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Combining skills into skill flows

Skills are often more valuable when combined with other skills. You can create a skill flow to use two or more skills together to finish a task. These skills can be from different applications. You can create a linear sequence of skills by using a skill flow.

The following diagram illustrates an example to streamline the workflow of hiring a candidate by combining skills:

Figure 1: An example of a skill flow

You can accomplish these tasks in a single call by using a skill flow. When you create a skill flow, you can map the output of one skill as the input for subsequent skills, ensuring that the actions are seamlessly integrated.

To create a skill flow and make it available in the skill catalog for the team to use, do the following steps.

Create a skill flow
Enhance and publish the skill flow as a new skill

The following diagram demonstrates how to create a skill flow and use it as a skill.

Skill flow diagram

Figure 2: Combining skills by using skill flow

Creating a skill flow

You can design and implement a logical flow of skills by using a skill flow. The visual interface simplifies the process of defining the sequence of skills and the mapping of input and output of each skill.

Before you begin

To complete your skill flow, make sure to add the skills that you intend to use to your skill set. For more information, see Adding a skill from skill catalog.

Combining skills

Complete the following steps to combine skills into skill flow:

Select Skills and apps from the main menu .
Expand Add skills.
Choose Create a skill flow.
To name and describe your skill flow, click the edit icon , then click Save.
To add a skill to the flow, click add icon .
Select the skill. You can do it in the following ways:
- Select a suggested skill in the Suggested skills area.
- Select a skill from an app. You can search for an app by typing it in the Search apps field.
- Select a skill flow in the Skill flows tile. You can search for this tile by typing it in the Search apps field.
To add the required skill to the flow, click Add skill + on the skill tile.
Click add icon to continue adding skills to the flow. You can add a skill before or after the existing skill.
- You can use custom forms to manage what the user sees in a chat conversation. When you create a skill flow similar to how you add skills, add the Custom forms app available under All Apps. For more information, see Using custom forms.
Select the skill to map its Input values.
- To map output values from one skill to the input of another skill, see Mapping values to input fields.
- Optional: Hide input and output forms
- Optional: Repeat skills
Click Save as draft to save the skill flow as a new skill.

Now, you can start enhancing your skill immediately by clicking Enhance, or find the saved skill in the Skills and apps page to enhance later.

To delete a skill from the flow, you must select the skill, and then click the delete icon.

Delete skill from skill flow

Hiding input and output forms

When you create a skill flow, you can hide the input and output forms so they don't appear in the chat while you use the skill flow. The following steps show how to hide input and output forms:

Click a skill in your skill flow.
In the Input or Output tab, select Hide this form from the user option.

Hide-forms

Note: If the skill that you hide requires user input, this setting is ignored and the user is prompted to provide the required input.

Repeating skills

Configure skills to repeat in your skill flow. The repetition occurs based on a list of instances that are returned from previous skills in the skill flow. Each item from this list triggers one skill interaction. Follow the procedure to configure a skill to repeat in your skill flow:

Click the skill that you want to repeat in your skill flow.
Select the Repeat this skill option.
Set the list of instances used to repeat the skill in Select the output list that triggers this skill field.

The following image shows an example with two Slack skills. The Send a message skill is enabled to repeat and has an output list from the previous skill, the Retrieve channels. With this configuration, each item from the Retrieve channels skill triggers the Send a message skill interaction.

Skill configured to repeat

The skill with the option Repeat this skill repeats sequentially during the skill flow usage.

Enhancing and publishing the skill flow as a new skill

Enhance and publish the skill to make it accessible in the Skill catalog. After you publish the skill, the admin can share it with the team as required.

You can enhance the skill from the Create a flow page or directly from the Skills and apps page.
- From the Create a flow page:
  1. Click the Actions button.
  2. Select the Enhance option.
- From the Skills and apps page:
  1. Click the vertical ellipsis button of the skill flow.
  2. Select the Enhance this skill option.
In the Enhance this skill page, you specify the required details in the Name, Phrases, and Next best skills tabs. For more information, see Enhancing and publishing skills.

Note: Skill flows inherit the enhancing configurations of their skills, such as the input, output, and security details.
Optional: To save the skill as draft without publishing the skill, click Save as draft.
When the skill is ready to be published to the skill catalog, click the Publish button.

Edit skill flow

You can edit the skills with the Skill flow type to add or remove skills from the flow. Also, you can adjust the mappings to suit your requirements. Here is how you can do it:

From the main menu , select Skills and apps.
Click the next to your skill, select Edit the flow.
Make the required changes.
Expand Actions.
Click Save.

You have updated your skill flow now.

What to do next

After you publish your skill flow, it is available as a skill in the Skill catalog under the Skill flows app. Add the skill to your skill set and then use it from home page. You can either click the skill tile or enter a phrase in the chat bar to run the skill.