Chatty Form Documentation

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Emails Feature in Chatty Form

This guide explains how to configure and use the email notification system to receive alerts when your chatbot receives new submissions.

Overview

The email notifications feature allows you to receive automatic email alerts whenever someone completes your chatbot form. This helps you stay on top of new leads, inquiries, or submissions without constantly checking your dashboard.

Enabling Email Notifications

Step 1: Access Email Settings

  1. Go to your chatbot's flow builder
  2. Click on the "Settings" tab (gear icon)
  3. Navigate to the Settings section within the settings panel
  4. Locate the "Email" configuration options

Step 2: Enable Email Collection

  1. Find the "Email Enabled" toggle or checkbox
  2. Switch it ON to enable email functionality
  3. This setting allows your chatbot to collect and send email notifications

Step 3: Configure Notification Email

  1. Locate the "Notification Email" field
  2. Enter the email address where you want notifications sent
  3. This can be your personal email, a team inbox, or a CRM intake address
  4. Double-check the spelling before saving

Step 4: Save Settings

  1. Click the "Save" button to apply your changes
  2. You'll receive a confirmation that settings were saved successfully
  3. The email notification system is now active for this chatbot

Email Notification Configuration

Required Fields

  • Email Enabled: Must be toggled ON to activate the feature
  • Notification Email: The address where submission notifications will be sent

Important Notes

  • Only one email address can be configured per chatbot
  • The email field validates to ensure only one email address is entered
  • Notifications begin immediately after you save the settings
  • Notifications are sent for every completed submission

How Email Notifications Work

When Notifications Are Sent

  • Each time a user completes your chat workflow
  • After the user submits all required information
  • Once the conversation reaches its designated end point
  • Only for published chatbots (draft chatbots don't send notifications)

Email Content

  • Contains the collected data from the user's conversation
  • Includes timestamps for when the submission occurred
  • Shows the submission ID for reference
  • May include the user's path through your chat flow (depending on system capabilities)

Delivery Timing

  • Notifications are sent almost instantly after submission
  • Delivery depends on email server processing times
  • May be subject to spam filters - add the sender to safe list

Managing Email Settings

Updating Notification Email

  1. Return to the Settings page for your chatbot
  2. Modify the Notification Email field with the new address
  3. Save the updated settings
  4. Test by making a sample submission

Disabling Email Notifications

  1. Go to your chatbot's settings
  2. Toggle "Email Enabled" to OFF
  3. Save your settings
  4. No more notifications will be sent for this chatbot

Validating Email Address

The system includes validation to ensure:

  • Proper email format (contains @ and domain)
  • Only one email address is entered (no commas, semicolons, or multiple addresses)
  • The input field contains valid email characters

Best Practices

Choosing Notification Recipients

  • Use a monitored email address that responds to submissions quickly
  • Consider using a shared team inbox for collaborative follow-ups
  • Ensure the recipient has authority to act on the submitted information
  • Set up email filters to organize chatbot notifications

Follow-Up Procedures

  • Establish a process for responding to email notifications
  • Create templates for common follow-up responses
  • Track response times for quality assurance
  • Assign responsibility for different types of submissions

Email Management

  • Periodically verify the notification email remains valid
  • Set up email rules to manage incoming notifications
  • Archive or organize emails as they're processed
  • Consider integration with CRM systems if available

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Notifications Not Arriving

  • Problem: Email notifications are not being received
  • Solution: Verify the email address is correct and properly formatted
  • Solution: Check spam/junk folders in the recipient inbox
  • Solution: Confirm the chatbot is published, not in draft mode
  • Solution: Test by making a submission and checking immediately

Invalid Email Address Error

  • Problem: System shows validation error for email
  • Solution: Ensure only one email address is entered
  • Solution: Check for extra spaces, commas, or other unintended characters
  • Solution: Verify the email format is correct ([email protected])

Receiving Duplicate Notifications

  • Problem: Multiple notification emails for one submission
  • Solution: Check that only one email address is entered
  • Solution: Verify no duplicate configurations exist
  • Solution: Contact support if issue persists

Incorrect Notification Content

  • Problem: Email doesn't contain all expected submission data
  • Solution: Verify your chat flow properly captures all required fields
  • Solution: Check that all input fields have appropriate names for identification
  • Solution: Test a full flow submission to verify data capture

Security and Privacy Considerations

Data Protection

  • Submitted information is sent securely to your specified email
  • Ensure any sensitive data complies with privacy regulations (GDPR, etc.)
  • Consider encryption of emails if dealing with highly sensitive information
  • Secure the recipient email account with strong authentication

Privacy Compliance

  • Inform users that their data will trigger email notifications
  • Include this in your privacy policy
  • Consider data retention policies for email records
  • Ensure compliance with regional privacy laws

Integration Possibilities

CRM Integration

  • Use email notifications to trigger CRM workflows
  • Forward notifications to CRM intake systems
  • Set up automated tagging based on submission content
  • Link notifications to existing customer records

Team Workflow

  • Route notifications to appropriate team members based on content
  • Create assignment rules for notification distribution
  • Set up escalation procedures for unanswered notifications
  • Track notification response rates and effectiveness

Monitoring and Reporting

Effectiveness Tracking

  • Monitor how quickly your team responds to email notifications
  • Track conversion rates from notification to follow-up
  • Measure the impact of timely responses on engagement
  • Assess whether email notifications are meeting your business goals

System Reliability

  • Periodically test that notifications still arrive correctly
  • Monitor email bounce-backs or delivery issues
  • Track successful delivery rates
  • Have backup processes in case of email system failures

Need Help?

  • Verify all configuration steps have been completed
  • Check that your email address was entered correctly
  • Ensure your chatbot is published before expecting notifications
  • Contact support if technical issues persist