Fallback message
Also called Fallback response, Default response
A fallback message is what a chatbot says when it can't understand a request or doesn't have an answer. Good fallbacks admit the limit plainly and offer a next step, such as rephrasing, a link or contact with a person, instead of guessing or repeating the same unhelpful reply.
Example
"I don't have information about wholesale pricing. If you leave your email below, the team will get back to you."
Why it matters for a website chatbot
The fallback decides whether a missing answer becomes a lost visitor or a lead. ChatBento's fallback is built in: when your content doesn't cover a question, it says so and opens the contact form, so the visitor can reach your team.
See it in practice: After-hours support
Related terms
- HallucinationA hallucination is an output from an AI model that sounds confident and plausible but is false or unsupported by its sources, such as an invented fact, quote, price, policy or link. It happens because language models generate likely-sounding text and have no built-in way to know when they lack information.
- Human handoffHuman handoff is the point where an automated chatbot passes a conversation to a person, either because the customer asks for one or because the bot can't help. A good handoff carries the conversation history and contact details along, so the customer doesn't have to repeat themselves to the person who takes over.
- GuardrailsGuardrails are rules and checks placed around an AI system to keep its behavior within safe, intended limits. They can restrict topics, block harmful or off-brand output, require answers to come from approved sources, filter inputs for attacks, and send uncertain or sensitive cases to a person.
- IntentIn chatbots, an intent is the goal behind a user's message, such as checking an order, asking about pricing or requesting a refund. Traditional chatbots classify each message into one of a fixed list of intents to choose a scripted reply; language-model chatbots infer intent without a predefined list.