Test Chat Engagements in Bullhorn Automation

Testing a chat engagement lets you preview the recipient experience before sending it live. It also helps you confirm whether interactions are written back to a candidate or contact record.

Bullhorn Automation provides two ways to test Chat engagements, depending on whether you want to preview the experience or validate record updates.

Common Reasons You Might Test a Chat Engagement

You might test a chat engagement if you want to:

  • Preview how the chat appears to a recipient

  • Verify question flow, prompts, and required inputs

  • Confirm merge tags resolve correctly

  • Validate whether interactions are saved to a record

  • Catch issues before activating the automation

Choose How You Want to Test the Engagement

Chats can be tested in two ways. The method you choose determines whether interactions are saved to a candidate or contact record.

  • Test from the Engagement to preview the chat experience only

  • Test from the Send Engagement automation step to validate interaction tracking and record updates

Test the Chat from the Engagement

Testing from the Engagement editor lets you preview the engagement experience without saving any results. This is useful when reviewing layout, flow, or behavior before sending it through an automation.

Before testing, you must open the chat from an engagement to ensure you are testing the correct version tied to your automation.

  1. In Bullhorn Automation, select the EngagementsClosed Using Automation to interact with Candidates and Clients. Typically done through Survey and chatbot. tab.

  2. Open the Chat engagement you want to test.

Launch the Test

  1. In the chat editor, select Test Chat in the top-right corner.

  2. A new browser tab opens with the chat.

  3. Complete the engagement as if you were the recipient.

What happens to the data:

Interactions are not saved to any candidate or contact record when testing from the Engagement.

Test a Chat from the Send Engagement Automation Step

Testing from the Send Engagement step allows you to validate how chat interactions are written back to a record. This method sends a real test message, either by email or text, and saves the completed chat results.

Send a Test Chat Message

After adding the Send Engagement step and selecting the Chat, the engagement opens in edit mode.

  1. In the Send Engagement editor, select Send Test in the top-right corner.

  2. In the Recipient Email or Recipient Phone Number field, enter where the test message should be sent.

  3. In Which candidate would you like to use to fill merge tags, start typing and select a candidate or contact.

  4. If no record is selected, Bullhorn Automation randomly selects one from your database.

  5. Select Send.

Complete or Interact with the Engagement

  1. Open the test email or text message when it arrives.

  2. Interact with the chat experience.

What happens to the data:

Interactions are saved to the candidate or contact record selected for merge tag population.

Understand How Test Data Is Handled

Chat tests use a randomly selected test record as the recipient. What happens to the test data depends on where you start the test.

Testing from the Engagement editor:

  • No email or text is sent

  • Interactions are not saved to a record

Testing from the Send Engagement step:

  • A real test email or text is sent

  • Interactions are saved to the selected record

This allows you to choose whether you are only previewing the experience or validating how data is stored.

Troubleshooting Chat Testing Issues

If the chat does not open in a new tab

Your browser may be blocking pop-ups.

What to do:

  • Check your browser settings.

  • Temporarily allow pop-ups for Bullhorn Automation.

  • Reload the page and select Test Chat again.

FAQs

Does testing a chat always send a message?

No. Testing from the Engagement editor opens a preview. Testing from the Send Engagement step sends a real test message.

Are chat results always saved during testing?

No. Results are only saved when testing from the Send Engagement step.

Can I test the same chat multiple times?

Yes. You can test engagements as many times as needed before activating your automation.