Chatbot
01 Definition
Chatbot meaning: A chatbot is software that simulates conversation to answer questions or complete tasks through text or voice.
A chatbot is a program that responds to user messages using scripted rules, natural language processing, or large language models. Marketers use chatbots to answer common questions, qualify leads, and route people to human agents. Rule-based bots follow fixed paths, while AI bots can misread intent or give wrong answers, so oversight matters.
Also called
Why it matters
How Chatbot fits the work
Chatbots let brands respond instantly at any hour and handle repetitive questions at scale, which frees human agents to focus on harder or higher-value issues.
In context
A support chatbot answers a password reset question in seconds, then hands the chat to a live agent when the user asks about a refund.
Practical note
AI chatbots can produce confident but incorrect replies, so add clear handoffs to human agents and review transcripts, especially for billing, legal, or medical topics.