# How to initiate conversation with user from Rasa (send notification)

**URL:** <https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480>\
**Category:** Rasa Open Source\
**Created:** [May 28, 2019, 4:09am UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480 "2019-05-28T04:09:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![selphe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@selphe](https://forum.rasa.com/u/selphe)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 4:09am UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480/1 "2019-05-28T04:09:17Z")

</div>

Hello!

**Use case:**

Technical support bot, It receives messages from users, asking additional info and creating issue in ticket system.

I want to achive user notification from same bot.

**Example:**

```
User: i have problem
Bot: which problem?
User: Network problem
Bot I've opened ticket #123 for you
... <ticket system push some request to rasa> ...
Bot: Your ticket #123 has been resolved

```

Is is possible?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![selphe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@selphe](https://forum.rasa.com/u/selphe)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 2:42am UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480/2 "2019-05-30T02:42:14Z")

</div>

My testing attempts:

I have very simply action: grab last message and post it back to the user:

```
class Test(Action):
    def name(self):
        return 'action_test'

    def run(self, dispatcher, tracker, domain):
        last_message = tracker.latest_message.get("text", "")
        dispatcher.utter_message('Echo:')
        dispatcher.utter_message(last_message)

        return []

```

What i’ve tried:

1. [Append](https://rasa.com/docs/rasa/api/http-api/#tag/Tracker/paths/~1conversations~1%7Bconversation_id%7D~1tracker~1events/post) a [reminder event](https://rasa.com/docs/rasa/api/events/#schedule-a-reminder) to the tracker.

What I see in the logs (with --debug --verbose keys):

```
rasa_1 | 2019-05-29 02:41:09 DEBUG rasa.core.tracker_store - Recreating tracker for id '{conversation_id}'
rasa_1 | 2019-05-29 02:44:23 DEBUG rasa.core.tracker_store - Recreating tracker for id '{conversation_id}'
rasa_1 | 2019-05-29 02:45:43 DEBUG rasa.core.tracker_store - Recreating tracker for id '{conversation_id}'
rasa_1 | 2019-05-29 02:45:54 DEBUG rasa.core.tracker_store - Recreating tracker for id '{conversation_id}'
rasa_1 | 2019-05-29 03:03:19 DEBUG rasa.core.tracker_store - Recreating tracker for id '{conversation_id}'

```

Nothing happens at shedulled time, even no errors in logs.

1. Execute an action via [http api](https://rasa.com/docs/rasa/api/http-api/#tag/Tracker/paths/~1conversations~1%7Bconversation_id%7D~1execute/post)

As description says “Any responses sent by the executed action will be returned as part of the endpoints result, they will not be sent over a connected output channel.” - user not recieved responce from action.

1. Post the message to the REST channel:

In such way, reply was sent back to the rest channel, not via connected output channel.

As I see in the logs, my conversation\_id = user\_id in connected output channel:

```
   rasa_1 | 2019-05-30 02:28:36 DEBUG rasa.core.agent - Created a new lock for conversation '{conversation_id}'
   rasa_1 | 2019-05-30 02:28:36 DEBUG rasa.core.tracker_store - Recreating tracker for id '{conversation_id}'

```

1. Post the message to the connected output channel with user\_id

With this method, **user receives message** , but I’am not sure, what it is the right way, to implement notification function (i should specify messanger related attributes in the request, like `update_id`, `message_id`, user `first_name`, `username`… and so on).

So main question, how can I call Rasa action from other system on my side, to notify my users via connected output channel?

Use cases: birthday reminder, notification from monitoring system, notification about ticket resolution etc.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![akelad](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/forum.rasa.com/akelad/32/69_2.png) [@akelad](https://forum.rasa.com/u/akelad)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 8:44am UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480/3 "2019-06-05T08:44:11Z")

</div>

Hi @selphe , have you tried just returning a `ReminderScheduled()` event from your custom action?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![selphe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@selphe](https://forum.rasa.com/u/selphe)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2019, 10:02am UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480/4 "2019-06-17T10:02:03Z")

</div>

Hi @akeladI’ve tried:

```auto
    class TestActionSchedule(Action):
        def name(self):
            return 'action_test_schedule'

        def run(self, dispatcher, tracker, domain):
            return [ReminderScheduled(action_name='action_test_notify')]

    class TestActionNotify(Action):
        def name(self):
            return 'action_test_notify'

        def run(self, dispatcher, tracker, domain):
            dispatcher.utter_message('test notify')
            return []

```

Then tried put a reminder:

```auto
POST http://localhost:5005/conversations/abc123/tracker/events
   {
     "event": "reminder",
     "action": "action_test_schedule",
     "date_time": "2019-06-17T16:57:10.128172",
     "name": "my_reminder",
     "kill_on_user_msg": true
   }

```

In logs:

```auto
2019-06-17 16:56:04 DEBUG rasa.core.tracker_store - Recreating tracker for id 'abc123'

```

Also, I’ve tried return just `ReminderScheduled()` in `action_test_notify`, and call this action via event, but no success (same message in log)

Sorry, but I still can’t figure out how this should work. Do you have an example?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![akelad](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/forum.rasa.com/akelad/32/69_2.png) [@akelad](https://forum.rasa.com/u/akelad)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 12:19pm UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480/5 "2019-06-18T12:19:47Z")

</div>

@Ghostvv can you take a look at this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ghostvv](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/forum.rasa.com/ghostvv/32/211_2.png) [@Ghostvv](https://forum.rasa.com/u/Ghostvv)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 12:41pm UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480/6 "2019-06-18T12:41:00Z")

