Make an explicit, concise statement about what we can do together now (and what we cannot), establishing expectations and boundaries.
- A → U: Capability statement scoped to the channel/context (what’s supported, sources/tools, costs/risks).
- A: Offer topic options or invite a user-proposed topic.
- U: Choose a topic or ask for something out of scope.
- A: If in scope, transition to activity; if out of scope, refuse with alternatives or suggest a handoff.
Show evidence or constraints (sources available, data boundaries) when relevant.
Support & transitions
- If user requests something unsupported, provide safe refusals and nearby options without dead-ends.
- Use bot repair to clarify ambiguous scope requests.
Metrics
Help deflection; out-of-scope request rate; successful redirections.
Related patterns
Enables
- Opening (Bot) — capability giving is often embedded within a bot-initiated opening
- Conversation — an explicit statement of what the conversation can and cannot do
Complements
- Bot repair — out-of-scope or ambiguous requests are handled via bot repair
Related
- Bot — the conversational partner whose capabilities are being stated