Metadata

Interaction Lifecycle

Every WebChat interaction has a sequence of events we describe as the 'Interaction Lifecycle'. This is a sequence of events that tracks progress and choices from the beginning of an interaction (opening WebChat), to the end (closing WebChat), and every step in between.

The following events are part of the Interaction Lifecycle:

ready
opened
started
cancelled
submitted
completed
closed

Lifecycle Scenarios

An Interaction Lifecycle can vary based on each user's intent and experience with WebChat. Here are several sequences of events in the lifecycle that correspond to different scenarios.

The user opened WebChat but changed their mind and closed it without starting a chat session:

ready -> opened -> cancelled -> closed

The user started a chat session but ended it before an agent connected. Perhaps it was taking too long to reach someone:

ready -> opened -> started -> cancelled -> closed

The user started a chat, met with an agent, and the session ended normally:

ready -> opened -> started -> submitted -> completed -> closed

Tip

For a list of all WebChat events, see API Events.

Metadata

Each event in the Interaction Lifecycle includes the following block of metadata. By default, all values are set to false. As the user progresses through the lifecycle of a WebChat interaction, these values will be updated.

The metadata block contains boolean state flags, counters, timestamps, and elapsed times. These values can be used to track and identify trends or issues with chat interactions. During run-time, the metadata can help you offer a smart and dynamic experience to your users.

Reference

Name	Type	Description
proactive	boolean	Indicates this chat session was started proactively.
prefilled	boolean	Indicates the registration form was prefilled with info automatically.
autoSubmitted	boolean	Indicates the registration form was submitted automatically, usually after being prefilled.
coBrowseInitiated	boolean	Indicates that a Co-browse session was started at some point during the chat session.
filesUploaded	integer	Current number of files uploaded during chat session.
numAgents	integer	Current number of agents that have connected to the chat session.
userMessages	integer	Current number of messages sent by user.
agentMessages	integer	Current number of messages sent by agents.
systemMessages	integer	Current number of system messages received.
errors	array/boolean	An array of error codes encountered during chat session. If no errors, this value will be false.
form	object	An object containing the form parameters when the form is submitted.
opened	integer (timestamp)	Timestamp indicating when WebChat was opened.
started	integer (timestamp)	Timestamp indicating when chat session started.
cancelled	integer (timestamp)	Timestamp indicating when the chat session was cancelled. Cancelled refers to when a user ends a chat session before an agent connects.
completed	integer (timestamp)	Timestamp indicating when the chat session ended normally. Completed refers to when a user or agent ends a chat after an agent connected.
closed	integer (timestamp)	Timestamp indicating when WebChat was closed.
agentReached	integer (timestamp)	Timestamp indicating when the first agent was reached, if any.
supervisorReached	integer (timestamp)	Timestamp indicating when the first agent supervisor was reached, if any.
elapsed	integer (milliseconds)	Total elapsed time in milliseconds from when the user started the chat session to when the chat session ended.
waitingForAgent	integer (milliseconds)	Total time in milleseconds waiting for an agent from when the user started the chat session to when an agent connected to the session.