Documentation & Help
Everything you need to get started with IrisAI
Quick Start Guide
Step 1: Install the Plugin
- Download IrisAI from WordPress.org
- Go to Plugins – Add New in your WordPress admin
- Click “Upload Plugin” and select the ZIP file
- Click “Install Now” and then “Activate”
Step 2: Choose Your Mode
Option A: Proxy Mode (Recommended)
- Sign up at irisai.cloud
- Register your WordPress domain
- Purchase credits via PayPal
- Copy your Proxy Base URL and API Key
- Go to IrisAI – General tab in WordPress
- Paste your credentials and save
Option B: BYO Mode
- Get an API key from platform.openai.com
- Go to IrisAI – General tab in WordPress
- Enable “Bring Your Own Key” mode
- Enter your OpenAI API key
- Save settings
Step 3: Index Your Content
- Go to IrisAI – Vector Search tab
- Click “Start Indexing”
- Wait for the process to complete (2-3 seconds per page)
- Your content is now searchable!
Step 4: Add Chat to Your Site
Option A: Full-Page Chat
- Create a new page (e.g., “AI Assistant”)
- Select a full-width template
- Add the shortcode:
[irisai_chat] - Publish and add to your menu
Option B: Floating Widget
- Go to IrisAI – Widget tab
- Enable “Auto-inject Widget”
- Choose position (bottom-right recommended)
- Save settings
- Widget now appears on all pages!
Or manually add: [irisai_widget]
Step 5: Customize (Optional)
- Visit the Appearance tab to match your brand colors
- Edit suggestion chips in the General tab
- Customize welcome message in Widget tab
- Adjust chat behavior in Chat Page tab
You’re Done!
Visit your site and try asking a question. Your AI assistant is now live!
Shortcode Reference
Full-Page Chat
Basic Usage:
[irisai_chat]
What It Does:
- Creates a full-page chat interface
- Includes animated hero section
- Shows suggestion chips
- Displays wave background animation
Best For:
- Dedicated AI assistant pages
- Help centers
- Support pages
Floating Widget
Basic Usage:
[irisai_widget]
With Position:
[irisai_widget position="bottom-right"]
[irisai_widget position="bottom-left"]
[irisai_widget position="top-right"]
[irisai_widget position="top-left"]
What It Does:
- Adds a floating chat button
- Opens compact popup window
- Persists across page navigation
- Shows welcome message
Best For:
- Site-wide availability
- Non-intrusive chat access
- E-commerce stores
Troubleshooting
Chat Not Working
Symptoms: No response when asking questions
Solutions:
- Verify API credentials in General tab
- Check that content is indexed (Vector Search tab)
- Ensure sufficient credits (Proxy mode) or API quota (BYO mode)
- Check browser console for JavaScript errors (F12)
- Verify domain is registered in proxy dashboard
Indexing Failed
Symptoms: Indexing process stops or shows errors
Solutions:
- Check PHP max_execution_time (increase to 300+)
- Verify database permissions
- Check for WordPress memory limits (increase to 256MB+)
- Try indexing in smaller batches
- Enable WP_DEBUG for detailed error logs
Widget Not Appearing
Symptoms: Floating button doesn’t show
Solutions:
- Check “Auto-inject Widget” is enabled (Widget tab)
- Clear browser cache and hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R)
- Check for CSS conflicts with theme
- Verify JavaScript is enabled in browser
- Check z-index conflicts with other floating elements
Slow Responses
Symptoms: Chat takes long to respond
Solutions:
- Reduce max_tokens in General tab (try 500-800)
- Check server response times
- Verify OpenAI API status
- Consider using faster model (GPT-3.5 Turbo)
- Check hosting server performance
Wrong Answers
Symptoms: AI gives incorrect or irrelevant answers
Solutions:
- Re-index content after major updates
- Improve content structure (clear headings, concise text)
- Adjust system prompt for better context
- Increase number of retrieved chunks
- Verify content quality and accuracy
API Key Errors
Symptoms: “Invalid API key” or authentication errors
Solutions:
- Verify API key is copied correctly (no extra spaces)
- Check key hasn’t expired or been revoked
- Confirm domain is registered (Proxy mode)
- Test key in proxy dashboard
- Regenerate API key if necessary
Best Practices
Content Optimization
- Clear Headings: Use descriptive H1, H2, H3 tags
- Concise Text: Keep paragraphs focused and scannable
- Structured Data: Use lists, tables for factual info
- Regular Updates: Re-index after significant changes
- Quality Over Quantity: Well-written content performs better
Suggestion Chips
- Ask common questions your visitors have
- Cover different topic areas (products, support, about)
- Keep them short (5-10 words)
- Update seasonally or based on trends
- Test which ones get clicked most
System Prompts
- Define your brand voice and tone
- Specify response length preferences
- Include key disclaimers if needed
- Guide AI on handling off-topic questions
- Update based on user feedback
Performance
- Index during low-traffic hours
- Monitor token usage regularly
- Set appropriate rate limits
- Use caching where possible
- Optimize content length
User Experience
- Place widget where it won’t obstruct content
- Write welcoming, helpful messages
- Test on mobile devices
- Monitor chat logs for improvements
- Respond to feedback quickly
Getting Help
Support Channels
Before Contacting Support
- Check this documentation page
- Review troubleshooting section
- Search community forum
- Enable WP_DEBUG for error details
- Prepare plugin/theme versions
What to Include in Support Requests
- WordPress version
- IrisAI plugin version
- Active theme name
- Mode (Proxy or BYO)
- Error messages (if any)
- Steps to reproduce issue
- Browser console errors