Rapls AI Chatbot Manual (Pro Edition)

Version 1.3.7 | PHP 7.4+ | WordPress 5.8+
The Pro edition includes all Free features plus the advanced capabilities documented below.
For settings available in the Free version, please refer to the Free Manual.

Group 1: CUSTOMER

Customer-facing settings that control how visitors interact with the chatbot. This group contains 6 sub-tabs: Lead Capture, Offline, Conversion, UI, Badge Icon, and Footer & CSS.

Lead Capture

Collect visitor information (name, email, phone, company) before or during a chat session. Lead data is stored in the wp_aichat_leads database table and can be exported as CSV or JSON. Optional email notifications send captured leads to your team in real time.

Lead Capture Enabled

Master toggle to activate the lead capture form. When enabled, a form is displayed to the visitor based on the “Lead Form Required” setting.

Capture Fields

Toggle which fields appear on the lead capture form. Each field can be individually enabled or disabled.

Custom Fields

Define additional fields beyond the standard name/email/phone/company. Custom fields are stored in the custom_fields JSON column of the leads table.

Example: "Department", "Budget Range", "How did you hear about us?"

Lead Notification

Lead Export

Export collected leads from the Leads page in CSV or JSON format. Date range filters are available.

How to Configure Lead Capture:

1. Go to AI Chatbot → Pro Settings → CUSTOMER → Lead Capture
2. Enable “Lead Capture Enabled”
3. Choose whether the form is required or optional
4. Customize the form title and description
5. Enable the fields you want to collect (name, email, phone, company)
6. Optionally add custom fields
7. Set your notification email address
8. Save settings

Offline Messages

When business hours are over or the chatbot is in “offline” mode, visitors can leave a message through an offline form instead of chatting with the AI. Messages are stored and can be forwarded via email or webhook.

How to Configure:

1. Go to AI Chatbot → Pro Settings → CUSTOMER → Offline
2. Enable “Offline Enabled”
3. Customize the offline message and form title
4. Enable notifications and set the recipient email
5. Optionally configure Business Hours to automate the switch
6. Save settings

Conversion Tracking

Track when chatbot interactions lead to desired outcomes such as page visits, form submissions, or button clicks. Conversion data appears in the Analytics dashboard.

Example: Goal URL Patterns

/thank-you/*
/order-complete/
/contact/success/
/download/*

How to Configure:

1. Go to AI Chatbot → Pro Settings → CUSTOMER → Conversion
2. Enable “Conversion Tracking Enabled”
3. Enter goal URL patterns, one per line (wildcards supported)
4. Optionally enable form/button tracking
5. Save settings
6. View conversion data in AI Chatbot → Analytics

UI Customization

Customize the visual appearance and behavior of the chatbot widget beyond the standard theme settings available in the Free version.

Badge Icon

Customize the floating chat badge icon that appears on your site. Choose from emoji, preset icons, or upload a custom image.

Footer & CSS

Add a custom branded footer to the chatbot widget and inject custom CSS to fine-tune its appearance.

As of v1.5.6, the Free edition no longer shows a “Powered by Rapls AI Chatbot” footer by default. The footer area is now blank for all users. Pro gives you the ability to add your own custom footer — your brand, a disclaimer, a link, or any text or HTML you choose.

Custom CSS Examples:

/* Change the chat header background */
.wpaic-chat-header {
    background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea, #764ba2) !important;
}

/* Make the chat bubble rounder */
.wpaic-message-bubble {
    border-radius: 20px !important;
}

/* Increase chat font size */
.wpaic-chat-messages {
    font-size: 16px !important;
}

/* Hide the avatar */
.wpaic-bot-avatar {
    display: none !important;
}

/* Custom scrollbar */
.wpaic-chat-messages::-webkit-scrollbar {
    width: 6px;
}
.wpaic-chat-messages::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
    background: #ccc;
    border-radius: 3px;
}

Group 2: AI

AI-powered features that enhance the chatbot’s intelligence and response quality. This group contains 4 sub-tabs.

