Facebook has launched its Messenger Platform (beta) with bots, which are designed to provide a range of services from content to communications.Bots for Messenger was unveiled on day one of Facebook’s F8 2016 developer conference.
David Marcus, Facebook VP of messaging products, noted that Facebook “has been partnering with a few businesses to build deeper interactions with their customers on Messenger in a way that is contextual, convenient and delightful, with control at its core”.
The bots will interact directly with Messenger users.
“Bots can provide anything from automated subscription content like weather and traffic updates, to customised communications like receipts, shipping notifications and live automated messages, all by interacting directly with the people who want to get them,” Marcus writes.
The Send/Receive API will support sending and receiving of text and also images, along with “interactive rich bubbles containing multiple calls-to-action”.
“Developers can also set a welcome screen for their threads to set context as well as different controls,” Marcus writes.
“Starting today, all developers and businesses will have access to documents to build bots for Messenger, and submit them for review. We will gradually accept and approve submissions to ensure the best experiences for everyone on Messenger.”
