Sending multiple messages to FB messenger with one being a template

Question

I am trying to send multiple messages from a webhook through a facebook bot using dialogflow. I want to send a a message with only text, then an airline template, then a quick reply. I can send just a text then a quick reply, and I can send just an airline template separately but I am having trouble figuring out how to send them in the order.

I can send text & quick reply messages this way:

       return ({
         "speech": "",
         "messages": [
             {
                 "type": 0,
                 "speech": copy1
             },
             {
                 "type": 2,
                 "title": obj.QRtitle,
                 "replies":[
                     qR1 = obj.qR1 || '',
                     qR2 = obj.qR2 || '',
                     qR3 = obj.qR3 || '',
                     qR4 = obj.qR4 || '',
                     qR5 = obj.qR5 || '',
                     qR6 = obj.qR6 || '',
                     qR7 = obj.qR7 || '',
                     qR8 = obj.qR8 || '',
                     qR9 = obj.qR9 || '',
                     qR10 = obj.qR10 || '',
                 ]
             },
         ],
         "source": "facebook"
     });
   },

and then I can send an airline template this way:

     return ({
           "data" : {
               "facebook" : {
                   "attachment" : {
                       "type" : "template",
                       "payload" : {

                   "template_type": "airline_boardingpass",
                   "intro_message": object.intro_message|| '',
                   "locale": "en_US",
                   "boarding_pass": [
                     {
                       "passenger_name": object.passenger_name,
                       "pnr_number": "ABCDEF",
                       "seat": object.seat|| '',
                       "logo_image_url": object.logo_image_url|| '',
                       "header_image_url": object.header_image_url|| '',
                       "qr_code": object.qrcode_data,
                       "above_bar_code_image_url": object.above_bar_code_image_url|| '',
                       "auxiliary_fields": [
                         {
                           "label": "Terminal",
                           "value": object.terminal
                         },
                         {
                           "label": "Departure",
                           "value": object.departure_date_time|| '',
                         }
                       ],
                       "secondary_fields": [
                         {
                           "label": "Boarding",
                           "value": object.boarding_time|| '',
                         },
                         {
                           "label": "Gate",
                           "value": object.departure_gate
                         },
                         {
                           "label": "Seat",
                           "value": object.seat
                         },
                       ],
                       "flight_info": {
                         "flight_number": object.flight_number,
                         "departure_airport": {
                           "airport_code": object.departure_airport_code,
                           "city": object.departure_city,
                           "terminal": object.departure_term,
                           "gate": object.departure_gate
                         },
                         "arrival_airport": {
                           "airport_code": object.arrival_airport_code,
                           "city": object.arrival_city
                         },
                         "flight_schedule": {
                           "departure_time": object.departure_time|| '',
                           "arrival_time": object.arrival_time|| '',
                         }
                       }
                     }
                   ]
                 },
               },
             },
           },
               "source": "facebook"
         });

I am having trouble figuring out how to merge the two to send it successfully -- any advice would be helpful.

Answer 1

Dialogflow support custom payload message objects. Below is a modified version of your response that should work. It works by moving your custom payload from a custom payload in the top level Dialogflow response to a custom payload message objects at the same level of the Dialogflow webhook response as the other text and quick reply messages:

{
  "messages": [
    {
      "speech": "copy1",
      "type": 0
    },
    {
      "replies": [
        "replies..."
      ],
      "title": "obj.QRtitle",
      "type": 2
    },
    {
      "platform": "facebook",
      "type": 4,
      "payload": {
        "attachment": {
          "type": "template",
          "payload": {
            "template_type": "airline_boardingpass",
            "intro_message": "object.intro_message",
            "locale": "en_US",
            "boarding_pass": [
              {
                "passenger_name": "object.passenger_name",
                "pnr_number": "ABCDEF",
                "seat": "object.seat",
                "logo_image_url": "object.logo_image_url",
                "header_image_url": "object.header_image_url",
                "qr_code": "object.qrcode_data",
            "above_bar_code_image_url": "    object.above_bar_code_image_url",
                "auxiliary_fields": [
                  {
                    "label": "Terminal",
                    "value": "object.terminal"
                  },
                  {
                    "label": "Departure",
                    "value": "object.departure_date_time"
                  }
                ],
                "secondary_fields": [
                  {
                    "label": "Boarding",
                    "value": "object.boarding_time"
                  },
                  {
                    "label": "Gate",
                    "value": "object.departure_gate"
                  },
                  {
                    "label": "Seat",
                    "value": "object.seat"
                  }
                ],
                "flight_info": {
                  "flight_number": "object.flight_number",
                  "departure_airport": {
                    "airport_code": "object.departure_airport_code",
                    "city": "object.departure_city",
                    "terminal": "object.departure_term",
                    "gate": "object.departure_gate"
                  },
                  "arrival_airport": {
                    "airport_code": "object.arrival_airport_code",
                    "city": "object.arrival_city"
                  },
                  "flight_schedule": {
                    "departure_time": "object.departure_time",
                    "arrival_time": "object.arrival_time"
                  }
                }
              }
            ]
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "source": "facebook",
  "speech": ""
}