Chatbot AI UX patterns

Patterns for conversational surfaces: composers, streaming replies, memory, follow-ups, and recovery when a turn goes wrong. Pair with the Chat UX framework for territories and anti-patterns.

Related framework: Chat UX framework

Start here

Core patterns for chatbot UX.

13 patterns

Frequently asked questions

When should I start with chatbot patterns?

Start here when your primary surface is a thread or composer. Prioritize turn-taking, streaming, and repair flows before visual polish—most chat failures come from unclear state, not styling.

How do chatbot patterns relate to the Chat UX framework?

Framework pages name territories (composer, memory, repair). Pattern pages are the catalog entries you implement, often with interactive demos and product examples from ChatGPT, Claude, and similar products.

What is the difference between streaming and status steps?

Streaming shows the answer appearing token-by-token. Status steps expose tool calls, retrieval, or reasoning traces—use both when users need progress during long waits and provenance when they expand the trace.

How do I spec memory and context for chat?

Use memory-management and context patterns so users see what is remembered, can edit or delete it, and understand scope per thread versus account. Hidden memory erodes trust when the model surprises users with stale facts.

Which chatbot patterns reduce abandonment after a bad reply?

Follow-up chips, regeneration, response refinement, and error-recovery patterns give users a low-friction next action instead of restarting the thread. Pair with clear interrupt/resume when generation can be stopped safely.

Can I search this category by product?

Yes—use the grid search or open individual patterns; each entry lists example products where that convention appears in production.