Connect Your Questions in a Flow

 Introduction

Now you've got all your questions and answers set. And it's high time to define when and whether specific questions shall be asked.

Most of the examples in the templates provide for a simple flow when all the questions are asked one after another and products that meet all the answers are recommended to the customer. 

From this article you will learn how to: 

• Create a simple direct flow

• Define the starting question

• Create a more difficult branching flow

Once you've chosen a template or clicked the "Start from blank" button, you will be redirected to the "Flow" tab of your digital Product Finder. Otherwise, you can always open the Product Finder editor and select the "Flow" tab.

1. Define Direct Connections

If you start from the template, there will already be some sample questions interconnected with green lines and the starting question marked with the home icon.

If you start from the blank, the editor will initially be empty, and you can add questions anywhere on the canvas. However, for your convenience, it's better to place the questions in the order similar to the one they'll be asked in.

For the sake of example, we'll create a Product Finder to help people select the right bike. You can connect the questions in the order they are to be asked, using canvas or question editor.

 1.1 Connect Question Using Canvas

To connect questions on the canvas, its enough to drag the line, from a dot in the question header to the next question 

1.2 Connect Question In the Question Editor

You can also use the question editor. To do that, 

1. Open the question editor and select the question.
2. Click the connection icon in the question details.
3. In the emerged window, click the plus button to add a connection.
4. Click the selector arrow in the "Go to question" field.
5. Select the question to go to and click the "Apply" button at the bottom

In the editor	On the canvas

2. Define the Starting Question

 If you are using a template, there will already be a starting question (the first question asked by the digital Product Finder) marked with a home icon. 

If you are creating a Product Finder from blank,  the first added question will be automatically defined as starting. 

To change the starting question: 1. Hover over the question that you want to set up as starting on the canvas 2. Right-click the emerged menu icon in the right top corner of the tile 3. Click the "Set as starting question" option in the menu

3. Define Branching Connections

Sometimes you might need to branch the flow. 

Let's take another example - Product Finder for car insurance.

For example, all the questions that we are asking in the car insurance example are useless, if the visitor has already got car insurance with our company. Therefore, let's add one more question. 

"Is your car insured at our company?" If no, we can get to the general questions. If yes, there is no need to ask that, and we'd rather ask for the current agreement number.

We've added the first connection as described in the previous section.

You can add the next connection:  In the editor: Click the plus button again
On the canvas: Add one more connection and you will be automatically reported to the editor
In the emerged window of the editor, you can: 1. Define what question the flow shall switch to (if you've created a connection on the canvas, it will already be selected)

2. Define the label that will be displayed on this branch at the canvas. The label will help identify the branch in the future.

3.  Specify the conditions: let Product Finder 360 know when to go on to this question.

Select a question and whether it shall be answered or not answered in a specific way. 

Click the "Apply" button at the bottom of the rule to have it added.

3.1 More Difficult Conditions

You can add more difficult conditions and groups thereof. For example, if this is not our client after we've asked "How do you use the car in free time?" we want to ask "How much do you drive" if

1) The visitor is using the car for work AND

2) The visitor is not using the car for work but in free time uses it for commuting OR travelling

1. Define the rule for "Will be using your car for work" is answered "Yes"
2. Click "+ Group" and define the first condition for free time usage (if "How do you use the car in free time" is answered "Commuting")
3. Click "+Rule" at the group level to add the second condition
4. Define the second rule of the group (if "How do you use the car in free time" is answered "Travelling")

In our example, the branch will not be chosen if the question" Will you be using your car for work?" is not answered "Yes". 

3.1.1 Condition Operators

In order to change the relationship of the conditions, use the  ALL/ANY operators. 

In this example, the rule will be met, for any of the cases:

"Will you be using your car for work" = "Yes" or "How do you use the car in free time?" = "Commuting" or "How do you use the car in free time?" = "Travelling" (in this example, you don't really need to Group the last to conditions).

In this example, the rule will be met, for any of the cases:

"Will you be using your car for work" = "Yes" or "How do you use the car in free time?" = "Commuting" AND "Where do you usually park your car?" is not answered "Covered rank"

3.2 Rules Order

Now. we've defined the rule. The rule will be checked, and the user will be readdressed to the next question if it is true. 

If the rule is not met, our flow will end. (The visitor won't be asked any more questions, and the Results page will be suggested.

Let's add one more answer. For example, "Where do park the car?" 

Draw a connection to this question.

Now, if the first condition is not met, the visitors will be redirected to the question defined in the second condition. 

As you've noticed, we haven't defined any conditions for this route. Such a branch (with no condition) will always be the last one. 

However, we can add more conditions.

For example, let's redirect the user to question "Who else will be driving the car?" if "Do you use your car for work" is answered, "Yes" (without any additional conditions).

In such a case, the visitor will be redirected to another question. For example, "Who else will be driving the car?"

1. Add the connection on the canvas (or from the editor)
2. Define the rule
3. As soon as you've clicked "Apply", the rule will be added to the list. It will be placed the last in the list, except for the rule with no conditions (if any)

As of now:

• The visitor will be redirected to "How much do you drive" if "Do you use your car for work" is answered "Yes" AND "How do you use the car in free time" was answered "Commuting" or "Travelling".

• The visitor will be redirected to "Who else will be driving the car?" in other cases when the visitor has answered "Yes" to "Do you use your car for work?"

• In other cases, the visitor will be redirected to "Where do you park the car?"

3.2.1 Change the Rules Order

Now, you can change the order of the first rules.

Click on the order icon and drag the rule to change its position.

 In our example, if we change the order of the rules, Product Finder 360 will first check if "Do you use your car for work" was answered "Yes" and will redirect the visitor to a corresponding question, and, actually, will never check the next condition. 

Next Steps

By now, you have:

• Told Product Finder 360 about your products 

• Created a set of questions and answers that will help your customers choose the right products

• Created the flow rules (just now)

• You might have already mapped your products to the answers so that Product Finder 360 can recommend specific products based on the answers they've given.

At the next steps:

• Map your products to answers (if not yet done)

• If needed, you can also update the design of your Product Finder.

To finalize the Product Finder launch you should:

• Integrate the Product Finder to your Website

• Publish the Product Finder