BotBuilder for Node.js v3 & Microsoft Bot Framework: How do I remotely trigger the start of a new conversation with a user?

Question

If I begin a dialog with a user where in the middle that user is sent a link that they are meant to open, how can I resume the conversation with the user after they have closed the webpage (which I control) the link lead to?

They way I implemented this myself, without using BotBuilder for Node.js v3, was that the link I send to the user has the chatId information associated with it, so when the user later closes the webpage the link leads to, the webpage sends a call to my chat server saying its time to resume the conversation with the specific chatId.

With BotBuilder for Node.js its unclear how I could get it to send a one off message for a specific chatId on a specific channel or begin a new dialog with a user that is triggered by a website or source other than the direct chat recipient. Can someone please give me guidance on this?

Answer 1

For more information on this subject, check out the documentation guide: Integrate your bot with a web browser.

Some scenarios require more than just a bot to fulfill a requirement. A bot may need to send the user to a web browser to complete a task and then resume the conversation with the user after the task has been completed.

Tools covered in this article include:

• AuthBot - a .NET library for Azure Active Directory authentication on bots built via Microsoft Bot Framework.
• botauth - authentication middleware for bots built using the Bot Framework and Node.js. botauth is leverages passportjs authentication strategies to help bot developers connect to 3rd party oauth providers. You can use botauth to connect your bot's users to their Facebook, Dropbox, or any other API protected by OAuth 2.0.