AI Enhancement

Toggle and configure AI-powered features that enhance the chat experience beyond basic Q&A.

AI Prompts

Create and manage prompt templates that control how the AI responds. Templates allow you to define different response styles, tones, and instructions without modifying the system prompt directly.

Example: Customer Support Template

System Prompt:
You are a helpful customer support agent for [Company Name].
Always be polite and professional. If you don't know the answer,
suggest contacting [email protected].

Context Instructions:
- Check the knowledge base first before generating answers
- Include relevant links when available
- Keep responses under 200 words

Response Format: Bullet Points
Tone: Friendly

External Learning

Import knowledge from external sources to expand the chatbot’s knowledge base beyond your WordPress site content.

Test Mode

Enable a test environment for the chatbot that only affects specific users, allowing you to try new settings without impacting live visitors.

Group 3: OPERATIONS

Operational settings that control how the chatbot functions in your business workflows. This group contains 7 sub-tabs.

Business Hours

Define your organization’s operating hours. When outside business hours, the chatbot can show a different message, switch to offline mode, or disable AI responses entirely.

Weekly Schedule

Set opening and closing times for each day of the week. Each day can be individually enabled/disabled.

Example: Complete Business Hours Configuration

Timezone: America/New_York

Monday:    09:00 - 18:00
Tuesday:   09:00 - 18:00
Wednesday: 09:00 - 18:00
Thursday:  09:00 - 18:00
Friday:    09:00 - 17:00
Saturday:  10:00 - 14:00
Sunday:    Closed

Holidays:
2026-01-01  (New Year's Day)
2026-07-04  (Independence Day)
2026-12-25  (Christmas Day)
2026-12-31  (New Year's Eve)

Handoff

Enable human handoff so that a live operator can take over a conversation from the AI. This is essential for complex queries that the AI cannot resolve.

Operator Mode: Step-by-Step Handoff Process

1. Trigger: The visitor types a handoff keyword (e.g., “speak to a human”) or the AI detects frustration.
2. Notification: The system sends an alert via email, Slack, or webhook to notify the operator team.
3. Operator Login: An operator logs into WordPress and navigates to AI Chatbot → Conversations.
4. Find Conversation: Look for conversations with the “Handoff” status indicator.
5. Take Over: Click on the conversation and switch to “Operator Mode.” The AI is paused for this conversation.
6. Chat Directly: The operator types responses directly to the visitor in real time.
7. Close or Resume AI: When done, the operator can close the conversation or resume AI mode.

AI Forms

Create interactive forms within the chatbot widget. AI Forms allow visitors to submit structured data (quotes, surveys, applications) without leaving the chat interface.

Each form consists of:

• Title — displayed at the top of the form
• Description — explains the purpose of the form
• Fields — text, number, select, checkbox, textarea, date, email, phone
• Submit Button — customizable label
• Notification — email/webhook alert on submission

Example: Quote Calculator Form

{
    "title": "Get a Quick Quote",
    "description": "Fill in the details and we'll calculate your estimate.",
    "fields": [
        {
            "type": "select",
            "label": "Service Type",
            "options": ["Web Design", "SEO", "Content Writing", "Social Media"],
            "required": true
        },
        {
            "type": "select",
            "label": "Budget Range",
            "options": ["$500-$1000", "$1000-$5000", "$5000-$10000", "$10000+"],
            "required": true
        },
        {
            "type": "textarea",
            "label": "Project Description",
            "placeholder": "Tell us about your project...",
            "required": false
        },
        {
            "type": "email",
            "label": "Email Address",
            "required": true
        },
        {
            "type": "text",
            "label": "Company Name",
            "required": false
        }
    ],
    "submit_label": "Get My Quote",
    "notification_email": "[email protected]"
}

Moderation

Content moderation and access control settings to keep conversations safe and prevent abuse.

