1. Introduction and Requirements

What is Sell.AI?

Sell.AI is an intelligent sales assistant for WooCommerce stores, powered by OpenAI language models (GPT-4o, GPT-5). It works as a floating chat widget in the corner of your store — customers can write to it just as naturally as they would to a real sales advisor.

Unlike ordinary FAQ chatbots, Sell.AI actively sells: it searches the product catalog in real time, displays interactive product cards with price and an "Add to cart" button, captures leads, tracks conversions, and remembers the conversation context throughout the entire shopping session.

How it works — in brief

Customer types a question

↓ Sell.AI analyzes the intent (what they're looking for, budget, preferences) ↓ Searches your WooCommerce catalog (keywords + semantic understanding) ↓ GPT-4o formulates a response and selects products ↓ Customer sees the response + product cards with an "Add to cart" button ↓ Purchase directly from the chat window

The whole process takes 2–4 seconds. The customer never has to leave the page they are currently browsing.

Who is Sell.AI for?

The plugin works with any type of WooCommerce store, regardless of industry:

• Fashion and clothing
• Electronics and appliances
• Home and garden
• Cosmetics and health
• Grocery and food
• Pet and veterinary
• Construction and tools
• Automotive
• Toys and children's products
• Sports and outdoor
• Medical and pharmaceutical
• Electrical and industrial

The plugin includes 12 ready-made industry templates that tailor the AI behavior to the specifics of your product range.

System requirements

Before installing, make sure your server meets the following requirements:

OpenAI API key

Sell.AI uses OpenAI models to generate responses. You need your own API key:

1. Go to platform.openai.com
2. Register an account or log in
3. Go to the API keys section and generate a new key
4. Copy the key — you will need it during plugin configuration

OpenAI API usage cost is billed separately by OpenAI, independently of your Sell.AI license. For a typical store with 50–100 conversations per day it amounts to $5–15 per month.

2. Plugin Installation

Method 1 — WordPress dashboard (recommended)

This is the fastest and simplest installation method.

Step 1. Log in to the WordPress admin panel (usually yourstore.com/wp-admin).

Step 2. In the left-hand menu click Plugins → Add New.

Step 3. Click the Upload Plugin button (at the top of the page).

Step 4. Click Choose file and select the downloaded Sell.AI ZIP file (e.g. sell-ai-woocommerce.zip).

Step 5. Click Install Now and wait for WordPress to upload the file to the server.

Step 6. After installation is complete, click Activate Plugin.

After activation you will be automatically redirected to the Setup Wizard, which will guide you through the initial configuration.

Method 2 — FTP installation

If you cannot install the plugin via the WordPress dashboard (e.g. due to file size limits), use FTP:

Step 1. Download and unzip the plugin ZIP file on your computer.

Step 2. Connect to your server using an FTP client (e.g. FileZilla).

Step 3. Navigate to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory on the server.

Step 4. Upload the entire extracted sell-ai-woocommerce folder there (the folder, not the ZIP).

Step 5. Go back to the WordPress dashboard → Plugins → Installed Plugins.

Step 6. Find Sell.AI in the list and click Activate.

What happens during activation?

On first activation the plugin automatically:

• Creates the necessary database tables in your WordPress database (conversation logs, leads, keyword index)
• Registers cron jobs (including nightly index refresh at 3:00 AM, automatic log cleanup)
• Redirects to the Setup Wizard

Updating to a newer version

When a new version of Sell.AI is available, you will be notified in the WordPress dashboard (under Plugins → Installed Plugins).

Step 1. Before updating, we recommend taking a database backup.

Step 2. Click Update Now next to the Sell.AI plugin.

Step 3. WordPress will automatically download and install the new version. All your settings, logs, and data are preserved.

3. Setup Wizard

The wizard launches automatically after the first plugin activation or when the OpenAI API key has not yet been configured. It guides you through 5 steps required to get the chatbot running.

You can skip the wizard at any time with the Skip button and configure everything manually in the Settings section. You can also relaunch it by clicking Sell.AI → Dashboard → Launch wizard.

Step 1 — Welcome screen

The first screen gives a general description of the plugin and its key features. Click next to continue to the configuration.

Click Next to proceed to API configuration.

Step 2 — OpenAI API key

This is the most important step — without an API key the chatbot will not work.

How to obtain an API key:

1. Open a new tab and go to platform.openai.com
2. Log in or create a free account
3. In the menu click API keys (left sidebar or top-right menu)
4. Click Create new secret key
5. Give the key a name (e.g. "Sell.AI – my store") and click Create secret key
6. Copy the generated key (starts with sk-...) — it will only be shown once!

How to enter the key in the wizard:

1. Paste the copied key into the OpenAI API key field
2. Click Test key — the plugin will send a test request to OpenAI and confirm that the key is valid
3. If the test succeeds you will see a green ✓ confirmation
4. Select the AI Model — the default is GPT-4o (recommended for most stores)
5. Click Next

Available models:

Step 3 — Chatbot appearance

In this step you customize the widget to match your brand.

Chat title — text displayed in the header of the chatbot window (e.g. "Shopping Assistant", "Help", "AI Chat"). Default: AI Shopping Assistant.

Button icon — choose the icon for the floating button in the corner of the page:

• 💬 Chat bubble (default)
• 🤖 Robot
• ⭐ Star
• ⚡ Lightning
• ❤️ Heart
• ✨ Sparkles
• Custom — paste a URL to your own image (PNG/SVG, 56×56 px)

Accent color — the main widget color (buttons, header). Click the color field to open the picker and choose a color that matches your brand. You can also type a HEX code, e.g. #e63946.

