Service Flows and Stages ◦ TECSmith

How the agent takes a visitor from "hello" to a submitted quote or support ticket. Each question the agent asks is a stage, stored on the visitor's session, so the conversation can pick up where it left off.

For what visitors can say at any point (questions, small talk, changing their mind), see the Conversation Guide.

Last reviewed: 31 October 2026.

1. Starting a request

A visitor can start in three ways, at any time:

How	Example	Result
Starter buttons, shown after a greeting	🌐 Get a website quote · 🔍 Check a domain · 📧 Hosting & email · 🛠️ Get support · 🧭 Something else	Starts that flow straight away
Typing a request	"I need a website for my bakery", "is sambakes.co.uk free?", "my site is down", "I want an app"	Starts the matching flow, using any details already given (domain, website type)
Browsing the full list	🧭 Something else	Category (📱 Apps, 📧 Comms, 🔐 Storage, 🌐 Web), then the service in it

Details already in the request are not asked for again. "A shop for my bakery" fills in the website type, and "is sambakes.co.uk free?" checks that domain straight away.

When a request matches past work, the agent suggests one similar example once per flow: a showcase website for the same kind of business, or an app in the same store category.

2. The flows

The stage names are what the session stores (SessionStageEnum).

🌐 Website quote

#	Stage	The agent asks	Accepts
1	`SELECT_WEBSITE_TYPE`	What kind of website do you need?	Buttons (Brochure / info site, Online shop, Bookings & appointments, Portfolio or blog, Something else) or a typed description ("a site for my band")
2	`SELECT_BUDGET_RANGE`	Roughly what budget do you have in mind?	Buttons (Under £1,000, £1,000 – £2,500, £2,500 – £5,000, £5,000+, Not sure yet) or a typed amount ("about 2k", "not sure")
3 onwards	Contact details, then project details	See sections 3 and 4

📱 Apps, 📧 Comms, 🔐 Storage and web scraping

SERVICE_CATEGORY_SELECTION: the category, unless the request already named it.
SERVICE_ITEM_SELECTION: the service, such as Desktop or Mobile. "A mobile app" skips straight past it.
SELECT_BUDGET_RANGE: the budget.
Contact details, then project details (sections 3 and 4).

🔍 Domain check

#	Stage	The agent asks
1	`VERIFY_DOMAIN_NAME`	Which domain to search for. A name without an ending ("sambakes") gets a choice of endings
2	`DOMAIN_REGISTRATION_DECISION`	When available: Register Domain Immediately or Add/Explore Other Services
3	Contact details	Section 3
4	Register only: the summary (section 5). Explore: project details (section 4)

📧 Hosting & email (on a domain the visitor already owns)

CAPTURE_EXISTING_DOMAIN: which domain.
PROMPT_UNIQUE_EMAIL_PREFIX: the email prefix, such as info@ ("skip" for none).
PROMPT_HOSTING_SUBSCRIPTION: Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly or Bi-Yearly.
Contact details (section 3), then straight to the summary (section 5).

🛠️ Support request

CAPTURE_SUPPORT_ISSUE: what's wrong, which site or service, and what the visitor sees.
CAPTURE_PROSPECT_EMAIL, then CAPTURE_PROSPECT_NAME (skipped when the name is already known).
The ticket is saved with a reference such as TS-7K4Q2M and emailed to help@tecsmith.info, and staff get an in-app notification. A visitor who verified their email (section 3) has the ticket linked to their account.

Replies continue on the ticket at Dashboard › Support. Emailed replies to the ticket thread are added to it too.

3. Contact details and returning visitors

Every flow asks for the email address first (CAPTURE_PROSPECT_EMAIL).

New email: the agent asks for the visitor's full name (CAPTURE_PROSPECT_NAME).
Email already on an account: the agent emails a 6-digit code (VERIFY_EMAIL_TOKEN), valid for 10 minutes.
- Typing "resend" (or "I didn't get a code") sends a new one, as does an expired code.
- After several wrong tries the code is cancelled, and the visitor asks for a new one.
- Once verified, the name comes from the account and the flow carries on where it was. The agent only offers the returning-visitor menu (RETURNING_USER_OPTIONS: New Quote, Something Else, View Quotes, Update Details) when nothing is in progress.

4. Project details

After contact details, quotes continue with:

Stage	The agent asks	Notes
`CAPTURE_PROJECT_TITLE`	What shall we call this project?
`CAPTURE_FEATURES_REQUIRED`	Any unique features you need?
`PROMPT_WANTS_EMAIL_SERVICE`	Would you like a branded email service?	Yes leads to `PROMPT_UNIQUE_EMAIL_PREFIX`
`PROMPT_WANTS_DOMAIN_NAME`	Would you like to purchase a domain name?	Skipped when a domain was already chosen. Yes leads to `VERIFY_DOMAIN_NAME`
`PROMPT_WANTS_DATA_HOSTING`	Do you need us to host your web application?	Yes leads to `PROMPT_HOSTING_SUBSCRIPTION`

Yes/No questions accept typed answers ("yes please", "nah") as well as the buttons.

5. Summary, submission and editing

CONFIRMATION shows everything collected and asks to submit: Yes, No or Edit Details.
Yes submits the request. The visitor gets an account (new visitors are sent a verification link), the lead is saved to the leads list and the Google Sheet, and the admin is notified on the chat platform. The session is then cleared.
No or Edit Details opens EDITING. The visitor picks a field, answers it again, and returns to the summary. Changing the email to one on an account asks for a code first, then returns to the summary.

6. Leaving and coming back

"cancel", "start again" or "restart" ends the request at any stage.
"bye" or "I'll be back" keeps the answers. Saying hi later carries on from the same question.
Other side remarks and questions are covered in the Conversation Guide.
VIEW_PAST_QUOTES lists a verified visitor's earlier requests.
"/help" explains how to use the agent and how to reach a person.

Where this lives in the code

Stage handlers: app/lib/bot-core/handlers/stage/, one file per stage, routed by session-stage.handler.ts.
Questions and button sets: app/lib/bot-core/helpers/prompt-helpers.ts. Options such as website types, budgets and the service catalogue: app/lib/bot-core/config/definitions.ts.
Starting flows from requests: starter-flow.helper.ts and utils/service-intent.ts.
Whole conversations are tested in tests/lib/bot-core/conversations.test.ts. Add a scenario there when a flow changes.