WordPress AI chatbot setup checklist. Prep, install, test, go live.

The checklist at a glance

1. Check you have what you need.
2. Pick one install method.
3. Teach it your business before anyone sees it.
4. Install it and connect it.
5. Test it on the live site, on desktop and phone.
6. Go live, then keep it sharp.

Step 1: Check you have what you need

• A WordPress site where you can add plugins. That means an Administrator account. Self-hosted WordPress works on any host. On WordPress.com, plugins and custom scripts need a paid plan.
• WordPress 6.3 or newer and PHP 7.4 or newer, if you use the ChatBouncer plugin. Most hosts are well past this.
• A ChatBouncer account. Start a 14-day free trial. You build and preview your chat box for free, and you can cancel anytime.

Want to see it on your own site first? Paste your web address into the free preview on the homepage. It reads your public pages and builds a temporary chat box you can talk to. No signup needed.

Step 2: Pick one install method

There are three ways to put ChatBouncer on WordPress. They all add the same chat box to every page. Pick one, so the chat box doesn't load twice.

About the plugin directory: the ChatBouncer plugin isn't listed in the WordPress plugin directory yet; it's coming soon. Today you download the free plugin as a .zip from the WordPress install guide and upload it. It's the same plugin.

If you're not sure, use the plugin. You don't copy any code, and you can switch the chat box off with one checkbox.

Step 3: Teach it your business before anyone sees it

The chatbot only answers from the info you save. That's what stops it inventing a price, a discount or a policy you don't have. So the time you spend here is what makes it useful.

1. In ChatBouncer, create your assistant and give it your website address. It reads your public pages and pulls in your hours, prices, services and FAQs. You can also type your info in yourself.
2. Read through what it found. Fix anything that's out of date and add what's missing.
3. Open Preview chat and ask it the questions your customers actually ask.

Good questions to test with are the ones already in your inbox or voicemail:

• "Are you open on Saturday?" and "What time do you close today?"
• "How much is [your most popular service or product]?"
• "Do you serve [your town or area]?"
• "How do I book?" or "Do I need an appointment?"
• "Can I talk to a person?"

If an answer is missing or wrong, fix it in your info and ask again. When it doesn't have the answer, it should say the owner will confirm rather than guess. That's the behavior you want.

Step 4: Install the plugin and connect it

1. Download the plugin (.zip) from the WordPress install guide. Don't unzip it.
2. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins › Add New and click Upload Plugin at the top.
3. Choose chatbouncer-wordpress.zip, click Install Now, then Activate.
4. Go to Settings › ChatBouncer and click Connect your account.
5. Log in, pick the location, and the chat turns on. You don't copy a key, and Connect adds your site's address to your allowed domains for you.

Already have your code from the Widget & embed tab? You can paste it (or just the pk_… key) into the box under the Connect button and click Save changes instead.

Step 5: Test it on the live site

1. Clear your cache. If you use a caching plugin or your host caches pages, clear it after saving so visitors get the new page.
2. Open your site in a new tab, ideally in a private window so you see it like a visitor. The chat button shows in the bottom corner.
3. Check on your phone, too. The chat box is built to look right on phones.
4. Ask it two or three real questions from your list above.

Don't see the button? Work through these in order:

• Is the address in your browser bar one of the addresses under Your website domains? That's the most common cause.
• If you use the plugin, is Show the chat box ticked under Settings › ChatBouncer?
• Did you clear every cache (caching plugin, host cache, CDN)?
• Did you install it two ways at once? Remove the extra one.

Still stuck? Email [email protected] and a real person will help.

Step 6: Go live and keep it sharp

When the answers look right, press Go live in your ChatBouncer dashboard so your assistant starts answering visitors.

After that, a few minutes a week keeps it useful:

• Read the questions people ask. If the same question keeps coming up and the answer isn't in your info, add it.
• Update it when things change. New prices, holiday hours or a new service go in your info, not just on your website.
• Step in when it matters. When a visitor asks for a person, you can reply in that chat from your dashboard and the AI pauses while you handle it.

What it does once it's live

• Answers 24/7 from your own info. Hours, prices, services and FAQs, at 2 a.m. too.
• Doesn't make things up. When it isn't sure, it says the owner will confirm, takes the customer's contact and emails you the question.
• Lets a person take over. Reply to a chat and the AI pauses.
• Bounces the junk. Spam, abuse, off-topic requests and prompt tricks get turned away.
• Stays on your site. It only runs on the domains you allow, with message limits per visitor, per IP address and per business. On a paid plan, extra messages are $15 per 1,500, capped at $300 a month.

Which plan fits?

Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, and prices are in US dollars.

One WordPress site? Starter covers it. Running several sites, or want it to learn from your PDF or Word files? Look at Pro or Business. White label (hide "Powered by ChatBouncer") is Business only. See full pricing.