Start Using Studio

This page provides you with the information you need to know when you're first starting out with Studio.

First-Time Users

For new Studio users, the following list is a suggested approach to learning about the application.

  1. Download, install, and log in to Studio.
  2. Read the introduction to using Studio on this help page.
  3. Tour the  Studio interface.
  4. Read the Fundamentals help page. It provides more in-depth information about the basic concepts introduced on the Start Using Studio page.
  5. Read the Scripts and Action Basics help pages, which introduce essential concepts about scripts and scripting with actions in Studio.
  6. Follow the tutorial and create your first script.
  7. Read the Scripting Best Practices page.
  8. Explore the Scripting Guide section. These pages describe the technical details of all aspects of scripting in Studio. This includes variables, commands, formatting dates and times, functions, and custom coding.

Scripting with Studio

Studio has a graphical interface that lets you create basic scripts with minimal knowledge of scripting languages.

This section provides a high-level introduction to the basics of scripting in Studio. You can also follow this tutorial to create a basic script in Studio. For more in-depth information, see the Scripts section of the online help.

Script Media Types

There are different script types in Studio. Each type corresponds to a kind of channelClosed A way for contacts to interact with agents or bots. A channel can be voice, email, chat, social media, and so on. in CXone. When you create a new script, you must select the correct script type. Some actions only work with certain script types. For example, ASRClosed Allows contacts to respond to recorded voice prompts by speaking, pressing keys on their phone, or a combination of both.-related actions only work with Phone scripts. The Studio script types are: 

The icon for a Generic script type - a rectangle with < and > symbols inside it.

The icon for the Email script type - a large @ symbol in a diamond.

The icon for the Chat script type - a chat bubble with an ellipsis inside (...), in a diamond shape.

The icon for the Phone script type - an old-style phone handset with curved lines indicating sound coming out of it.

The icon for the Voicemail script type - a symbol that looks like a cassette tape - two circles sitting on a horizontal line.

The icon for the Work Item script type-a piece of paper with one corner folded down and a bullet list on it.

The icon for the SMS script type - a smart phone with a chat bubble coming out of it.

The icon for the Digital script type - a computer monitor with a smartphone next to it.

Generic

 Email Chat Phone Voicemail Work Item SMS Digital

Actions

The basic building blocks of Studio scripts are called actions. Actions are how you add specific functionality to your script. There are hundreds of actions in Studio. The Actions section of the online help contains topics for most of the actions. You can access online help for an action directly from Studio by selecting the action and pressing F1 on your keyboard.

You can learn more about actions and how to use them on the Action Basics page.

Branches

Branches are used when an action has two or more possible outcomes. They divide the script into the paths that the contact might follow, and help you create the workflow your organization requires.

Image example of connectors and branches.

Connectors

Connectors are how you link actions and create the flow of your script. On the canvas, connectors appear as thin lines with arrows on them that connect two actions. You can bend and curve connectors to move them around other actions on the canvas.

Image showing blue-highlighted connector. Image showing a pivot point and bent connector. Image showing two pivot points on a bent connector.

Audio Prompts

Audio prompts are a fundamental aspect of many scripts. These are audio files that the script plays to provide information to the contact or ask the contact to make a choice or input information using their phone. You can learn more about prompts in Studio, including using text-to-speech or recording your own audio prompts to use in scripts.

The Snippet Scripting Language

Snippet is the in-house scripting language used for all custom scripting needs in Studio. Custom scripting isn't required, but it helps you fine-tune your scripts to achieve the workflow your organization needs. You can learn about custom code snippets if you need to use them to customize your scripts. Additional reference information about scripting with Snippet in Studio is available in the Scripting Guide section of the online help.

File Storage in Studio

Required permissions: Applications > Studio > Prompts > File Browser or Contact Handling > Central Scripts Access > View (additional permissions required for Edit and Deactivate)

In CXone , files are stored in your business unitClosed High-level organizational grouping used to manage technical support, billing, and global settings for your CXone environment environment. This includes your script files as well as all music and prompt files used in your scripts. Any other files that you use in scripts must also be located in your CXone file storage. For example, actionsClosed Performs a process within a Studio script, such as collecting customer data, playing a message or music, or routing a contact to an agent. such as Readfile and Writefile read data from or to files located in your file storage.

You can access all of these files through CXone and through Studio:

Test and Debug Scripts

Required permissions:Applications > Studio > Scripts > Debug

Before you can complete a script, you need to test it and debug it:

  • Check for Syntax Errors: You can check your script for syntax errors. Anything found by this tool appears on the Script Errors tab in Studio. When you save a script, a syntax check automatically runs. Warnings indicate things that you should look at and consider fixing. Errors are critical issues that prevent the script from working. You won't be able to save your script until you correct all errors.
  • Test with Simulated Interactions: You can test scripts by simulating interactionssimulating interactions in Studio. This allows you to see how the script performs in action, as well as to diagnose problems that need to be fixed. You can run traces on simulated interactions, which gives you insights into what's happening within the script.
  • Trace Scripts: Tracing scriptsTracing scripts allows you to view what happens as a script runs. You can use it with live or simulated interactions. The Trace Output tool shows you the actions in a script and how the output changes as the script progresses. You can see the variables present in the script and the values they hold. You can also see the properties of an action, including how they're configured in the script you're tracing.
  • Debug Code and Check Syntax in Snippets: The Snippet editor window has two features that you can use to check the code you're working on. The Debugger window works like a mini-trace, allowing you to step through the code line by line. You can see each variable and the value it holds at that point in the code.