> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.wotnot.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Testing > Test your agent before deploying it to production, and review what happened afterwards using chat logs. To run a test on the chatbot flow that you create, you need to click on the "Test bot" button. Doing this will open a drawer from the right with your chatbot flow. ![Image](https://mintcdn.com/wotnot/ZvBlY58cOcRHCVBj/images/image-568.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=ZvBlY58cOcRHCVBj\&q=85\&s=9702cb172355e512ff60dd9eafb35300) > [!NOTE] > > **Testing is available across channels, but preview simulates the web chat experience.** Channel-specific behavior, such as WhatsApp buttons, SMS formatting, media handling, and character limits, may not be fully reproduced in preview. Always test on the actual channel before going live. # How testing works ### What preview does and doesn't cover Preview lets you run your agent directly from the builder without deploying it to production. It uses the current draft of your flow, so you can test changes before publishing them. Preview is useful for checking: * Conversation flow and routing * Messages and responses * Conditions * Variables and their values * Interactive elements supported by the preview * AI Agent responses * Knowledge base responses * Function execution * Flow behavior after making changes However, preview does not perfectly reproduce every channel's behavior. In particular, the following may behave differently on a live channel: * Channel-specific buttons and interactive elements * Message formatting * Media rendering * Character or message-length limits * Channel-specific templates * Channel-specific delivery behavior * WhatsApp-specific buttons and templates may render differently. ### Draft versus published Preview runs the **current draft** of your agent. This means you can test changes before they are published. When you are satisfied with the changes, publish the agent to make the current version available to users. For more information about drafts, publishing, and managing versions [click here](https://help.wotnot.io/build/bot-builder.md#version-control) ### Test data and side effects Be careful when testing flows that connect to external systems. For example, if your agent contains integrations that: * Create a Salesforce lead or contact * Create a Zendesk ticket * Add a row to Google Sheets * Create or update a CRM record * Send an email or SMS * Trigger an external API the integration can execute during testing and may create a real record or trigger a real action. To test safely: 1. Use test data instead of real customer information. 2. Use a test CRM record or test account where possible. 3. Check the integration configuration before running the flow. 4. Avoid testing actions that could send messages to real customers. 5. Review the integration result in the external system after testing. # Previewing an agent ### Opening Preview You can open Preview directly from the bot builder and test the current draft of your agent. 1. Go to Bot Builder 2. Open the Bot you want to test. 3. Make sure your latest changes are saved. 4. Click on **Test Bot** ![Image (44)](https://mintcdn.com/wotnot/EWpXM4BSkYiwsLKk/images/image-\(44\).png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=EWpXM4BSkYiwsLKk\&q=85\&s=183ce2db106a6d8b95b9155e4589d727) > [!NOTE] > > Preview uses the current draft of the agent. You do not need to publish the agent every time you want to test a change. ### Restarting a conversation Restart the conversation when you want to test the flow again from the beginning. Starting a new conversation is also useful when you have changed the flow or want to verify that the same input produces the expected result. > [!WARNING] > > If your flow depends on variables or conversation state, make sure you start a fresh test conversation when validating behavior from the beginning. Do not assume that values from a previous test represent a clean conversation. ### Testing a specific point in the flow You do not always need to replay a long flow from the beginning. To test a specific part of your agent, hover over the action block where you want to start testing and click **Test**. This lets you skip blocks that are already working and focus on the part of the flow you have changed. ![Image (45)](https://mintcdn.com/wotnot/EWpXM4BSkYiwsLKk/images/image-\(45\).png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=EWpXM4BSkYiwsLKk\&q=85\&s=9331d6c50fa4b6f86e288c0abf2a0434) # Sharing a test link A test link can be useful when you want a colleague or other stakeholder to review an agent without giving them access to the bot builder. 1. Go to **Bot Builder**. 2. Go to the Agent whose link you want to share 3. Click the **Menu** icon. 4. Select **Share**. 5. Copy the generated link. 6. Share the link with the person you want to test the bot with. ![Recording 2026 08 31 145445](https://mintcdn.com/wotnot/i8uopzIFkX-Q6WYU/images/Recording-2026-08-31-145445.gif?s=c2c3d74ad8d8cdffe63160c4e2daa0fc) ### Who can open the link The Preview URL can be shared with others for testing and review. The person opening the link can access the agent through the Preview experience without needing access to your WotNot workspace. # Chat logs Chat logs provide detailed information about conversations with your agent and help you understand what happened during a test or live conversation. ![Recording2026 08 31104421 Ezgif Com Optimize 1](https://mintcdn.com/wotnot/i8uopzIFkX-Q6WYU/images/Recording2026-08-31104421-ezgif.com-optimize-1.gif?s=66ce95e0b374296549d9a68cce426ad8) Each log captures events such as user queries, bot responses, AI model details, latency, and message flow — helping you debug, analyze, and optimize your bot’s performance. Logs can be viewed from the **Test Bot** page while testing and from **Live Chat** for live conversations. * **Test Bot page**: Click **View Logs** to see a chronological record of each message exchange while testing your bot. ![Screenshot 2026 08 31 102105](https://mintcdn.com/wotnot/79SKP2TEnpNsM0nK/images/Screenshot-2026-08-31-102105.jpg?