If you're looking to connect your Digital AI chatbot or Voice Bot to an external system using the HTTP Request tool, there are a few things we need to understand first. This checklist helps you (and us) figure out what's possible, what's needed, and who needs to be involved, before any development work begins. Running through this early saves time and avoids surprises later on.
If Talkative needs to build or support an integration on your behalf, Professional Services costs will apply. Your Sales rep or CSM can give you more detail on this.
It's also worth knowing that if the bot needs to work something out based on multiple pieces of data from an API response (for example, combining two fields to determine a status), we'd recommend having a middleware or interface layer handle that logic rather than leaving it to the AI. This avoids the risk of the bot misinterpreting or making up an answer. If that sounds relevant to your use case, flag it early and we can advise.
1️⃣ Your Platform & API
Before we can connect to your system, we need to know whether it's set up to allow that.
- Does your platform have an API (a way for other software to talk to it)?
- Can that API be accessed from outside your organisation, or is it locked down to internal systems only?
- Is there documentation available that explains how the API works? If so, please share it with us, this is the single most useful thing you can provide early on.
2️⃣ Existing Integrations
It helps to know if the API is already being used elsewhere.
- Are any other systems currently connected to this API?
- If yes, which ones?
- Do you have any kind of middle layer or connector sitting between the API and those other systems? (Sometimes called an integration layer or middleware.)
3️⃣ Vendor Support
Some software providers offer ready-made tools that make integration easier.
- Does your platform vendor provide any pre-built integration tools for their API? (For example, an MCP server or connector.)
- If so, have you used it with anything else before?
4️⃣ Development Capability
Depending on how the API works, someone may need to build a small piece of software to sit between Talkative and your system.
- Do you have in-house developers who could build this if needed?
If not:
- Does your software vendor offer integration development as a service?
- Do you work with any third-party partners who build integrations?
5️⃣ Hosting & Infrastructure
If a connector or interface needs to be built, it will need somewhere to run.
- Do you have the ability to host small web services? (For example, on AWS, Azure, or another cloud platform.)
- If not, would your vendor or integration partner normally handle hosting?
6️⃣ Data Access
This is especially relevant if you're using Voice AI and your callers currently interact with an IVR (automated phone menu) that pulls information from other systems.
- Does your IVR interact with any external systems today? If yes, how does it connect to them — through a REST API, PowerShell scripts, direct database access, or something else?
- Would the Voice Bot need access to the same data?
If your IVR connects directly to a database (for example, using PowerShell scripts on a local server), that setup can't be reused by Talkative's Voice AI directly - we operate in the cloud, so we need the data to be accessible via an API. If that's your situation, flag it early and we can discuss options.
7️⃣ Use Cases
This is the most important part. The clearer you are here, the better we can scope the work.
- What information or actions do you want the bot to handle through the API?
Some common examples: checking account balances, retrieving order status, looking up appointment availability, verifying customer details.
8️⃣ Internal Ownership
Finally, we need to know who's responsible on your side.
- Who internally owns or manages the API?
- Who would need to approve and support an integration with Talkative?
What happens next?
Once you've worked through this checklist, share your answers with your Talkative contact (your CSM or the implementation team). We'll review what you've told us and come back with a recommendation on what's possible, what's needed, and what the next steps look like.