Welcome message — the text the chatbot automatically displays when the window opens. You can use emoji and basic formatting.

Example: Hi! 👋 I'm your personal shopping assistant. Tell me what you're looking for and I'll help you find the perfect product!

Click Next when you are done.

Step 4 — Chatbot behavior

Widget position — choose where the floating button appears:

• Bottom right corner (default)
• Bottom left corner

Device visibility:

• Show on mobile devices — enable if the chatbot should work on phones and tablets (enabled by default)
• Show on desktop — enable if the chatbot should work on desktop (enabled by default)

Auto-open (Pro) — the chatbot can automatically open after a set time from entering the page. Set the delay in seconds (1–60). Useful e.g. on product pages. Disabled by default.

Product cards — when enabled, the chatbot displays products as interactive cards with an image, price and "Add to cart" button. We strongly recommend leaving this enabled.

Quick action buttons — up to 3 buttons shown at the start of a conversation that customers can click instead of typing. Each button has:

• Label — text on the button (short, e.g. "Best sellers")
• Message — the question sent automatically when clicked (e.g. "Show me your best sellers")

Default buttons: Best sellers, Promotions, Gift ideas.

Click Next.

Step 5 — Done!

The wizard is complete. The chatbot is now active on your store.

On the final screen you will find two buttons:

• Go to main dashboard — view statistics and system status
• Go to settings — continue configuring advanced options

4. Main Dashboard

The main dashboard is the first place you land after logging in to Sell.AI. You can find it by clicking Sell.AI in the WordPress left-hand menu.

General statistics

At the top of the dashboard four key metrics for the current day are displayed:

Alerts and system status

Below the statistics is the System Status section, which informs you of any issues:

• No API key — the chatbot is disabled; click the link to go to settings and enter your key
• Product index empty — search is not working correctly; click "Rebuild index" to start indexing
• License inactive (Pro only) — the chatbot is locked; enter a license key under Sell.AI → System → License tab

A green status means everything is working correctly.

Quick links

The main dashboard contains shortcuts to the most frequently used features:

• Settings — API, appearance and behavior configuration
• Analytics — charts and conversion data
• Leads — list of captured contacts
• Conversation History — view customer conversations with the chatbot
• Search & AI — index rebuild, synonyms, semantic search, AI enrichment
• System — diagnostics, license

Re-launching the wizard

If you want to go through the Setup Wizard again (e.g. after changing your domain or doing a full settings reset), click the Launch wizard button in the top-right corner of the main dashboard.

5. Settings — API and Model

Access settings by clicking Sell.AI → Settings in the WordPress menu. The settings page is divided into four tabs. This section describes the API and Model tab.

OpenAI API key

Field: OpenAI API key

Paste your OpenAI API key here (format: sk-...). The key is stored securely in your WordPress database — it is never exposed publicly.

After pasting the key, click Test API key — the plugin will immediately send a test request to OpenAI and tell you whether the key is valid and active.

What to do if the test fails:

• Make sure you copied the entire key (it starts with sk-)
• Check that you have an active payment method on your OpenAI account (free accounts have a limited quota)
• Make sure your server has internet access (some servers block outgoing HTTPS connections)

AI model selection

Field: AI Model

Choose the OpenAI model that will generate chatbot responses:

Token limit (response length)

Field: Maximum response tokens

A token is roughly ¾ of a word in English. The token limit controls how long a single chatbot response can be.

Default value: 600. For most stores there is no need to change this value.

Temperature (response creativity)

Field: Temperature

Temperature is a parameter controlling the "creativity" and variability of AI responses. Scale from 0 to 1:

Default value: 0.7. For stores requiring precision (electronics, medical, spare parts) we recommend lowering it to 0.3–0.5.

Global chatbot toggle

Toggle: Chatbot active

This toggle instantly enables or disables the chatbot across the entire store. When disabled:

• The floating button disappears from all store pages
• Customers cannot start conversations
• All settings and data remain intact

Useful e.g. during maintenance, when you want to temporarily disable the chatbot without changing any settings.

Saving settings

After making changes in any tab, click the Save changes button at the bottom of the page. Changes take effect immediately — no page restart or cache clearing is required.

6. Settings — Appearance and Behavior

The Appearance and Behavior tab in Sell.AI → Settings. Here you configure what the customer sees — the widget appearance, its content, and how it behaves.

Widget appearance

Chat title

Text displayed in the chatbot window header. Keep it short and inviting — a maximum of a dozen or so characters.

Examples: Shopping Assistant, Help, Chat, AI Advisor

Button icon

The floating button icon in the corner of the page. Choose from 6 presets or use your own graphic:

• 💬 Chat bubble (default)
• 🤖 Robot
• ⭐ Star
• ⚡ Lightning
• ❤️ Heart
• ✨ Sparkles
• Custom — paste a URL to a PNG or SVG image (optimal size: 56×56 px)

Accent color

The primary brand color applied to: the chat window header, floating button, action buttons, and AI message bubbles.

Click the color field to open the picker, or type a HEX code directly (e.g. #7c3aed).

Welcome message

The first message the chatbot sends automatically when the window opens. You can use emoji.

Example for a fashion store:

Hi! 👗 I'm your personal AI stylist.

Tell me the occasion you're dressing for, your style, or your budget — and I'll find the perfect outfit for you!

Input field placeholder

Grey hint text inside the message input field. Displayed when the field is empty.

