To deploy locally with ngrok

Required before

• ngrok account
• ngrok downloaded
• node.js 16.14.2

Install the app

1. pull from the git repo

2. make sure node is installed

3. install dependencies

npm install express body-parser request

Run app on local server

Make sure you have an ngrok account

1. use the command

   ngrok.exe http 5000

to run a local server on port 5000 (what our chatbot runs on) save the url that appears on the console

2. run the application with the command

node index.js

to test if the app is up and running, visit the url given to you by ngrok

Link app to Facebook page

1. go to developers.facebook.com and create a messenger app

   • if you do not have a facebook page create one

2. generate token and put it in the app in the command line

export TOKEN={your token here}

the callback url asked for is the url that was given to you by ngrok

the verify token is available on the dashboard of your ngrok account at https://dashboard.ngrok.com/get-started/setup

3. subscribe to messages, messaging_postbacks, messaging_optins and messaging_deliveries

4. use a curl command to test connection to facebook page

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v2.6/me/subscribed_apps?subscribed_fields=message_deliveries&messages&messaging_optins&messaging_postbacks&access_token={your secret token here}"

To deploy application to Heroku

Required before

• heroku account

• heroku CLI https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/heroku-cli

• node.js 16.14.2

Installing the chatbot

1. pull from the git repo

2. make sure node is installed

3. install dependencies

npm install express body-parser request

Deploy app to heroku

1. login to heroku

heroku login

2. create app

heroku create

3. go into

.github/workflows/main.yml

and change the name of the app for your app's name

and change the email for your email

Link heroku app and facebook page

1. Choose a verification token. Set it in the heroku config like this

heroku config:set VERIFY_TOKEN={your_token}

2. go to developers.facebook.com and create a messenger app

   • if you do not have a facebook page to be used create one
   • choose a 'Business' type app
   • when asked to 'add products to your app', choose Messenger

3. generate web token and put it in the app in the command line

heroku config:set TOKEN={your token here}

add the token to github secrets as well: go to your repo settings -> secrets -> actions and add the token under HEROKU_API_KEY

the callback url asked for is the url of your heroku project

the verification token is the token you chose in step 1

4. subscribe to messages, messaging_postbacks, messaging_optins and messaging_deliveries

5use a curl command to test connection to facebook page

curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v2.6/me/subscribed_apps?subscribed_fields=message_deliveries&messages&messaging_optins&messaging_postbacks&access_token={your secret token here}"

now if you message your page you should get a response!