About a year ago, Google introduced its Google Hangouts Chat API that allowed developers to integrate third-party services with Hangouts Chat. Now, Google is expanding the ability to build conversational experiences in Hangouts Chat with support of Dialogflow (human-computer interaction technology), and integration capabilities with Hubot (scripting-based task automation platform). The existing API capabilities and additional features will all be available at a single destination for developers looking to built bots for Hangouts Chat.
The support for Dialogflow allows users to build natural-sounding conversational user interfaces with minimal effort. Dialogflow uses Natural Language Processing which Hangout Chat API users can leverage when building bots. This allows bots to understand and respond to end-user messages on the Hangouts Chat platform.
To get started, create a new agent in Dialogflow, enable Hangouts Chat in the integrations page, install the bot, and test it in Hangouts Chat. Check out the documentation for more specific information.
Hubot support allows users to build bots that work across multiple platforms. Developers can use the Hangouts Chat Hubot Adapter to use Hubot resources to build a bot for Hangouts Chat. The adaptor supports both HTTP and Cloud Pul/Sub endpoints. Check out the docs to learn more.