Google Chat Bot Creation and Deployment

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Creating a Google Chat bot is a straightforward process that can be completed in a few steps. You can use the Google Cloud Console to create a new project, which will give you access to the Google Cloud APIs.

To get started, you'll need to enable the Google Cloud Natural Language API, which is a key component of Google Chat bot creation. This API allows your bot to understand and respond to user input.

Google provides a range of tools and services to help you build and deploy your Chat bot, including the Google Cloud SDK and the Dialogflow platform.

Getting Started

To get started with creating a Google Chat bot, you'll need to use Google Apps Script. This tool provides easy access to your organization's data and services.

You can use Google Apps Script to create a simple Google Chat bot as a quick introduction to Google Chat bots. This is a great way to get started, and it also gives you easy access to other Google services like Drive, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and much more.

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To begin, you'll create a chat app from a template with pre-populated event handlers. This will save you time and effort in setting up your bot.

Here are the basic steps you'll need to follow:

  • Create a chat app from a template with pre-populated event handlers.
  • Configure and publish the Google Chat bot.

By following these steps, you'll be well on your way to creating a simple Google Chat bot using Apps Script.

Configuration

To configure your Google Chat bot, you'll need to get the Head Deployment ID for the test deployment. This can be done by clicking on Deploy > Test Deployments and then copying the Head Deployment ID.

You'll also need to enable the Google Chat API in the Google Cloud console. Navigate to Navigation Menu > APIs & Services > Library and search for Google Chat API. If it's not enabled, click Enable.

To set up the Google Chat API, click Manage and then the Configuration tab. Here, you'll need to fill out the following fields: App name, Avatar URL, Description, Functionality, and Connection settings. The App name should be Friendly Bot, Avatar URL can be https://goo.gl/kv2ENA, and Description should be Apps Script lab bot.

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The Functionality should be set to Enable Join spaces and group conversations, and Connection settings should include checking Apps Script and pasting the Head Deployment ID into the Deployment ID box.

You'll also need to update the App Status to LIVE – available to users. This can be done by clicking Save, and then scrolling to the top of the Configuration dialog to update the App Status field. If you need to refresh the page to see the App Status field, you can do so.

To complete the configuration, click Save again.

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Publish and Test

To publish and test your Google Chat bot, you need to enable the Google Chat API for your Google Cloud project. This involves navigating to the Navigation Menu and clicking on APIs & Services > Library.

You'll then search for the Google Chat API and select it from the list of results. If it's not enabled, click Enable to activate it.

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Next, you'll need to configure the Google Chat API. In the Configuration dialog, set the fields with the following values: App name = Friendly Bot, Avatar URL = https://goo.gl/kv2ENA, Description = Apps Script lab bot, Functionality = Enable Join spaces and group conversations.

You'll also need to check Apps Script and paste the Head Deployment ID that you copied earlier into the Deployment ID box.

After saving the changes, scroll to the top of the Configuration dialog to update the App Status to LIVE – available to users. You may need to refresh the page to see the App Status field.

Finally, click Save again to complete the configuration.

API and Credentials

To enable the Google Chat API, you need to click on the "Enable APIS and Services" button and search for the Google Chat API. Select Google Chat API to enable it.

Once enabled, you'll need to get credentials for the Google Chat API. This involves creating a Service Account to access the API.

Credit: youtube.com, Understanding user and app credentials in the Google Chat API

To create a Service Account, click on "Credentials" in the left-hand navigation menu and select "Create Credentials > Service Account". Populate the necessary information in the form and create the Service Account.

After creating the Service Account, click on the service account email address and select "Keys > Add Key > Create new key". Leave the type as JSON and click Create. This will generate JSON credentials that will be downloaded to your computer.

Here's a summary of the steps:

Get Credentials

To get credentials for the Google Chat API, you'll need to create a Service Account. This will allow your AI Assistant to access the API. Click on “Credentials” on the left-hand navigation menu, then select “Create Credentials > Service account”. Populate the necessary information in the form as needed.