Example: Type what you're looking for... or Ask me about a product...

Window dimensions

• Width — chat window width in pixels (280–900 px). Default: 380 px
• Height — chat window height in pixels (300–900 px). Default: 560 px

On mobile devices the window automatically adjusts to the screen width.

Position and offset

Widget position

Choose which corner of the screen the button appears in:

• Bottom right corner (default)
• Bottom left corner

Edge offset

Distance of the button from the screen edge in pixels:

• Horizontal offset (X) — distance from the right or left edge. Default: 24 px
• Vertical offset (Y) — distance from the bottom edge. Default: 24 px

You can increase these values if other page elements (e.g. cookie bar, social media icons) overlap the chatbot button.

Quick action buttons

Up to 3 buttons shown at the start of a conversation, before the customer writes their first message. Clicking a button automatically sends the configured message.

For each button you set:

• Label — short button text (e.g. Best sellers, New arrivals, Gifts)
• Message — the full question sent to the chatbot (e.g. Show me your best sellers, What's new this week?)

Example configurations:

Fashion store:

Electronics store:

Visibility and behavior

Show on mobile devices

When disabled, the chatbot will not be displayed on phones and tablets (screens < 768 px). Default: enabled.

Show on desktop

When disabled, the chatbot will not be displayed on desktop. Default: enabled.

Auto-open (Pro)

The chatbot automatically opens after a set time from entering the page. Set the delay in seconds (1–60). Default: disabled.

Product cards

When enabled, the chatbot displays recommendations as interactive cards with:

• Product image
• Name and price (with discount if available)
• Availability status (in stock / sold out)
• An "Add to cart" button

Default: enabled. We strongly recommend leaving this enabled.

Add to cart button

Displays the button directly on product cards in the chat. Customers can add products to the cart without leaving the conversation. Default: enabled.

Wishlist integration

Displays an "Add to wishlist" button on product cards. Requires the YITH WooCommerce Wishlist plugin to be installed. Default: disabled.

Upsell and cross-sell

• Upsell — AI can suggest more expensive alternatives for the viewed product
• Cross-sell — AI can suggest complementary products (e.g. "this laptop bag goes well with that laptop")

Both options are enabled by default.

Products in context

How many products from the catalog the AI search retrieves for each query (5–100). Default: 12.

Higher value = more options to choose from, but slightly slower responses. For large catalogs (1,000+ products) we recommend 15–20.

Minimum / maximum number of cards

How many product cards the chatbot displays in a single response:

• Minimum: 1 (default: 1)
• Maximum: 6 (default: 6)

For faster responses set max to 3–4. For presenting a wide selection, keep it at 6.

Hide on pages

Enter WordPress page IDs (one per line or comma-separated) on which the chatbot should NOT appear.

Example use case: checkout page, login page, terms page — if you don't want the chatbot to distract customers during the final purchase steps.

How to find a page ID: go to Pages → All Pages in the WordPress dashboard, hover over the desired page — the ID will appear in the URL in the browser status bar (e.g. post=42).

7. Settings — Advanced

The Advanced tab contains the most important options affecting the quality and character of chatbot responses. Most stores don't need to change every setting — focus on those described as important.

AI personalization

Industry template (important)

Sell.AI includes 12 ready-made industry profiles that tailor AI behavior to your product range. Choose the template that best matches your store:

After selecting a template the AI automatically adapts its clarifying questions, vocabulary and recommendation style.

Store language

Default: Auto-detect — the chatbot replies in the language the customer writes in. You can force a specific language (e.g. always English) if your store targets a single market.

Custom system prompt (advanced)

A text field where you can enter your own instructions for the AI. Overrides the selected industry template.

Use this field if:

• Your industry doesn't fit any template
• You want to give the chatbot a specific personality or name
• You have special requirements about what the chatbot can or cannot say

Example custom prompt fragment:

You are Alex, a friendly advisor at EcoBeauty, a natural cosmetics store.

Always ask about the customer's skin type before recommending a product. Do not recommend products containing parabens — our store does not sell them.

Store context

Store FAQ

Paste your most frequently asked questions and answers about your store here. The AI will use this information when a customer asks about your policies.

What to include:

• Shipping times and costs
• Returns and complaints policy
• Available payment methods
• Customer service hours
• Loyalty program information
• Whether the store ships internationally

Example:

Shipping time: 1-3 business days (UPS / FedEx)

Shipping: free over $99, below that – $7.99 Returns: 30 days, no questions asked Payments: card, PayPal, Apple Pay, bank transfer

Current promotions

Enter information about current promotions, discounts and sales. The AI will incorporate them into recommendations.

Example:

Weekend sale: -20% on all dresses (code: DRESS20)

Free shipping on orders over $75 (this week only) New spring/summer 2026 collection now available

Response style

Response tone

How the AI communicates with customers:

• Formal — "Good day, how may I assist you?" — for professional stores (medical, B2B)
• Friendly (default) — "Hi! Happy to help!" — for most stores
• Casual — "Hey! What are you into?" — for youth-oriented and lifestyle stores

Response length

• Concise — short responses, minimal text, straight to the point
• Balanced (default) — a few sentences of context + products
• Detailed — extensive responses with explanations, comparisons and tips

Sales mode

How actively the AI tries to encourage a purchase:

• Passive — answers questions, doesn't push. For stores where the customer is the expert (B2B, spare parts)
• Active (default) — naturally suggests purchases, asks about needs, encourages checkout
• Aggressive — heavily sales-oriented, frequent CTAs, highlighting promotions. Can be irritating if used incorrectly

AI persona

The assistant's character:

• Helper (default) — neutral, competent, helpful
• Expert — authoritative, detailed, technical. For specialist stores
• Stylist — creative, inspiring. For fashion, décor, cosmetics
• Seller — focused on closing the sale

Emoji in responses

When enabled, the AI uses emoji to make responses more lively and friendly. Default: disabled.

