Stella Chatbot is a keyword-driven chatbot plugin for WordPress that automatically answers visitor questions using your own Q&A knowledge base — no third-party service required for the core experience. This guide covers both the Free plugin and the standalone Pro plugin, with detailed field-level explanations and feature behavior.

1) Installation

Free Version

You can install the Free plugin using either method below:

Method 1: Install from WordPress Plugin Directory

In WordPress Admin, go to Plugins > Add New.
Search for Stella Chatbot.
Click Install Now and then Activate.

Method 2: Upload ZIP File Manually

Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
Upload your Stella Chatbot ZIP file.
Click Install Now and then Activate.

After Activation

A Stella Chatbot menu item will appear in your WordPress admin sidebar.
Go to Stella Chatbot > Settings to configure the chatbot.
Go to Stella Chatbot > Q&A to add your first keyword-triggered answers.

Pro Version (Standalone)

Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
Upload your Stella Chatbot Pro ZIP file.
Click Install Now and then Activate.
Pro runs as a standalone plugin. You do not need the Free plugin installed alongside it — install only one version at a time.

2) Quick Start

Quick Start (Free)

Go to Stella Chatbot > Settings.
Enter a Chatbot Name (e.g., "Stella").
Upload an Avatar Image for the chat launcher button.
Check Display chatbot on frontend to make it visible to visitors.
Set a Welcome Message shown when users open the chat.
Go to Stella Chatbot > Q&A and add your first keyword-triggered answer.
Click Save Changes. Your chatbot is now live.

Quick Start (Pro)

Go to Stella Chatbot Pro > Settings.
Configure General, Branding, Chat Experience, and Appearance settings.
Optionally enable AI Fallback and enter your API key.
Go to Stella Chatbot Pro > Q&A and add entries or import from a file.
Enable Lead Capture and Human Handoff as needed.
Save and verify the chatbot on your frontend.

3) Free Plugin Features (Detailed)

Keyword-Based Q&A: Build a knowledge base of up to 49 Q&A entries. When a visitor's message matches a keyword, the chatbot returns the configured answer automatically.
Chatbot Name: Set a custom name displayed in the chat header (e.g., "Stella", "Support Bot").
Avatar Image: Upload a custom image for the chat launcher button and in-chat header. Supports Round, Square, and Rounded shapes.
Widget Visibility: Toggle the chatbot on or off on the frontend without deactivating the plugin.
Welcome Message: Configure a greeting shown when visitors open the chat panel.
Category Navigation: Organize Q&A entries into categories. Show category suggestion buttons in the welcome screen and optionally display a "Back to categories" link after each bot reply.
No Match Reply: Set a fallback message shown when no keyword match is found for a user's input.
AI Suggestions: Display up to 3 related Q&A suggestions below the no-match reply to help guide visitors.
Data Management: Option to delete all chatbot data from the database when uninstalling the plugin.

4) Pro Plugin Features (Detailed)

Unlimited Q&A Entries: No cap on the number of FAQ entries — build as large a knowledge base as needed.
Flexible File Import: Bulk-import Q&A entries from CSV, TXT, or DOCX files. Supports auto-detection of delimiters and multiple file structures.
AI Fallback: When no FAQ match is found, automatically query an AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Groq, or OpenRouter) to generate a response.
AI Model Tester: Test your AI provider configuration directly from the settings page before going live.
Max Token Control: Set the maximum length of AI responses (32–4096 tokens) to balance cost and quality.
AI System Prompt: Provide custom instructions to the AI (e.g., "You are a support agent for Acme Corp. Only answer questions about our products.").
AI Disclaimer: Optionally show a disclaimer message below AI-generated replies.
Fuzzy Match: Match user messages that are close — but not exact — to a keyword or question, reducing missed answers due to typos or phrasing variations. Configurable threshold (35–95%).
Lead Capture: Prompt visitors to enter their name and email during the chat. Captured leads are stored and exportable as CSV.
Human Handoff: After a configurable number of consecutive no-match replies, offer the visitor a link to contact a human agent, with optional business hours display.
Session-Based Chat Logs: Record every chat session. View full conversation transcripts and export logs to CSV.
Analytics Dashboard: Track total conversations, messages, FAQ match rates, AI usage, and most-triggered keywords.
Full Appearance Controls: Customize widget position (bottom-left or bottom-right), light/dark theme, launcher animation (Float, Pulse, None), button size, avatar size, chatbox width, chatbox height, and chatbox background color.
Branding Controls: Remove or customize the "Powered by" credit text and link shown in the chat footer.
Data Retention & Auto Cleanup: Set how many days to retain chat logs and leads, with optional automatic daily cleanup.

