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Starter Questions

Starter Questions

Starter questions are pre-written conversation starters that appear when visitors first open your chatbot. They help break the ice, guide users toward common topics, and increase engagement by showing visitors what your assistant can help with.

Note: Starter questions are a PRO feature that requires an active license.

🎯 What Are Starter Questions?

Purpose and Benefits

Starter questions serve multiple important purposes:

Reduce Friction: Instead of staring at an empty chat box, visitors see clear options to get started

Guide Conversations: Direct users toward topics where your assistant excels

Showcase Capabilities: Demonstrate the breadth of help your assistant can provide

Increase Engagement: More visitors will start conversations when they see relevant options

Improve User Experience: Help visitors find what they need faster

How They Appear

When a visitor opens your chatbot for the first time, they’ll see:

  1. A welcome message from your assistant
  2. 3 clickable starter questions below the message
  3. A text input field for custom questions

Clicking a starter question immediately sends it as a message, just like typing it manually.

✍️ How to Write Effective Starter Questions

1. Focus on Common Needs

Your starter questions should address the most frequent reasons people visit your website:

E-commerce Example:

  • “What are your best-selling products?”
  • “Do you offer free shipping?”
  • “What’s your return policy?”

Service Business Example:

  • “How can I schedule a consultation?”
  • “What services do you offer?”
  • “What are your rates and packages?“

2. Use Natural, Conversational Language

Write questions as visitors would actually ask them:

❌ Avoid: “Information regarding operational procedures” ✅ Better: “How does your process work?”

❌ Avoid: “Pricing structure inquiries” ✅ Better: “How much does it cost?“

3. Make Them Specific but Flexible

❌ Too Vague: “Tell me about your business” ✅ Just Right: “What makes you different from competitors?”

❌ Too Specific: “Do you deliver to 123 Main Street on Tuesdays?” ✅ Just Right: “What are your delivery options?”

📝 Examples by Industry

E-commerce & Retail

  1. “What are your best sellers this month?”
  2. “Do you offer free shipping?”
  3. “What’s your return policy?”

Professional Services

  1. “How can I schedule a consultation?”
  2. “What’s your experience with my industry?”
  3. “What are your rates?”

Restaurants & Food

  1. “What’s on today’s menu?”
  2. “Do you take reservations?”
  3. “What are your hours?”

⚡ Best Practices

Do’s

  • Test with real people
  • Update regularly
  • Match your brand voice
  • Keep mobile-friendly
  • Focus on visitor value

Don’ts

  • Don’t make them too long
  • Don’t use jargon
  • Don’t be too salesy
  • Don’t overlap topics
  • Don’t set false expectations

⚙️ Configuration

  1. Navigate to Questions tab in your AAIA dashboard
  2. Enter your three starter questions
  3. Save settings
  4. Test the experience

Character Limits: Keep questions under 10-12 words for optimal display.

🔗 Next Steps

  1. Configure your assistant: Set personality and features
  2. Write effective prompts: Ensure your assistant can handle these topics
  3. Monitor performance: Track engagement and optimize

Great starter questions feel natural and helpful. Focus on genuine visitor value over clever wording.