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Send a message block

Desirée M Updated by Desirée M

The Send a message block sends one or more messages to visitors and moves on to the next block without waiting for an answer. Use it to greet visitors, share information or confirm a choice between the blocks that ask questions. A message can hold text, images, GIFs, videos, links, Fields and HTML.

Prefer watching? The Academy video tutorial shows the Send a message block in action.

Send a message block panel with two text messages and an image, next to the same block on the canvas

The Send a message block's panel lists every message the block sends, in order, and the block on the canvas shows the same messages.

How to add a Send a message block

To add a Send a message block, drag from the output of the block that comes before it and pick it from the menu:

1️⃣ Drag from the block's output (the green arrow on its right) to an empty spot on the canvas.

2️⃣ Pick Messages > Send a message, or type Send a message in Search by name.

3️⃣ Click the new block and write the message in Write a message.

Animation of adding a Send a message block from a Buttons output through Messages, Send a message

On the canvas, the block's title is Messages.

How to send several messages in one block

To send several messages in a row, click + Add message in the block's panel. Each message shows as its own chat bubble, in the same order as the panel, so you can split a long text into short bubbles that are easier to read.

In this example, a bakery agent, Crumb & Co., asks for the visitor's name and then sends one Send a message block with three messages:

● First message: "Nice to meet you, @name! 👋", with the name the visitor typed.

● Second message: "Our sourdough comes out of the oven at 8:00 every morning. Come early for a warm loaf! See where to find us", with the time in bold and a link to the bakery on a map.

● Third message: a photo of fresh croissants.

Chat where the bakery agent greets Mateo by name, then sends a message with a bold time and a link, and a croissant photo

How to add images, GIFs and videos

To add an image, a GIF or a video, click + Add media, then click the pencil on the empty media box to open Select media. Pick where the file comes from:

● Upload your file: a file from your computer.

● From Url: a file that's already online, by its link.

● Giphy: a GIF from the Giphy library.

● Video Embed: a video to play inside the chat.

Then click SEND. The media shows in the chat as its own bubble, in its place among the block's messages.

Select media dialog with the tabs Upload your file, From Url, Giphy and Video Embed, and an image link typed
To send media without text, use the Media block. Its article is the full guide to uploading media to your agent.

To make the key information stand out, select the words and use the toolbar under the message: B for bold, I for italic, and the smiley for emoji. In the Crumb & Co. example, the opening time is bold so visitors spot it at a glance.

To add a link, select the words, click the link button, type the URL and click the check mark. The link shows underlined in the chat and opens in a new tab, so visitors don't lose the conversation.

Link box in the message editor with a Google Maps URL for the text See where to find us

How to show a Field in a message

To show something the visitor told the agent earlier, such as their name, click Use field in the message and pick the Field. The agent puts the visitor's answer in its place when it sends the message, so each visitor reads their own. Learn more about Fields.

Use field list in a message, with the Name Field highlighted under Lead data

In the Crumb & Co. example, the Ask for a Name block saves the visitor's answer in the Name Field (@name), and the Send a message block greets them with it:

● Visitor's answer: Mateo

● Agent's message: "Nice to meet you, Mateo! 👋"

How to add HTML to a message

To show a table or other formatted content, click the </> button in the message's toolbar and type the HTML. The message turns into a dark code box in the panel, and visitors see the result, not the code.

Message in HTML view with the HTML of a three-row price table

In this example, the Crumb & Co. agent shows today's bakes and their prices as a table:

● HTML in the message: <p>Here's what's fresh today:</p><table border="1"><tr><th>Bake</th><th>Price</th></tr><tr><td>Sourdough loaf</td><td>$6</td></tr>…</table>

● What visitors see: "Here's what's fresh today:" and a table with Sourdough loaf $6, Butter croissant $3 and Cardamom bun $4.

Chat showing a price table of three bakes, followed by a pickup question with two buttons
Write the HTML without spaces or line breaks between tags. A space between two tags can show up in the chat as an empty line.

For more HTML examples, try the HTML examples agent, and see How to display an HTML Table and a List in Landbot v3 web.

Why can't a Web agent start with a Send a message block?

A Web agent can't start with a Send a message block because its first block must capture the visitor's input. Right after the Starting point, the add-block menu offers only the Buttons block and question blocks, with the note "First block must capture user input". To greet visitors, write the greeting in the first question ("Hi! I'm the Crumb & Co. assistant 🥐 What's your name?") and add Send a message blocks after it. Learn more about the Starting Point.

Add-block menu after the Starting point listing only Buttons and question blocks, with the note First block must capture user input

Why doesn't the Back button stop at a Send a message block?

The Back button takes visitors back to the previous question, so it skips Send a message blocks: they don't wait for an answer, so there's nothing to answer again. In the Crumb & Co. example, clicking Back at the pickup question takes the visitor back to the name question, and the Send a message blocks run again once they answer.

The Back button also doesn't show after a Send a message block that ends the conversation.

For WhatsApp

WhatsApp handles links and Send a message blocks in its own way:

● Links: WhatsApp doesn't support link formatting in regular messages. It makes HTTPS URLs, phone numbers and email addresses clickable on its own, so paste the full URL; a link shortener (Bitly, TinyURL) keeps it readable.

● Buttons with links: Message Templates can carry buttons with links once your phone number is integrated. Sending a template counts as proactive messaging, with extra costs set by Meta's Pricing.

● Send a message blocks in a row: linking several Send a message blocks one after another can break a WhatsApp flow, so avoid it.

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