Can a chatbot be added to Catalog?

Question

My University has a custom chatbot active for most of the University's CMS sites.  I believe it is based on the Gravyty Ivy chatbot product.  Does anyone know if a chatbot similar to this can be added to Catalog? I believe it is connected to a website with a Javascript snippet added to pages to make it available. I am still discovering more details about our specific chatbot, but I was wondering if anyone has already attempted/accomplished something similar.

adam_c_voyton · Accepted Answer

Canvas Catalog now supports theme modifications with custom JavaScript, so it should be possible. At our institution, we use a JS snippet to embed a chatbot in the Help menu on Canvas LMS via a theme mod that’s powered by Microsoft Power Virtual Agents. If your Ivy bot provides a similar snippet, you should be able to drop it into your Catalog theme.

Máté Kiss · Accepted Answer

Hi @dacarter

Yes, this is usually possible if the chatbot is delivered through a JavaScript snippet. Catalog allows admins to add custom JavaScript through the Customizations settings, so tools that load via a small JS embed can often be added the same way they would be on other websites.

If your university’s chatbot works by adding a script snippet to CMS pages, you could try placing that snippet in Catalog’s Custom JS area. That would allow the chatbot to load on the storefront pages.

One thing to check first is whether your Catalog storefront is using the Storefront Theme Editor. When that editor is enabled, the custom CSS and JS options are hidden, which means you would not be able to add the snippet there. In that case you would need to adjust the setup before adding custom code.

Since this type of setup relies on custom JavaScript, it is something the institution manages rather than a built in Catalog feature. It is usually a good idea to test it across a few pages like the storefront, listing pages, and registration flow to make sure the widget behaves as expected.

You may also want to take a look at the Catalog x Impact integration, which some institutions are using to guide and support learners directly in the Catalog experience. It is not a chatbot, but it can surface contextual help, announcements, and guidance inside the UI. There is a short overview of it here:

If your team already has the snippet used across other university sites, there is a good chance the same approach will work in Catalog as well. Would be great to hear if you end up trying it.

Best,

Máté

https://community.instructure.com/en/discussion/651125/unlock-student-engagement-with-the-new-catalog-x-impact-integration