https://github.com/anupkumarpanwar/facebook-messenger-bot
A messenger bot using Program O REST API for automated replies from Facebook page
https://github.com/anupkumarpanwar/facebook-messenger-bot
Last synced: about 1 year ago
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A messenger bot using Program O REST API for automated replies from Facebook page
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/anupkumarpanwar/facebook-messenger-bot
- Owner: AnupKumarPanwar
- License: mit
- Created: 2016-10-17T06:06:47.000Z (over 9 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2017-01-11T16:18:52.000Z (over 9 years ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-01-30T04:15:22.229Z (over 1 year ago)
- Language: JavaScript
- Homepage:
- Size: 3.79 MB
- Stars: 4
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# 🤖 Creating your own Facebook Messenger bot
Facebook recently opened up their Messenger platform to enable bots to converse with users through Facebook Apps and on Facebook Pages.
You can read the [documentation](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/messenger-platform/quickstart) the Messenger team prepared but it's not very clear for beginners and intermediate hackers.
So instead here is how to create your own messenger bot in 15 minutes.
## 🙌 Get set
Messenger bots uses a web server to process messages it receives or to figure out what messages to send. You also need to have the bot be authenticated to speak with the web server and the bot approved by Facebook to speak with the public.
You can also skip the whole thing by git cloning this repository, running npm install, and run a server somewhere.
### *Build the server*
1. Install the Heroku toolbelt from here https://toolbelt.heroku.com to launch, stop and monitor instances. Sign up for free at https://www.heroku.com if you don't have an account yet.
2. Install Node from here https://nodejs.org, this will be the server environment. Then open up Terminal or Command Line Prompt and make sure you've got the very most recent version of npm by installing it again:
```
sudo npm install npm -g
```
3. Create a new folder somewhere and let's create a new Node project. Hit Enter to accept the defaults.
```
npm init
```
4. Install the additional Node dependencies. Express is for the server, request is for sending out messages and body-parser is to process messages.
```
npm install express request body-parser --save
```
5. Create an index.js file in the folder and copy this into it. We will start by authenticating the bot.
```javascript
'use strict'
const express = require('express')
const bodyParser = require('body-parser')
const request = require('request')
const app = express()
app.set('port', (process.env.PORT || 5000))
// Process application/x-www-form-urlencoded
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({extended: false}))
// Process application/json
app.use(bodyParser.json())
// Index route
app.get('/', function (req, res) {
res.send('Hello world, I am a chat bot')
})
// for Facebook verification
app.get('/webhook/', function (req, res) {
if (req.query['hub.verify_token'] === 'my_voice_is_my_password_verify_me') {
res.send(req.query['hub.challenge'])
}
res.send('Error, wrong token')
})
// Spin up the server
app.listen(app.get('port'), function() {
console.log('running on port', app.get('port'))
})
```
6. Make a file called Procfile and copy this. This is so Heroku can know what file to run.
```
web: node index.js
```
7. Commit all the code with Git then create a new Heroku instance and push the code to the cloud.
```
git init
git add .
git commit --message 'hello world'
heroku create
git push heroku master
```
### *Setup the Facebook App*
1. Create or configure a Facebook App or Page here https://developers.facebook.com/apps/
2. In the app go to Messenger tab then click Setup Webhook. Here you will put in the URL of your Heroku server and a token. Make sure to check all the subscription fields.
3. Get a Page Access Token and save this somewhere.
4. Go back to Terminal and type in this command to trigger the Facebbook app to send messages. Remember to use the token you requested earlier.
```bash
curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v2.6/me/subscribed_apps?access_token="
```
### *Setup the bot*
Now that Facebook and Heroku can talk to each other we can code out the bot.
1. Add an API endpoint to index.js to process messages. Remember to also include the token we got earlier.
```javascript
app.post('/webhook/', function (req, res) {
let messaging_events = req.body.entry[0].messaging
for (let i = 0; i < messaging_events.length; i++) {
let event = req.body.entry[0].messaging[i]
let sender = event.sender.id
if (event.message && event.message.text) {
let text = event.message.text
sendTextMessage(sender, "Text received, echo: " + text.substring(0, 200))
}
}
res.sendStatus(200)
})
const token = ""
```
**Optional, but recommended**: keep your app secrets out of version control!
- On Heroku, its easy to create dynamic runtime variables (known as [config vars](https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/config-vars)). This can be done in the Heroku dashboard UI for your app **or** from the command line:
```bash
heroku config:set FB_PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN=fake-access-token-dhsa09uji4mlkasdfsd
# view
heroku config
```
- For local development: create an [environmental variable](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_variable) in your current session or add to your shell config file.
