Cross-Platform Message Type Compatibility

In a multi-channel environment, ensuring that messages are compatible across different platforms is crucial for maintaining a seamless user experience. xBot supports a wide range of message types, allowing it to operate effectively across various communication channels such as web chat, social media, and email. This guide provides an overview of how xBot manages message type compatibility across platforms and offers best practices for configuring and testing message handling to ensure consistent performance.

Introduction to Cross-Platform Compatibility

xBot is designed to operate across multiple communication platforms, each of which may have its own set of supported message types. Ensuring that your messages are compatible across these platforms is essential for delivering a consistent user experience. This section explains the types of messages supported by xBot and how it handles compatibility across different platforms.

Supported Platforms

xBot supports the following platforms:

• Web Chat

• Social Media (e.g., Facebook Messenger, Twitter)

• Email

• Mobile Messaging (e.g., SMS, WhatsApp)

Message Type Compatibility

Each platform may have different capabilities when it comes to handling message types. xBot is equipped to manage these differences, ensuring that your messages are delivered accurately and effectively regardless of the platform. Here are the key message types and their compatibility across platforms:

Platform	Text Messages	Adaptive Card	HTML Format	Markdown
ZALO	✔
Microsoft Teams	✔	✔	✔
EMAIL	✔		✔
Microsoft Webchat SDK	✔			✔
Facebook	✔			✔

Text Messages

• Compatibility: Fully compatible across all platforms.

• Usage: Standard text messages are the most universally supported and are ideal for delivering straightforward information.

Rich Media (Images, Videos)

• Compatibility: Supported on most platforms, with some limitations on mobile messaging (e.g., SMS may not support rich media).

• Usage: Use rich media to enhance the user experience where platform support allows. Consider fallback options for platforms that do not support rich media.

Interactive Elements (Buttons, Quick Replies)

• Compatibility: Fully supported on web chat and social media platforms; limited support on email and mobile messaging.

• Usage: Interactive elements can significantly improve user engagement but should be tested for compatibility on each platform.

Attachments (Documents, Files)

• Compatibility: Supported on web chat and email platforms; limited support on social media and mobile messaging.

• Usage: When sending attachments, ensure that the platform can handle the file type and size. Provide alternative access methods (e.g., download links) for platforms with limitations.

Sample Types of Supported Messages

1. Text Messages (1):

   • Example: "Hello, how can I assist you today?"

   • Usage: Basic, plain text communication for all platforms.

2. Adaptive Card (2):

   • Example:

     {
       "type": "AdaptiveCard",
       "version": "1.0",
       "body": [
         {
           "type": "TextBlock",
           "text": "Welcome to the chat!",
           "weight": "bolder",
           "size": "medium"
         },
         {
           "type": "Image",
           "url": "https://example.com/welcome.png"
         }
       ],
       "actions": [
         {
           "type": "Action.OpenUrl",
           "title": "Learn More",
           "url": "https://example.com"
         }
       ]
     }

   • Usage: Rich, interactive messages for Microsoft Teams.

   

   UI that displays in message list
3. HTML Format (3):

   • Example:

     <p><strong>Important Update:</strong> Please review the attached document.</p>
     <a href="https://example.com/document.pdf">Download Document</a>

   • Usage: Styled text

   

   UI that displays in message list

Markdown Format (4):

• Example:

  <p><strong>Important Update:</strong> Please review the attached document.</p>
  <a href="https://example.com/document.pdf">Download Document</a>

• Usage: Simple text formatting

UI that displays in message list

---

Editor Behavior for Different Message Types

1. Text Messages (1):

   • Editor: Simple editor with basic input functionality.

   • Features: No advanced formatting tools, plain text input.

   

   Simple editor
2. HTML Format (3):

   • Editor: Rich text editor with a toolbar.

   • Features: Supports various HTML elements, styling options, and media embedding.

   

   Editor that supports HTML default mode

   

   Editor that supports HTML toolbar mode
3. Markdown Format (4):

   • Editor: Rich text editor with a toolbar.

   • Features: Basic formatting tools for bold, italic, underline, strike, header 1, header 2, ordered list, unordered list, blockquote, code-block, link, image, and remove format.

   

   Editor that supports HTML default mode

   

   Editor that supports HTML toolbar mode

Implementation Notes

• Text Messages (1): The most basic form of communication, universally supported across all platforms. In the simple editor (serving only text messages), any formatted text pasted will remove all formatting, resulting in plain text.

• HTML Format Messages (3): Allows for complex, styled content within messages, supported by Microsoft Teams and EMAIL. In the rich editor (serving HTML format), pasted text will retain its formatting.

• Markdown Format Messages (4): Supported by Microsoft Webchat SDK client, and Facebook, providing simplified text formatting using markdown syntax. In the rich editor (serving Markdown format), pasted text will retain its formatting.

• Image Paste Behavior: Inline images pasted into the editor must be less than 500KB for both HTML and Markdown formats to ensure efficient loading and storage.

---

Conclusion

Ensuring message type compatibility across different platforms is essential for maintaining a seamless user experience. By understanding the capabilities and limitations of each platform and following best practices, you can optimize your messaging strategies and ensure that xBot delivers consistent and effective communication across all channels.

For further details on configuring platform-specific settings, refer to the Platform Configuration Guide.