Guide · Updated 2026-08-07

Answer API

The same RAG pipeline that powers the widget is available over HTTP. Use it to add a “Generate answer from docs” button in your ticketing tool, a Slack slash command, or an MCP-style agent.

Authentication

• botId — your bot UUID from the dashboard.
• botKey — public bot key (Settings → Embed).
• Origin — browser requests must come from an allowed origin. Server-to-server calls without an Origin header are allowed when the bot key is valid (same rules as the widget API).

POST /chat

JSON request body:

{
  "botId": "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "botKey": "pk_…",
  "question": "How do I reset two-factor authentication?",
  "conversationId": "optional-existing-id",
  "visitor": "zendesk-ticket-4821",
  "pageUrl": "https://docs.example.com/security/2fa"
}

Response (shape):

{
  "conversationId": "…",
  "answer": "…",
  "citations": [{ "url": "…", "title": "…" }],
  "confidence": 0.72,
  "escalate": false,
  "actions": []
}

• confidence — retrieval score 0–1. Low values often mean the docs don’t cover the question.
• escalate — true when the honesty gate declines to invent an answer.
• citations — sources used; show these to agents and customers.

POST /chat/stream

Same body as /chat. Response is Server-Sent Events: start → token* → result (or error).

cURL example

curl -sS -X POST 'https://usedocs.app/chat' \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "botId": "YOUR_BOT_ID",
    "botKey": "YOUR_PUBLIC_BOT_KEY",
    "question": "How do I get started?",
    "visitor": "ticket-system"
  }'

Human handoff

When the bot escalates, configured Slack, Discord, Teams, or webhook integrations notify your team. Use Monitor → Inbox to assign, prioritize, add internal notes, and review the conversation on your own schedule.

Rate limits & quotas

Chat requests count toward your plan’s monthly message quota and per-visitor rate limits. Handle 429 and quota errors by falling back to a human.

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