Cognigy Sessions: Extensions

Cognigy Support
January 8, 2025

In this episode of Cognigy Sessions, we will demonstrate how to enhance Cognigy.AI with Extensions. You will learn how to use Cognigy.AI’s powerful Extension framework, how to integrate with third-party systems, and how to enhance your Virtual Agents’ capabilities with Extensions. Furthermore, we’ll show you how to leverage open-source libraries to accelerate your development, and how to roll your own CognigyScript-based Extensions with an external IDE.

Overview of Cognigy Extensions

Cognigy Extensions are a way to extend the Cognigy Flow Editor with new Nodes. Under the hood, Extensions are JavaScript modules which describe two things: the front end (user interface) of a Node and the back end (functionality) that executes during the execution of a Cognigy Flow.

Typical Use Cases for Extensions

• Integration with third-party APIs: Building a module to connect to systems like UI Path or CRM systems like HubSpot or Salesforce, creating a user-friendly interface.
• Complex logic: Execute complex logic within an Extension rather than a Code Node, which has a timeout limit.
• Convenience Nodes: Create Nodes that leverage npm modules for functionality not available out-of-the-box.

Creating Extensions

1. Structure of Extensions: The overall structure includes a package.json file, an icon, a README.md, and the JavaScript code for the Nodes.
2. Uploading Extensions: To integrate an Extension into Cognigy, upload it as a .tar.gz package through the Cognigy.AI interface.
3. Connections: Use Connections for securely storing credentials, which can be reused across different Nodes.

Building an Example Extension

• Start by defining the basic structure using a module.ts file that includes Node definitions.
• Create distinct Node files for organizational purposes, e.g., a testNode.ts for the implementation of functionalities.
• Use field types to structure input options and allow for easy user interactions through the Flow Editor.

More Advanced Features

Conditions and Sections

• Implement sections to group fields for better user experience and use conditions to dynamically show/hide fields based on user selections.

Child Nodes and Flow Logic

• Use Child Nodes that can be added to a Parent Node, executing different paths based on specific conditions.

Resources

• Cognigy.AI Free Trial
• Extensions Documentation
• CognigyScript Documentation
• Help Center on Extensions

Thank you for watching our session on Cognigy.AI Extensions. Please visit our Cognigy.AI Help Center for additional resources and to connect with our community.