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Set Up Your Chatbot

Quick Setup

Most hotels set messages, bot instruction, and live chat hours in about 7 minutes.

This guide helps you configure chatbot messages, reply behavior, access, and live chat hours. Use it when you need consistent guest answers and after-hours handling.

Go to: Chatbot → Setup

Quick Reference​

TaskWhere to clickResult
Set a welcome messageBot Configuration → Welcome MessageGuests see your greeting first
Set a fallback replyBot Configuration → Default AnswerGuests get a response when no match exists
Define the bot’s toneBot Configuration → Bot InstructionThe chatbot follows your guidance
Choose the answer engineAdvanced Settings → Answer EngineSwitch between RAG and Agent (Pi)
Adjust reply styleAdvanced SettingsControls temperature, token cap, retrieval depth, and grounding mode
Enable Skill ModeAdvanced Settings → Skill ModeUses your configured Vertex ADK skill for streamed GenAI replies
Enable guest reservation verificationWidget & Access → Guest reservation verificationGuests identify their stay before chat starts
Run Quick SetupQuick SetupPre-fills messages and tone
Choose chat modeWidget & Access → Chat modeAI, live chat, or hybrid
Set live chat hoursWidget & Access → Operating HoursStaff replies only during open windows
Create a landing pageWidget & Access → Create Landing PageGuest link and QR options appear
Customize QR print sheetsWidget & Access → QR Print TemplateRoom and location sheets use your design
Allow widget domainsWidget & Access → Whitelisted DomainsWidget loads on your websites

Plan Access​

  • Chatbot setup requires a paid plan.
  • Free-tier accounts see an upgrade prompt and cannot save changes.

To upgrade, go to Settings → Billing & Subscription.

Before You Start​

Confirm these requirements:

  • You have permission to manage Chatbot settings
  • Your plan includes Chatbot features
  • You know the tone you want the bot to use

Configure Bot Messages​

  1. Go to Chatbot → Setup

  2. Stay on the Bot Configuration tab

  3. Update Welcome Message with a short greeting

  4. Update Default Answer with a helpful fallback reply

  5. Click Save under each card

    ✓ A success message appears.

Set the Bot Instruction​

  1. In Bot Instruction, describe the tone and rules

  2. Press Enter to add a new line for separate rules or examples

  3. Click Save

    ✓ The instruction is stored and used by the chatbot.

Good instruction examples

“Be concise and friendly. Ask a follow-up question if you are unsure.”

Multi-line instructions

You can paste multi-line instructions with separate rules, examples, or exceptions.

Set Advanced Reply Settings​

  1. Click Advanced Settings in the page header.

  2. In Answer Engine, choose RAG or Agent (Pi).

  3. Review the Generation section for reply behavior.

  4. If you choose RAG, review the Retrieval section.

  5. In Retrieval, turn Disable grounding RAG engine on or off.

  6. Set values within these ranges:

    • Temperature: 0 to 1
    • Top P: 0 to 1
    • Max Output Tokens: 500 to 3024
    • Retrieval K: 1 to 7

  7. If you turn on Disable grounding RAG engine, keep Retrieval K between 1 and 3.

  8. Click Save.

    ✓ The modal closes after a successful save.

What these settings control

Lower values keep replies more focused. Higher values add more variety. RAG uses your chatbot documents and retrieval settings. Agent (Pi) hides the RAG-only controls in the modal. Turning on Disable grounding RAG engine prefetches context directly before answering. It uses more tokens, but retrieval is more reliable. These settings affect chatbot replies and connected voice flows.

Use Skill Mode​

Use Skill Mode when your GenAI setup should stream responses through Vertex ADK. Streamliner syncs installed skills when the service starts. New or updated skills usually appear after the next deployment.

Skill routing

When Use Skill Mode is on, skill-based chat requests route to Agent (Pi). AVA still uses your Vertex ADK skill behind the scenes.

  1. Click Advanced Settings.

  2. Turn on Use Skill Mode.

  3. Enter a Skill Name like booking-assistant.

  4. Click Save.

    ✓ The setting stays on after you reopen Advanced Settings. ✓ The modal keeps your skill name.

Skill name rules

Your Skill Name must use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only. The field is required when Use Skill Mode is on. Vertex ADK runs the skill behind the scenes.

