How To Build A Chatbot - Part 1 🔥
Learn to build a facebook chatbot using Python and Flask
Table of Contents
Create a Facebook Page
After you've created a page, click on this Link to create a Facebook App to access FB's developer's console.
Stuff to install and setup
Prereq: Make sure you have python installed on your laptop
Download Project Files
You can download the files here
Install Dependencies
Navigate into the downloaded folder using cd and once you reach the root folder run the following command in your terminal.
pip install -r requirements.txtSetting up your first flask server
from flask import Flask
app = Flask(__name__)
@app.route("/")
def hello():
return "Hello World!"
if __name__ == "__main__":
app.run()Run the following command, python hello_world.py
Open localhost:5000 in your browser. And you'll see "Hello World"
Now, go to your root folder and run the command below.
./ngrok http 5000Now, the whole world can see "Hello World" if they use the link ;)
Code Breakdown
verify() method
This method is used only once. It's for Facebook to check if the link you've given it is valid or not.
@app.route('/', methods=['GET'])
def verify():
if request.args.get("hub.mode") == "subscribe" and request.args.get("hub.challenge"):
if not request.args.get("hub.verify_token") == "test_token":
return "Verification token mismatch", 403
return request.args["hub.challenge"], 200
return "Hello world", 200webhook() method
This is the main method that recieves user's messages.
@app.route('/', methods=['POST'])
def webhook():
# Recieve your package from facebook
data = request.get_json()
# print(data)
if data["object"] == "page":
for entry in data["entry"]:
for messaging_event in entry["messaging"]:
if messaging_event.get("message"): # someone sent us a message
sender_id = messaging_event["sender"]["id"] # the facebook ID of the person sending you the message
recipient_id = messaging_event["recipient"]["id"] # the recipient's ID, which should be your page's facebook ID
message_text = messaging_event["message"]["text"] # the message's text
print(sender_id)
print(message_text)
# responding to your user
send_message(sender_id, message_text)
if messaging_event.get("delivery"): # delivery confirmation
pass
if messaging_event.get("optin"): # optin confirmation
pass
if messaging_event.get("postback"): # user clicked/tapped "postback" button in earlier message
pass
return "ok", 200
send_message() method
This is the method that sends messages back to Facebook.
def send_message(recipient_id, message_text):
# Prepare your package
params = {
"access_token": "ADD_YOUR_PAGE_ACCESS_TOKEN"
}
headers = {
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
data = json.dumps({
"recipient": {
"id": recipient_id
},
"message": {
# add the text you want to send here
"text": message_text
}
})
# Send the package to facebook with the help of a POST request
r = requests.post("https://graph.facebook.com/v2.6/me/messages", params=params, headers=headers, data=data)
# do this to check for errors
if r.status_code != 200:
print("something went wrong")
Useful References
Here's another tutorial
Flask Documentation
read more abour ngrok
Read about get and most requests