Actions

Define custom actions that are triggered when specific keywords or patterns are detected in user messages. Actions can redirect users, display information, or fire webhooks.

Scenarios

Build multi-step guided conversation flows (wizards). Scenarios guide visitors through a structured decision tree with predefined questions and answers.

Each scenario consists of:

• Name — identifier for the scenario
• Trigger Conditions — when to start the scenario (keyword, URL, time-based)
• Guide Steps — ordered list of questions with response options
• Completion Action — what happens when the scenario ends (redirect, webhook, message)

Example: Troubleshooting Wizard Scenario

{
    "name": "Printer Troubleshooting",
    "trigger": {
        "type": "keyword",
        "value": "printer problem, printer not working, can't print"
    },
    "steps": [
        {
            "message": "I can help you troubleshoot your printer. Is it a:",
            "options": [
                {"label": "Wireless printer", "next": 1},
                {"label": "USB printer", "next": 2}
            ]
        },
        {
            "message": "Is your wireless printer connected to WiFi?",
            "options": [
                {"label": "Yes, but still not printing", "next": 3},
                {"label": "No, it won't connect", "next": 4}
            ]
        },
        {
            "message": "Is the USB cable securely connected?",
            "options": [
                {"label": "Yes", "next": 3},
                {"label": "I'll check and reconnect", "action": "end",
                 "message": "Please reconnect the USB cable and try again. If the issue persists, click here to chat again."}
            ]
        },
        {
            "message": "Let's try restarting the print spooler. Go to Services > Print Spooler > Restart. Did that fix it?",
            "options": [
                {"label": "Yes, it works now!", "action": "end",
                 "message": "Great! Glad I could help. Is there anything else?"},
                {"label": "No, still not working", "action": "handoff",
                 "message": "Let me connect you with a support agent."}
            ]
        },
        {
            "message": "Try these steps:\n1. Restart your router\n2. Restart the printer\n3. Reconnect to WiFi\nDid that resolve the issue?",
            "options": [
                {"label": "Yes!", "action": "end",
                 "message": "Wonderful! Happy printing!"},
                {"label": "No", "action": "handoff",
                 "message": "Let me connect you with a support agent who can help further."}
            ]
        }
    ]
}

Multiple Chatbots

Run multiple chatbot instances with different configurations on different pages. Each bot can have its own AI model, system prompt, and appearance.

Each bot is configured with:

• Bot Name — display name in the chat header
• AI Model — which AI model to use
• Page Assignment — which pages this bot appears on (URL patterns)
• System Prompt — custom instructions for this bot

Example: Sales Bot + Support Bot

Bot 1: Sales Assistant
  - Model: GPT-4o
  - Pages: /products/*, /pricing/, /demo/
  - Prompt: "You are a sales assistant. Help visitors understand
    our products, answer pricing questions, and guide them toward
    a purchase. Be enthusiastic and highlight key benefits."

Bot 2: Technical Support
  - Model: Claude 3.5 Sonnet
  - Pages: /support/*, /docs/*, /faq/
  - Prompt: "You are a technical support agent. Help users solve
    problems step by step. Be patient and precise. Always suggest
    checking the documentation first."

Routing: Page-based (each bot appears only on its assigned pages)
Fallback: Sales Assistant (shown on unassigned pages)

Group 4: INTEGRATIONS

Connect the chatbot with external services and platforms. This group contains 4 sub-tabs.

Webhook

Send real-time event data to external services via HTTP POST webhooks. Useful for integrating with CRMs, ticketing systems, and automation platforms.

