How to Test in Playground
The Playground is your testing environment where you can interact with your chatbot before deploying it to your website. Test responses, verify training, and ensure everything works perfectly.
Prerequisites
- An existing chatbot with some training data (FAQs or documents)
- Add FAQs or upload documents first for best results
Steps
Step 1: Open the Playground Tab
- Go to Chatbots in the sidebar
- Click on your chatbot to open it
- Click the Playground tab
Step 2: Start a Conversation
The Playground displays a chat interface identical to what visitors will see.
- Type a message in the input field at the bottom
- Press Enter or click the Send button
- Wait for the AI response
Step 3: Test Your FAQs
Test each FAQ you've added by asking the question in different ways:
Example FAQ: "What are your business hours?"
Test variations:
- "What are your hours?"
- "When are you open?"
- "What time do you close?"
- "Are you open on weekends?"
The AI should recognize these variations and respond appropriately.
Step 4: Test Edge Cases
Try these scenarios to ensure robust responses:
| Test Case | What to Try | Expected Behavior |
|---|
| Greeting | "Hello", "Hi there" | Friendly greeting response |
| Off-topic | Random unrelated questions | Polite redirect or "I don't know" |
| Complex query | Multi-part questions | Addresses main points |
| Typos | Misspelled words | Still understands intent |
| Human request | "Talk to a human" | Triggers handoff (if enabled) |
Step 5: Reset and Retry
To start a fresh conversation:
- Click the Reset button (or refresh icon) in the top right
- This clears the conversation history
- Start testing again from scratch
Use reset to:
- Test initial greeting experience
- Clear context between test scenarios
- Simulate a new visitor
Step 6: Review Responses
For each response, evaluate:
- Accuracy - Is the information correct?
- Relevance - Does it answer the question asked?
- Tone - Is it professional and on-brand?
- Completeness - Are all parts of the question addressed?
- Length - Too long or too short?
Testing Checklist
Before publishing, test these scenarios:
Basic Functionality
- [ ] Welcome message displays correctly
- [ ] Suggested questions work (if configured)
- [ ] Bot responds to greetings
- [ ] Bot handles "thank you" appropriately
FAQ Coverage
- [ ] Each FAQ responds correctly
- [ ] Variations of questions work
- [ ] Related questions show relevant answers
Edge Cases
- [ ] Unknown questions handled gracefully
- [ ] Multi-language support (if needed)
- [ ] Special characters handled
- [ ] Long messages processed correctly
Human Handoff (Growth+ with Human Support enabled)
- [ ] "Talk to a human" triggers handoff
- [ ] Handoff message displays correctly
- [ ] Human unavailable message works (after hours)
Design & UX
- [ ] Colors match your brand
- [ ] Avatar displays correctly
- [ ] Text is readable
- [ ] Mobile-friendly layout
Verify It's Working
Your chatbot is ready when:
- All common questions get accurate responses
- Edge cases are handled gracefully
- The experience feels natural and helpful
- No errors or unexpected behavior
Making Improvements
If responses aren't what you expect:
Response Too Generic
- Add more specific FAQs
- Upload relevant documents (Growth+)
- Include more context in answers
- Update the FAQ answer
- Check for conflicting FAQs
- Remove outdated information
Not Finding FAQs
- Add question variations
- Rephrase the question in your FAQ
- Use natural language in questions
Tone Issues
- Adjust FAQ answers to match brand voice
- Review welcome message wording
- Keep responses concise and professional
Troubleshooting
Bot Not Responding
- Check internet connection
- Refresh the page
- Ensure chatbot has training data (FAQs or documents)
Slow Responses
- AI processing takes a few seconds
- Complex queries may take longer
- Check your internet speed
Unexpected Responses
- The AI may interpret questions differently
- Add more FAQs for common variations
- Be more specific in your FAQ questions
Chat Not Loading
- Clear browser cache
- Try a different browser
- Check if chatbot status is active
Next Steps
Once you're satisfied with testing:
