Bot Framework - Bot initiates the conversation on Skype

Question

I want my bot to display an introductory message when a user begins a new conversation. I've seen this working with bots in Skype where the bot sends a message before the user types anything.

I have got this working using the Bot Framework Channel Emulator with this code in the MessagesController class:

    public async Task<HttpResponseMessage> Post([FromBody]Activity activity)
    {
        if (activity.Type == ActivityTypes.Message)
        {
            await Conversation.SendAsync(activity, () => new Dialogs.RootDialog());
        }
        else
        {
            await this.HandleSystemMessage(activity);
        }
        var response = Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK);
        return response;
    }

    private async Task HandleSystemMessage(Activity message)
    {
        if (message.Type == ActivityTypes.ConversationUpdate)
        {
            var reply = message.CreateReply("Hello World!");

            var connector = new ConnectorClient(new Uri(message.ServiceUrl));

            await connector.Conversations.SendToConversationAsync(reply);
        }
    }

This displays 'Hello World!' at the beginning of a new conversation. No input required. However on Skype this introductory message does not appear. What I am misunderstanding here? I know it is possible.

please have a look at https://stackoverflow.com/questions/42749982/initiate-a-message-from-bot-to-user-on-botframework — Artem, Jul 13 '17 at 09:50
Thank you that's interesting. The accepted answer below precisely answers my question though — usefulcat, Jul 13 '17 at 20:22

Nicolas R · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-13T22:55:35.513

Skype is throwing different ActivityTypes given the situation:

You will get a contactRelationUpdate after adding the bot in your contacts. Then we you start talking to the bot, there is no special Activity
When you start a conversation group with the bot included, you will get conversationUpdate

So if you want to welcome your user, you should add the contactRelationUpdate activity type in your test, like:

private async Task HandleSystemMessage(Activity message)
{
    if (message.Type == ActivityTypes.ConversationUpdate || message.Type == ActivityTypes.ContactRelationUpdate)
    {
        var reply = message.CreateReply("Hello World!");

        var connector = new ConnectorClient(new Uri(message.ServiceUrl));

        await connector.Conversations.SendToConversationAsync(reply);
    }
}

Extract of the content of the message you receive when adding the bot:

Here From is my user and Recipient is bot. You can see that the Action value is add

Bot Framework - Bot initiates the conversation on Skype

1 Answers1