Conversational Agent to reply in a thread instead of new main message

[Tom9]

Hi folks,

Is there a way to set up the Conversional Agent, integrated with Google Chat, that, when invoked, replies in a thread of that invoking message, rather than responding in a new main chat message?

When invoking the bot already with a thread message, it replies in a thread. I am looking to make it neat by using threads by default for all messages within spaces.

There are no such options in the Integration window or Google Chat API configuration.

I tried consulting with Gemini, but all suggestions there failed, and now the model proposes to build custom Cloud Function to control the message architecture, something that I would like to avoid.

[marckevin]

Hi @Tom9,

Welcome to Google Cloud Community!

Currently, there is no direct way to set up a Conversational Agents (Dialogflow CX)'s Google Chat Integration setting that, when invoked, replies within the thread of the invoking message rather than responding in a new main chat message. Additionally, this integration is currently in Preview, which means it's still being developed and might not yet meet expectations. It could have limited support, bugs, or unexpected issues, but the quality should improve as it matures.

You are correct that the workaround involves using a custom Cloud Function to control the message architecture. I understand that you have already explored various solutions outside of Dialogflow CX’s direct integration settings and prefer not to use a custom Cloud Function approach. With this, I suggest filing a feature request for a built-in option in the Conversational Agent's (Dialogflow CX) Google Chat Integration that would allow the bot to reply within an existing thread when invoked, instead of starting a new message. This will also allow you to track the progress of your request, as it will be publicly available. Please note that I can't provide any details or timelines at this moment. For future updates, please keep an eye on the release notes for any updates or new features related to Dialogflow. Before filing, please check this documentation on what to expect after you've opened an issue.

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