Ocelot Support

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
• Using a Link Variable in a Response
• Office Contact Variables
  • Office-clarifiers
  • Office-specific

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:

1. 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}":
     

2. 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:
     

     Academic Advising Admissions Alumni Athletics Basic Needs Billing / Student Accounts / Bursar Bookstore CalWORKs Career Services Counseling Services Disability Services Diversity EOPS/CARE Financial Aid Foster Youth Health Services Housing Human Resources Information Technology

     International Programs Libraries Mailing Services Orientation Outreach Parking & Transportation Recreational Center Registration / Registrar / Records Student Employment Student Life Study Abroad Testing Services Title IX TRIO SSS TRIO Upward Bound Transfer Tutoring Veterans Workforce Development

     
     

     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**