If a skill does not appear

Ask your admin to restart Streamliner after adding or updating a skill package. If the skill still does not load, confirm the skill name matches the package name exactly.

Use Quick Setup (Optional)​

  1. Click Quick Setup in the page header
  2. Follow the wizard to generate messages and tone
  3. Review the results in the fields
  4. Click Save on each section you want to keep

Choose a Chat Mode​

  1. Open the Widget & Access tab

  2. Select one mode:

    • AI only
    • Live chat only
    • Hybrid (AI + live chat)

    ✓ The selected mode highlights and takes effect.

Understand Reservation Verification​

Some chatbot flows ask guests to verify a stay before sharing room-specific help. AVA uses Checkout-aligned matching and keeps that reservation identity for the chat. When you turn this on, the widget preview shows the identification form and the verified state.

StepWhat AVA checksResult
Room lookupThe guest's room numberAVA finds one active checked-in or due-out reservation for that room
Guest matchThe guest's nameAVA returns the matched canonical identity
Linked reservationA reservation already tied to the chatAVA skips the extra verification prompt and keeps the saved room
RevalidationThe verified identity from earlierAVA checks the saved identity without fuzzy matching
Verified chat accessA reservation linked during this conversationAVA keeps the verified-stay proof for guest-service requests

  1. Ask the guest for the room number first.

  2. Then ask for the main guest name.

  3. Use the same spelling the PMS shows.

  4. If the guest is already verified, recheck the stored identity instead of asking again.

  5. Keep using the linked reservation until the guest starts a new chat.

    ✓ If the guest already linked a reservation, AVA reuses that reservation identity.

    ✓ Verification follows the same room and name rules as Checkout.

    ✓ After the guest links a reservation, the same conversation keeps verified-stay access for guest-service requests.

Matching behavior

Reservation verification reuses the same guest matcher as Checkout. It keeps Checkout's room ordering, native-name handling, and first-match behavior. AVA links a room only when exactly one active checked-in or due-out reservation matches. No active match or multiple active matches keeps the reservation unverified. Linked reservations let AVA skip a second prompt when the guest already linked the stay. If the guest changes reservations, AVA asks again for room and name.

PMS compatibility

AVA can select the reservation-verification behavior from your connected PMS configuration. You do not need to enter or maintain a PMS version for this flow.

Preview check

After you save Guest reservation verification, open the widget preview. You should see the identification form instead of the normal chat start screen.

Handle Guest Service Requests​

Verified in-house guests can use text chat to request services configured by your hotel. Available request types can include amenities, cleaning, luggage, wake-up calls, issues, feedback, and other services.

Guest actionChat behavior
Ask what services are availableChat lists services enabled for the verified stay
Request or cancel a serviceChat shows a preview before creating or cancelling the request
Confirm a previewThe request is submitted only after a later, clear confirmation; guests do not enter internal request fields
Check a requestChat shows the status of a request created in that chat
Confirmation is required

Chat never creates or cancels a service request from the first message alone. The guest must confirm the exact preview in a later message. The guest does not need to provide a prepared-request identifier or other internal fields. AVA binds the confirmation to the pending preview held by the server.

The guest must have a verified current stay with a room number. Unverified guests can continue asking general hotel questions, but cannot submit service requests. After reservation verification, AVA keeps the verified-stay proof for the active conversation. The guest can then continue with supported service requests without verifying the reservation again.

Test a guest service request​

  1. Verify a test guest through a room QR code or reservation verification.

  2. Ask for the available guest services.

  3. Request one enabled service.

  4. Review the preview and confirm it in a separate message.

    ✓ The request appears only after the guest confirms the exact preview. ✓ The guest confirms the displayed request without entering an internal identifier.

Guest service requests do not appear​

What you see: A verified guest asks for a service, but chat cannot offer the request flow.

Fix:

  1. Confirm the guest is checked in and has a room assigned.
  2. Confirm the guest completed reservation verification, or used the correct room QR code.
  3. Check that the requested service is enabled for the hotel.
  4. Confirm Answer Engine is set to Agent (Pi) when testing service requests.

What you see: The guest links a reservation, but the same chat cannot offer guest services.