Forbidden topics

A list of topics the chatbot should refuse to discuss. Enter topics separated by commas.

Example: politics, religion, competitors, competitor pricing

History and limits

Conversation history length

How many recent conversation turns (question + answer = 1 turn) the AI keeps in context. Range: 1–30 turns. Default: 10 turns.

Longer history = AI better understands context and previous questions, but = higher API cost (more tokens sent with each request).

For a typical store 8–10 turns is sufficient. For complex conversations (B2B, consultations) increase to 15–20.

Rate limiting — message limit

You can limit the number of messages a customer can send. Set 0 to disable (no limit):

• Per-session limit — max messages in one session (from opening to closing the browser)
• Per-hour limit — max messages per hour
• Per-day limit — max messages per day

Useful for protection against abuse and controlling API costs.

Product catalog

Product blacklist

A list of WooCommerce product IDs that will never appear in chatbot recommendations. Enter IDs separated by commas or one per line.

Use case: discontinued products, products for selected customers only, products with incorrect data.

How to find a product ID: go to Products → All Products, hover over the product — the ID will appear in the URL.

Product whitelist

A list of product IDs that are the only ones allowed to appear in recommendations. When empty — no restrictions. When populated — the chatbot recommends only those products.

Use case: stores wanting to limit the chatbot to selected categories or collections only.

Logs and notifications

Conversation logs

When enabled, all customer conversations are saved to the database. You can review them under Sell.AI → Analytics → Conversations. Default: enabled.

Log retention (days)

How long to keep conversation logs (1–365 days). After this period old logs are automatically deleted. Default: 30 days.

Longer retention = more data for analysis, but larger database. For GDPR compliance set a maximum of 30–90 days.

Daily email report (Pro)

When enabled, every morning (around 7:00 AM) a summary of the previous day's chatbot activity is sent to the specified email address: number of conversations, leads, estimated revenue.

Alert email address

The email address that receives new lead notifications and the daily report. Default: the WordPress administrator's email address.

Legal links

Optional links displayed in the chatbot window footer:

• Privacy policy — URL to your privacy policy page
• Terms of service — URL to your store terms page
• FAQ — URL to your frequently asked questions page

A/B testing (Pro)

Ability to test two chatbot versions simultaneously:

• Variant A — chatbot with the current system prompt
• Variant B — chatbot with an alternative prompt (enter it in the "System prompt B" field)

50% of customers will see variant A, 50% will see variant B. In analytics you can compare the conversion rates of both variants.

Other options

Delete data on uninstall

When enabled, after removing the plugin from WordPress all data (settings, logs, leads, embeddings, database tables) will be permanently deleted.

Default: disabled — data is retained on uninstall (you can restore it by reinstalling the plugin).

8. Lead Capture

The lead capture module lets you collect email addresses from customers who are interested in a product but haven't purchased it — for example because it is out of stock or they need time to decide.

What is lead capture?

When the chatbot detects that a customer is interested in a product (asking about availability, price, specifications) but the purchase doesn't happen — a short form automatically appears in the chat window asking for an email address and name.

The collected data goes to the lead list in the admin dashboard, from where you can export it or handle contacts manually.

Enabling and configuration

Go to Sell.AI → Settings → Advanced and find the Lead Capture section.

Lead capture (enable/disable)

Master toggle. Default: disabled.

Trigger — when does the form appear?

Choose at what point the chatbot shows the data collection form:

Delay (seconds)

How many seconds after the trigger condition is met before the chatbot displays the form. Default: 3 seconds.

A small delay feels natural — the form doesn't pop up immediately, giving it a more organic appearance.

Email notification

When enabled, every time a customer provides their email, a notification is sent to the store admin (or the configured address) containing:

• Customer name and email
• The product they were interested in
• A snippet of the conversation (context)

Lead list in the dashboard

Go to Sell.AI → Analytics → Leads to see all captured leads.

For each lead the following is displayed:

• Name (if provided)
• Email address
• Interested product — the product they asked about in the chat
• Status — the current handling stage
• Date — when the lead was captured

Managing lead statuses

Each lead can have one of four statuses:

To change a lead's status: click on the status next to the lead and select a new one from the list. The change is saved automatically.

Exporting leads to CSV

To export the entire lead list to an Excel/CSV file:

1. Go to Sell.AI → Analytics → Leads
2. Click the Export CSV button (top right of the table)
3. The file will be downloaded automatically to your computer

The CSV file contains all columns: name, email, product, status, date. You can open it in Excel or import it into a CRM system or Mailchimp.

CRM / Mailchimp integration

Sell.AI provides a dedicated PHP hook that allows developers to integrate lead capture with external systems (Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, etc.). Simply have your developer add the appropriate code to the theme or a custom plugin:

add_action( 'wooaic_lead_captured', function( $email, $name, $context, $session_id ) {

// Integration code for Mailchimp, CRM, etc. }, 10, 4 );

9. Analytics and Reports

The analytics panel is at Sell.AI → Analytics. It gives you a complete picture of chatbot performance: how much it costs, how much it earns, and how customers use it.