5) Field-by-Field Settings Guide

A) General Configuration

Chatbot Name: The name displayed in the chat header. Shown to all visitors.
Avatar / Button Image: Image used for both the chat launcher button and the in-chat header avatar. Upload via the WordPress Media Library.
Avatar Shape: Round, Square, or Rounded — controls the border-radius of the avatar.
Widget Visibility: Check to display the chatbot widget on the frontend. Uncheck to hide it without losing any settings.

B) Chat Experience

Welcome Message: The first message shown when a visitor opens the chat. Example: "Hello! How can I help you today?"
Display Welcome Message: Enable or disable showing the welcome message when the chat is opened.
Display Welcome Suggestions: Show category suggestion buttons alongside the welcome message.
Manage Categories: Define your Q&A categories, one per line. These are used for welcome suggestions and the "Back to categories" navigation link. Default: General, Sales, Support.
Welcome Categories: Select up to 3 categories to feature as quick-access buttons in the welcome screen.
Navigation (Back to Categories): Show a "Back to categories" link below each bot reply, letting users return to the category menu.
No Match Reply: The message shown when no keyword match is found. Example: "I don't understand your question. Try one of the suggestions below."
AI Suggestions: Display up to 3 related Q&A suggestions below the no-match reply.

C) Branding & Identity (Pro)

Remove Credit: Hide the "Powered by Stella Chatbot" text from the chat footer.
Credit Text: Customize the credit text shown in the chat footer when credit is enabled.
Credit Link: Set a custom URL for the credit link.

D) Advanced Automation (Pro)

Lead Capture: Enable to ask visitors for their name and email during the conversation.
Lead Capture Prompt: The message shown to visitors requesting their contact details. Example: "Before we continue, could you share your name and email?"
Fuzzy Match: Enable to match user messages that are close to — but not exactly — a keyword or question.
Fuzzy Match Threshold (%): Sensitivity of the fuzzy match (35–95%). Higher = stricter. Default: 62%.
Human Handoff: Enable to offer a support link after repeated no-match replies.
No-Match Count: Number of consecutive unmatched messages before triggering the handoff prompt.
Handoff Message: The message shown when offering to connect the visitor with a human agent.
Support URL: The URL visitors are directed to for human support (e.g., a contact page or live chat link).
Business Hours: Display your business hours alongside the handoff message. Example: 09:00–18:00 Mon–Fri.

E) Appearance & Widget (Pro)

Widget Position: Place the chat launcher at the Bottom Right or Bottom Left of the screen.
Theme: Light or Dark mode for the chat window.
Animation: Launcher button animation — Float, Pulse, or None.
Button Size (px): Width and height of the launcher button (44–88px). Default: 56px.
Avatar Size (px): Size of the avatar inside the chat header (24–80px). Default: 36px.
Chatbox Width (px): Width of the chat window (280–520px). Default: 350px.
Chatbox Height (px): Height of the chat window (220–600px). Default: 480px.
Chatbox Color: Background color of the chat window, selected via color picker.

F) AI Intelligence (Pro)

AI Fallback: Enable AI responses when no FAQ keyword match is found.
AI Provider: Choose from OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), Google Gemini, Groq, or OpenRouter.
API Key: Your API key for the selected provider. Stored securely (encrypted in the database).
Model: Select the AI model to use. Models are fetched dynamically from the provider. You can also enter a model ID manually.
Max Output Tokens: Maximum length of AI responses (32–4096). Lower = faster and cheaper. Recommended: 128–512 for chat support.
System Prompt: Custom instructions for the AI defining its role, tone, and scope of knowledge.
AI Disclaimer: Enable to show a disclaimer message below AI-generated replies. Example: "This response was generated by AI and may not be 100% accurate."
AI Model Tester: Send a test message to your configured AI provider directly from the settings page to verify the connection before going live.