After creating the Service Account, click on the service account email address and select “Keys > Add Key > Create new key”. Leave the type as JSON and click Create. This will generate JSON credentials similar to the one below and automatically download them to your computer.

Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Click Next
  2. Click Advanced Mode

Note that you'll need to map a gchat Channel ID within the Google Workspace or Google Drive user ingestion.

Third Party

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Third Party bots can be integrated into Google Chat to enhance productivity.

Google Chat allows the integration of third-party bots, which can be beneficial for efficient work.

For example, third-party Google Chat bots can help you work more efficiently without losing focus on important elements of your life.

These bots can be used to automate tasks and streamline workflows, freeing up time for more important things.

AI Assistant Setup

To set up your AI Assistant in Google Chat, start by navigating to the Google Cloud console and clicking on the Google Chat API listed. Fill out the required fields, including App Name, Avatar URL, Description, and AI Assistant Functionality.

Make sure to select "Receive 1:1 messages" and "Enable Interactive features" for the AI Assistant Functionality. You'll also need to set up the Connection settings, using the HTTP endpoint URL, which should include the App Name and your company domain.

Before saving the changes, take a screenshot of the settings and save the HTTP endpoint URL, as you'll need it later.

Proactive AI Assistant

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To enable a proactive AI assistant, you'll need to follow a specific process. Domain wide delegation is required to allow the AI Assistant to reach out to users.

This involves enabling a feature that requires adding a specific OAuth scope. You'll need to add the "chat.spaces.create" scope in Step 5 of the Google Documentation on Domain Wide Delegation.

By following these steps, you'll be able to set up your AI Assistant to reach out to users.

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Slash Commands and Setup

To set up slash commands for your Google Chat bot, start by adding a slash command to the Google Chat API configuration. Save the changes and then catch the command in the onMessage() function by its Command Id in the Code.gs file.

You need to create a separate file for the slash command function, such as slashHelp.gs. This file will contain the function that returns an object with the command's response.

The function code in the slashHelp.gs file is where you'll implement the logic for the slash command. In this case, the function returns an object with a formatted text message.

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To use the slash command, change the Code.gs file to call the slashHelp() function when the /help command is received. The changes will be immediately available in your bot's test environment.

The test environment is a great place to test your slash commands, and you can use it to see how your bot responds to different commands. For example, you can test the /help command to see how it responds with the formatted text message.

Code and Development

To get started with coding your Google Chat bot, you'll need to review the code for the MESSAGE event handler. Click on the Code.gs file to review the pre-populated event handlers, which include the MESSAGE, ADDED_TO_SPACE, and REMOVE_FROM_SPACE events.

The event handlers for these events execute specific functions to complete tasks such as responding to user messages in Google Chat. You can find the pre-populated event handlers in the Chat App template, which is available on Google Apps Script.

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To configure your project, you'll need to record the Project number from the Project Info section in the dashboard. Then, navigate to the Project Settings for the Friendly Bot project and click Change project. Enter the project number you copied earlier and click Set project.

The bot code is available on GitHub, version 1.0.0 corresponds to the code from this article. You can access the code and use it as a starting point for your own project.

Here's a summary of the event handlers you'll need to review:

  • MESSAGE
  • ADDED_TO_SPACE
  • REMOVE_FROM_SPACE

Create App from Template

To create an app from a template, start by opening the Google Apps Script online editor by clicking this Google Apps Script homepage link. Under Google Workspace add-on starters, click Chat app (Intermediate version).

You can then rename the project to Friendly Bot by clicking Untitled project and editing the project name. This will help you keep track of your project.

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To implement your bot, you'll need to create a new Google Apps Script project using the Chat app template. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Click this Google Apps Script homepage link to open the Google Apps Script online editor.
  2. Under Google Workspace add-on starters, click Chat app (Intermediate version).
  3. Click Untitled project (the current name).
  4. In the Edit project name dialog, rename the project to Friendly Bot, and then click Rename.