Period selection

In the top-right corner of the page choose a date range:

• 7 days — last week
• 14 days — last two weeks
• 30 days (default) — last month
• 90 days — last 3 months (Pro)

Key metrics

Conversations

Total number of chatbot sessions (unique conversations) in the selected period. One session = one customer visit to the chat, regardless of the number of messages.

Messages

Total number of messages sent by customers in the selected period.

Chat → Order conversion rate

The percentage of chatbot sessions that resulted in an order being placed. Calculated as: (number of orders from chatbot / total chatbot sessions) × 100%.

A typical good result: 5–15% for e-commerce. If it is lower — check the quality of product recommendations.

Chatbot revenue

The total value of orders placed by customers who used the chatbot during their shopping session. Currency is displayed in your store's currency.

Added to cart

How many times customers clicked the "Add to cart" button directly in the chatbot window.

Added to wishlist

How many times customers clicked "Add to wishlist" on product cards in the chatbot.

Estimated OpenAI API cost

Approximate cost of OpenAI tokens consumed by the chatbot in the selected period (in USD). Calculated based on token count according to OpenAI's pricing.

Total tokens

Sum of input and output tokens consumed by the chatbot. Helpful for cost monitoring.

Charts

Conversations over time

A line chart showing the number of conversations per day in the selected period. Lets you spot trends, seasonality and the impact of marketing campaigns on chat activity.

Revenue over time

A line chart showing daily revenue attributed to the chatbot. Correlate with other marketing channels.

Top products

A list of products most frequently featured by the AI in recommendations. For each product the following is shown:

• Product name
• Number of appearances in conversations
• Link to edit the product in WooCommerce

Use this list to understand which products attract the most customer interest through the chatbot — and whether they are being promoted appropriately.

Intent distribution

A pie chart showing the purpose for which customers use the chatbot:

Data export

To export analytics data to a CSV file:

1. Select the period you are interested in
2. Click the Export CSV button in the top-right corner
3. The file will be downloaded automatically

The file contains: date, number of conversations, messages, conversions, revenue, tokens and estimated API cost for each day of the period.

10. Conversation History

Conversation history is an archive of all chatbot sessions. Find it at Sell.AI → Analytics → Conversations.

What is conversation history for?

• Understanding what your customers are looking for
• Identifying questions the chatbot answers poorly
• Checking the quality of product recommendations
• Analyzing the most common customer problems and needs
• Verifying that the chatbot behaves as you expect

Browsing conversations

The history page shows a list of sessions in reverse chronological order. For each session the following is displayed:

• Date and time the conversation started
• Session ID — a unique identifier (anonymous)
• Message count — how many messages were exchanged
• Preview — the first few words of the customer's first message

Click any session to expand the full conversation.

Full conversation preview

After expanding a session you see the complete conversation:

• Customer messages appear on the right side (just like in a real chat)
• Chatbot responses appear on the left side
• Each message has a timestamp

Filtering and searching

Date filter: Narrow results to a selected time range (from–to).

Message type filter:

• All messages
• Customer messages only (role: user)
• Chatbot responses only (role: assistant)

Content search: Type a keyword to find conversations containing a specific phrase. Useful e.g. when you want to find all conversations where customers asked about a specific product or issue.

Automatic log cleanup

Old logs are automatically deleted every night. The retention period is configured under Settings → Advanced → Log retention (default 30 days).

If you want to keep logs longer — increase the retention value before the deadline. Logs that have already been deleted cannot be recovered.

Privacy and GDPR

All conversation logs are stored exclusively on your WordPress server — no data is sent to external Sell.AI servers. Conversations are linked to an anonymous session ID, not to personal customer data (unless the customer voluntarily shared personal information during the conversation).

When configuring the retention period, take into account GDPR requirements applicable in your jurisdiction.

11. AI Search Index

The search index is the chatbot's "knowledge base" about your products. The better the index, the more accurate the recommendations. Find it at Sell.AI → Search & AI (the Search Index tab for the keyword index; Pro's Semantic Search (RAG) tab for embeddings).

What is an index and embeddings? (layman's explanation)

Imagine the chatbot is a salesperson who needs to know the entire store catalog by heart. The index is exactly that "memory":

Keyword index — a list of all important words from the names, descriptions and attributes of your products. When a customer types "black shoes size 42", the chatbot quickly searches the index and finds matching products.

Embeddings (semantic vectors, RAG) — a more advanced layer. Each product is converted into a mathematical "fingerprint" (a vector of numbers) that represents its meaning. This allows the chatbot to understand that "warm jacket for winter" = down jackets / winter jackets, even if the customer didn't use exactly those words.

The Search Index tab has the keyword-index card; Pro's Semantic Search (RAG) tab has the vector-index card.

When does the index build automatically?

Sell.AI automatically updates the index in several situations:

• When you add a new product to WooCommerce
• When you update an existing product (name, description, price change)
• When you delete a product (the entry is removed from the index)
• Every night at 3:00 AM — a full vector index refresh (nightly refresh)

In most cases the index is always up-to-date without any manual intervention.

Index status

Click Check status in the appropriate card to see the current state:

Keyword index:

• Products in index — number of products in the index
• Tokens — number of indexed tokens / keywords
• To synchronize — products awaiting synchronization (red = action required)

Vector index (RAG):

• Total products — total number of products in the store
• In index — how many products already have a semantic vector generated
• Missing — how many products are not yet in the index (red = action required)
• Estimated time — estimated time to complete indexing
• Backend — scheduling engine (action_scheduler or wp-cron)
• Last full indexing — date of the last full indexing run

Aim for 0 missing in both indexes. If Missing > 0 — start indexing.