G) Data Management

Delete Data on Uninstall: When enabled, all chatbot data (Q&A entries, chat logs, leads) is permanently deleted from the database upon plugin uninstallation. Disabled by default.
Data Retention (Pro): Set how many days to retain chat logs and leads (minimum 7 days). Default: 180 days.
Auto Cleanup (Pro): Automatically delete old logs and leads daily based on the retention period.

6) Managing Q&A Entries

Adding a Q&A Entry

Navigate to Stella Chatbot > Q&A and fill in the following fields:

Category: Optional. Group this entry under a category (e.g., "Orders", "Returns"). Used for navigation and welcome suggestions.
Unique Keyword: The trigger word or phrase. When a visitor's message contains this keyword, the answer is returned. Must be unique across all entries.
Question: The full question this entry answers (for reference and display).
Answer: The response the chatbot sends. Supports basic HTML (links, bold, lists).

Click Save FAQ to add the entry, or Update FAQ when editing an existing one.

Editing & Deleting

Click Edit next to any entry to modify it. The form switches to edit mode.
Click Delete to permanently remove an entry (confirmation required).
Click Cancel while editing to return to the add form without saving.

File Import (Pro)

Bulk-import Q&A entries from external files to save time when migrating or setting up a large knowledge base.

Supported formats: CSV (comma, semicolon, or tab-separated), TXT (plain text with Q&A blocks or key-value pairs), DOCX (Microsoft Word).
Navigate to Stella Chatbot Pro > Q&A, scroll to the Import Q&A section, upload your file, and click Import.

Example CSV format:

keyword,question,answer,category
refund,How do I get a refund?,You can request a refund within 30 days.,Orders
shipping,How long does shipping take?,Standard shipping takes 3-5 business days.,Shipping

7) Chat Logs (Pro)

Navigate to Stella Chatbot Pro > Chat Logs to view all recorded chat sessions.
Click View Chat to read the full conversation transcript for any session.
Click Export CSV to download all logs as a spreadsheet for offline analysis.
Logs are automatically cleaned up based on your Data Retention setting.

8) Lead Capture & Leads (Pro)

Enable Lead Capture in Settings > Advanced Automation and set a prompt message.
Navigate to Stella Chatbot Pro > Leads to view all captured leads with name, email, and timestamp.
Click Export CSV to download leads for use in your CRM or email marketing tool.
Leads are automatically cleaned up based on your Data Retention setting.

9) Analytics (Pro)

Navigate to Stella Chatbot Pro > Analytics for a performance overview:

Total conversations and messages.
FAQ match rate vs. no-match rate.
AI fallback usage frequency.
Most frequently triggered keywords.
Lead capture conversion data.

10) Troubleshooting

Chatbot not visible on frontend

Confirm Display chatbot on frontend is checked in Settings.
Clear your WordPress cache, plugin cache, CDN cache, and browser cache.
Check for JavaScript errors in the browser console that may prevent the widget from loading.

Keyword not triggering a response

Verify the keyword is spelled exactly as entered in the Q&A entry.
Ensure the keyword is unique — duplicate keywords are rejected.
Enable Fuzzy Match (Pro) to handle typos and phrasing variations.

AI not responding (Pro)

Verify your API key is correct and has sufficient credits/quota.
Use the AI Model Tester in Settings to test the connection.
Ensure AI Fallback is enabled in Settings > AI Intelligence.
Check that the selected model is available for your API key tier.

Leads or logs not appearing (Pro)

Confirm Lead Capture is enabled in Settings.
Check the Data Retention setting — old records may have been auto-cleaned.
Verify the chatbot is receiving real visitor traffic (not just admin previews).

11) Data & Uninstall

Both versions include a Delete data on uninstall option in the Danger Zone section of Settings.

If enabled: all Q&A entries, chat logs, and leads are permanently deleted from the database on uninstall.
If disabled (default): data remains in the database and is restored if you reinstall the plugin.

12) Recommended Workflow

Define the most common questions your visitors ask.
Create Q&A entries with clear, concise keywords and helpful answers.
Organize entries into categories for easy navigation.
Set a friendly welcome message and configure the 3 featured welcome categories.
Enable AI Fallback (Pro) to handle questions not covered by your FAQ.
Enable Lead Capture (Pro) to collect visitor contact details.
Monitor Chat Logs and Analytics (Pro) to identify gaps and improve coverage over time.