Available Webhook Events:

• conversation.started — new conversation begins
• message.sent — user sends a message
• message.received — AI responds
• feedback.submitted — user rates a response
• lead.captured — lead form submitted
• handoff.requested — human handoff triggered
• conversion.tracked — conversion goal reached

Webhook Payload Example:

{
    "event": "lead.captured",
    "timestamp": "2026-03-14T10:30:00Z",
    "site_url": "https://example.com",
    "data": {
        "name": "John Doe",
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "phone": "+1-555-0123",
        "company": "Acme Inc",
        "conversation_id": "abc-123",
        "page_url": "/products/enterprise/"
    },
    "signature": "sha256=a1b2c3d4..."
}

Webhook with Zapier / Make (Integromat):

1. In Zapier: Create a new Zap → Trigger: “Webhooks by Zapier” → “Catch Hook”
2. Copy the webhook URL provided by Zapier
3. Paste it into the “Webhook URL” field in Pro Settings
4. Click “Test Webhook” to send a test payload
5. In Zapier, map the fields to your desired action (e.g., add to Google Sheets, create HubSpot contact)
6. For Make: Use the “Custom Webhook” module and follow similar steps

LINE Messaging API

Connect your chatbot to LINE, the dominant messaging platform in Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan. Visitors can interact with your chatbot through your LINE Official Account.

LINE Messaging API Setup: Step-by-Step

1. Go to LINE Developers Console and log in
2. Create a new Provider (or select existing)
3. Create a new Messaging API Channel
4. In Channel settings, find:
   • Channel ID — under “Basic settings”
   • Channel Secret — under “Basic settings”
5. Under “Messaging API” tab, issue a Channel Access Token (long-lived)
6. Copy these three values into the Pro Settings LINE tab
7. Copy the auto-generated Webhook URL from Pro Settings
8. Back in LINE Developers Console, go to “Messaging API” → “Webhook settings”
9. Paste the Webhook URL and enable “Use webhook”
10. Disable “Auto-reply messages” in the LINE Official Account Manager (otherwise LINE sends its own responses)
11. Click “Test Connection” in Pro Settings to verify

Slack & Google Sheets

Send notifications to Slack channels and export conversation data to Google Sheets automatically.

Slack Integration

Slack Webhook Setup:

1. Go to Slack API → Your Apps
2. Click “Create New App” → “From scratch”
3. Name your app (e.g., “AI Chatbot Alerts”) and select your workspace
4. Go to “Incoming Webhooks” and toggle it ON
5. Click “Add New Webhook to Workspace”
6. Select the channel for notifications (e.g., #chatbot-alerts)
7. Copy the Webhook URL (starts with https://hooks.slack.com/services/)
8. Paste it into Pro Settings → Slack & Sheets → Slack Webhook URL
9. Click “Test” to send a test message to your Slack channel

Google Sheets Integration

Google Sheets Integration with Google Apps Script (GAS):

Instead of using the Google Sheets API directly, you can use a GAS Web App as a webhook endpoint. This is simpler and doesn’t require API keys.

Step 1: Create a Google Apps Script

1. Open your Google Sheet
2. Go to Extensions → Apps Script
3. Replace the code with the following:

function doPost(e) {
  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet();
  var data = JSON.parse(e.postData.contents);

  // Add headers if sheet is empty
  if (sheet.getLastRow() === 0) {
    sheet.appendRow([
      'Timestamp', 'Event', 'Name', 'Email',
      'Phone', 'Company', 'Message', 'Page URL',
      'Session ID'
    ]);
  }

  // Extract data based on event type
  var row = [
    new Date().toISOString(),
    data.event || '',
    (data.data && data.data.name) || '',
    (data.data && data.data.email) || '',
    (data.data && data.data.phone) || '',
    (data.data && data.data.company) || '',
    (data.data && data.data.message) || '',
    (data.data && data.data.page_url) || '',
    (data.data && data.data.conversation_id) || ''
  ];

  sheet.appendRow(row);

  return ContentService
    .createTextOutput(JSON.stringify({status: 'ok'}))
    .setMimeType(ContentService.MimeType.JSON);
}

// Required for webhook verification
function doGet(e) {
  return ContentService
    .createTextOutput('Webhook endpoint active')
    .setMimeType(ContentService.MimeType.TEXT);
}

Step 2: Deploy as Web App

1. Click Deploy → New deployment
2. Select type: Web app
3. Execute as: Me
4. Who has access: Anyone
5. Click “Deploy” and copy the Web App URL
6. Paste the URL into Pro Settings → Webhook → Webhook URL

Booking

Integrate appointment booking directly into the chatbot. When visitors express interest in booking, the chatbot can display a booking widget from Calendly, Cal.com, or a custom URL.

