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An Auto Suggestion gambit lets the end user type, then shows matching suggestions from your list above the composer. Selecting a suggestion sends it.

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When to use it

Use it when the answer belongs to a known set that is too long for buttons: a city, a country, a department, a product line. The end user types a few letters instead of scrolling.

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The gambit and its editor

Every page in this section shows the same demo flow: Start, a Welcome message, the gambit this page covers, then End. The gambit sits third, selected, with its editor open on the right. The rest of the screen is dimmed.

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Configuration

Suggestion Source is a three-button switcher, set to Custom Options for a new gambit. Predefined List reveals a Select List dropdown with the built-in lists:
  • Days of Week
  • Months of Year
  • Time Zones
  • Continents
  • US States
  • Indian States
  • Indian Cities
Custom Options reveals an Options (one per line) text area. Enter each suggestion on its own line. From Variable builds the suggestions from a list variable, such as a list an API call returns. It reveals two fields:
  • A field with the placeholder List variable, type @ to pick. Pick the variable that holds the list. Tars makes one suggestion per item, up to 30.
  • A field with the placeholder Suggestion text, defaults to {{item}}. Type @ and pick {{item}} to shape the text, such as {{item.name}} for a list of objects. Leave it empty to show each item as it is.
Tars skips an item whose suggestion text is empty. If no list variable is selected, the builder shows a warning on the gambit. Below the source, four switches:

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Branching

With Allow Free Text on, the gambit carries a Suggestion handle for a picked suggestion and a Free Input handle for a typed answer. With it off, the gambit has one Default handle. While Conditions is on, its branches replace these handles.

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The WhatsApp list limit

On WhatsApp, a list of more than 10 suggestions, or with any suggestion longer than 72 characters, is sent as one numbered text message instead of a list. For Predefined List and Custom Options, the editor shows this warning as soon as the list passes 10.