Author Sections

The sections within a Guide break down the overall task into clear, logical steps making complex workflows easy to manage. A Guide is composed of at least one section. Section components can include:

• Guidance

• Actions

• Rules

• Handoffs

• Link to another section or Guide

Before you start

• Section names matter

  • Provide each section with a name that describes the action taken within that step obviously and succinctly.  

  • Examples –

    • Look Up Customer by Email. An initial step within an “Order Status” Guide is to look up the Customer in order to provide more detail on a given order. Titling this section “Look Up Customer by Email” clearly states the exact actions the Guide will take within this step, including what type of data to use to find the Customer.

    • Begin Cancel Order. A “Cancel Order” Guide will detail all the possible steps to take in order to complete a cancellation request. There are several conditions to evaluate before an order can be cancelled (i.e. what time was the order placed, has the order been fulfilled yet, etc.) A section titled “Begin Cancel Order” indicates that the cancellation process has been initiated, but does not imply completion.

    • Ask for Cancellation Reason. Another element of a “Cancel Order” Guide may be collecting and evaluating information in order to determine cancellation eligibility. A section titled “Ask for Cancellation Reason” conveys that additional information is needed and avoids premature confirmation of order cancellation.

• Section descriptions are critical for helping Sidekick understand when and how to use each section within a Guide. Review best practices for writing section descriptions.

• The Guide will not always complete sections sequentially  

  • A Guide will always begin a workflow with the first section. After it has completed steps within the initial section, the order in which it addresses other sections is flexible.

  • Sidekick accounts for a variety of inputs in order to determine the order in which sections should be executed. While sections may not be completed chronologically, content in each will be acknowledged and completed where appropriate.  

Best practices for writing sections

• Begin the Guide with an overview section

  • Sidekick will always review the initial section first, before addressing others. Add a section detailing what the Guide will cover at the top of the workflow to provide Sidekick with a summary of the steps outlined in the Guide.

  • Example – Begin a “Track Order” Guide with a section titled “Customer is asking about their order status” and the following pieces of guidance:

    • The customer is asking for information on their recent order or the status of the shipment.

    • This Guide covers how to help the customer get information about their order and provide updated tracking information, if available.

    • To begin, determine if the order information already exists. If the order information exists, go to track order with order number section. If the order information does not exist, then go to look up orders with email section.

• Include any critical handoffs that Sidekick should identify in the initial overview section

  • Include a piece of guidance in the overview section that details any scenarios where Sidekick should hand the Conversation off to an Agent right away.

  • Example – “If the Customer mentions multiple orders, hand the Conversation off to an Agent.”

• When writing guidance that includes questions, limit to one question per section

  • Example – “Ask the Customer for their zip code and wait for their response.”

Add a section to a Guide

1. Select the Guide within which you would like to add a section.  

2. Click + Add Section below the last existing section.

3. Name the section.

4. Selection an Action (where applicable).

5. Add guidance.

6. Click Save.

Rearrange Guide sections

1. Select the Guide within which you would like rearrange sections.  

2. Hover over the section.

3. Click .

4. Drag and drop in the desired location.

5. Click Save.

   

Add section descriptions to improve Sidekick accuracy

Section descriptions help Sidekick understand when and how to use each section within a Guide, improving how it interprets Customer questions and decides which section to use.

When you include clear section descriptions, Sidekick can:

• Provide more accurate and relevant responses

• Choose the right section more consistently

• Reduce errors or irrelevant replies

Each section within a Guide should have a concise description that tells Sidekick what the section is for and when it should be used.

Add a section description within a Guide

1. Select a Guide.  

2. Select a section, or add a new section.

   Add descriptions after building out the section

   Write section titles and descriptions after the section is fully built. With the workflows and steps already defined, you’ll have the clarity needed to pinpoint the section’s core purpose and craft a precise, effective description.

3. Review the section contents.

4. Using the suggested format, write a description for the section.

Section description character limit

Section descriptions are limited to 250 characters. This helps ensure descriptions remain concise and align with best practices.

1. Click Save.

Best practices for writing section descriptions

Section descriptions are most effective when following this general structure: [Trigger] + [Goal or Purpose].

This helps Sidekick understand:

• When to use the section (trigger)

• What the section is meant to do (goal)

Next, learn identify each section’s trigger and goal, with clear examples for you to follow.

1. Start with a clear trigger

Use phrases like:

• “Use this to…”

• “Use this when…”

Examples:

• Use this to get order details

• Use this when customer asks about returns

• Use this to process refund requests

• Use this when troubleshooting order issues

2. State the primary goal

Clearly describe what the section helps Sidekick accomplish.

Examples:

• Use this to get order details and tracking information

• Use this when customer asks about returns to guide them through the return process

• Use this to process refund requests and check eligibility

3. Combine the trigger and the goal into a clear, concise description

“Use this [when/to] [trigger condition] [to accomplish goal]”

Reminder: good triggers include

• When customer provides…

• To get/check/process…

• When customer asks about…

• To handle/resolve...

See what good section descriptions look like (and what to avoid)

Good

• Use this to get order details when customer provides an order number

• Use this when customer reports a damaged item to start the replacement process

• Use this to check account status and billing information

Avoid

• “Order stuff” (too vague)

• “Customer service section” (no clear trigger)

• “This section handles various customer inquiries” (too broad)

Enhanced formats to follow for complex sections (optional)

For more complex sections, you can include expected inputs or context to give Sidekick more guidance.

Format:

[Trigger] + [Goal] + [Required Context]

Examples:

• Use this to get order details when customer provides an order number or email

• Use this when customer asks about returns to guide them through the return process (requires order number)