Calendly Setup Example:

1. Create a Calendly account and set up your event types
2. Copy your Calendly scheduling link (e.g., https://calendly.com/your-name/30min)
3. Go to Pro Settings → INTEGRATIONS → Booking
4. Enable Booking and select “Calendly” as the service
5. Paste your Calendly URL
6. Customize trigger keywords (default: book, schedule, appointment)
7. Choose display mode: Inline shows the widget inside the chat, Popup opens a new window
8. Save settings

Group 5: MANAGEMENT

Administrative and management tools for monitoring costs, controlling access, and maintaining your chatbot configuration. This group contains 5 sub-tabs.

Usage & Budget

Monitor AI API costs and set budget alerts to prevent unexpected charges.

Budget Alert Setup Example:

1. Go to Pro Settings → MANAGEMENT → Usage & Budget
2. Enable “Budget Alert”
3. Set monthly budget: $50
4. Set alert threshold: 80% (alert at $40)
5. Enter notification email
6. Optionally enable “Budget Cap” to hard-stop AI responses at the limit
7. Save settings

Role Access

Control which WordPress user roles can access different parts of the chatbot admin interface.

Permission Matrix Example:

Backup

Export and import plugin settings, and perform database maintenance tasks.

Change History

Track all configuration changes with version history, rollback capability, and an optional approval workflow.

Approval Workflow Process:

1. Submit: An editor saves settings changes. Instead of going live immediately, changes are saved as “Pending.”
2. Review: An administrator sees the pending changes in the Change History tab with a diff view showing what changed.
3. Approve/Reject: The admin can approve (changes go live) or reject (changes are discarded) with an optional comment.
4. Rollback: If approved changes cause issues, any previous version can be restored from the version history.

License

Manage your Pro license activation and status.

How to Activate:

1. Purchase a Pro license
2. Copy the license key from your purchase confirmation email
3. Go to Pro Settings → MANAGEMENT → License
4. Paste the license key and click “Activate”
5. The status should change to “Active”

Group 6: SYSTEM

System-level configuration for performance, security, and infrastructure. This group contains 6 sub-tabs.

Cache

Cache AI responses to reduce API costs and improve response times for frequently asked questions. The cache uses SHA-256 hashing of the user message to identify duplicates.

Queue

Manage concurrent AI API requests to prevent overload and ensure fair access during traffic spikes.

Performance

Monitor and optimize chatbot performance with metrics tracking and batch processing.

Performance Metrics:

• Average Response Time — time from user message to AI response display
• Peak Load — maximum concurrent users in the past 24 hours
• DB Query Time — average database query execution time
• Cache Hit Ratio — percentage of responses served from cache
• API Call Frequency — average API calls per hour

Security

Advanced security settings for data protection and access control beyond the basic security settings in the Free version.

Encryption

Encrypt conversation data at rest using AES-256-GCM encryption. This protects stored messages even if the database is compromised.

How to Enable Encryption:

1. Go to Pro Settings → SYSTEM → Encryption
2. Click “Encryption Test” to verify your server supports AES-256-GCM
3. Enable “Encryption Enabled”
4. Click “Bulk Encrypt” to encrypt existing messages (this may take a while for large databases)
5. All new messages will be automatically encrypted going forward

Security Scan

Run a comprehensive security audit of your chatbot configuration. The scan checks for common misconfigurations and security vulnerabilities.