Fix:

  1. Ask the guest to send a new message in the same conversation.
  2. Confirm the reservation is checked in and has a room number.
  3. Confirm Answer Engine is set to Agent (Pi).
  4. Start a new chat and test again if the issue continues.
  5. Contact support if the guest still cannot request an enabled service.

Set Live Chat Hours​

Use live chat hours when guests should only reach staff during coverage windows. The schedule uses your hotel timezone. Guests see your away message outside open hours. You can set multiple windows for each weekday.

  1. Open the Widget & Access tab.

  2. Turn on Limit live chat to operating hours.

  3. Check the Timezone chip.

  4. If it is wrong, update Timezone in Settings → Essentials → Hotel Basic Details.

  5. Add open periods for each weekday.

  6. Use Copy Mon → weekdays, Copy Mon → all days, Set 24/7, or Clear all to fill faster.

  7. Use Open this day when a day stays closed.

  8. Click Save changes.

    ✓ The status pill shows Open now or Closed now. ✓ Guests only reach staff during open windows. ✓ Outside hours, guests see your away message. ✓ Replies use the latest schedule. ✓ Invalid times show red borders and helper text.

Safe schedule fallback

If schedule data is incomplete or malformed, Streamliner loads a safe fallback schedule. You can still open the page, review the editor, and save a corrected schedule.

Read-only timezone

The timezone on this page always matches your hotel timezone. Use the Change link to open Settings → Essentials → Hotel Basic Details.

Create a Landing Page Link​

  1. In Widget & Access, find Landing Pages

  2. Click Create Landing Page

    ✓ A new link appears for guest access.

  3. Use View QR to preview the guest code.

  4. Click Download chatbot QR if you need printed signage for rooms or welcome areas.

Create Printed Room QR Codes​

Printed room QR codes open the shared chatbot landing page and include the scanned room as context. When exactly one active in-house stay matches that room, AVA links the chat session to that stay. The linked stay context is refreshed before guests use text chat or voice features. AVA also matches one native DUE_OUT stay when your PMS capability contract supports that status. Otherwise, printed room QR lookup matches CHECKED_IN stays only. AVA uses the exact room value encoded in the QR code. If AVA cannot find one unique active in-house stay, the room remains an unverified hint. The QR link remains available if CCI is temporarily unable to resolve the stay. Guest titles, such as Mr or Ms, can remain in the PMS record. AVA uses the guest's first and last name when linking the chat session.

Room access required

AVA loads room numbers from your room-access configuration. Create a chatbot landing page first.

  1. Open Widget & Access in Chatbot → Setup.

  2. Create a landing page if Shared chatbot landing page has no options.

  3. In Room QR Code, select the shared chatbot landing page.

  4. Click Generate.

    ✓ AVA creates one active QR code for each room without a code.

  5. Select rooms, then click Print selected.

    ✓ If you select no rooms, AVA prints every active room QR code.

  6. Print the sheets and place each code in its matching room.

Maintain printed room QR codes​

  • Click Print to print one room code.
  • Click Regenerate after replacing a code or suspecting it was shared.
  • Click Disable when a printed code should stop working.
  • Click Enable to restore a disabled code.
Regeneration invalidates the old code

Print and replace the room sign immediately after regeneration. The previous QR token stops working.

Create Printed Location QR Codes​

Create named QR codes for shared areas, such as the lobby or pool. Each code opens the selected shared chatbot landing page with location context.

  1. Open Widget & Access in Chatbot → Setup.

  2. Create a landing page if Shared chatbot landing page has no options.

  3. In Location QR Code, select a shared chatbot landing page.

  4. Enter a unique Location name, such as Main entrance.

  5. Click Add location.

    ✓ The new location appears in the QR code list.

  6. Select one or more active locations, then click Print selected.

  7. Place each printed code in its named location.

Location names

Location names can contain up to 100 characters. Names are matched without case differences.

Maintain printed location QR codes​

  • Click Print to print one location code.
  • Click Regenerate after replacing a code or suspecting it was shared.
  • Click Disable when a printed code should stop working.
  • Click Enable to restore a disabled code.
Regeneration invalidates the old code

Print and replace the location sign immediately after regeneration. The previous QR token stops working.

