Variables can be used in a variety of ways within responses in your knowledge base. Review the following areas for help navigating variables in your responses:
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.
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:
* 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:
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.
Best Practice Have 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.
To find the applicable questions that contain these variables, search the General Library for "!{office}":
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.
- For 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 !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**