Asking questions about your site
The conversation that takes your changes also answers questions. Ask what a page says, where the site is published or when it last changed, and Briks replies in a few sentences without building anything or touching the site.
How Briks tells a question from a change
Every message is read first to decide whether it asks for a change or only asks for information. It's taken as a question only when that's fairly clear. When it isn't, the wording decides. A message that opens with what, which, why, how, when, where, is, does or can I reads as a question. A polite request (can you, could you, please, I'd like) or a suggestion (why don't you, how about) reads as a change. So does a complaint that calls for a fix.
| Message | Taken as |
|---|---|
What does the About page say about our opening hours? | A question |
Is the site in production yet? | A question |
What would it cost to add a shop? | A question |
Can you make the logo bigger? | A change |
Why don't we add a map to the contact page? | A change |
The footer looks broken on my phone | A change |
Some messages are never answered as questions:
- any message with a picture attached or a link to an item in your media;
- any message sent while a first build waits for you to approve its words, look or hero, which is taken as a change to that step;
- your reply while a first build waits for answers to its questions, which is taken as your answers.
Ask a question
Open the project
Where: Projects
Click Projects, then your project, so you're on its Studio tab.
Type the question
Where: Studio
Write it as a question, without pictures. Starting with What, Which, When or Is keeps it clear.
Send it
Where: Studio
Press Enter. Your message appears in the conversation as usual.
Read the answer
Where: Studio
The answer appears in the thread shortly after. There's no step list, no timer and no publish, and the preview doesn't change.
What Briks knows when it answers
| It knows | A question it can answer |
|---|---|
| The site's name, its address, and whether that's still the preview address or production | Is my site live yet? |
| Your own domains on the project | Which domains does this site use? |
| How many times the site has been published, and when it was last published | When did the site last change? |
| The words on the site's published pages, page by page | What does the Services page say about prices? |
| The latest messages in this conversation | What was the last thing I asked you to change? |
| The site's visits, from the same figures as the Analytics tab, with a link to the view | How many visitors came from Google last month? |
| What Briks says about itself: its plans, prices, credits and how to use it | How many credits does a change hold? |
A question about visits is answered from the site's counted figures, as Ask about your visits on the Analytics tab answers it, and the reply ends with a link to that view. Visits are counted once the site is published, so before then there is nothing to ask about.
Answers run from one to five sentences in plain words. When Briks doesn't know something, it says so rather than guessing. It also has no way to change anything from an answer: if you seem to want a change, it'll tell you to describe it.
It reads your site's words, not its styling. A question such as What fonts does my site use? may get an honest “I can't tell from here”. To fix the type, choose a Display face and Body face under Settings, Preferences, Design rules, or describe the type you want as a change.
Questions that work well
Is my site in production yet, and what's its address?
A short reply saying the site is published at its preview address and isn't launched yet, with that address.
What does the home page say about delivery?
The reply quotes what the home page says about delivery, in its own words.
When did the site last change?
The reply gives how many times the site has been published and the date of the latest, and mentions that every published version can be undone.
What was the last thing I asked you to change?
The reply sums up the latest request in the conversation and what came back.
Briks knows your site and what it says about itself on its home and pricing pages, not every screen of the studio. Ask Is my own domain connected? and it can tell you which domains the site has. For the steps to connect one, use Connect your domain.
What it won't tell you
How the studio makes and runs sites stays with the studio. Briks won't describe how a design was arrived at, the steps or checks behind a build, or the services underneath. If you ask, it says kindly that this stays with the studio and offers to tell you about your site or change something on it. The words it uses are: “How the studio builds and runs sites stays with the studio, but I'm happy to tell you about your site, or to change anything on it: just describe what you'd like.”
Messages that try to get round its rules, such as asking it to ignore its instructions or show hidden text, are answered and refused there. They're never sent on to be built.
What an answer costs
Nothing, for almost every question. A question holds no credits and isn't charged. It doesn't start a build or publish anything, so it doesn't count as a change and doesn't add a version.
Questions about visits are the one exception. Each site gets 100 free a month, counted together with the ones asked on the Analytics tab. After that, each one holds 1 credit while it is answered and is charged the small amount it took. Only Editors, Admins and Owners can ask past the free ones.
Questions while a build runs
If a change is building and the button under the box reads Queue, you can still send a question. It's answered straight away rather than waiting in the queue. If the box is greyed out (for example while a first build waits for your approval), wait for that step to finish.
If a first build is planned and waiting for credits, the box reads “Ask a question about your site”. Questions are answered as usual. A change has nothing to work on yet, so the studio replies with what building usually takes and what you have, and the build carries on only when you choose Resume building.
Questions people ask, and where the answers live
Where do my form entries go?
Into the studio, under Settings, Forms, which shows the latest 100. While the site is a preview they're kept there and not emailed; once it's in production they're emailed to you too. There's no export. See Forms.
How do I connect my own domain?
Own domains start on the Starter plan. Open Settings, Domain and follow Connect your domain.
Can I go back to how the site was last week?
Yes. Open Versions above the preview and press Make live on the version you want. See Versions.
Who can ask questions?
Editors, Admins and Owners. Viewers can read the conversation, answers included, but have no prompt box.