Protect Location QR Privacy​

Location QR codes provide location context for general guest assistance. They never verify a reservation or link a stay to the chat session. They also do not request reservation verification, CCI lookup, or stay context. Video calls from location QR sessions do not receive reservation-based enrichment.

QR typeReservation and stay behavior
Room QRCan link one unique CHECKED_IN stay, or native DUE_OUT when supported by the PMS capability contract
Location QRKeeps location context only and never links a reservation
Place location codes in shared areas

Use location QR codes in lobbies, facilities, and other shared areas. Use room QR codes only where room-specific stay linking is appropriate.

Customize the printed QR layout​

Use one template for both room and location QR print sheets. The QR code stays readable with a white background behind the code.

Upload a print background​

  1. In QR Print Template, click Upload background image.

  2. Choose a PNG, JPG/JPEG, or single-page PDF file.

  3. Keep the file at or below 10 MB.

    ✓ The template appears in the preview.

PDF files must have one page

AVA rejects PDF files with zero pages or multiple pages.

Position the QR fields​

  1. Drag QR Code onto the background, or click the field and click the preview.

  2. Drag QR Label onto the background when you want a room or location name.

  3. Select a field to edit its X, Y, Width, and Height values.

  4. Keep the QR Code square. AVA locks its width and height to a 1:1 ratio.

  5. For QR Label, set the font size, text color, and alignment.

  6. Use the preview toggle to check template fields or sample print values.

  7. Click Save design.

    ✓ The layout applies to printed room and location QR codes.

The QR Label changes automatically for each room or location. Remove QR Print Template to restore AVA's default three-up print sheet.

Manage Whitelisted Domains​

  1. In Whitelisted Domains, enter a domain like yourhotel.com
  2. Click Add Domain
  3. Use the toggle to enable or disable the domain
  4. Remove a domain only if the widget should stop working there

Troubleshooting​

Save button is disabled​

What you see: You cannot save a message or instruction.

Fix:

  1. Make sure the field is not empty
  2. Remove extra spaces and try again
  3. Confirm your plan includes Chatbot features

Advanced settings will not save​

What you see: The Save button stays disabled or shows validation errors.

Fix:

  1. Wait for the current advanced values to load
  2. Check every red validation message
  3. Keep Max Output Tokens between 500 and 3024
  4. Keep Retrieval K between 1 and 7
  5. If Disable grounding RAG engine is on, keep Retrieval K between 1 and 3
  6. Try Save again

RAG controls are missing​

What you see: You cannot find Retrieval K or Disable grounding RAG engine.

Fix:

  1. Open Advanced Settings

  2. Check the current Answer Engine

  3. Select RAG

  4. Click Save

    ✓ The RAG-only controls appear again.

Retrieval K looks too low​

What you see: Retrieval K only allows values from 1 to 3.

Fix:

  1. Turn off Disable grounding RAG engine
  2. Recheck Retrieval K
  3. Save the updated settings

Skill Mode will not save​

What you see: Saving fails after you turn on Use Skill Mode.

Fix:

  1. Confirm Skill Name is not blank
  2. Use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only
  3. Try a name like booking-assistant
  4. Click Save again

Skill Mode cannot find a skill​

What you see: A skill does not show up after deployment.

Fix:

  1. Wait for the next deployment to finish.
  2. Confirm the skill package name matches the Skill Name.
  3. Ask your admin to restart Streamliner if the skill was added after startup.
  4. Contact support if the skill still does not load.

Reservation verification does not find the stay​

What you see: The chatbot cannot match the guest to a reservation.

Fix:

  1. Confirm the guest entered the correct room number.
  2. Ask for the main guest name on the reservation.
  3. Check that exactly one reservation is checked in for that room. If your PMS natively supports DUE_OUT, a departure-day stay can also match.
  4. If several active stays share the room, ask the front desk to correct the PMS data.
  5. Retry the verification flow.

Verification preview still shows the normal chat​

What you see: The widget preview does not show the identification form.

Fix:

  1. Open Widget & Access.
  2. Turn on Guest reservation verification.
  3. Click Save.
  4. Refresh the preview panel.
  5. Check that the preview mode is not hiding the verification screen.

Verification works once, then fails again​

What you see: The guest verifies successfully, then fails during a later check.

