  In this paper, we describe the foundations for generating a chatbot out of a
website equipped with simple, bot-specific HTML annotations. The approach is
part of what we call conversational web browsing, i.e., a dialog-based, natural
language interaction with websites. The goal is to enable users to use content
and functionality accessible through rendered UIs by "talking to websites"
instead of by operating the graphical UI using keyboard and mouse. The chatbot
mediates between the user and the website, operates its graphical UI on behalf
of the user, and informs the user about the state of interaction. We describe
the conceptual vocabulary and annotation format, the supporting conversational
middleware and techniques, and the implementation of a demo able to deliver
conversational web browsing experiences through Amazon Alexa.
