JakBot Installation

Last updated: June 3, 2026

This guide walks you through setting up and configuring JakBot, a WordPress AI chatbot plugin that supports multiple providers and advanced features like conversation contracts, appointment scheduling, and intelligent lead response. You’ll learn how to install the plugin, configure AI providers, set up bots, and utilize the various lead generation and content search capabilities.

Installation and Basic Setup

  1. Upload the JakBot plugin to your WordPress site and activate it through the Plugins menu.
  2. Navigate to JakBot in your WordPress admin menu after activation.
  3. Obtain your Google Gemini API key from AI Studio or set up OpenAI credentials if using that provider.
  4. Enter your API key in the JakBot settings page.
  5. Configure your admin email address where conversation summaries and lead notifications will be sent.
  6. Select which content types you want indexed for semantic search (posts, pages, custom post types).
  7. Set the store session time to configure how long conversation data is retained before automatic deletion (1-8760 hours).

Creating and Configuring Bots

  1. Go to JakBot → Manage Bots in your WordPress admin.
  2. Click Add New Bot to create a new chatbot instance.
  3. Enter a descriptive name for your bot (this will auto-generate a slug for the shortcode).
  4. Configure the System Instructions field with prompts that define how your bot should interact with visitors.
  5. Add Welcome Messages (optional) – enter one intro question per line that the bot will ask visitors.
  6. Set a Search Results Message (optional) to customize what the bot says when presenting found content.
  7. Choose an assistant icon from the available options.
  8. Select a chat template from the five built-in options (default, standard, modern, modernbar, topdown).
  9. Save your bot configuration and copy the generated shortcode for placement.

Use the shortcode [jakbot bot_name="your-bot-name"] to display a specific bot on pages or posts. You can also use parameters like position, bottom, width, and height to customize placement.

Setting Up Content Indexing for Semantic Search

  1. Navigate to JakBot → Settings in your admin area.
  2. Select the content types you want indexed under Content Types (posts, pages, custom post types).
  3. Configure the Excerpt Word Count to control how much content is stored for each indexed item.
  4. Click Re-index Content to build the initial embedding database.
  5. Monitor the indexing progress through the admin interface.

The bot will automatically update embeddings when you save or edit posts. You can trigger manual re-indexing if you switch AI providers or need to rebuild the search database.

Configuring Conversation Contract Mode

  1. Create a JSON contract defining the structured interview steps you want the bot to follow.
  2. Include ordered steps with questions, field names to collect, and optional validation hints.
  3. Configure the contract in your bot settings to enable guided lead collection.
  4. Set up the completion threshold and actions for when visitors complete all contract steps.
  5. Test the contract flow to ensure proper step progression and data collection.

Contract mode enforces server-side state management. The AI cannot skip steps or mark sessions complete prematurely, ensuring structured data collection for every visitor interaction.

Setting Up the Appointment Scheduler

  1. Navigate to JakBot → Appointments in your admin menu.
  2. Configure availability slots using the monthly calendar interface.
  3. Set appointment duration, booking window, minimum lead-in time, and timezone preferences.
  4. Choose between dedicated scheduling bot mode or automatic intent detection within standard chats.
  5. Configure confirmation emails for both admin and visitor notifications.
  6. Test the booking flow by triggering phrases like “book a call” or “schedule a meeting” in your bot.

Configuring Intelligent Lead Response System

  1. Install and activate Contact Form 7 if not already present on your site.
  2. Navigate to JakBot → Lead Settings to configure the lead response system.
  3. Set the processing mode to either “Draft & Review” (default) or “Auto-Send” for fully automated responses.
  4. Configure spam protection settings including message length filters and rate limiting.
  5. Set the similarity threshold for matching inquiries against your indexed content.
  6. Configure daily processing limits and cron interval timing (5-60 minutes).
  7. Set up lead retention cleanup period (default 90 days).
  8. Monitor incoming leads through JakBot → Lead Queue for approval and management.

Customizing Templates

  1. Go to JakBot → Templates to view available template options.
  2. Choose from five built-in templates or create custom overrides in your theme directory.
  3. Copy templates to your-theme/jakbot/templates/ for customizations that survive plugin updates.
  4. Follow the WooCommerce-style template hierarchy: child theme → parent theme → plugin directory.
  5. Use the admin interface to detect outdated overrides and manage template versions.
  6. Enable debug mode to see template source paths in HTML comments during development.

Template overrides support version management with automatic detection of outdated files and safe update options including auto-backup functionality.

Monitoring and Management

  1. View all conversations through JakBot → Conversations with unified display of standard and contract interactions.
  2. Export conversation data via CSV for analysis and record-keeping.
  3. Monitor daily summary emails sent to your configured admin address.
  4. Use the dashboard widget to track today’s usage, pending leads, and 7-day statistics.
  5. Manage appointment bookings through the dedicated appointments admin page with status filtering and bulk actions.
  6. Enable the “Email This Conversation” feature to allow visitors to send themselves transcripts.

Summary

You have successfully configured JakBot with the following capabilities:

  • Multi-bot support with individual configurations and shortcode deployment
  • Semantic content search using vector embeddings for relevant page discovery
  • Conversation contract mode for structured lead collection with server-side enforcement
  • Appointment scheduling system with calendar management and automated confirmations
  • Intelligent lead response system with Contact Form 7 integration and admin review workflow
  • Template customization system with theme override support and version management
  • Comprehensive monitoring and management tools for conversations, leads, and appointments