What the Security Scan Checks:

Pro-Only Pages

These admin pages are available only when the Pro plugin is active. In the Free version, they are shown as locked upsell pages.

Site Learning (Crawler)

The Site Learning page manages the content crawler that indexes your WordPress site for RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation). The AI uses this indexed content to answer questions about your site.

Conversations

View and manage all chatbot conversations. The Pro version unlocks the full conversation management interface.

Analytics Dashboard

Comprehensive analytics for understanding chatbot performance, user behavior, and ROI.

Leads

Manage all captured leads from the chatbot’s lead form and offline messages.

Audit Log

Track all administrative actions performed on the chatbot plugin. The audit log provides an immutable record for compliance and accountability.

Tracked Actions Include:

• Settings changes (with before/after values)
• Knowledge base additions, edits, and deletions
• Crawl operations (start, complete, error)
• Data exports and imports
• User access and permission changes
• Encryption operations
• Cache clearing
• License activation/deactivation

Additional Features

Dynamic Variables

Use dynamic variables in system prompts, templates, and messages to insert real-time data automatically.

Example usage in a system prompt:

You are a helpful assistant for {site_name}.
Today is {current_date} ({current_day}).
Our business hours are: {business_hours}.
The customer is currently viewing: {page_title} ({page_url}).

Pro Themes

The Pro edition adds 10 premium themes and dark mode support on top of the 6 Free themes.

Dark Mode: When enabled, dark mode applies an overlay to any theme (Free or Pro). It respects the user’s system preference by default, or can be forced on/off.

Voice Input & Text-to-Speech

Enable voice interaction with the chatbot. Voice input uses the browser’s built-in Web Speech API for speech-to-text, and TTS reads AI responses aloud.

• Voice Input (STT): A microphone button appears in the input area. Users click to speak, and their words are converted to text. Supports major languages. Requires HTTPS.
• Text-to-Speech (TTS): A speaker button appears on each AI response. Click to have the response read aloud. Uses the browser’s built-in speech synthesis.

AI Tools

Additional AI-powered tools for content management beyond the chatbot itself.

• AI Content Editor: A sidebar in the WordPress post editor that uses AI to help write, rewrite, summarize, or translate content.
• Response Edit Suggestions: AI analyzes low-rated chatbot responses and suggests improvements for your knowledge base.
• FAQ Auto-Generation: Automatically generate FAQ entries from identified knowledge gaps using AI.
• Similar Question Merge: Detect and merge duplicate or near-duplicate knowledge base entries using word similarity.

Chat Features

Additional chat interaction features available in the Pro edition.

• Quick Replies: Pre-defined response buttons shown at the start of a conversation or based on context.
• Chat Bookmarks: Users can bookmark important messages for later reference.
• Conversation Search: Search within the current conversation history.
• Conversation Sharing: Generate a shareable link for a conversation.
• Screen Sharing: Capture a screenshot of the current page and include it in the conversation for visual context.
• Conversation Summary: AI-generated summary of the conversation available to both the user and operators.

WooCommerce Integration

When WooCommerce is active, the chatbot automatically detects and can index product data. Product information is included in the RAG context for product-related queries.

Product Cards: When the AI recommends a product, it can display a rich product card in the chat with:

• Product image
• Product name and price
• Short description
• Star rating
• “Add to Cart” or “View Product” button

Setup:

1. Ensure WooCommerce is installed and products are published
2. Go to AI Chatbot → Site Learning
3. Enable learning and include “Products” in the content types
4. Run a crawl to index your product catalog
5. The chatbot will now reference products and display cards automatically

Multisite Support

The Pro edition supports WordPress Multisite installations with network-wide settings management.

• Network-Wide Settings: Configure default settings that apply across all sites in the network.
• Per-Site Overrides: Individual sites can override network defaults with their own settings.
• Centralized License: A single Pro license can be activated network-wide.
• Shared Knowledge: Optionally share knowledge base entries across sites in the network.