This section of the user guide is focused on understanding how variables are used in your responses. To help you navigate the article we have broken it down into the following sections:
How Variables Are Used
Variables are used in the responses to general library questions to ensure that whenever possible, your custom terms and URLs flow throughout the general library knowledge base, thus reducing the need for further customization.
On the Edit Question page, variables are identified by an exclamation point as the first character of the text.
Using a Link Variable in a Response
Link variables have to be used as a hyperlink within a response. A link variable can be used to hyperlink to text or can be combined with a text variable.
Example: When you create a new custom question, use the text variable (in this case, “!custom-graduationhomepagename” and then use the hyperlink tool to link the text variable to the link variable:
Note: This example was done showing a custom variable, but any link variable can be used in the same way.
Office Contact Variables
The only variables that are not visible and editable in the admin portal are the office contact variables.
Please contact your Client Success Manager or open an Ocelot Support Ticket to adjust any of your office contact variable values.
There are two types of office contact variables:
Office-clarifiers
- Office-clarifier variables will drive the bot to ask which office the user would like to engage in before displaying the chosen office’s information.
- Office-clarifier variables have the "fancy-bracket" prefix !{office}.
- The variables below are the office-clarifier variables:
- !{office}-office - Displays the office name based on which office the user chooses.
- !{office}office-hours - Displays the office’s hours of operation based on which office the user chooses.
- !{office}contact-number - Displays the office’s phone number based on which office the user chooses.
- !{office}contact-location - Displays the office’s address based on which office the user chooses.
- !{office}contact-link - Displays the office's email based on which office the user chooses.
- In the general library, this variable is often "hidden" behind the word "email" as the email's hyperlink:
Alert: Since the functionality of these variables affects all offices using the bot, THESE VARIABLES SHOULD NOT BE DELETED WHEN CUSTOMIZING YOUR RESPONSE.
If they are deleted during the customization process, Ocelot will not be able to make the question live and will work with you to provide a better response.
We recommend having an Administrative-level user lock the questions that contain these variables.
For more information on how to lock knowledge base responses, review the Content Locking article.
- On the General Library page, search "!{office}" to find the applicable questions that contain these variables:
Office-specific
- Office-specific variables will display the office’s contact information to the user.
- Office-specific variables have an acronym for each office as the prefix.
Example: "FA" is the Financial Aid prefix, which will display like: “!FA-OFFICE”
- In the general library, the contact-link variable is often "hidden" behind the word "email" as the email's hyperlink.
- If the office you are looking for is not listed, it is likely because there are no distinct variables for that specific office.
The following chart outlines all office-specific variables:
OFFICE* | PREFIX | VARIABLE | DEFINITION |
Academic Advising | ACADV | !ACADV-office | Office Name |
!ACADVoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!ACADVcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!ACADVcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!ACADVcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Admissions | ADM | !ADM-office | Office Name |
!ADMoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!ADMcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!ADMcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!ADMcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Alumni | ALUMNI | !Alumni-office | Office Name |
!Alumnioffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!Alumnicontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!Alumnicontact-location | Office Address | ||
!Alumnicontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Athletics | ATHLETE | !Athlete-office | Office Name |
!Athleteoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!Athletecontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!Athletecontact-location | Office Address | ||
!Athletecontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Basic Needs | BASIC | !Basic-office | Office Name |
!Basicoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!Basiccontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!Basiccontact-location | Office Address | ||
!Basiccontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Billing / Student Accounts / Bursar | BILL | !BILL-office | Office Name |
!BILLoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!BILLcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!BILLcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!BILLcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Bookstore | BOOK | !BOOK-office | Office Name |
!BOOKoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!BOOKcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!BOOKcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!BOOKcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
CalWORKs | CalWORKs | !CalWORKs-office | Office Name |
!CalWORKsoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!CalWORKscontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!CalWORKscontact-location | Office Address | ||
!CalWORKscontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Career Services | CAREER | !CAREER-office | Office Name |
!CAREERoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!CAREERcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!CAREERcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!CAREERcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Counseling Services | COUNS | !COUNS-office | Office Name |
!COUNSoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!COUNScontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!COUNScontact-location | Office Address | ||
!COUNScontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Disability Services | DIS | !DIS-office | Office Name |
!DISoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!DIScontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!DIScontact-location | Office Address | ||
!DIScontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Diversity | DIV | !DIV-office | Office Name |
!DIVoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!DIVcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!DIVcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!DIVcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
EOPS/CARE | EOPS | !EOPS-office | Office Name |
!EOPSoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!EOPScontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!EOPScontact-location | Office Address | ||
!EOPScontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Financial Aid | FA | !FA-office | Office Name |
!FAoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!FAcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!FAcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!FAcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Foster Youth | FOSTER | !FOSTER-office | Office Name |
!FOSTERoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!FOSTERcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!FOSTERcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!FOSTERcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Health Services | HEALTH | !HEALTH-office | Office Name |
!HEALTHoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!HEALTHcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!HEALTHcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!HEALTHcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Housing | HOUS | !HOUS-office | Office Name |
!HOUSoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!HOUScontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!HOUScontact-location | Office Address | ||
!HOUScontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Human Resources | HR | !HR-office | Office Name |
!HRoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!HRcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!HRcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!HRcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Information Technology | IT | !IT-office | Office Name |
!IToffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!ITcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!ITcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!ITcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
International Programs | OIP | !OIP-office | Office Name |
!OIPoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!OIPcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!OIPcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!OIPcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Libraries | LIB | !LIB-office | Office Name |
!LIBoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!LIBcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!LIBcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!LIBcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Mailing Services | !MAIL-office | Office Name | |
!MAILoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!MAILcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!MAILcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!MAILcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Orientation | ORI | !ORI-office | Office Name |
!ORIoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!ORIcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!ORIcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!ORIcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Outreach | OUTREACH | !OUTREACH-office | Office Name |
!OUTREACHoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!OUTREACHcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!OUTREACHcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!OUTREACHcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Parking & Transportation | PARK | !PARK-office | Office Name |
!PARKoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!PARKcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!PARKcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!PARKcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Recreational Center | REC | !REC-office | Office Name |
!RECoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!RECcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!RECcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!RECcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Registration / Registrar / Records | REG | !REG-office | Office Name |
!REGoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!REGcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!REGcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!REGcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Student Employment | StuEmploy | !StuEmploy-office | Office Name |
!StuEmployoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!StuEmploycontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!StuEmploycontact-location | Office Address | ||
!StuEmploycontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Student Life | SLLA | !SLLA-office | Office Name |
!SLLAoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!SLLAcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!SLLAcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!SLLAcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Study Abroad | SA | !SA-office | Office Name |
!SAoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!SAcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!SAcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!SAcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Testing Services | TEST | !TEST-office | Office Name |
!TESToffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!TESTcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!TESTcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!TESTcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Title IX | TitleIX | !TitleIX-office | Office Name |
!TitleIXoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!TitleIXcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!TitleIXcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!TitleIXcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
TRIO SSS | SSS | !SSS-office | Office Name |
!SSSoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!SSScontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!SSScontact-location | Office Address | ||
!SSScontact-link | Office Email** | ||
TRIO Upward Bound | UPBOUND | !UPBOUND-office | Office Name |
!UPBOUNDoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!UPBOUNDcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!UPBOUNDcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!UPBOUNDcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Transfer | TRA | !TRA-office | Office Name |
!TRAoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!TRAcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!TRAcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!TRAcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Tutoring | TUTOR | !TUTOR-office | Office Name |
!TUTORoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!TUTORcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!TUTORcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!TUTORcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Veterans | VET | !VET-office | Office Name |
!VEToffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!VETcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!VETcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!VETcontact-link | Office Email** | ||
Workforce Development | WORKFORCEDEV | !WORKFORCEDEV-office | Office Name |
!WORKFORCEDEVoffice-hours | Office Hours | ||
!WORKFORCEDEVcontact-number | Office Phone Number | ||
!WORKFORCEDEVcontact-location | Office Address | ||
!WORKFORCEDEVcontact-link | Office Email** |