How-to Install and Use the Multi-Item Select App for ManyChat

Template Guide

 

1. Download our template and open the flow "Start Multi-Item Select"

2. Open the "Multi-Item Select Response" flow and select "Add Trigger" at the starting step. Choose "Messenger Ref URL" -- this url will also be added to the Multi-Item Select action.

3. Fill in the fields in the Multi-Item Select Action (HTML color codes, and custom fields being used for items).

5. Turn ON the "Rule" for "Multi-Item Select Response" in Automation/Rules (within ManyChat)

 

More Details Below:

Let’s start by looking at the Multi-Item Select template flow named “Start Multi-Item Select."

Here you can see the Multi-Item Select App is in the second step.

The first thing we do is assign the values to the list's custom fields.

In this example, all the items are contained in the custom fields Item 1 through Item 5.

We’ll start by making a list of just 4 items.  This list is asking a survey question to get the user’s favorite workout.

Item 1 is assigned a value of “running"

Item 2 is “aerobics”

Item 3 “tai chi” 

and Item 4 “dance”

Since this list only has 4 items, change Item 5 to the string of “null” (type the text "null" in the custom field value to indicate that it is not being used).

Next, add a title to the list which will appear above the selections, in this case our title is “Select Your Fav Workouts”

Once these important custom fields are assigned the next step is going to be the Checklist Widget app itself, let’s open it up and see what needs to be filled in here.

Customize the style of the list by choosing the background color to appear and fill in the HTML color code value, here teal is being used, so the 6 digit value has been entered.  No custom field is needed here, so you can just input the color value.

Next, enter the color of the text to appear, here white has been chosen, so the value reads the HTML color code for white.

The next section is to specify the name of the custom field which contains the title (already filled that in in the previous step).  Just enter the name of the custom field "Multi-Item Select Title."

Next, enter the custom fields that hold the list items.

In this case, the list only has 4 items so we leave Item 5 blank.

Finally, the last step is to specify the custom field we want to use for the output URL.

The Multi-Item Select app will provide a URL that the subscriber can then tap on, interact with, and have the values sent back to ManyChat.

Use the provided "Multi-Item Select URL" custom field here.

Click on Save.

In this example flow the next step is to display the Checklist Widget URL to the subscriber.

One important thing to note is that each time the URL is displayed to a user it is required to clear the Custom Field named “Multi-Item Select Response” as this works with the Rule named “Multi-Item Select Response” in order to know when to continue after the items have been selected.

Tap preview to see the results of what was just set up.

The message is sent that displays the button to send the user to the checklist.

Tap on "Select Fav Workouts", to open a  webview with the checklist of 4 items just created.

Select "running" and "aerobics" to test.

Tap submit and the webview automatically closes and returns to Messenger (on most devices), if not a message will show saying to close the window and return to Messenger.

Now, ManyChat has the items just selected, and the data is saved into individual custom fields which makes working with it in a CRM or other 3^rd party app much easier.

How the Response Works

 

 

Below is the old method (which also still works):

1. When a subscriber makes selections on the checklist and taps submit the custom field "Multi-Item Select Response" is set to "True" (this is why it needs to be cleared each time the URL is shown to a user).

2. The rule "Multi-Item Select Response" is triggered and sends the flow "Multi-Item Select Response" which works with the data.

3. 32 conditions sort through the possible answers to isolate exactly which items were selected, alternatively there is a simple version to use which will put all items selected in just one string together.

More Details Below:

The custom field “Multi-Item Select Response” was cleared when the URL was displayed.  Once the subscriber makes selections and taps submit this custom field will then go to True and trigger the rule named “Multi-Item Select Widget Response” as we can see in Rules here.

This rule will then start the flow Multi-Item Select Response, let’s look at the flow to see how the data is separated.

Since there is a maximum amount of 5 items possible in the checklist we create, there are then 32 possible responses that could be generated if we think about it like a collection of True, False statements.  In other words, the example we just did had selected Item 1 and Item 2, so the end result would be True, True, False, False, False (Item 5 is considered “false” because it was not used).

What the Multi-Item Select Response flow does is sort through all 32 possible responses to let you know exactly which items were selected.

Here I’m looking for the condition that specifies only Item 1 and Item 2 were selected, and this is it.

Now in this step we have both items isolated, so we know the others are set to null at this point.

From here, work with the data by connecting more actions, or steps for use with a CRM or other process.

If you don’t need the data isolated then this simple alternative step to the right will simply output the selections made to a string, altogether, separated by commas.  Here, the custom field named “Multi-Item Select Items in 1 String” is used combines the selections together.  You can also change the name of this custom field by editing the 5 actions in this simplified sequence.

One important point to note, is that ManyChat only allows 30 consecutive nodes which is why this continue  step has been included here, if necessary you can also move the continue step up a bit in the chain (if you end up adding several more steps and actions).

This means that in 7 out of 32 cases the user will be required to tap continue.

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