# Sending Welcome Message with ActionSessionStart

**URL:** <https://forum.rasa.com/t/sending-welcome-message-with-actionsessionstart/51001>\
**Category:** Rasa Open Source\
**Created:** [January 31, 2022, 5:17am UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/sending-welcome-message-with-actionsessionstart/51001 "2022-01-31T05:17:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![byoung585](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@byoung585](https://forum.rasa.com/u/byoung585)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 5:17am UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/sending-welcome-message-with-actionsessionstart/51001/1 "2022-01-31T05:17:52Z")

</div>

Hello,

I am attempting to implement a welcome message. I have read [this answer](http://forum.rasa.com/t/welcome-message-in-rasa-x/13374/6) and attempted to implement a welcome message using a custom action. However, when I send the `/session_start` message in Rasa shell, my welcome message is not sent.

Here is the relevant section of `actions/actions.py`:

```auto
class ActionSessionStart(Action):
    def name(self) -> Text:
        return "action_session_start"

    async def run(
      self, dispatcher, tracker: Tracker, domain: Dict[Text, Any]
    ) -> List[Dict[Text, Any]]:
    
        dispatcher.utter_message(text='I am the session start action')

        # the session should begin with a `session_started` event and an `action_listen`
        # as a user message follows
        return [SessionStarted(), ActionExecuted("action_listen")]

```

I have pointed Rasa to my actions server in `endpoints.yml`:

```auto
action_endpoint:
 url: "http://localhost:5055/webhook"

```

I am using Rasa 2.8 on Windows 10. See version information below.

```auto
Rasa Version : 2.8.0
Minimum Compatible Version: 2.8.0
Rasa SDK Version : 2.8.4
Rasa X Version : None
Python Version : 3.8.6
Operating System : Windows-10-10.0.19041-SP0

```

I am able to implement other custom actions (such as the Hello World action that is commented out by default) but I cannot get my customized session start action to work properly.

Other than the custom actions, my configuration is the same as is generated by `rasa init`. I am using Rasa 2.8 as Rasa X does not work with the latest version of Rasa Open Source.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nik202](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/forum.rasa.com/nik202/32/16098_2.png) [@nik202](https://forum.rasa.com/u/nik202)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 11:22am UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/sending-welcome-message-with-actionsessionstart/51001/2 "2022-01-31T11:22:20Z")

</div>

@byoung585 Do you have any front end or do you need to decide?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![byoung585](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@byoung585](https://forum.rasa.com/u/byoung585)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 6:19pm UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/sending-welcome-message-with-actionsessionstart/51001/3 "2022-01-31T18:19:51Z")

</div>

The chatbot will eventually be used on my own website, but I am testing it locally for now.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nik202](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/forum.rasa.com/nik202/32/16098_2.png) [@nik202](https://forum.rasa.com/u/nik202)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 6:21pm UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/sending-welcome-message-with-actionsessionstart/51001/4 "2022-01-31T18:21:02Z")

</div>

@byoung585 That’s fine, but what front end widget you are using?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![byoung585](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@byoung585](https://forum.rasa.com/u/byoung585)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 6:32pm UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/sending-welcome-message-with-actionsessionstart/51001/5 "2022-01-31T18:32:35Z")

</div>

I am using the widget that can be found in this repo: [GitHub - scalableminds/chatroom: React-based Chatroom Component for Rasa Stack](https://github.com/scalableminds/chatroom) for my website.

However, to be clear, I am currently only interacting with my chatbot using `rasa shell`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pmutua](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/forum.rasa.com/pmutua/32/21988_2.png) [@pmutua](https://forum.rasa.com/u/pmutua)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 7:15pm UTC](https://forum.rasa.com/t/sending-welcome-message-with-actionsessionstart/51001/7 "2022-11-20T19:15:47Z")

</div>

> [@byoung585](#):
>
> I am attempting to implement a welcome message. I have read [this answer](http://forum.rasa.com/t/welcome-message-in-rasa-x/13374/6) and attempted to implement a welcome message using a custom action. However, when I send the `/session_start` message in Rasa shell, my welcome message is not sent.

I am trying to do the exact implementation. I’ve integrated the bot with WhatsApp. How can I make it possible so that the bot could automatically send a welcome message?