What is lead capture in a chatbot?

Short answer

Lead capture is collecting a potential customer's contact details, such as a name, email address or phone number, so your business can follow up. A chatbot does it inside the conversation instead of with a separate form.

Also called: chatbot lead capture, lead collection, conversational lead capture.

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Forms vs conversations

The classic way is a form: fill in your details to download the brochure or get a quote. Forms work, but they ask before they give, and many visitors leave rather than type an email address for something they haven't seen yet.

In a chat, the visitor has already said what they want. Asking for an email after answering their question feels like the next step, not a toll gate. A real estate agent's chatbot that has just answered questions about a flat can offer to send the viewing times by email.

Good lead capture habits

  • Help first, then ask.
  • Ask for one detail at a time, and only for what you will use.
  • Say why you are asking: "So our team can send you the quote."
  • Send new leads somewhere your team actually looks.

Lead capture in SimplyBoost

The agent collects contact details during the conversation, after it has helped, so the question comes at a natural moment. On Instagram, every person who comments on a post with a comment-to-DM rule is saved to Contacts as well. With workflows, the agent can pass details to tools like HubSpot, Salesforce or Google Sheets during the conversation.

Lead capture and workflows are on every plan, Starter included, and there is no fee per contact, so a busy month for leads doesn't raise your bill.

Questions people ask

Is a chatbot better than a form for lead capture?

Often, because the visitor has already been helped before you ask. Forms still work well for a clear offer like a download, and many sites use both.

Do I pay per lead or per contact in SimplyBoost?

No. SimplyBoost has no fee per contact. You pay a flat monthly price for a set number of AI replies, starting at €39 a month for 500.

Is collecting leads in a chatbot allowed under GDPR?

It can be, when you ask only for what you need, say why, and your provider processes the data under a data processing agreement. SimplyBoost is hosted in Europe and offers a DPA.

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