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The Plural Database feature lets you connect your conversation flows to a structured, cloud-based database so your robot or avatar can read and write data during live interactions. This opens up dynamic use cases like storing user responses, personalizing conversations with previously collected information, logging interaction outcomes, and integrating with external data-driven workflows.

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How the Database Works in Plural

Plural’s database functionality is powered by NocoDB, an open-source no-code database platform. You interact with it through its REST API, which your flow calls via a Custom API Call element whenever it needs to read or write a record. This means you can:
  • Save user inputs (such as names, preferences, or selections) to a database table during a conversation.
  • Retrieve stored data and use it to personalize what the avatar says.
  • Update records based on user actions, such as marking a question as answered or recording a rating.
  • Query tables to drive conditional logic — for example, showing different content based on a user’s membership tier stored in the database.
Full NocoDB REST API documentation — including endpoints, authentication, and query parameters — is available at https://docs.nocodb.com/developer-resources/rest-apis/overview/.

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Using the Database in Your Flow

1

Set up your NocoDB database

Create a NocoDB project and define the tables and fields you need. Generate an API token from your NocoDB settings — you will need this to authenticate your API calls from Plural.
2

Add a Custom API Call element

In your Plural flow, add a Custom API Call element at the point where you need to read from or write to the database. Enter your NocoDB REST API endpoint URL and your API token.
3

Map request and response data

Configure the request body to include any data you want to send (for example, a user’s name saved to the UserName attribute). Map the response fields to Plural attributes so downstream elements can use the returned data.
4

Use database values in your flow

Reference the attributes populated by the API response in speech elements, conditions, or other elements to drive personalized, data-driven conversation paths.

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The Database Element

For projects that use Plural’s built-in database integration directly, a dedicated Database element is available in the element picker. This element simplifies common read and write operations without requiring you to manually configure raw API calls. See the Elements Overview for full details on the Database element and its configuration options.

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Example Use Cases

Lead capture

Save visitor names, email addresses, or phone numbers collected during a kiosk interaction directly to a database table for follow-up.

Personalized greetings

Look up a returning visitor’s name or preferences at the start of a flow and have the avatar greet them by name.

Survey logging

Record answers to rating or question elements so you can analyze response trends over time in your NocoDB dashboard.

Dynamic content

Pull product names, prices, or availability from a live database table so the avatar always delivers up-to-date information without republishing your project.