Callback buttons are now available in VK chatbots. Thanks to the new buttons, the user does not need to write a message to the bot – just one click. The bot will edit its cue and keyboard for the next step, suggest new inline buttons and show disappearing notifications, and open links and widgets.

Callback buttons look the same as regular buttons – the same design styles are available for them. Let’s figure out how they work and how to use them.

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How callback buttons work in the VK chatbot

Callback buttons allow the bot to receive a notification about button clicks without sending a message from the user, and then perform the necessary action: edit the message, show text information, send a new keyboard, open a link, etc.

How to use:

• Implementation of the main bot menu: after pressing the callback button on the keyboard, the bot updates it, moving one level deeper in the menu nesting. In this case, the user does not need to send an additional message to the bot.
• Editing a message: the user clicks on the callback button in the inline keyboard from the message, selecting a dish category in the menu, – the bot edits the message, suggesting dishes from this category. The user does not send a message to the bot.
• Sending the result of an action: the user clicks on a callback button, for example “Top up balance”, which performs a certain action. After its successful completion, the bot shows the user the information “Balance refilled” using the snackbar. You do not need to send a message.

Read more in the documentation.

Appearance… Callback buttons look the same as regular buttons and support all styles. After pressing the button, a loading indicator appears for the duration of the action.

Earlier in VKontakte there was a chat management in mobile applications, as well as a new block “Similar communities”.