This will get you started with a basic template for your bot.

Source Code

The Source Code is available on GitHub, version 1.0.0 corresponds to the code from this article.

You can access the code by clicking on the link to GitHub.

The Chat App template pre-populates the code file containing the event handlers.

The event handlers for the MESSAGE, ADDED_TO_SPACE and REMOVE_FROM_SPACE events execute specific functions to complete various tasks such as responding to user messages in Google Chat.

To review the code for the MESSAGE event handler, click on the Code.gs file.

The project number can be found in the Project Info section of the dashboard.

You can record the Project number to use in the next step to configure your project.

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Review message event handler code

To review the code for the MESSAGE event handler, click on the Code.gs file in the Apps Script editor. This file contains the pre-populated event handlers, including the MESSAGE event handler.

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The MESSAGE event handler is used to execute specific functions to complete tasks such as responding to user messages in Google Chat. Notice the event handlers for the MESSAGE, ADDED_TO_SPACE, and REMOVE_FROM_SPACE events, which execute the specific functions previously mentioned.

To configure your project, locate the Project Info section in the dashboard and record the Project number. You'll need this number to configure your project in the next step.

Here's a step-by-step guide to configuring your project:

  1. From the Navigation menu, click Cloud Overview > Dashboard.
  2. In the dashboard, locate the Project Info section.
  3. Record the Project number to use in the next step to configure your project.
  4. Return to the Apps Script editor, and navigate to the Project Settings for the Friendly Bot project.
  5. Under Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Project, click Change project.
  6. For GCP Project number, enter the project number that you copied earlier. Then, click Set project.

The MESSAGE event handler is just one of the four events that your Apps Script bot can listen for in Google Chat. The other events are ADDED_TO_SPACE and REMOVE_FROM_SPACE.

Meet and Integration

@Meet is a bot that integrates Chat with Calendar using natural language processing and machine learning to automatically schedule and manage meetings.

With @Meet, you can simply give it a command using natural language, like "find us a time to meet next week", and it will go through the calendars of all the people included in the room to find the most appropriate times to meet.

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Add to Moveworks Setup

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To add the Chat Bot to Moveworks Setup, start by selecting the Channel as gchat from the dropdown menu. Leave the Select Connector dropdown blank. Set the Bot ID to the email value from Step 5, and the Bot Name (Moveworks Identifier) should be in the format {org_name}-gchat, which can be consulted with your Customer Success team.

Next, set the Bot Friendly Name to your chosen bot name. The Channel Configurations dropdown should be set to Gchat Vars. The Google Chat App ID should match the Bot ID value.

To complete the setup, upload your JSON credential file from Step 4 into the Google Chat credentials upload. Optionally, enable Proactive Reachout for Google Chat if you want proactive notifications sent to the GChat bot.

Meet

Meet is a game-changer for teams looking to streamline their meeting scheduling process. This bot integrates Chat with Calendar using natural language processing and machine learning to automatically schedule and manage meetings.

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Simply add @Meet to your chat and give it a command using natural language, such as "@Meet find us a time to meet next week." @Meet will then go through the calendars of all the people included in the room and find the most appropriate times to meet.

The result is a quick and easy way to schedule meetings without wasting time trying to secure a time that suits everyone.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is chatting with someone on Google Chat safe?

Google Chat has implemented several security measures to protect users from cyber threats, making it a relatively safe platform for online communication. However, as with any online service, it's essential to be cautious and follow best practices to ensure a secure experience.

Melba Kovacek

Writer

Melba Kovacek is a seasoned writer with a passion for shedding light on the complexities of modern technology. Her writing career spans a diverse range of topics, with a focus on exploring the intricacies of cloud services and their impact on users. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for simplifying complex concepts, Melba has established herself as a trusted voice in the tech journalism community.

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