BotKit SDK Tutorial — Flight Search Sample Bot

This tutorial walks through setting up the BotKit SDK with the Flight Search sample assistant to handle webhook events. You will configure ngrok as a test callback server, register your app, and test the full flow.

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Prerequisites

Prerequisite	Notes
ngrok	Simulates your callback server on localhost
Node.js	Version 10 or above

Install and Run ngrok

1. Download from ngrok.com/download.

2. Start ngrok on port 8003:

   ngrok http 8003
   
   

3. Copy the HTTPS Forwarding URL (for example, https://1b47f1d2.ngrok.io). Leave ngrok running.

Install Node.js

1. Download from nodejs.org/en/download.

2. Verify the installation:

   node -v
   
   

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Configure the Assistant

Install the Flight Search Assistant

1. Log into XO Platform and click New Bot > Start from the Store.
2. Find Flight Search and install it.

Register Your App and Generate Credentials

1. Go to Deploy > Integrations > BotKit, click Add next to the App name dropdown.

2. Enter a name and click Next. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret. Click Done.

3. In Callback URL, paste the ngrok Forwarding URL.

   Each ngrok session generates a new URL. Update the Callback URL whenever you restart ngrok.

4. In Events, select OnHookNode — triggered when a Webhook node is reached in the dialog.

5. Click Save. The Successfully subscribed message appears.

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Publish the Assistant

Publishing is required to share the assistant with other users. For testing only, skip to Configure the BotKit SDK.

For publishing steps, see Publishing Your Assistant.

After publishing, deploy in the Admin Console:

• Enterprise Users — Go to Bots Management > Enterprise Bots, click Ellipses > Manage bot tasks, select all tasks, and assign via Bot & task assignments.
• General Public — Go to Bots Management > Consumer Bots, click Ellipses > Manage bot tasks, and select all tasks.

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Configure the BotKit SDK

1. Download and extract the BotKit SDK from github.com/Koredotcom/BotKit.

2. Edit config.json:

   {
     "server": { "port": 8003 },
     "app": {
       "apiPrefix": "",
       "url": "<ngrok Forwarding URL>"
     },
     "credentials": {
       "apikey": "<Client Secret from XO Platform>",
       "appId":  "<Client ID from XO Platform>"
     },
     "redis": { "options": { "host": "localhost", "port": 6379 }, "available": false },
     "examples": { "mockServicesHost": "https://localhost:8004" }
   }
   

3. In FindAFlight.js, update the following variables with your assistant’s Bot Name and Bot ID (found in Settings > Config Settings > General Settings):

   var botId   = "st-26cfae3a-XXXX-XXXX-991a-376b7fe579d5";
   var botName = "Flight Search Sample Tutorial";
   

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Start and Test

1. In a Terminal window, navigate to your BotKit SDK folder and run:

   node app.js
   

   Expected output: app listening at https://:::8003

2. Testing checklist:

   • ngrok running: ngrok http 8003
   • Node.js running: node app.js
   • XO Platform: click Talk to Bot (bottom-right corner of any page)

3. After the Flight Search dialog starts, webhook messages are exchanged between the third-party web service and the BotKit SDK.

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Next Steps

For production use, replace the ngrok Callback URL with your actual server URL. Have your Enterprise Admin publish and deploy the assistant to users.

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