Manual keyword index rebuild

When to use: After importing a large number of products, after restructuring the catalog, after bulk product enrichment (AI Enrichment).

How to run:

1. Go to Sell.AI → Search & AI → Search Index tab
2. In the Search index card click Rebuild index
3. Wait for the confirmation message (synchronous operation, usually a few dozen seconds)
4. The Synchronize button updates only products changed since the last rebuild — a faster option for routine maintenance

Manual vector index rebuild (RAG)

When to use: After importing products, when the chatbot doesn't understand semantic queries, when Missing > 0 in the status.

How to run:

1. Go to Sell.AI → Search & AI → Semantic Search (RAG) tab (Pro)
2. In the Vector index (RAG) card choose one of the options:
   • Reindex all — deletes the entire index and rebuilds it from scratch (confirm in the dialog box). Use after an import or when the index is inconsistent.
   • Index new only — adds only products not yet in the index, without deleting existing vectors. Faster option after adding a few new products.
3. During indexing a progress bar and scrollable product log appear (✓ or ✗ next to each product)
4. Click Stop to interrupt at any time — already indexed products are preserved
5. After completion you will see an "Indexing complete!" message

Clearing the vector index

The Clear index button in the Vector index (RAG) card removes all semantic vectors. This operation is irreversible.

When to use: When the semantic index is severely inconsistent (e.g. after a database import/export), or when Sell.AI recommends it in a diagnostic message.

After clearing, run Reindex all to rebuild the index from scratch.

Search debug mode

Available at Sell.AI → System → Diagnostics tab → Debug Reports section.

After performing a search in the chat it displays detailed technical information:

• Which products were found and with what similarity score
• Which keywords were matched
• How many candidates made it to the final selection

Use only during diagnostics — do not leave permanently enabled in a production environment.

12. Synonyms and Knowledge Base

Synonyms and the knowledge base are tools that help the chatbot better understand the specific vocabulary of your store and industry. Available at Sell.AI → Search & AI → Synonyms tab.

What are synonyms and why do they matter?

Different customers describe the same product using different words:

• Customer writes "thumb drive" → the store catalog lists it as "USB flash drive"
• Customer writes "fridge" → the product is called "refrigerator"
• Customer writes "winter jacket" → the store category is "down jackets"

Synonyms teach the chatbot that these expressions mean the same thing — making search more accurate even when the customer doesn't use the exact words you used in the product name.

Browsing the synonym list

The Synonyms page displays a table of all configured synonym pairs:

• Main term — the word/phrase used in the store catalog
• Synonyms — alternative customer expressions that map to this term
• Source — where the synonym came from (manual / automatic / WooCommerce attributes)

Adding a synonym manually

1. Click Add synonym
2. In the Main term field enter the word from your catalog (e.g. USB flash drive)
3. In the Synonyms field enter alternative expressions separated by commas (e.g. thumb drive, flash drive, USB stick, pen drive)
4. Click Save

AI synonym auto-generation (Pro)

Sell.AI Pro can automatically suggest synonyms based on your product categories and tags, adding them directly to the list above:

1. Go to Sell.AI → Search & AI → Synonyms tab
2. In the AI Synonym Auto-generate card click Generate synonyms
3. The AI scans your product categories and tags and writes suggested alternate names (regional names, slang, abbreviations) straight into the synonym list — no manual review step needed
4. Terms that already have a synonym entry (added manually or by a previous run) are skipped, so re-running only fills in gaps

Knowledge base

The knowledge base is an extended contextual dictionary that Sell.AI builds automatically by analyzing your products. It contains:

• Brands — brand names detected in product titles (Samsung, Nike, Bosch, etc.)
• Devices and compatibility — e.g. "PS5 → HDMI 2.1", "iPhone 15 → USB-C"
• Use cases — mappings from "what for" to product categories (e.g. "gaming" → consoles, gaming headsets)
• Synonym pairs — from the auto-generation base

The knowledge base is refreshed automatically every night. It requires no manual configuration — it runs in the background.

13. Product Enrichment

Pro This feature is available in Sell.AI Pro.

Product enrichment is a process in which the AI analyzes each product and generates additional keywords and an enriched description for it. Find this feature at Sell.AI → Search & AI → AI Enrichment tab.

Why enrich products?

Standard product data in WooCommerce typically consists of: name, short description, long description, attributes. These are often written in a technical or abbreviated style.

AI enrichment adds to each product:

• AI keywords — synonyms, colloquial names, use cases, related terms
• Enriched description — more conversational phrases describing the product from the customer's needs perspective

As a result the chatbot is much better at matching products to natural customer questions.

Example:

Product: "Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones"

Standard data: "Over-ear headphones with ANC, Bluetooth 5.2, 30h battery"

After AI enrichment: added keywords: headphones for remote work, noise-cancelling headphones, travel headphones, ANC, noise cancelling, home office, wireless, long battery life, premium

Enriching a single product

1. Go to WooCommerce → Products → edit a product
2. At the bottom of the edit page find the Sell.AI — AI Enrichment metabox
3. Click Generate AI keywords
4. Wait a moment — the AI will generate and save keywords for this product

Bulk enrichment

To enrich all products at once:

1. Go to Sell.AI → Search & AI → AI Enrichment tab
2. You will see a list of products with information on which ones have already been enriched
3. Click Enrich all products
4. A progress bar will show the current status. For 100 products it takes about 5–10 minutes
5. When complete, click Rebuild index so the chatbot immediately uses the new data

Monitoring progress

The enrichment page shows statistics:

• Number of products to enrich
• Number already enriched
• Completion percentage
• Estimated time remaining

You can close the page — enrichment continues in the background and will resume on your next visit or automatically during the next cron job.

