Yes, there are chat bots available in Facebook Messenger. Facebook opened up Messenger in 2016 to allow developers to build chat bots that can interact with users. Since then, thousands of bots have been created for Messenger that allow users to do everything from order food to get news updates to play games.
History of Chatbots on Messenger
Facebook first launched a dedicated chatbot platform for Messenger at its F8 developer conference in April 2016. This allowed developers to build chatbots that could send and receive messages from users on Messenger.
Initially, Facebook opened up Messenger to chatbots in a closed beta program. A select number of brands and developers were given access to build bots. Some of the first chatbots on Messenger included 1-800-Flowers, CNN, and Poncho, a weather bot.
In July 2016, Facebook announced that Messenger would be open to all developers. Any developer or business could now build a bot for Messenger. This led to rapid growth in the number of bots available. Within the first six months, over 34,000 bots had been created for Messenger.
Some key milestones in the history of Messenger chatbots:
| April 2016 | Facebook launches dedicated chatbot platform for Messenger at F8 |
| July 2016 | Messenger opens to all developers to build bots |
| December 2016 | Over 100,000 bots created for Messenger |
| May 2017 | New bot discovery features introduced in Messenger |
| June 2018 | 300,000 bots available on Messenger |
Today, there are over 300,000 bots available on Messenger, enabling a huge variety of uses.
Types of Chatbots on Messenger
There are many different categories of chatbots available on Messenger:
Commerce
Many bots on Messenger assist with shopping and transactions. Retail brands use them to engage customers and facilitate orders. Users can browse products, make purchases, track orders and get support without leaving Messenger. Some examples include Sephora’s bot for checking beauty inventory and 1-800-Flowers for sending flowers.
News and Content
Lots of media companies and publishers have created bots on Messenger to deliver news briefings, headlines and content. These allow users to stay up-to-date on news from their favorite sources. Examples include the Wall Street Journal Bot and the TechCrunch bot for tech news.
Services
Chatbots also enable a variety of services on Messenger like ridesharing, food delivery and more. Lyft and Uber have Messenger bots to call cars. Food delivery services like DoorDash and Grubhub use bots to facilitate ordering. Other services like weather alerts, online invitations and travel booking are available through bots.
Entertainment
Gaming bots, trivia bots and other entertainment bots are popular on Messenger. Games like Words With Friends, 8 Ball Pool and Pacman have Messenger versions. Bots can tell jokes, stories or horoscopes on demand. Movies and TV bots from studios provide entertainment content as well.
Productivity
There are Messenger bots to help improve productivity like scheduling meetings, tracking habits, managing to-do lists and more. These include bots like Pana, Clara and My Emma. Microsoft has bots on Messenger like Calendar, To Do and Cortana to help manage tasks.
Chat
Some bots are designed just for fun conversations. Replika and Insomno bot are examples of artificial intelligence chatbots without any specific utility but can have surprisingly natural conversations.
Why Chatbots are Used on Messenger
There are several key reasons chatbots have become so popular on Facebook Messenger:
Large Established User Base
Facebook Messenger already had over 1 billion monthly active users before opening the platform to chatbots. This huge built-in audience allowed bots to immediately reach tons of people.
Natural Conversation Platform
Messenger provided a conversational interface perfectly suited for chatbots. Bots can send text, images, videos and more just like a normal user.
Discovery and Sharing
Facebook added options in Messenger like a Discover tab to help users find relevant bots. Users can also share bots with friends easily.
Users Already Check Messenger Frequently
People were already in the habit of checking Messenger regularly to talk to friends and family. Having bots there allows for convenient access to services.
Rich Extensibility
Facebook has added many features like cards, buttons, quick replies and templates that help developers create rich bot interactions.
The combination of an engaged audience and a messaging platform optimized for automation has led to immense chatbot adoption on Messenger.