</div>

Hi @selphe, in your code snippet above I don’t see that you passed `trigger_date_time` for `ReminderScheduled`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![selphe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@selphe](https://forum.rasa.com/u/selphe)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 3:23am UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480/7 "2019-06-19T03:23:54Z")

</div>

Hello @Ghostvv, Didn’t `trigger_date_time` sets from POST request? Anyway, in my code example above i’ve set it directly in return of `action_test_schedule`: `trigger_date_time='2019-06-19 09:50:30.942508'`

> **Response from POST**
>
> ```auto
> {
> "sender_id": "abc123",
> "slots": {
> "auth": null
> },
> "latest_message": {
> "intent": {
> "name": "greet",
> "confidence": 0.9154055118560791
> },
> "entities": [],
> "intent_ranking": [
> {
> "name": "greet",
> "confidence": 0.9154055118560791
> }
> ],
> "text": "hi"
> },
> "latest_event_time": 1560912532.6339908,
> "followup_action": null,
> "paused": false,
> "events": [
> {
> "event": "action",
> "timestamp": 1560912513.7582748,
> "name": "action_listen",
> "policy": null,
> "confidence": null
> },
> {
> "event": "user",
> "timestamp": 1560912513.8670504,
> "text": "hi",
> "parse_data": {
> "intent": {
> "name": "greet",
> "confidence": 0.9154055118560791
> },
> "entities": [],
> "intent_ranking": [
> {
> "name": "greet",
> "confidence": 0.9154055118560791
> }
> ],
> "text": "hi"
> },
> "input_channel": "telegram"
> },
> {
> "event": "action",
> "timestamp": 1560912514.2715187,
> "name": "utter_greet",
> "policy": "policy_0_MemoizationPolicy",
> "confidence": 1.0
> },
> {
> "event": "bot",
> "timestamp": 1560912514.2715187,
> "text": "Hello 🖖",
> "data": {
> "elements": null,
> "quick_replies": null,
> "buttons": null,
> "attachment": null,
> "image": null,
> "custom": null
> },
> "metadata": {}
> },
> {
> "event": "action",
> "timestamp": 1560912514.4364905,
> "name": "action_listen",
> "policy": "policy_0_MemoizationPolicy",
> "confidence": 1.0
> },
> {
> "event": "reminder",
> "timestamp": 1560912520.8946462,
> "action": "action_test_schedule",
> "date_time": "2019-06-19T09:45:30.942508",
> "name": "my_reminder",
> "kill_on_user_msg": true
> },
> {
> "event": "reminder",
> "timestamp": 1560912532.6339908,
> "action": "action_test_schedule",
> "date_time": "2019-06-19T09:50:30.942508",
> "name": "my_reminder",
> "kill_on_user_msg": true
> }
> ],
> "latest_input_channel": "telegram",
> "active_form": {},
> "latest_action_name": "action_listen"
> }
> 
> ```

Behaviour is the same, nothing happens at scheduled time, except `recreating tracker` in core logs.

I run it locally, so I believe, I can rely on time and date in task bar.

Anyhow, if I understand this function right, it can be used for schedule action, e.g. “turn of the light at morning”, so reminder expects entities? I can’t pass through whole message directly to user via request to rasa api?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![selphe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@selphe](https://forum.rasa.com/u/selphe)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2019, 6:23am UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480/8 "2019-06-21T06:23:23Z")

</div>

Summarizing:

1. I’m able to put reminder from input channel (e.g. Telegram), but not able to put it via HTTP API, so I can’t notify my users via reminder.
2. I’m able to notify my users through endpoint `/webhooks/<channel>/webhook`, via mimic user ID and passing `"/intent{"notify_slot":"text"}` on behalf of username, but I’m not sure that is correct way.

May be someone know, or can guide me to better way to inform users throught Rasa?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mmm3bbb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@mmm3bbb](https://forum.rasa.com/u/mmm3bbb)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480/9 "2019-07-15T20:56:17Z")

</div>

@selphe Did u ever get resolution to this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![selphe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@selphe](https://forum.rasa.com/u/selphe)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 6:01am UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480/10 "2019-07-22T06:01:12Z")

</div>

I’ve used workaround by mimic user ID as I’ve described above.

In `domain.yml` add intent and mapped action (it is not neccessary to add NLU data, if your user will not initiate notification by self)

> **Example**
>
> ```auto
> intents:
> - notify:
> triggers: action_notify
> 
> actions:
> - action_notify
> 
> ```

In `actions.py` add test action.

> **Example**
>
> ```auto
> class ActionNotify(Action):
> def name(self):
> return 'action_notify'
> 
> def run(self, dispatcher, tracker, domain):
> dispatcher.utter_message('test message')
> 
> return [UserUtteranceReverted()] ## In my case, i doesn't want to keep notify in tracker_store
> 
> ```

Then send request to messenger webhook endpoint, e.g, for Telegram. `http://localhost:5005/webhooks/telegram/webhook`

> **Example**
>
> ```auto
> {
> "update_id": 1,
> "message": {
> "message_id": 1,
> "from": {
> "id": PUT_HERE_TG_USER_ID,
> "is_bot": false,
> "first_name": "",
> "username": "",
> "language_code": "ru"
> },
> "chat": {
> "id": PUT_HERE_TG_USER_ID,
> "first_name": "",
> "username": "",
> "type": "private"
> },
> "date": 1234,
> "text": "/notify"
> }
> }
> 
> ```

If there are exists a better way, please guide me…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mmm3bbb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@mmm3bbb](https://forum.rasa.com/u/mmm3bbb)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/how-to-initiate-conversation-with-user-from-rasa-send-notification/10480/11 "2019-07-22T17:04:53Z")

</div>

That’s not such a bad solution, although it would much nicer if notifications were supported properly.

I have no idea how I would do it with websockets connection though.