Getting ChatAxon running on your WooCommerce store takes about 15 minutes. This guide covers every step, from creating your account to the first live conversation with the assistant.
What you'll need
- A WooCommerce store (WordPress 5.8+ / WooCommerce 6.0+)
- PHP 7.4 or higher
- An active ChatAxon account (sign up at app.chataxon.com)
Step 1: create your ChatAxon account
Go to app.chataxon.com and sign up. During onboarding you name your store and choose your plan. Starter, Pro and Scale come with a 14-day free trial.
When onboarding is complete, your dashboard opens automatically.
Step 2: install and activate the plugin in WordPress
The ChatAxon plugin is in the WordPress.org plugin directory.
- Log in to your WordPress admin (
yoursite.com/wp-admin) - Go to Plugins → Add New Plugin
- Type ChatAxon in the search field
- Click Install Now next to ChatAxon, then Activate
A ChatAxon item now appears in the left sidebar menu. New versions show up under Dashboard → Updates, like any other plugin.
If you prefer to upload the plugin yourself, download the .zip file from your ChatAxon dashboard (Settings → WordPress Plugin → Download Plugin), then in WordPress go to Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin.
Step 3: connect with your API key
- In your ChatAxon dashboard, go to Settings → API Key and copy your store API key
- In WordPress, go to ChatAxon → Settings
- Paste your API key into the API Key field and click Save
The plugin immediately tries to connect to ChatAxon's servers. A green "Connected" indicator confirms it worked.
Step 4: sync your product catalog
- Still in ChatAxon → Settings, click Sync Products
- Wait for the sync to complete. It typically takes 30–90 seconds depending on catalog size
- The plugin sends your product names, descriptions, prices and stock status to ChatAxon
After the sync, the assistant knows your entire catalog. For stores with large catalogs (1,000+ products), it builds semantic search embeddings, so customers can find products by describing what they need.
Catalog changes (new products, price updates, stock changes) sync automatically through WooCommerce webhooks. Day-to-day updates need no manual re-sync.
Step 5: configure the widget
Back in your ChatAxon dashboard:
- Go to Settings → Assistant Identity and set a name for your assistant (for example "Emma" or "Support")
- Choose a communication tone: Friendly, Professional, Sales-oriented or Minimalist
- Optionally add Custom Instructions, rules the assistant always follows (for example "Always mention free shipping for orders over €50" or "Never recommend product X as a substitute for Y")
- Add a Store Description, a short paragraph about your store that helps the assistant answer "who are you?" questions
Step 6: go live
The widget is embedded on your store automatically the moment the plugin is activated and connected. No additional code or shortcodes are needed.
Test it yourself:
- Open your store in an incognito window
- The chat bubble should appear in the bottom-right corner
- Ask a product question. The assistant should respond with relevant products from your catalog
- Ask "where is my order?". The assistant should ask for your email or order number and look it up directly
If the bubble doesn't appear, check that the plugin is active and the API key is connected (green status in WordPress admin).
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Connected" indicator is red | Wrong API key or server unreachable | Re-copy the key from the ChatAxon dashboard |
| Chat bubble not visible | Plugin inactive or JS conflict | Check Plugins page in WP admin; try with other plugins disabled |
| Products not found in chat | Sync didn't complete | Run a manual sync from the plugin settings |
| Order tracking not working | WooCommerce API keys not set | Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced → REST API and generate keys |
| Plugin won't install | PHP version too old | Check that your host runs PHP 7.4+ |
What's next
Once the plugin is live and your catalog is synced, the assistant is already handling the following:
- Product search is semantic, so customers can describe what they need.
- Customers ask where their order is (WIMO) and the assistant answers in real time.
- The assistant can add products to the cart directly in the chat.
- It can apply WooCommerce coupons mid-conversation.
- Frustrated customers are escalated to your support inbox automatically.
Check your Analytics tab after the first 24 hours to see how many support queries the assistant resolved without your involvement.
Once your store is connected, the same synced product data is what every ChatAxon surface uses, including Instagram DM replies, at no extra cost and with no separate setup. See how it works.