OXIAE / VIDEOIllustrative example

Website chatbots: a source link is not enough

See how a fictional course enquiry reveals whether a website chatbot uses relevant source pages, preserves conditions and recognises missing information.

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The spoken explanation, organised by chapter.

0:00A source link makes an answer reviewable

But a working link does not establish that the answer itself is correct.

0:05A visitor wants a suitable course

A fictional studio offers an introductory course. A visitor asks whether experience is required and whether weekends are possible. The page describes entry requirements but contains no weekend schedule.

0:19Connect the question to the right page

The chatbot searches agreed public pages. It can explain entry requirements and show the source. For weekends, it should identify the missing information and offer a relevant contact route.

0:31Keep conditions with the answer

Check whether the source supports each relevant claim. A beginner course does not mean all ages may attend. Nor should the chatbot infer a price, available place or date that the page never provides.

0:45Separate public and personal questions

The same visitor might ask about their own reservation. A public website chatbot does not thereby gain access to customer information. That question needs a separate appropriate route rather than an invented status.

0:59Manage source changes too

Who withdraws an old course page? How is the chatbot updated? Agree this in advance. If an update fails, old content must not silently reappear as confirmed current information.

1:12Test the complete visitor journey

Test missing answers, changed pages and misleading instructions in input. Also check mobile use, keyboard navigation and closing. Ordinary navigation and contact must remain available if the chat does not load.

1:27Start with one visitor question

Choose a question involving multiple pages or follow-ups. If a clear page or ordinary search is enough, improve that first. Then assess what the chatbot adds.

1:38See the worked example

Read OXIAE’s guide to website chat with public sources and clear information boundaries.