Create Custom Conversational Apps for Clevy OnDemand

Your Clevy OnDemand environment can be extended with custom Apps to personalize the experience for your end users. Custom apps are developed in CSML, an open-source conversational scripting language that is free to use and develop on.

Discover Now

Here is a step-by-step on how you can create a custom conversational app tailored to your own specific needs!


start:
  say "Hello Stranger! 👋"
  say Image("https://media4.giphy.com/media/dzaUX7CAG0Ihi/giphy.gif")
  say Typing(1500)
  say Question(
    "Do you want to learn more about CSML?",
    buttons=[Button("Let's go 🤗") as go]
  )
  hold
  say Typing(1500)
  say "You can visit CSML Playground to try it out!"
  say Url(
    "https://play.csml.dev",
    text="👉 CSML Playground"
  )
  say Typing(1000)
  goto end

Copy

Build with CSML Studio, the Conversational Development Suite

CSML Studio is a web application that allows you to build and deploy conversational Apps and software. It is built on top of CSML Engine, the most advanced open-source conversational engine on the market, and lets you create the most complex and interconnected experiences within minutes.

CSML Studio is cloud-based and free to use: you don't need to install anything on your computer or your infrastructure; you can simply create an account and get started!

Start simple: create a visual diagram of your target experience

Before starting the actual development process, it's a good idea to start with a simple, visual representation of how the user is supposed to interact with your conversational app (which can either be the full chatbot or just a specific part).

For this stage, you can use wireframing or mind mapping tools like Mural, or Draw.io to create diagrams that explain how users will interact with each other and with the bot. These tools often have a free plan and don't require any installation as they run entirely in the browser.

By starting with a simple, visual diagram, you will be able to get feedback from potential users before proceeding with development so that these processes are streamlined and workable for everyone involved in developing and maintaining the app.


// This is 100% valid CSML!
start:
  say "Hi there 👋!"
  remember answer = 42
  say Typing(1500)
  say Question(
    "What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?",
    buttons=[Button("I don't know")],
  )
  hold
  if (event.match(answer)) {
    say Video("https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ")
  }
  else {
    say "Nope, it's \{\{answer\}\}"
  }

Copy


start:
// Sign up form
ask_email:
  say "Thank you \{\{firstname\}\}. What is your email address?"
  hold
  // Validate that the input is an email address
  if (event.is_email()) {
    remember emailaddress = event
    goto send_webhook
  }
  else {
    say "Sorry but I need a real email address!"
    goto askemail
  }
send_webhook:
  do userInfos = {
    "fname": firstname,
    "lname": lastname,
    "email": emailaddress
  }
  // Send data to a Zapier webhook
  do webhook = App("zapier", hook="5561337/o48epka", payload=userInfos)

Copy

Time to develop your CSML Flow

Clevy OnDemand can consume CSML flows as part of your conversational app. Once you know what your target experience will look like, you can simply create a free account on CSML Studio and start coding!

Here are a list of resources we have gathered for you:

One-click install starter templates https://studio.csml.dev/bots/templates
Complete CSML language reference https://docs.csml.dev
CSML Studio Documentation https://docs.csml.dev/studio
Blog posts for inspiration, use cases, and how-tos https://blog.csml.dev
Active community Slack for support and questions https://csml.dev/slack

Test and deploy your App on Clevy OnDemand

Once you are ready, you can easily test your App by exporting your CSML Flow and importing it into your Clevy OnDemand workspace. You can then easily test it live in your employee portal or in your chatbot!

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? You can reach out to the team.

What is CSML?

CSML (Conversational Standard Meta Language) is an Open-Source, Domain-Specific Language designed for developing rich conversational experiences easily. It makes creating powerful conversational interfaces extremely easy. CSML is the core technology behind Clevy OnDemand and is an open-source project designed and started by Clevy in 2018. The CSML Community now counts more than 30k developers across the world, mainly in the US, Latin America, and India.

How do I create CSML Apps

In addition the guide on that website, and as CSML is open-source, all the documentation is public and accessible here: https://docs.csml.dev/language/

When was CSML created?

CSML was originally created in 2018 by François Falala-Sechet (CTO of Clevy) and his team to simplify the way companies and developers would create smart, context-based, and integrated conversational interfaces. A few years later, CSML has become one of the most popular open-source technologies for creating conversational interfaces and software.

How many developers are in the CSML community?

In early 2022, the CSML community was counting more than 30k developers, as compared to around 10k in early 2021, making it one of the fastest growing community in the conversational technology space.