Session Variables in Business Messaging

A session variable is a temporary piece of information that captures user-specific details, such as name, email, or phone number, while they’re using the chat or flow in your website.

It helps the Business Messaging widget remember who the user is and personalize their experience during that visit.

How do Session Variables work?

1. Session initiation

When a user accesses a web application, the server creates a new session and assigns a unique Session ID. This ID is sent to the client’s browser.

2. Data storage

As the user interacts with the application, specific information (e.g., username, preferences) is stored in session variables on the server, associated with the user’s Session ID.

3. Data retrieval

During subsequent requests, the server uses the Session ID to retrieve the corresponding session variables.

4. Session termination

Sessions can end due to user logout, session timeout, or closing of the browser. Upon termination, the server discards the session variables.

Sample format for sessionVariableValues

[
    {
      name: 'UserName',
      value: 'John'
    },
    {
      name: 'id',
      value: '6320834868293'
    }
  ]

Pass Session Variables to the Business Messaging Widget in two scenarios:

1. Passing Session Variable during initial rendering

Define the session variables inside widgetProps when rendering the widget for the first time.

 ZOHOIM.widgetProps = {
 sessionVariableValues:sessionVariable
 };

2. Updating Session Variables after initial render

If session data changes during the interaction, you can update it using the triggerEvent method

const { triggerEvent } = window.ZOHOIM || {};
const args = {
  sessionVariableValues: sessionVariable
};
triggerEvent('setVariable',args);