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In order for users to engage with your Action, they need to invoke it. In many
cases users will have your specific Action in mind, so they ask the Google
Assistant to interface with it. Additionally, as long as you design your Action
to accomplish specific, helpful tasks, the Assistant may recommend it to users
when it's the best available Action for their query.
The following sections explain the different types of invocation and
describe how best to design your Action with discovery in mind.
Invocation types
There are two types of Action invocation:
Explicit Invocation occurs when users tell the Assistant that they
explicitly want to use your Action. You have the most control over how your
users explicitly invoke your Action, but you need to let your users know
what phrases start a conversation with your Action. The Ask Your
Assistant section on your Action's directory listing is a
good place to relay this information to users.
Example: "Hey Google, talk to Wayne's Bikes."
Implicit Invocation occurs when the Assistant chooses to invoke your
Action without users calling it by name. The most common example of an
implicit invocation is when users tell the Assistant they want to accomplish
a certain task (by stating an invocation phrase), and
the Assistant opts to invoke your Action for that task because it can
fulfill the user's intent. Implicit invocation enables users to learn about
and use your Action simply by going about their day, but designing your
Action with our best practices in mind improves the
chances that it's discovered.
Example: "Hey Google, book an appointment to fix my bike."
Invocation Phrases
An invocation phrase describes a specific function of your Action. When users
invoke your Action, they may include an invocation phrase that can deep link
into one of your Action's specific functions.
Examples of invocation phrases include:
"what should I wear today"
"when's the next bus to $location"
"what's the current price of gold"
"want to meditate"
Users can append an invocation phrase to the end of an explicit invocation or
them on their own for an implicit invocation. Either way, make sure to design
useful invocation phrases that are specific to your Action's purpose. Invocation
phrases that are too generic aren't helpful to the user and reduce your Action's
visibility and discovery.
For more information about invocation, discovery, and invocation phrases,
read explicit and implicit invocation.
Assistant links
In addition to invocation using the Assistant, you can also enable an
Assistant link for any of your Actions. Users who click on this link in a web
or mobile browser are directed to the Google Assistant, where they'll start
a conversation with that specific Action.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2024-09-18 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eUsers can engage with your Action through explicit invocation by directly calling its name or implicit invocation where the Assistant suggests it based on user needs.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eDesigning your Action for specific tasks improves the chances of the Google Assistant recommending it to users, increasing its discoverability.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eInvocation phrases that describe the Action's functions can be used by users for either explicit or implicit invocation.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUsing clear and specific invocation phrases is crucial for enhancing your Action's visibility and ensuring it is easily discovered by users.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAssistant links offer an alternative way for users to access your Action by clicking a link in a web or mobile browser to initiate a conversation with the Assistant.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["In order for users to engage with your Action, they need to invoke it. In many\ncases users will have your specific Action in mind, so they ask the Google\nAssistant to interface with it. Additionally, as long as you design your Action\nto accomplish specific, helpful tasks, the Assistant may recommend it to users\nwhen it's the best available Action for their query.\n\nThe following sections explain the different types of invocation and\ndescribe how best to design your Action with discovery in mind.\n\nInvocation types\n\nThere are two types of Action invocation:\n\n- **Explicit Invocation** occurs when users tell the Assistant that they\n explicitly want to use your Action. You have the most control over how your\n users explicitly invoke your Action, but you need to let your users know\n what phrases start a conversation with your Action. The **Ask Your\n Assistant** section on your Action's [directory listing](/assistant/directory) is a\n good place to relay this information to users.\n\n Example: \"*Hey Google, talk to Wayne's Bikes.*\"\n- **Implicit Invocation** occurs when the Assistant chooses to invoke your\n Action without users calling it by name. The most common example of an\n implicit invocation is when users tell the Assistant they want to accomplish\n a certain task (by stating an [invocation phrase](#invocation_phrases)), and\n the Assistant opts to invoke your Action for that task because it can\n fulfill the user's intent. Implicit invocation enables users to learn about\n and use your Action simply by going about their day, but designing your\n Action with our [best practices](/assistant/df-asdk/checklist) in mind improves the\n chances that it's discovered.\n\n Example: \"*Hey Google, book an appointment to fix my bike.*\"\n\n| **Note:** You don't have to choose between types of invocation for your Action. Users can always explicitly invoke your Action, but you should keep implicit invocation in mind during the design process so you can increase the odds that users discover your Action on their own.\n\nInvocation Phrases\n\nAn invocation phrase describes a specific function of your Action. When users\ninvoke your Action, they may include an invocation phrase that can deep link\ninto one of your Action's specific functions.\n\nExamples of invocation phrases include:\n\n- \"*what should I wear today*\"\n- \"*when's the next bus to $location*\"\n- \"*what's the current price of gold*\"\n- \"*want to meditate*\"\n\nUsers can append an invocation phrase to the end of an explicit invocation or\nthem on their own for an implicit invocation. Either way, make sure to design\nuseful invocation phrases that are specific to your Action's purpose. Invocation\nphrases that are too generic aren't helpful to the user and reduce your Action's\nvisibility and discovery.\n\nFor more information about invocation, discovery, and invocation phrases,\nread [explicit](/assistant/df-asdk/discovery/explicit) and [implicit](/assistant/df-asdk/discovery/implicit) invocation.\n\nAssistant links\n\nIn addition to invocation using the Assistant, you can also enable an\n[Assistant link](/assistant/engagement/assistant-links) for any of your Actions. Users who click on this link in a web\nor mobile browser are directed to the Google Assistant, where they'll start\na conversation with that specific Action."]]
