> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://chatbase.co/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Collect Data > Have your AI agent gather any custom fields you define from the customer, conversationally, mid-chat ## Overview The Collect Data action lets your AI agent gather any custom information you define from the customer, conversationally, mid-chat. There's no form: the AI agent asks for the missing fields naturally in the conversation and saves the submission once it has everything required. > **Best for:** > > Collecting structured details (a shipping address, feedback, an application) without interrupting the conversation with a form. **Common Use Cases:** * Collecting a shipping address before arranging a delivery * Gathering feedback details after a support interaction * Capturing the specifics of a request your team will act on later > [!TIP] > > You can create more than one Collect Data action on the same AI agent, each with its own name, fields, and destinations. For example, one action to collect a shipping address and a separate one to collect feedback details. ## How to create the action **1. Navigate to Actions** Go to your [Chatbase dashboard](https://www.chatbase.co/dashboard/) and select your AI agent. Click **Build > Actions** in the left sidebar. **2. Create the Action** Click **Create action**, then select **Collect Data**. **3. Configure General Settings** **Action Name:** A descriptive name for this action. It doubles as the identifier for this action's webhook events, so it must be unique across your AI agent's actions. **When to use:** Explain when the AI agent should collect this data from the customer. Include a description of what information is collected and its purpose, and add example queries that should trigger this action. To restrict the action to [procedure](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/procedures/procedures-overview.md) steps only, turn on [**Only use in procedures**](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/actions/actions-overview.md#only-use-in-procedures). When it's on, the **When to use** field is hidden, because the AI agent no longer decides when to call the action. **4. Define your fields** In the **Fields** section, list the data the AI agent should collect. See [Fields](#fields) below. **5. Set your destinations** In **Destinations**, choose where collected data should be sent. See [Destinations](#destinations) below. This step is optional. **6. Choose Channels** This action is compatible with every channel. Toggle it on or off for each configured channel, then click **Save**. See [Channels](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/actions/actions-overview.md#channels) for what configured, unconfigured, and incompatible mean. **7. Enable and Test** Preview your settings in the AI agent on the Action page, then click **Save and enable**. ## Fields In the **Fields** section, list the data the AI agent should collect from the customer during the conversation. Each field has a name, a type (text, number, email, date, or boolean), a description that tells the AI agent what to ask for, and a **Required** checkbox. You can add up to 20 fields. The AI agent asks for all required fields before saving the submission; optional fields are saved when the customer provides them but never block the save. The AI agent never invents values: it only saves what the customer has explicitly provided. Each time the AI agent completes a collection it's saved as its own submission, so if the action runs more than once in a conversation you get one submission per run. Collected data appears under **Activity > Collected data**, where each field gets its own column. Fields are also included in CSV and PDF exports and in the [`{action name}_collect_data.submit` webhook](https://chatbase.co/docs/developer-guides/webhooks). ## Destinations Use **Destinations** to specify where collected data should be sent. You can skip this step if you don't want to send collected data anywhere external. ### Webhooks Add one or more webhook endpoints to receive each submission as a `POST` request. **1. Expand Destinations** Open the **Destinations** section of the action. **2. Enter the endpoint URL** Add the URL that should receive the submission. **3. Create the webhook** Click **Create webhook**, then save your changes. ### Email notifications Enable **Email notification** to receive an email every time data is collected through this action. You can add one or more email addresses, and each successful submission triggers an email containing the collected data. > [!NOTE] > > Email notifications are not available for HIPAA accounts. On HIPAA accounts, collected field values are also redacted before they're stored. > [!TIP] > > Test the action by having a conversation that should trigger it, and confirm the submission appears under **Activity > Collected data** with every field populated. ## Channels The Collect Data action is compatible with every channel. Use **Channels** in the action's configuration to enable or disable it per channel, then click **Save**. See [Channels](https://chatbase.co/docs/user-guides/chatbot/actions/actions-overview.md#channels) for what configured, unconfigured, and incompatible mean. ## Limitations * **Up to 20 fields per action.** If you need more, split the collection across separate Collect Data actions. * **Email notifications are unavailable on HIPAA accounts,** where field values are also redacted before storage. ## Best Practices > **Write Clear Field Descriptions** > > The description tells the AI agent what to ask for. A vague description produces a vague question and a wrong answer. > **Require Only What You Need** > > Every required field is another thing the customer must supply before the submission saves. Mark the rest optional. > **Use Natural Language** > > Keep **When to use** instructions short and simple, start with action verbs, and say what you want the AI agent to do rather than what to avoid. > **Split by Purpose** > > Create a separate action per kind of data you collect, so each has its own fields, destinations, and webhook identity. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.