Chatbot Usage Statistics
Here are some statistics on current chatbot usage on Facebook Messenger:
- Over 300,000 bots available on Messenger as of June 2018
- 56% of US Messenger users say they have used a chatbot
- Chatbots on Messenger deliver over 8 billion messages per month
- The top chatbot categories are commerce, entertainment, productivity and news
- Chatbot interactions have a 20% higher user retention rate compared to websites
- The average user talks to a Messenger chatbot 11 times per month
- Messaging bots have an open rate of 80%, compared to email’s 20-30% open rate
This data shows that chatbots have become extremely popular on Messenger and are utilized heavily by users. The convenience and personalization of bots keeps bringing people back.
Top Chatbots on Messenger
Considering their widespread use, what are some of the most popular and engaging chatbots available on Facebook Messenger?
1. Poncho
Poncho is a fun, quirky bot that provides weather forecasts, outfit recommendations based on the weather and environmental news. It has cute illustrations and jokes baked in alongside useful weather data.
2. CNN
The CNN bot delivers breaking news headlines and alerts from CNN. You can also get summaries of top stories and share articles through Messenger using the bot.
3. Portal by Anthropic
This is an AI-powered conversational chatbot from Anthropic designed to have natural, empathetic conversations on a variety of topics. The conversations feel more human-like compared to many bots.
4. Growbot
Growbot from Hubspot helps small businesses improve their Facebook and Instagram marketing. It provides analytics and advice tailored to your business account data.
5. Replika
Replika is an AI friend bot designed to be a compassionate conversational companion. You can share your thoughts and feelings with your Replika and it will respond with empathy.
These bots demonstrate the unique capabilities and utility that automated bots can deliver within Messenger conversations.
Building a Chatbot for Messenger
If you want to build your own chatbot for Facebook Messenger, here are the key steps involved:
1. Come Up with a Bot Idea
Brainstorm ideas for what you want your bot to do. Consider what goal it will accomplish or what service it will provide to users.
2. Design the Conversation Flow
Map out the key conversational steps users will take to interact with your bot. Account for different paths the dialogue could take.
3. Set Up a Facebook App
Go to the Facebook for Developers site and set up a new Facebook app. This will get API credentials for your bot.
4. Choose a Platform
Choose whether to build your bot directly on Messenger’s API or use a platform like ManyChat or Chatfuel that makes bot building simpler.
5. Program the Bot Logic
Use the platform APIs and tools to program your bot’s conversational abilities, logic and integrations.
6. Connect to Messenger
Connect your bot to your Facebook app using page tokens and webhook subscriptions. This enables it to interface with Messenger.
7. Test and Debug
Talk to your bot, test all dialogue paths and user interactions and fix anything that doesn’t work right.
8. Launch and Share
Submit your bot for review in Messenger, then go live and spread the word!
Following this process will guide you through creating a fully-functional Messenger chatbot.
The Future of Chatbots
What does the future look like for chatbots on Messenger and other platforms? Here are some likely developments:
- More advanced AI – Natural language processing and conversational abilities of bots will keep improving.
- Smarter dialog management – Bots will get better at maintaining context and complex dialog.
- Wider adoption across industries – More brands and verticals will find uses for intelligent bots.
- Tighter platform integration – A more seamless experience talking to bots in messaging apps.
- New monetization models – More ways for bot makers to generate revenue, like paid bots or premium features.
- Increased utility – Bots will become capable of more complex tasks and workflows.
Chatbots are still a relatively new technology. As the underlying artificial intelligence advances, they will become an increasingly useful and natural part of our digital lives. Messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger will continue to be central hubs where we interact with bots everyday.
Conclusion
Chatbots have become extremely prevalent on Facebook Messenger since the platform opened up to developers in 2016. There are now over 300,000 bots offering a diverse array of services like commerce, entertainment, news and productivity. Key reasons for the massive adoption include Messenger’s huge user base, conversational interface and discovery features. Statistics show Messenger users are actively engaging with bots, in some cases on a daily basis. Building a chatbot on Messenger involves planning its purpose, designing dialog flows, choosing a development platform, programming the bot logic and connecting it to Facebook. As artificial intelligence and natural language processing progress, chatbots will become smarter and more useful. They have already had a huge impact on how people interact with businesses and services online, and Messenger will continue to be a primary home for chatbots.