Getting Started

This guide walks you through installing CraftChat on your WordPress site, creating your account, running your first content crawl, and verifying that the chat widget is working correctly. The entire process takes approximately five minutes.

System Requirements

Before installing CraftChat, verify that your hosting environment meets the following minimum requirements:

CraftChat also requires outbound HTTPS access on port 443 so that the plugin can communicate with the CraftChat API servers. If your host uses a firewall or proxy, ensure that api.craftchat.net is allow-listed.

Browser Compatibility

The CraftChat widget supports all modern browsers: Chrome 90+, Firefox 90+, Safari 15+, and Edge 90+. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Installation

Option A: Install from the WordPress Plugin Directory

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Navigate to Plugins → Add New.
3. Search for "CraftChat" in the search bar.
4. Click Install Now, then click Activate.

Option B: Manual Upload

1. Download the latest craftchat.zip file from craftchat.net.
2. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
3. Select the downloaded .zip file and click Install Now.
4. After installation completes, click Activate Plugin.

Option C: WP-CLI

If you have WP-CLI access, you can install and activate in a single command:

wp plugin install craftchat --activate

Initial Setup

Once the plugin is activated, a new CraftChat menu item appears in the WordPress admin sidebar. Follow these steps to complete your initial configuration:

Step 1: Create Your Account

1. Click CraftChat in the sidebar to open the setup wizard.
2. Click Create Account. You will be directed to the CraftChat registration page.
3. Enter your email address and choose a password. Verify your email when prompted.
4. After verification, you are redirected back to your WordPress dashboard with your account linked.

Step 2: Enter Your API Key

Your API key is generated automatically when you create an account. If you need to retrieve it later:

1. Log in to the CraftChat dashboard at app.craftchat.net.
2. Navigate to Settings → API Keys.
3. Copy the key and paste it into the API Key field in the WordPress plugin settings page (CraftChat → Settings).

// The API key is stored securely in your WordPress database.
// It is never exposed to front-end visitors.
define('CRAFTCHAT_API_KEY', 'cc_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx');

Alternatively, you can define the API key in your wp-config.php file for version-controlled deployments. When set in wp-config.php, the key field in the admin UI is disabled.

Step 3: Run Your First Crawl

1. Go to CraftChat → Content in the admin sidebar.
2. Review the list of pages that CraftChat has detected. By default, all published pages and posts are included.
3. Click Start Crawl. CraftChat will fetch each page, extract the text content, and index it for AI retrieval.
4. The crawl progress bar shows real-time status. A typical site with 50–100 pages completes in under two minutes.

After the crawl finishes, the content status page shows a summary of indexed pages, total tokens processed, and the timestamp of the last crawl.

Verification

With the crawl complete, the chat widget is live on your site. Follow these steps to verify everything is working:

1. Open your site’s front page in a new browser tab (or an incognito window to bypass any caching).
2. Look for the CraftChat widget icon in the bottom-right corner of the page. By default, it appears as a round indigo button with a chat icon.
3. Click the widget to open the chat panel.
4. Type a question that relates to your site content, for example: "What services do you offer?"
5. The AI should respond with information drawn from your indexed pages. If the response references your actual content, the setup is complete.

Troubleshooting the Widget

• Widget not visible: Check that the plugin is activated and that your API key is valid. Open the browser developer console (F12) and look for any JavaScript errors containing "craftchat".
• Widget visible but no response: Verify that your content crawl completed successfully. Go to CraftChat → Content and confirm the status shows "Indexed".
• Incorrect responses: The AI can only answer based on the content it has indexed. Ensure the relevant pages were included in the crawl. You can trigger a re-crawl at any time.
• CSP errors: If your site uses a strict Content-Security-Policy header, you need to add *.craftchat.net to the connect-src and script-src directives. See the Configuration page for details.

Next Steps

Now that CraftChat is running on your site, explore these topics to customize and optimize your setup:

• Configuration — Customize the widget appearance, manage crawl settings, and configure advanced options.
• WooCommerce Integration — Enable product-aware conversations, sync inventory data, and set up product recommendations.
• API Reference — Build custom integrations using the CraftChat REST API.
• FAQ — Find answers to common questions about billing, security, troubleshooting, and more.