14. Diagnostics

The diagnostics panel helps you verify that all plugin components are working correctly. Find it at Sell.AI → System (the Diagnostics tab).

System status

This section shows a checklist with OK / Error results:

All items should have OK status. If any shows Error — follow the hint displayed next to it.

Database tables

A list of WordPress tables created by Sell.AI with the number of records in each:

If a table is empty or missing — use the Repair tables button, which will recreate any missing tables.

Cron jobs

A list of scheduled tasks (WordPress cron):

The Next run column shows when the task will next execute. If the date is in the past — the task is "overdue" and will run on the next page visit to the store.

API connection test

Click Test OpenAI connection to verify that the server can connect to the OpenAI API. The result shows:

• Connection status (OK / Error)
• Response time (ms)
• Currently selected model
• Available credit balance (if the key has credits assigned)

15. Shortcodes — embedding the chat on your site

In addition to the floating corner widget, Sell.AI can be embedded directly in the content of a WordPress page or post using shortcodes.

[woo_ai_chatbot] — Inline chat

Embeds the chatbot window directly in the page content (not as a floating widget, but as a page element).

[woo_ai_chatbot]

Optional product_id parameter — if you provide a product ID, the chatbot will immediately "know" which product the conversation is about and adapt the context:

[woo_ai_chatbot product_id="123"]

Use case: Dedicated "Help / Shopping Advisor" page, category page, landing page with chatbot.

[wooaic_fullpage] — Full-page chat

Displays the chatbot in full-page mode — the entire page is dedicated to the conversation. The chat appears on the left, AI-recommended products on the right.

[wooaic_fullpage]

Optional product_id parameter:

[wooaic_fullpage product_id="456"]

Use case: Creating an "AI Shopping Assistant" page as a separate store subpage to which you can send traffic from ads.

[wooaic_recommendations] — AI recommendations carousel

Displays a grid/carousel of AI-recommended products — without the chat window. Products are selected dynamically based on customer activity (browsing history, cart).

[wooaic_recommendations]

Available parameters:

Full example:

[wooaic_recommendations limit="12" columns="4" title="You might also like" context="cart"]

Use case: "Recommended" section on the homepage, "Thank you for your purchase" page, sidebar, category page footer.

How to add a shortcode to a page?

Method 1 — Gutenberg editor (block):

1. In the page editor click + (Add block)
2. Search for and add the Shortcode block
3. Type the shortcode and save the page

Method 2 — Classic Editor:

1. Type the shortcode directly in the page content
2. Click Update / Publish

16. Proactive Invitations (Triggers)

Pro This feature is available in Sell.AI Pro.

Sell.AI can initiate contact with customers itself, showing an inviting message at the right moment — without waiting for the customer to click the chatbot button.

How does it work?

When a trigger fires, a "bubble" with an inviting message appears in the chatbot window. The customer can click it (which opens the full chat window) or ignore it. Each trigger fires only once per session — it does not "spam" the customer repeatedly.

Available triggers

1. Scroll Depth

Fires when: The customer scrolls down to a set percentage of the page length.

Default setting: 60% of the page

Example message: Looking for something specific? I'm happy to help! 👋

Works best on: Category pages, product pages, long content pages.

2. Exit Intent

Fires when: The mouse cursor leaves the page area (upper browser edge) — suggesting the customer intends to close the tab or navigate away.

Works only on: Desktop computers and laptops (this trigger does not work on mobile due to the absence of a mouse cursor).

Example message: Before you go — can I help you find something suitable? 😊

Works best on: Product pages, cart, category pages.

3. Return Visitor

Fires when: A customer returns to the site after a previous visit (e.g. closed the browser and came back another day).

Time window: 30 days — if the customer visited the site within the last 30 days, they are treated as a returning visitor.

Example message: Welcome back! 🙌 I remember you were here last time. Can I help with anything?

4. Time on Page

Fires when: The customer spends a set number of seconds on the page.

Default setting: 45 seconds

Example message: You've been browsing for a while — I can see you're taking your time choosing. Can I help? 🛍️

Works best on: Product pages, category pages with many products.

Trigger configuration

Triggers are configured at Sell.AI → Settings → Advanced → Proactive Invitations. For each trigger you can set:

• Whether it is enabled
• The threshold (% of page / seconds)
• The bubble message content

17. Integrations

WooCommerce

Sell.AI is fully integrated with WooCommerce:

• Searches the WooCommerce product catalog (names, descriptions, categories, tags, attributes, prices)
• Handles simple products and products with variations (size, color, etc.)
• Adds products directly to the WooCommerce cart
• Tracks orders and attributes them to chatbot sessions
• Compatible with WooCommerce HPOS (High-Performance Order Storage)
• Works with Gutenberg blocks (cart, checkout)

YITH WooCommerce Wishlist

If you have the YITH WooCommerce Wishlist plugin installed, Sell.AI will automatically detect it and add an "Add to wishlist" button on product cards in the chat.