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=79SKP2TEnpNsM0nK\&q=85\&s=c29d76234d3f02decb859c4ca88bbbed) * **Live Chat page**: Click context **menu > View logs** to view real-time logs for ongoing or completed conversations with users. ![Image](https://mintcdn.com/wotnot/ZvBlY58cOcRHCVBj/images/image-588.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=ZvBlY58cOcRHCVBj\&q=85\&s=58a03ee31c75724886f3216925328d31) These insights help you understand how your bot is interpreting queries, what responses are being generated, and how tokens or AI credits are being used. ### What a log contains Depending on the conversation and the features used by the agent, a chat log can contain information such as: | Information | Description | | :- | :- | | Messages | Messages sent by the user and the agent during the conversation. | | Timestamps | The time at which conversation events occurred. | | Variables | Variables created or updated during the conversation. | | Blocks traversed | The sequence of blocks and events during the conversation | | Conditions | Conditions evaluated during the conversation and the resulting path. | | Integration calls | Requests made to connected integrations. | | Integration results | The response or outcome returned by an integration. | | Errors | Errors or failed actions encountered while processing the conversation. | | Conversation details | Information that helps identify and troubleshoot the conversation. | ### Finding a conversation You can use the available conversation information to identify a specific test, reproduce a customer issue, or investigate an unexpected flow. 1. Open your dashboard 2. Go to Live chat 3. See chats in **Assigned** 4. Use sorting and filters to find specific conversations within the selected view. * Click the **filter icon** next to the search icon. * Select the **condition** and specify the value. * Click **Add condition** to add another condition, if needed. * Select **AND** or **OR** from the dropdown to combine the conditions. * Click **Save view**. * In the new card that appears, enter a **name for the view**. * Click **APPLY FILTER** to save the view. * Remove the filters when you want to return to the full list for the selected view. ![Recording2026 08 31180448 Ezgif Com Optimize](https://mintcdn.com/wotnot/i8uopzIFkX-Q6WYU/images/Recording2026-08-31180448-ezgif.com-optimize.gif?s=799620e5f1761998473a51e48c96636f) ### Reading a log to debug a flow Chat logs are especially useful when a conversation does not follow the path you expected. For example, suppose your flow contains a Condition block: ```text theme={null} User provides an email ↓ Condition: Is email available? / \ Yes No ↓ ↓ Continue Ask again ``` If the conversation unexpectedly follows the **No** path, open the chat log and check the variable value captured before the Condition block. The log can help you determine: 1. What value was stored in the variable. 2. Which condition was evaluated. 3. Which branch was selected. 4. Which block executed next. 5. Whether an integration or variable update changed the expected behavior. This makes the log useful for finding the difference between **what you expected the flow to do** and **what the flow actually did**. For more information about how conditions are evaluated, see [Condition block](https://help.wotnot.io/build/blocks/condition.md). ### Retention By default, testing chat logs are not retained and are automatically deleted after 24 hours. Live conversation chats may be retained in the backend for up to **24 months**. Go to Settings → Account→ Settings → General → **Data retention →** Select period from dropdown → Click on **Save Changes** > [!NOTE] > > **This feature is available in Premium plan and above.** ![Image](https://mintcdn.com/wotnot/ZvBlY58cOcRHCVBj/images/image-606.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=ZvBlY58cOcRHCVBj\&q=85\&s=f1d5cd2d5a7d6fb5f544956692f9dec3) # Testing on a live channel ### Why Preview isn't enough Preview is useful for validating your conversation logic, but a live channel can behave differently. Before launching an agent, test the actual channel to verify: * Interactive elements and buttons * Message formatting * Media handling * Character limits * Templates and channel-specific requirements * Delivery behavior * Channel-specific integrations ### Per-channel testing tips Use the relevant channel documentation when testing an agent on a live channel. > [card] [\[WhatsApp\](https://app.mintlify.com/wotnot/wotnot/\~/WhatsApp-7cfecf7a-2cbf-4512-83e5-d3376c4a10f2)](https://help.wotnot.io/deploy/channels/whatsapp) > > Test templates, buttons, media, and delivery behavior on an actual WhatsApp number. > [card] [\[SMS\](https://app.mintlify.com/wotnot/wotnot/\~/SMS-bf705db1-8dcf-4dd9-8dac-a22649ec43a8)](https://help.wotnot.io/deploy/channels/sms) > > Check plain-text formatting, character limits, message segments, and delivery. > [card] [\[Web Widget\](https://app.mintlify.com/wotnot/wotnot/\~/Web-05340c79-20b3-48c5-8c9d-83e9f4e67ff4)](https://help.wotnot.io/deploy/channels/web) > > Verify the experience customers will see through the web widget. > [card] [\[Email\](https://app.mintlify.com/wotnot/wotnot/\~/Email-37d3521f-d409-47a6-a124-1ce8ff3a3f9f)](https://help.wotnot.io/deploy/channels/email) > > Test email formatting, links, attachments, and delivery.\\ **WhatsApp requires additional testing steps.** If your flow sends WhatsApp templates, you need an approved template and an opted-in WhatsApp number. Because WhatsApp has channel-specific rules and rendering, a successful Preview test does not guarantee that the same experience will work exactly the same way on WhatsApp. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.