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.


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}":


  1. 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*PREFIXVARIABLEDEFINITION

      Academic Advising

      ACADV!ACADV-officeOffice Name
      !ACADVoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !ACADVcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !ACADVcontact-locationOffice Address
      !ACADVcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Admissions

      ADM!ADM-officeOffice Name
      !ADMoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !ADMcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !ADMcontact-locationOffice Address
      !ADMcontact-linkOffice 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-officeOffice Name
      !Athleteoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !Athletecontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !Athletecontact-locationOffice Address
      !Athletecontact-linkOffice Email**

      Basic Needs

      BASIC!Basic-officeOffice Name
      !Basicoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !Basiccontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !Basiccontact-locationOffice Address
      !Basiccontact-linkOffice Email**

      Billing / Student Accounts / Bursar

      BILL!BILL-officeOffice Name
      !BILLoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !BILLcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !BILLcontact-locationOffice Address
      !BILLcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Bookstore

      BOOK!BOOK-officeOffice Name
      !BOOKoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !BOOKcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !BOOKcontact-locationOffice Address
      !BOOKcontact-linkOffice Email**

      CalWORKs

      CalWORKs!CalWORKs-officeOffice Name
      !CalWORKsoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !CalWORKscontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !CalWORKscontact-locationOffice Address
      !CalWORKscontact-linkOffice Email**

      Career Services

      CAREER!CAREER-officeOffice Name
      !CAREERoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !CAREERcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !CAREERcontact-locationOffice Address
      !CAREERcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Counseling Services

      COUNS!COUNS-officeOffice Name
      !COUNSoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !COUNScontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !COUNScontact-locationOffice Address
      !COUNScontact-linkOffice Email**

      Disability Services

      DIS!DIS-officeOffice Name
      !DISoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !DIScontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !DIScontact-locationOffice Address
      !DIScontact-linkOffice Email**

      Diversity

      DIV!DIV-officeOffice Name
      !DIVoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !DIVcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !DIVcontact-locationOffice Address
      !DIVcontact-linkOffice Email**

      EOPS/CARE

      EOPS!EOPS-officeOffice Name
      !EOPSoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !EOPScontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !EOPScontact-locationOffice Address
      !EOPScontact-linkOffice Email**

      Financial Aid

      FA!FA-officeOffice Name
      !FAoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !FAcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !FAcontact-locationOffice Address
      !FAcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Foster Youth

      FOSTER!FOSTER-officeOffice Name
      !FOSTERoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !FOSTERcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !FOSTERcontact-locationOffice Address
      !FOSTERcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Health Services

      HEALTH!HEALTH-officeOffice Name
      !HEALTHoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !HEALTHcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !HEALTHcontact-locationOffice Address
      !HEALTHcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Housing

      HOUS!HOUS-officeOffice Name
      !HOUSoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !HOUScontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !HOUScontact-locationOffice Address
      !HOUScontact-linkOffice Email**

      Human Resources

      HR!HR-officeOffice Name
      !HRoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !HRcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !HRcontact-locationOffice Address
      !HRcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Information Technology

      IT!IT-officeOffice Name
      !IToffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !ITcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !ITcontact-locationOffice Address
      !ITcontact-linkOffice Email**

      International Programs

      OIP!OIP-officeOffice Name
      !OIPoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !OIPcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !OIPcontact-locationOffice Address
      !OIPcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Libraries

      LIB!LIB-officeOffice Name
      !LIBoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !LIBcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !LIBcontact-locationOffice Address
      !LIBcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Mailing Services

      MAIL!MAIL-officeOffice Name
      !MAILoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !MAILcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !MAILcontact-locationOffice Address
      !MAILcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Orientation

      ORI!ORI-officeOffice Name
      !ORIoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !ORIcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !ORIcontact-locationOffice Address
      !ORIcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Outreach

      OUTREACH!OUTREACH-officeOffice Name
      !OUTREACHoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !OUTREACHcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !OUTREACHcontact-locationOffice Address
      !OUTREACHcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Parking & Transportation

      PARK!PARK-officeOffice Name
      !PARKoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !PARKcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !PARKcontact-locationOffice Address
      !PARKcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Recreational Center

      REC!REC-officeOffice Name
      !RECoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !RECcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !RECcontact-locationOffice Address
      !RECcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Registration / Registrar / Records

      REG!REG-officeOffice Name
      !REGoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !REGcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !REGcontact-locationOffice Address
      !REGcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Student Employment

      StuEmploy!StuEmploy-officeOffice Name
      !StuEmployoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !StuEmploycontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !StuEmploycontact-locationOffice Address
      !StuEmploycontact-linkOffice Email**

      Student Life

      SLLA!SLLA-officeOffice Name
      !SLLAoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !SLLAcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !SLLAcontact-locationOffice Address
      !SLLAcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Study Abroad

      SA!SA-officeOffice Name
      !SAoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !SAcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !SAcontact-locationOffice Address
      !SAcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Testing Services

      TEST!TEST-officeOffice Name
      !TESToffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !TESTcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !TESTcontact-locationOffice Address
      !TESTcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Title IX

      TitleIX!TitleIX-officeOffice Name
      !TitleIXoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !TitleIXcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !TitleIXcontact-locationOffice Address
      !TitleIXcontact-linkOffice Email**

      TRIO SSS

      SSS!SSS-officeOffice Name
      !SSSoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !SSScontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !SSScontact-locationOffice Address
      !SSScontact-linkOffice Email**

      TRIO Upward Bound

      UPBOUND!UPBOUND-officeOffice Name
      !UPBOUNDoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !UPBOUNDcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !UPBOUNDcontact-locationOffice Address
      !UPBOUNDcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Transfer

      TRA!TRA-officeOffice Name
      !TRAoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !TRAcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !TRAcontact-locationOffice Address
      !TRAcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Tutoring

      TUTOR!TUTOR-officeOffice Name
      !TUTORoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !TUTORcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !TUTORcontact-locationOffice Address
      !TUTORcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Veterans

      VET!VET-officeOffice Name
      !VEToffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !VETcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !VETcontact-locationOffice Address
      !VETcontact-linkOffice Email**

      Workforce Development

      WORKFORCEDEV!WORKFORCEDEV-officeOffice Name
      !WORKFORCEDEVoffice-hoursOffice Hours
      !WORKFORCEDEVcontact-numberOffice Phone Number
      !WORKFORCEDEVcontact-locationOffice Address
      !WORKFORCEDEVcontact-linkOffice Email**