```bash
# create env variable for current shell session
export FB_PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN=fake-access-token-dhsa09uji4mlkasdfsd
# alternatively, you can add this line to your shell config
# export FB_PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN=fake-access-token-dhsa09uji4mlkasdfsd
echo $FB_PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN
```
- `config var` access at runtime
``` javascript
const token = process.env.FB_PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN
```
3. Add a function to echo back messages
```javascript
function sendTextMessage(sender, text) {
let messageData = { text:text }
request({
url: 'https://graph.facebook.com/v2.6/me/messages',
qs: {access_token:token},
method: 'POST',
json: {
recipient: {id:sender},
message: messageData,
}
}, function(error, response, body) {
if (error) {
console.log('Error sending messages: ', error)
} else if (response.body.error) {
console.log('Error: ', response.body.error)
}
})
}
```
4. Commit the code again and push to Heroku
```
git add .
git commit -m 'updated the bot to speak'
git push heroku master
```
5. Go to the Facebook Page and click on Message to start chatting!
## âš™ Customize what the bot says
### *Send a Structured Message*
Facebook Messenger can send messages structured as cards or buttons.
1. Copy the code below to index.js to send an test message back as two cards.
```javascript
function sendGenericMessage(sender) {
let messageData = {
"attachment": {
"type": "template",
"payload": {
"template_type": "generic",
"elements": [{
"title": "First card",
"subtitle": "Element #1 of an hscroll",
"image_url": "http://messengerdemo.parseapp.com/img/rift.png",
"buttons": [{
"type": "web_url",
"url": "https://www.messenger.com",
"title": "web url"
}, {
"type": "postback",
"title": "Postback",
"payload": "Payload for first element in a generic bubble",
}],
}, {
"title": "Second card",
"subtitle": "Element #2 of an hscroll",
"image_url": "http://messengerdemo.parseapp.com/img/gearvr.png",
"buttons": [{
"type": "postback",
"title": "Postback",
"payload": "Payload for second element in a generic bubble",
}],
}]
}
}
}
request({
url: 'https://graph.facebook.com/v2.6/me/messages',
qs: {access_token:token},
method: 'POST',
json: {
recipient: {id:sender},
message: messageData,
}
}, function(error, response, body) {
if (error) {
console.log('Error sending messages: ', error)
} else if (response.body.error) {
console.log('Error: ', response.body.error)
}
})
}
```
2. Update the webhook API to look for special messages to trigger the cards
```javascript
app.post('/webhook/', function (req, res) {
let messaging_events = req.body.entry[0].messaging
for (let i = 0; i < messaging_events.length; i++) {
let event = req.body.entry[0].messaging[i]
let sender = event.sender.id
if (event.message && event.message.text) {
let text = event.message.text
if (text === 'Generic') {
sendGenericMessage(sender)
continue
}
sendTextMessage(sender, "Text received, echo: " + text.substring(0, 200))
}
}
res.sendStatus(200)
})
```
### *Act on what the user messages*
What happens when the user clicks on a message button or card though? Let's update the webhook API one more time to send back a postback function.
```javascript
app.post('/webhook/', function (req, res) {
let messaging_events = req.body.entry[0].messaging
for (let i = 0; i < messaging_events.length; i++) {
let event = req.body.entry[0].messaging[i]
let sender = event.sender.id
if (event.message && event.message.text) {
let text = event.message.text
if (text === 'Generic') {
sendGenericMessage(sender)
continue
}
sendTextMessage(sender, "Text received, echo: " + text.substring(0, 200))
}
if (event.postback) {
let text = JSON.stringify(event.postback)
sendTextMessage(sender, "Postback received: "+text.substring(0, 200), token)
continue
}
}
res.sendStatus(200)
})
```
Git add, commit, and push to Heroku again.
Now when you chat with the bot and type 'Generic' you can see this.
## 📡 How to share your bot
### *Add a chat button to your webpage*
Go [here](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/messenger-platform/plugin-reference) to learn how to add a chat button your page.
### *Create a shortlink*
You can use https://m.me/ to have someone start a chat.
## 💡 What's next?
You can learn how to get your bot approved for public use [here](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/messenger-platform/app-review).
You can also connect an AI brain to your bot [here](https://wit.ai)
Read about all things chat bots with the ChatBots Magazine [here](https://medium.com/chat-bots)
You can also design Messenger bots in Sketch with the [Bots UI Kit](https://bots.mockuuups.com)!
## How I can help
I build and design bots all day. Email me for help!