How do I set up custom actions in Legal Server?

Custom actions turn routine Legal Server tasks into automated steps your team can trigger right inside a chat conversation. Instead of switching between systems, a client or staff member could initiate a case update, schedule a consultation, or request a document – all from a single chat widget. Chatref’s custom-actions capability makes this possible by receiving the chat intent, collecting the needed details, and calling the Legal Server API to execute the action, all without a human manually navigating the interface.

This means you resolve repeat requests faster and reduce the administrative load on your team. Because the actions run from your own legal content and business rules, the answers stay accurate and avoid the hallucinations common with generic chatbots.

Follow these steps to build a custom action that works with Legal Server:

1. Train your agent – Upload your firm’s documents (policies, intake forms, fee schedules) to Chatref’s knowledge base. The agent will ground all answers in this material.
2. Define the action – In the Chatref dashboard, navigate to Custom Actions and click Add action. Name it (e.g., “Create new case”), describe when it should fire, and map the fields you need (client name, matter type, etc.).
3. Connect to Legal Server – Provide the Legal Server API endpoint and credentials. Chatref will call this endpoint with the collected field values whenever the action is triggered.
4. Test in the playground – Use Chatref’s live playground to simulate a chat, trigger the action, and confirm Legal Server creates the record correctly.
5. Embed and go live – Copy the widget snippet into your firm’s website. The action becomes available immediately.

No coding is required. Every Chatref account gets all features – unlimited agents, unlimited training documents, and custom actions – with a $50 free credit to start (no credit card needed).

For firms with multiple practice areas or branch offices, Chatref’s workspaces let you keep custom actions separated and secure. Each workspace acts as its own tenancy with its own set of agents, training documents, and actions. You might:

• Create a workspace for family law with actions for divorce intake and child custody forms
• Set up a separate workspace for corporate law handling entity formation and contract review

Agents and actions from one workspace never bleed into another. This keeps your automation clean and ensures that a family law client never sees corporate-only actions. Workspaces also let you assign team members specific access, so each practice group manages its own workflows.

When setting up custom workflows, a few guidelines will save time and avoid frustration:

• Start with high-volume, low-complexity tasks – Automate tasks your team handles repeatedly, like appointment booking, case status updates, or document generation. These deliver the quickest ROI.
• Ground every action in your own content – Always train the agent on the exact policies, forms, and guides your firm uses. This prevents the agent from giving generic legal advice.
• Use clear, conversational triggers – Write action trigger phrases in natural language (e.g., “I need to start a divorce case”) rather than technical commands. It makes adoption easier for clients and staff.
• Monitor handoffs – Even with actions, some requests will need a human. Review Chatref’s conversation inbox regularly to step in when needed.
• Iterate using insights – After a few weeks, check which actions are used most and which ones get corrected or handed off. Refine the triggers and field mapping accordingly.

Even with no-code tools, issues can crop up. Here’s how to handle the most common ones:

• Action not firing – First, test the action phrase in the Chatref playground. If it still doesn’t trigger, check that the trigger description matches typical user wording. Also confirm the Legal Server API endpoint is reachable (test it with a tool like Postman).
• Missing or incorrect data – If a case is created with blank fields, review the field mapping in the custom action settings. Ensure every required field in Legal Server is mapped to a collected variable from the chat. Use Chatref’s conversation tags to spot where the agent fails to collect info.
• Authentication errors – If Legal Server returns a 401 or 403, regenerate the API credentials and update them in Chatref. Use a low-privilege service account rather than a personal login.
• Agent giving generic advice – If the agent strays from your content, verify that the training documents are up to date and that you haven’t allowed internet search. Chatref always grounds answers in your uploaded docs, but you may need to add specific policy pages if gaps appear.

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Steps to create custom actions in Legal Server
Integrate Legal Server with Chatref. First, upload your legal docs to train the agent. Next, add a custom action in Chatref’s dashboard, define the trigger phrase and required fields, and enter your Legal Server API details. Test it in the playground, then embed the widget – the action will appear instantly.

Best practices for automating legal tasks
Focus on high-volume tasks like case creation, status updates, and document requests. Always train the agent on your firm’s actual documents to avoid generic answers. Write triggers in plain language, use workspaces to separate practice areas, and regularly review the insights to improve the workflow.

How to troubleshoot custom action setup
If an action doesn’t fire, test the trigger phrase in Chatref’s playground and verify the Legal Server endpoint. For missing data, check field mapping in the action config. Authentication failures usually mean regenerating API keys. If the agent gives ungrounded advice, add more training documents and restrict internet search.