Differences Between the Message Button and the Intent Trigger Button

If you’ve implemented the new conversational engine, the new “Intent Trigger” button type is now available.

What does this new button do?

► “Intent Trigger” buttons allow a button to trigger a specific intention of the virtual assistant directly.

Here you’ll find all the details on how to add the “Intent Trigger” button type.

On the other hand, if you regularly create content on the platform, you’ll know that there’s also the “Message” button type, which lets you associate the button with an intention previously uploaded to your content on the platform.

Here you’ll find all the details about the types of buttons you can implement in responses.

So, here’s the point of this article: What’s the difference between the two? When or why should you use one option over the other?

The main difference is that the “Message” button goes through NLU, while “Intent Trigger” executes a specific intention without text interpretation. Below, we’ll go into more detail:

Key Differences
Criterion	“Message” Button (previously available)	“Intent Trigger” Button (new)
What is the internal process each button executes?	When clicked, the button injects its value into the conversation flow as if the user had typed it. That text goes through the bot’s NLU/intent engine, which interprets it and decides which intent to trigger and which response to return. The button is, in practice, a shortcut for composing a message, but the decision on what to reply still depends on the engine’s interpretation.	When clicked, the button directly triggers the linked intent, without going through the NLU engine. There is no text interpretation involved: the bot jumps straight to the response configured for that specific intent.
What does it send?	A text (value)	A specific intent
Does it go through NLU?	Yes	No
Can there be ambiguity in interpretation?	Yes	No
Response	Depends on how the engine interprets the text	Fixed—it will be exactly what’s configured for that intent

*NLU: Natural Language Understanding

When to use each one?

• “Message” button: when you want the click to behave as if the user had typed that text, letting the engine decide. This option is useful if the bot has well-defined intents and you can leverage that logic.

• “Intent Trigger” button: when you need absolute certainty about which response will be displayed, without relying on NLU interpretation. It’s especially useful in generative bots or those without a well-defined set of intents, where sending free-form text could generate ambiguous or inconsistent responses.

A quick rule of thumb would be:

• Do you need the bot to interpret the text? Use “Message.”
• Do you need to guarantee a specific intent? Use “Intent Trigger.”