If you’re working at a SaaS company and thinking about building an onboarding chatbot, you’re probably hoping for more than just a flashy widget. You want something that helps new users get value fast, answers their questions, and doesn’t just annoy them with canned messages. This guide is for product folks, marketers, and anyone tasked with actually making onboarding work using a tool like ChatBot.com—not just talking about it in a meeting.
Let’s talk about what actually works, what doesn’t, and how to build an onboarding chatbot that does its job instead of making new users quietly close the tab.
1. Start with the User’s Real Frustrations
Before you even open ChatBot.com, get clear on what’s genuinely confusing or intimidating for new users. You can’t fix onboarding if you don’t know what’s broken.
How to do it: - Watch real users: Sit in on onboarding calls or watch session replays. Where do people get stuck? - Ask support: Your support team knows exactly which questions come up over and over. - Read the complaints: Scan through feedback, cancellations, and forum posts. Don’t just trust your gut.
Pro tip: Don’t build a chatbot for edge cases or “nice-to-haves.” Focus on the 2–3 biggest blockers that keep people from getting value.
2. Map Out the Onboarding Journey First
Don’t jump into chatbot flows right away. Sketch out the key steps a new user needs to take to become successful. This is your north star.
Common onboarding milestones for SaaS: - Account creation/verification - Setting up the first project or integration - Inviting teammates - Completing a first “win” (sending a campaign, uploading data, etc.)
What to ignore: - Don’t try to automate everything. Pick the steps where a chatbot can genuinely help, not just repeat what’s on the page.
3. Use ChatBot.com to Build Flows That Match Those Milestones
Now you’re ready to open up ChatBot.com. The platform is flexible, but don’t let that tempt you into building an onboarding maze.
Best practices: - Keep it linear: Guide users through one clear step at a time. No need for branching logic unless the user’s choices truly change the next step. - Use quick replies: Offer 2–3 options max. Don’t overwhelm people with a menu of everything your product does. - Be specific: “Need help connecting your Google account?” works better than “How can I help you today?” - Make it skippable: Let users dismiss the chatbot or skip steps. Forced onboarding is just another pop-up.
What doesn’t work: - Endless nested menus. If users have to click through five layers, they’ll bail. - Vague intros. “Welcome to Acme SaaS! I’m here to help!”—this tells them nothing.
4. Write Like a Human (Not a Robot or a Marketer)
No one wants to talk to a bot that sounds like it’s writing a press release. Your chatbot’s tone should be friendly, not forced; clear, not chatty.
Tips for better copy: - Use contractions and simple words. - Be direct: “Let’s set up your first project.” - Acknowledge when you can’t help. “Looks like I can’t answer that—let me send you to support.” - Avoid exclamation points unless you really mean it.
Avoid: - Over-the-top enthusiasm (“Amazing! You’re on fire!”) - Corporate buzzwords (“Let’s leverage your synergies…”) - Fake typing delays. Users know it’s a bot.
5. Connect to Real Support—Don’t Pretend the Bot Can Do Everything
A good onboarding chatbot knows its limits. There will always be questions or issues it can’t handle.
How to handle handoffs: - Use ChatBot.com’s integrations to connect users with a real human (live chat, ticket, or email) when needed. - Set clear expectations: “If you need more help, I can connect you to our support team.” - Log and tag questions the bot can’t answer—use this to improve your docs and bot scripts.
What to skip: - Don’t fake live chat if there’s no one actually there. Users can spot this a mile away.
6. Personalize, But Only Where It Adds Value
ChatBot.com lets you pull in user info (like name, plan, or usage data). Use this sparingly—personalization is only helpful if it actually changes the advice or flow.
Good uses of personalization: - Welcoming users by name (once, not every message). - Recommending the next step based on what they’ve already done. - Skipping steps the user has clearly completed.
What to ignore: - Overly clever “personalization” that just inserts a name into every sentence. - Creepy or unnecessary details (“I see you’ve logged in from Chicago!”).
7. Measure What Actually Matters
Don’t get distracted by vanity metrics like “conversations started.” Focus on whether the chatbot helps new users get to their first success faster.
Track: - Completion rates for onboarding steps guided by the bot. - Drop-off points (where users abandon the flow). - Support tickets from new users—are the same questions coming up? - Time-to-value: Are users reaching key milestones quicker?
What doesn’t matter: - Raw number of messages sent. - “Engagement rate” if it doesn’t tie to real outcomes.
Pro tip: Run A/B tests with and without the chatbot for new users. If it’s not moving the needle, don’t be afraid to rethink your approach.
8. Keep It Simple—Especially at Launch
The biggest onboarding chatbot mistake? Trying to do too much out of the gate. Start with a simple, focused flow that tackles your users’ biggest pain point.
Start small: - Launch with a single flow (e.g., helping users connect their first integration). - Watch how people actually use it. - Iterate based on real feedback—not what you think people want.
Add features slowly: Only expand once you’re sure the basics are working.
9. Test on Real Users (Not Just in the Editor)
What seems obvious to you might be confusing to a new user. Always test your onboarding chatbot with real people.
How to do it: - Ask new hires or non-technical teammates to go through onboarding. - Watch live or recorded sessions—note where users hesitate or get frustrated. - Gather honest feedback: Was anything unclear? Did the bot actually help?
What to skip: - “Dogfooding” with your product team only. They’re too close to the product.
10. Don’t Treat the Chatbot as a Silver Bullet
A chatbot won’t fix a confusing onboarding flow or a product with poor documentation. Think of it as a supplement, not a replacement, for good UX and support.
If you notice: - The chatbot is fielding the same basic questions over and over - Users are dropping out at the same spot, bot or no bot
…it’s probably time to fix your underlying onboarding process, not just tweak the chatbot.
Wrapping Up
The best onboarding chatbots don’t try to do everything. They get users over the biggest hurdles, offer a helping hand (not a lecture), and know when to get out of the way. Start simple, focus on real user pain points, and keep iterating based on what actually works—not what sounds good in a product demo.