Guide · Intake Bots
Calculate an estimate
Turn the person's answers into a number, like a price or a lead time, with steps the AI drafts or you build yourself, and show it to them in the conversation.
The “Calculation” block does the math on the answers. Each step writes a named variable the rest of the Intake Bot can use: to show it in a content block, to decide what to ask next or to save it to a record.
1. Add the block
Open your FlowApp, go to “Intake Bots” and pick the bot. Between two questions in the main list, tap the + button and choose “Calculation”. Place it after the questions it uses. It isn't offered inside an option's follow-up questions.
2. Describe the result
Tap “Describe the result”. In “What should this calculation do?”, write what you want in one sentence. For example, a carpentry shop: price = linear meters × price per meter for the chosen wood, plus installation. Tap “Draft steps”.
The AI proposes the steps. Review each one and tap “Accept”, or “Accept all”. You can edit them afterwards.
3. Set your rates
The AI doesn't know your prices or your rates. When a step needs a number of yours, it comes first, flagged “Set your rate” with an example value. Type yours before you accept. If you accept without typing it, the step is “Accepted with the example value” and you can change it later.
Later steps read those rates by name, so changing a rate never means touching the formulas.
4. Or build the steps yourself
Under “Steps”, tap “Add step” and pick the type:
- “Formula”: math with answers and functions, like
ROUND({{meters}} * {{price_per_meter}}, 2). Type a question name or a function, or tap + to insert one. - “Lookup”: finds the row in one of your tables that matches an answer and brings back the columns you choose, like the price per meter of the chosen wood. With “AI fallback”, if no row matches, the AI picks from the table's real values and the lookup runs again.
- “Bands”: turns a number into a label by range. A mechanic's workshop, for example, takes the mileage: “Up to” 30000, Basic service; “Up to” 80000, Full service; and under “Otherwise”, Major service.
- “AI”: in “Instruction” you describe the value you want and pick the “Result type”.
Each step has its own “Variable name”, and a step can use the variables from the steps before it.
A formula can also read the ad that brought the person, with no question for it: {{utm_campaign}}, {{utm_source}}, {{gclid}} or {{fbclid}}. For example, IF(ISBLANK({{utm_source}}), "Web", "Paid ads") tells ad cases apart, and an action can send the result to your CRM. They have a value on the web, also for an action that runs mid-conversation, and are blank without an ad.
5. Test it with an example
Under “Test with example”, type some sample answers and tap “Run”. You see what each step returns before a real person ever gets there.
Show the result
The person never sees the “Calculation” block. To give them the estimate, add a content block after it with the result's variable, like Your estimated quote is {{total_price}}. If the text shows a rate instead of a result, the editor warns you.
Variables also work in “Show this question when...”, so you can ask something only above a certain amount. And with “Save to Record”, a step's results are saved as columns on the table.
Credits
“Formula”, “Lookup” and “Bands” don't use AI. An “AI” step, a lookup's “AI fallback” and “Draft steps” use credits each time they run. See Plans and credits.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the person see the calculation?
- No. The calculation runs when the conversation passes it. To show them the result, add a content block after it with the result's variable.
- Does it use credits?
- Formulas, lookups and bands don't. An AI step, a lookup's AI fallback and drafting the steps with AI do use credits.
- Does the AI make up my prices?
- No. When a step needs a rate or a price of yours, it arrives flagged for you to type your own value, with an example number.