Configuration:

1. Install and activate YITH WooCommerce Wishlist
2. In Sell.AI → Settings → Appearance and Behavior enable the Wishlist integration option
3. Done — the button will appear automatically

Mailchimp / CRM / Newsletter

Sell.AI does not have a built-in Mailchimp integration, but it provides a dedicated PHP hook that developers can use:

// Add to your theme's functions.php or a custom plugin:

add_action( 'wooaic_lead_captured', function( $email, $name, $context, $session_id ) { // Example: add email to a Mailchimp list $mailchimp = new MailchimpMarketing\ApiClient(); $mailchimp->setConfig(['apiKey' => 'YOUR_KEY', 'server' => 'us1']); $mailchimp->lists->addListMember('LIST_ID', [ 'email_address' => $email, 'status'        => 'subscribed', 'merge_fields'  => ['FNAME' => $name], ]); }, 10, 4 );

The wooaic_lead_captured hook is triggered every time a customer provides their email in the lead capture form. Parameters:

• $email — customer's email address
• $name — customer's name (may be empty)
• $context — information about the product they were interested in
• $session_id — chatbot session ID

Payment gateways

Sell.AI does not interfere with the payment process — it works with any payment gateway installed in WooCommerce (Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.Net, Braintree, and others).

18. Plans and Feature Limits

Sell.AI comes in a free version (from the WordPress.org directory) and a Pro version with a lifetime license. The free version is fully functional with no message, time, or product limits.

Pro packages (lifetime license)

You buy Pro once — no subscription, no renewals. All three packages include the same set of Pro features and differ only in the number of sites (domains) the key can be activated on:

AI costs are billed directly by OpenAI (your own API key) — Sell.AI never charges for API usage.

How to check your license?

In the Pro version, go to Sell.AI → System → License tab. The following is displayed there:

• License status (active / inactive) and package name
• Number of sites used (e.g. 1 / 3)
• Validity: lifetime — the license never expires and needs no renewal
• License key
• Buttons: Activate license / Deactivate this site

License activation

1. Purchase a package (Solo / Business / Agency) at trysellai.com — after purchase you receive a license key and a Pro plugin download link by email
2. Install the Pro plugin and go to Sell.AI → System → License tab
3. Enter the license key and click Activate license
4. Done — all Pro features are unlocked immediately on this site. Activation registers the domain and uses one slot from your package limit.

Need to move the license to another site? On the first site click Deactivate this site to free the slot, then activate the key on the new domain.

19. FAQ and Troubleshooting

Chat doesn't appear on the store page

Check in order:

1. Is the chatbot enabled? — Sell.AI → Settings → API and Model → "Chatbot active" must be turned on.

1. Have you entered the API key? — Without an API key the chatbot is blocked. Go to Settings and enter your key.

1. Is the page on the exceptions list? — Sell.AI → Settings → Appearance → "Hide on pages" — make sure the ID of the page you are checking is not on that list.

1. Is the visibility option enabled? — Check "Show on mobile devices" and "Show on desktop" — both should be enabled.

1. Conflict with theme or another plugin? — Temporarily switch to the default theme (e.g. Storefront) and check if the chat appears. If it does — the issue is in the theme (high z-index, transform on body, etc.). Contact your developer.

1. Page cache? — If you use a caching plugin (WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, LiteSpeed Cache), clear the cache and try again.

API key error / Chat doesn't respond

Check:

1. Go to Sell.AI → Settings → API and Model and click Test API key
2. If the test shows an error: log in to platform.openai.com → API keys → verify that the key is active and has a balance
3. If the key is OK but the chat still doesn't respond: check Sell.AI → System → Diagnostics → Connection test — your server may have outgoing HTTPS connections to api.openai.com blocked

Chatbot doesn't find products / shows wrong results

Check and perform in order:

1. Is the index built? Sell.AI → Search & AI → Search Index → check coverage %
2. If coverage < 100% — click Rebuild index
3. For better results run AI Enrichment (Sell.AI → Search & AI → AI Enrichment)
4. Add synonyms for industry-specific vocabulary (Sell.AI → Search & AI → Synonyms)
5. Check that the product is not on the blacklist (Settings → Advanced → Product blacklist)

Index doesn't build / stops halfway

Cause: Most commonly the PHP time limit (max_execution_time) or the server lacking loopback access to itself.

Solutions:

1. Increase max_execution_time and memory_limit in PHP (contact your hosting provider)
2. Make sure your server can make an HTTP request to its own address (shared hosting sometimes blocks this)
3. If you have WooCommerce Action Scheduler — Sell.AI will automatically detect and use it for safer indexing in small batches

Chat doesn't work on mobile devices

1. Check the Show on mobile devices option (Settings → Appearance → must be enabled)
2. Check if your theme hides position: fixed elements on mobile (a known issue with some themes)
3. Check the browser console (F12) on the phone (via Android/iOS debug mode) — check for JavaScript errors

How to reset a conversation (clear history)?

A customer can clear their conversation by clicking the trash icon in the chatbot window.

An administrator can clear all logs older than X days by changing Log retention under Settings → Advanced.

How to transfer settings to another WordPress installation?

(Available on the Pro plan) Go to Sell.AI → Settings → License → Export settings. You will download a JSON file with the full configuration. On the new installation use Import settings to upload the file.

Where to report bugs and ask for help?

• Support email: support@trysellai.com
• Knowledge base: trysellai.com/docs

When reporting a bug, please include:

• WordPress and WooCommerce version
• Sell.AI version (visible at Sell.AI → System → Diagnostics)
• Description of the problem and steps to reproduce
• Screenshot or screen recording if possible

Documentation current for Sell.AI version 1.4.2 (Free) / 4.7.0 (Pro). Last updated: July 2026.