Create Custom Commands in AI Chatbot (Lesson 20)

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What You Will Learn

In this lesson, you will learn:

  • What custom commands are
  • Why chatbots use commands
  • How to create your own custom commands in AI Chatbot
  • How to make your chatbot easier to use

By the end of this lesson, your chatbot will support commands like /help, /clear, and /exit.

Quick Answer

A custom command is a special instruction that controls the chatbot instead of sending a message to the AI.

For example:

/help

shows available commands.

/exit

closes the chatbot.

These commands are handled by your Python code, not by the AI model.

Why Do We Need Commands?

Imagine using your chatbot every day. Sometimes you don’t want to ask the AI a question. Instead, you want to perform an action. For example:

  • View available commands
  • Start a new conversation
  • Exit the application

Commands make your chatbot feel like a real application.

Our Current Chatbot

Right now, every input is sent to the AI.

You: Hello

The AI responds.

But what happens if you type:

/help

The chatbot sends it to the AI. That isn’t what we want. Instead, Python should recognize /help and handle it immediately.

Step 1: Create a Help Command

Inside your while loop, after reading the user’s input, add this code.

if user_message == "/help":

    print("\nAvailable Commands")

    print("/help         Show all commands")
    print("/clear        Start a new conversation")
    print("/personality  Change AI personality")
    print("/exit         Exit the chatbot")

    continue

If the user types /help, Python displays the command list and skips the API request. The AI is never called.

Step 2: Create an Exit Command

Replace your existing exit condition with this.

if user_message == "/exit":

    print("Goodbye!")

    break

Now your chatbot uses a professional command instead of requiring users to type exit.

Step 3: Create a Clear Command

To start a new conversation, reset the conversation ID.

if user_message == "/clear":

    previous_response_id = None

    print("\nConversation cleared.")

    continue

The next question starts a completely new conversation.

How Does /clear Work?

Suppose you ask:

You: My name is Rahul.

AI: Nice to meet you, Rahul.

Now type:

/clear

Then ask:

What is my name?

The AI no longer remembers your earlier conversation because the conversation ID was reset.

Complete Example

Your while loop now begins like this.

while True:

    user_message = input("\nYou: ")

    if user_message == "/help":

        print("\nAvailable Commands")

        print("/help")
        print("/clear")
        print("/personality")
        print("/exit")

        continue

    if user_message == "/clear":

        previous_response_id = None

        print("\nConversation cleared.")

        continue

    if user_message == "/exit":

        print("Goodbye!")

        break

    try:

        # API request goes here

Notice that all commands are checked before calling the OpenAI API.

Example Session

=====================================
      AI Assistant
=====================================

You: /help

Available Commands

/help
/clear
/personality
/exit

You: Hello

AI:
Hello! How can I help you today?

You: /clear

Conversation cleared.

You: What is my name?

AI:
I don't know your name yet.

Why Is This Better?

Without commands:

  • Every input goes to the AI.
  • Simple actions require an API request.

With commands:

  • Faster
  • No unnecessary API calls
  • Better user experience
  • More professional chatbot

Common Mistakes

Commands Are Sent to the AI

Make sure you check commands before the API request.

Forgot continue

Without continue, Python will still call the AI after executing the command.

Reset Doesn’t Work

Verify that you reset:

previous_response_id = None

This starts a completely new conversation.

Key Takeaways

  • Commands are handled by Python, not the AI.
  • Check commands before sending messages to the API.
  • /help displays available commands.
  • /clear starts a new conversation.
  • /exit closes the chatbot.

Mini Quiz

1. What is a custom command?

A. A question for the AI

B. A Python action handled before the API call

C. An API key

D. A model

Answer: B

2. Which command displays available commands?

A. /menu

B. /commands

C. /help

D. /list

Answer: C

3. What does /clear do?

A. Deletes Python

B. Starts a new conversation

C. Changes the model

D. Installs packages

Answer: B

4. Which command exits the chatbot?

A. /quit

B. /close

C. /exit

D. /stop

Answer: C

5. Should commands be checked before calling the API?

A. Yes

B. No

Answer: A

Practice Exercise

Add these commands to your chatbot.

  • /help
  • /clear
  • /exit

Test each one and make sure:

  • /help shows the command list.
  • /clear starts a fresh conversation.
  • /exit closes the chatbot.

Lesson Summary

Excellent! Your chatbot is now much more interactive. Instead of sending every input to the AI, your Python program can recognize special commands and perform actions immediately. This is how many professional command-line applications work.

Written by Shubhranshu Shekhar, who has trained 20000+ students in coding.

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