A lead generation chatbot turns the questions visitors ask on your website into conversations, and the interested ones into leads. InstantKnowledgeBot answers from your documents first, then, when someone wants to book, buy, get a quote or talk to a person, asks for their details right there in the chat. Each lead lands in your inbox with the conversation attached.
Why do website visitors leave without converting?
Most visitors have one or two questions before they'll act. If the answer is buried, or the only option is a generic contact form, many simply leave. A chatbot fixes both halves of that problem: it answers the question immediately and asks for details at the moment of interest, not before.
That's the difference between a lead generation chatbot built on a knowledge base and a pop-up form. The visitor gets value first, and the form appears when they've effectively asked for it.
How does InstantKnowledgeBot detect buying intent?
When lead capture is on, the bot is instructed to recognise when a visitor clearly wants to be contacted, book or schedule something, buy, get a quote or pricing for their situation, or talk to a human. It writes a helpful reply as usual, and the chat then shows a short form. It doesn't trigger on general questions, and the bot never asks for email addresses or phone numbers in its own text: the form does that.
Examples of messages that open the form:
- "Can I book for Tuesday afternoon?"
- "How much would it cost for a 3-bedroom house?"
- "I'd like to speak to someone about a group booking."
When should the chatbot ask for details?
You choose one of three triggers in the bot's Leads tab:
| Trigger | How it behaves | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| When they're interested (recommended) | The form appears when the visitor shows intent. | Most businesses: dentists, agencies, real estate, services. |
| After a few messages | The form appears after a set number of messages (1 to 10). | Research-heavy purchases, such as courses. |
| Before the chat | Visitors share details first. Most leads, but fewer conversations. | High-value B2B or gated support. |
The industry templates set sensible defaults. The education template, for instance, offers a course guide after three messages; the dental template opens a "Book a visit" form on intent. See the templates.
What does the lead form collect?
Email is always collected. You can switch on name, phone and message fields, and write your own form title, prompt and thank-you message. For example, a real estate agency might use "Book a viewing" with "Leave your details and an agent will confirm a time."
What happens after a lead is captured?
- You get an email with the lead's details and the last few messages of the chat, so you know exactly what they wanted. (You can turn these emails off.)
- The lead appears in your dashboard with a link to the full conversation.
- You work the pipeline: move leads through new, contacted, qualified, won and lost, and add notes.
- Export to CSV for your CRM or email tool.
There's no direct CRM integration, so most teams either work leads in the dashboard or import the CSV regularly.
Which businesses get the most from a lead generation chatbot?
Businesses where one conversation can be worth a lot, and where visitors arrive with questions:
- Local services: dentists, clinics, law firms, gyms.
- Real estate: viewings and valuations. See the real estate chatbot.
- Hospitality: group bookings and events at hotels and restaurants.
- Education: enrolment enquiries.
- Agencies: running lead bots for clients. See chatbots for agencies.
How do you get good leads, not just more leads?
- Answer well first. A bot that answers clearly earns trust before asking. Keep your documents complete and current.
- Ask for less. Each extra field lowers completion. Email plus one other field is often enough.
- Write a specific prompt. "Leave your number and we'll call you within one business day" beats "Contact us".
- Follow up fast. The email arrives the moment the lead is captured. Speed matters.
- Read the conversations of leads that didn't convert to see what you could answer better.
What does a lead capture conversation look like?
An example from a home renovation company:
Visitor: Do you do kitchen renovations, and roughly what does one cost?
Bot: Yes, we design and build full kitchen renovations. Our price guide puts most projects in a range that depends on size and finishes, and we give a fixed quote after a free home visit. Would you like to book one? You can leave your details right here.
(A short form appears: name, email, phone.)
The visitor got a useful answer first, from the company's own price guide, and the form appeared because they asked about cost for their situation. The lead email arrives with the conversation, so the person calling back already knows it's a kitchen project.
How do you test lead capture before going live?
Open the bot's Test tab, or the share link in a private window, and write a message with clear intent, such as "I'd like to book an appointment for next week". Check that the form appears, submit it with your own email, and confirm the lead email arrives and the lead shows up in the dashboard. Then ask a general question and make sure the form doesn't appear when it shouldn't.
Which plan includes lead capture?
Lead capture is on Pro and Agency, and you can try it free: the 14-day Pro trial starts automatically when you create your first bot, with no card. Compare plans on the pricing page, follow the step-by-step lead capture setup guide, or sign up free and try it on your own site.
Frequently asked questions
When does the chatbot ask for contact details?
You choose: when the visitor shows interest (wanting to book, buy, get a quote or talk to a human), after a set number of messages, or before the chat starts.
Which details can it collect?
Email is always collected. You can also ask for name, phone and a message, and set the form's title, prompt and thank-you message.
Which plans include lead capture?
Lead capture is included on Pro and Agency, and during the free 14-day Pro trial that starts when you create your first bot.
Can I send leads to my CRM?
Leads are emailed to you and stored in the dashboard, where you can export them as CSV for import into a CRM. There's no direct CRM integration.
Does the bot ask for an email in the chat text?
No. The bot is instructed never to ask for email addresses or phone numbers in its replies; a proper form appears in the chat instead, so details are captured cleanly.
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Last updated: · InstantKnowledgeBot