How to Add an AI Chatbot to WordPress (Plugin or Script)

Before you start

This guide uses PrimeWebKit's standard website widget: one external script that loads the chatbot configured in your account. It does not install a native WordPressplugin or automatically connect your site's private data. The platform-specific steps below explain where the snippet belongs and what to verify before making a live change.

• A published PrimeWebKit bot with its widget snippet copied from the bot's Widget tab.
• Administrator access to the WordPress dashboard and permission to edit the active theme or configure a script-insertion plugin.
• A recent backup or a staging site if you plan to edit theme files directly.
• The live site domain added to the bot's allowed-domains setting, if that restriction is enabled.

Installation steps

1. 1. Open the active theme footer or a script-insertion plugin

   Editor or file path: WordPress dashboard → Appearance → Theme File Editor → footer.php

   The WordPress documentation in this project identifies the theme file editor and footer.php as the direct route. Confirm that the editor shows the currently active theme before making a change. If direct theme editing is unavailable or unsuitable, use a trusted header/footer scripts plugin instead; the exact plugin settings depend on the plugin you choose.

2. 2. Add the widget script once

   Editor or file path: footer.php → immediately before the closing </body> tag

   Paste the complete snippet copied from your own bot's Widget tab immediately before the closing body tag. Keep the data-bot-id value unchanged and do not copy a placeholder ID from an example. If you use a plugin, place the same snippet in its site-wide footer field and do not also add it to footer.php.

3. 3. Save, clear relevant caches, and publish

   Editor or file path: Theme File Editor → Update File; then clear any page or CDN cache you control

   Save the edit and open the public site in a private browser window. A WordPress cache plugin, hosting cache, CDN, or optimized page cache may continue serving old HTML, so purge the relevant cache after publishing. Avoid editing a parent theme if a future theme update could overwrite your change; use a child theme or plugin when appropriate.

Widget snippet

Copy the snippet from the selected bot's Widget tab whenever possible. The example below shows the format for your reference; replace the example identifier only with the bot ID from your own copied snippet.

<script src="https://api.primewebkit.com/widget.js" data-bot-id="YOUR_BOT_ID" async></script>

This illustrates the snippet format. Copy the live snippet from the Widget tab so the script URL and bot ID match your account.

Platform-specific notes

If you prefer a plugin, select one that inserts a script into the site-wide footer and that you trust to maintain. Plugin names and settings change over time, so this guide does not prescribe a particular third-party plugin. Add the script in one location only.

If you use a page builder, a child theme, or a managed WordPress host that disables Theme File Editor access, do not try to bypass its restrictions. Use its documented site-wide code-injection option, or ask the site administrator to add the snippet to the shared layout.

Before publishing, review any site-wide consent banner, security policy, and domain restrictions already in place. Add the widget only to the pages and hostnames where it is intended to run, and avoid copying account secrets or private customer data into the page source.

Verify the chatbot is working

Test a published page, not just an editor preview. Confirm the launcher is visible, opens when activated, and accepts a question. Ask something answered by the bot's current knowledge sources, then check that an unrelated or unsupported question is handled within the limits of the bot's instructions.

Repeat the check on another page that shares the layout and on each hostname visitors use, such as a staging host and the production domain. If the bot is restricted to allowed domains, include the exact hostname for each environment before testing. Inspect the browser console and Network panel if the script or API request fails; record the specific error rather than changing unrelated settings.

Common problems

Frequently asked questions