Keep your API keys secret. Never share them.
3.4 Save Settings
Click the Save button to save your configuration.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Bot Settings [×] │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ [General] [AI Model] [Channels] [Advanced] │
│ │
│ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ │
│ ┌────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 💾 Save │◄────│
│ └────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Click Save
✅ Checkpoint: Your settings are saved. The bot is ready to test.
Step 4: Test Your Bot
4.1 Open Chat
Click the Chat app from the Apps Menu (⋮⋮⋮).
4.2 Select Your Bot
If you have multiple bots, select yours from the bot dropdown:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 💬 Chat [mycompany ▼] │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 🤖 My Company Assistant │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Hello! 👋 I'm your Company Assistant. I can help │ │
│ │ you with: │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ • Finding documents and information │ │
│ │ • Answering questions about policies │ │
│ │ • Creating tasks and reminders │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ How can I help you today? │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Type your message... [↑] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
4.3 Send a Test Message
Type a simple message and press Enter:
You: Hello!
4.4 Verify the Response
Your bot should respond! If it does, congratulations — your bot is working!
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 👤 You │ │
│ │ Hello! │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ 🤖 My Company Assistant │ │
│ │ Hello! How can I assist you today? │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
✅ Checkpoint: Your bot responds to messages. Setup complete!
🎉 Congratulations!
You have successfully created your first bot! Here’s what you accomplished:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ✓ Accessed General Bots Suite │
│ ✓ Created a new bot instance │
│ ✓ Configured basic settings │
│ ✓ Tested the bot with a conversation │
│ │
│ Your bot "mycompany" is now ready to use! │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Troubleshooting
Problem: “Create Bot” button is disabled
Cause: Required fields are empty or invalid.
Solution:
- Check that Bot Name contains only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
- Ensure Display Name is not empty
- Verify a template is selected
Problem: Bot doesn’t respond
Cause: AI model not configured or API key invalid.
Solution:
- Open bot settings
- Verify AI model configuration
- Check that API key is correct
- Ensure you have API credits remaining
Problem: “Permission denied” error
Cause: Your account doesn’t have bot creation rights.
Solution:
- Contact your administrator
- Request “Bot Creator” or “Administrator” role
Problem: Page won’t load
Cause: Network or server issue.
Solution:
- Check your internet connection
- Try refreshing the page (F5 or Ctrl+R)
- Clear browser cache
- Contact your system administrator
What You Learned
In this tutorial, you learned:
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Bot Instance | A unique bot with its own configuration |
| Bot Name | Technical identifier used internally |
| Display Name | Friendly name shown to users |
| Template | Pre-built starting point for your bot |
| Welcome Message | First message users see |
Next Steps
Now that you have a working bot, continue learning:
| Next Tutorial | What You’ll Learn |
|---|---|
| Your First Conversation | Understanding how conversations work |
| Add Knowledge Base Documents | Teaching your bot from files |
| Write Your First Dialog | Creating custom conversation flows |
Quick Reference
Bot Naming Rules
- ✅
mycompany— Good - ✅
hr-assistant— Good - ✅
support2024— Good - ❌
My Company— No spaces - ❌
HR_Bot— No underscores - ❌
Support@2024— No special characters
Essential Settings Checklist
- Bot Name (unique identifier)
- Display Name (user-friendly)
- Welcome Message (first impression)
- AI Model (for responses)
- Language (for localization)
Tutorial 1 of 30 • Back to How-To Index • Next: Your First Conversation →