Fix:

  1. Ask the guest to use the same room number and guest name again.
  2. Confirm the guest is still using the same reservation.
  3. Start a new chat if the guest switched reservations.
  4. Refresh the conversation and retry.

Landing page will not create​

What you see: You get an error when creating a landing page.

Fix:

  1. Refresh the page and try again
  2. Follow any prompt to replace an older page
  3. Contact support if it still fails

Room QR codes will not generate​

What you see: Generate stays disabled, or AVA cannot load rooms.

Fix:

  1. Create at least one chatbot landing page.
  2. Confirm room access is configured for the hotel.
  3. Refresh Chatbot → Setup.
  4. Select a landing page, then click Generate again.

Location QR code will not create​

What you see: Add location stays disabled, or the save fails.

Fix:

  1. Create at least one chatbot landing page.

  2. Select a landing page in Location QR Code.

  3. Enter a location name between 1 and 100 characters.

  4. Check that another location does not use the same name.

  5. Click Add location again.

    ✓ Names that differ only by capitalization still count as duplicates.

Location QR code is unavailable​

What you see: A guest scans a location code, but the chat does not open.

Fix:

  1. Open Location QR Code in Chatbot → Setup.
  2. Check whether the code is disabled.
  3. Click Enable, or click Regenerate and print a replacement.
  4. Confirm the selected landing page still exists.

A printed room QR code no longer works​

What you see: A guest scans a room code, but the chatbot does not open.

Fix:

  1. Open Room QR Code in Chatbot → Setup.
  2. Check whether the code is disabled.
  3. Click Enable, or click Regenerate and print a replacement.
  4. Confirm the landing page still exists.

QR print template upload fails​

What you see: AVA rejects the background file or shows an upload error.

Fix:

  1. Use a PNG, JPG/JPEG, or PDF file.
  2. Keep the file at or below 10 MB.
  3. If you use PDF, remove extra pages and upload one page only.
  4. Refresh Chatbot → Setup, then upload the file again.

QR print design does not save​

What you see: Save design fails, or your positions disappear after refreshing.

Fix:

  1. Confirm the background preview still loads.
  2. Place the required QR Code field on the preview.
  3. Keep the QR Code width and height equal.
  4. Click Save design again.

Printed QR sheet uses the default layout​

What you see: A print sheet uses AVA's standard three-up layout.

Fix:

  1. Return to Chatbot → Setup → Widget & Access.
  2. Check that QR Print Template still shows your saved background.
  3. If the template is missing, upload it again and click Save design.
  4. Print the QR codes again after the template appears.

Room QR registration fails​

What you see: A guest scans a room QR code, but registration fails. You may see an error mentioning guest.property title should not exist.

Fix:

  1. Ask the guest to refresh the QR landing page.
  2. Ask the guest to scan the room QR code again.
  3. Confirm the guest's stay is CHECKED_IN. A DUE_OUT stay matches only when your PMS natively supports that status.
  4. Confirm the encoded room value exactly matches the PMS room value.
  5. Confirm exactly one active stay matches the room.
  6. Leave the guest title in the PMS record; you do not need to remove it.
  7. Use manual guest verification if the QR lookup still fails.
  8. Contact support if registration still fails.

Domain toggle does not work​

What you see: The switch changes but reverts.

Fix:

  1. Refresh the page
  2. Remove the domain and add it again
  3. Try the toggle again

Guests see the away message outside hours​

What you see: Guests get the away message during times you expect live replies.

Fix:

  1. Open Widget & Access.
  2. Check Limit live chat to operating hours.
  3. Confirm the current day is open.
  4. Check the Timezone chip matches Settings → Essentials → Hotel Basic Details.
  5. Save again after any changes.
  6. If the schedule just changed, refresh the widget and wait for the next transition.

Still Stuck?​

Contact success@vouch-technologies.com if:

  • ❌ Reservation verification still fails after you confirm the room number and guest name
  • ❌ Landing pages do not generate
  • ❌ The issue lasts longer than 30 minutes

Helpful to include:

  • Screenshot of the Chatbot Setup page or conversation
  • The action you tried and the error message
  • Guest room number and guest name, if verification failed
  • Time the issue started