Growth & conversion
The chatbot metrics worth tracking
Conversations started, answer rate, handoff rate, leads captured and revenue influenced — the five numbers that tell you whether a chatbot is working.
In short
Track five numbers: conversations started, share answered without handoff, handoff rate, leads captured with contact details, and how many became customers.
Ignore vanity metrics like total messages — a long conversation often means the bot was not answering.
Key facts
Key facts
- Conversations started measures visibility and the welcome message.
- Answer rate measures content coverage.
- Handoff rate should be healthy, not zero.
- Leads captured is the number that connects to revenue.
The five metrics
| Metric | What it tells you | If it's low |
|---|---|---|
| Conversations started | Visibility and welcome wording | Change placement and starter questions |
| Answered without handoff | Content coverage | Publish the missing answers |
| Handoff rate | Honesty of the bot | Zero is suspicious, not good |
| Leads captured | Sales value | Ask for details at the right moment |
| Leads closed | Real ROI | Improve follow-up speed |
The metric to distrust
Total messages. A high count usually means visitors rephrasing the same question because the first three answers missed. Short conversations that end in an answer are the goal.
Review rhythm
Weekly for the first month, monthly after that. Read a sample of transcripts each time — numbers tell you what happened, transcripts tell you why.
The product behind this guide
A chatbot trained on your own website, live today
Defaltam builds AI chatbots that read your public pages and answer with your real prices, services and policies. Support is €79/month, Sales is €149/month, both start with a 5-day free trial, and installation is one script tag.
FAQ
Questions people ask about this
What chatbot metrics should I track?
Conversations started, the share answered without a handoff, handoff rate, leads captured with contact details, and how many of those became customers. Those five connect the bot to revenue.
Is a zero handoff rate good?
No, it is suspicious. It usually means the bot is answering things it should not be certain about.
Why ignore total message count?
Long conversations often mean the visitor had to rephrase. Resolution matters more than volume.
How often should I review?
Weekly in the first month, monthly afterwards, always with a sample of real transcripts.
Related
Keep reading.
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Copy-ready welcome messages, starter questions, qualifying questions and closing lines for support and sales chatbots, with the reasoning behind each.
Offering 24/7 customer support as a small business →
How a small team covers nights and weekends without hiring: published answers, an always-on chatbot, honest response expectations and a morning routine.
AI chatbot plans and pricing →
Support €79/mo, Sales €149/mo, 5-day free trial.
How to add an AI chatbot to your website →
The ten-minute install guide, platform by platform.