How to Write Chatbot Welcome and Fallback Messages
By Karla, founder of Proxxie · How-to ·
A good chatbot welcome message says who the chatbot represents, what it can help with, and invites a question, all in one or two short sentences. A good fallback message admits the bot doesn't know, and offers a clear next step, such as leaving a name and email for a personal follow-up. These two messages shape most of how visitors feel about your chatbot.
The welcome message is the first thing every visitor sees. The fallback message appears at the moment a visitor is most likely to give up. Both are short, and both are worth getting right.
The welcome message
What it needs to do
- Say who it is. "Hi, I'm the assistant for Bright Dental."
- Say what it can help with. Hours, services, pricing, insurance.
- Invite a question. End with a question or a prompt.
What to avoid
- Long introductions. Visitors skim. Keep it to two sentences.
- Pretending to be human. Don't give the bot a fake human persona that implies a person is typing.
- Overpromising. "I can help with anything!" sets up disappointment.
Examples
Dental office
Hi! I'm Bright Dental's assistant. I can answer questions about new patients, insurance, hours, and services. What can I help with?
Plumber
Hi, this is the Rivera Plumbing assistant. Ask me about our service area, pricing, or availability. For emergencies, call (555) 555-0100.
Salon
Welcome to Studio Nine! I can help with prices, service times, and how to book. What are you thinking of getting done?
Agency client, law office
Hello! I can answer general questions about our practice areas, office hours, and how consultations work. I can't give legal advice, but I'm happy to help you get in touch.
Notice the plumber and law office examples set limits upfront. For emergencies or advice, stating the boundary in the welcome message builds trust.
The fallback message
The fallback message appears when the chatbot can't find an answer in its knowledge base. A bad one ends the conversation. A good one keeps it going.
What it needs to do
- Admit it doesn't know, plainly.
- Offer a next step: a person, a phone number, or leaving contact details.
- Keep the door open for other questions.
What to avoid
- Guessing. A confident wrong answer is worse than "I'm not sure."
- Dead ends. "I don't understand" with no next step loses the visitor.
- Blaming the visitor. "Please rephrase your question" feels like the visitor did something wrong.
Examples
General
I don't have that information, but our team does. Leave your name and email and someone will get back to you. Anything else I can help with in the meantime?
Busy service business
That's a good question for our team directly. Share your name and email and we'll follow up, usually within one business day.
With a phone option
I'm not sure about that one. You can reach us at (555) 555-0100 during business hours, or leave your name and email and we'll reach out.
Use fallbacks to improve your chatbot
Every time the fallback appears, it tells you something is missing from your knowledge base. Review those questions regularly and add answers. Over time, the fallback should appear less and less. Our knowledge base checklist helps you fill the most common gaps upfront.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a chatbot welcome message be?
One or two sentences. Enough to say who it is and what it helps with.
Should my chatbot have a name?
A name is fine, as long as the chatbot doesn't pretend to be a person.
Should the fallback always ask for contact details?
It's a good default, because it turns an unanswered question into a follow-up. Include a phone number too if you answer calls.
Where do I set these messages?
Most chatbot tools have settings for both. In Proxxie, you set the Welcome Message and Fallback Message on the chatbot's Configure tab.
Try it with your own business. Proxxie builds an AI chatbot from your content. Paste in your information or add pages from your website, test it, then add it to your site with one line of code. Start your free 14-day trial. No credit card required.