ShopAssistConnect a WooCommerce store
Install the ShopAssist plugin and connect a client's store.
Add the client in the partner portal before you start. Connecting requires administrator access to the store's WordPress admin.
What the plugin provides
| Component | Description | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Chat widget | Floating chat button and modal, site-wide | Automatic, once the shop is live |
| Ask ShopAssist | AI-generated question pills on a product page | Manual. See Build and ship the assistant |
| Compare | Compare button on product pages and product cards | Manual, one setting. Disabled by default |
1. Check the store
| Requirement | Reason |
|---|---|
| WordPress 5.8 or newer | WordPress blocks the install below this version |
| PHP 7.4 or newer | WordPress blocks the install below this version |
| WooCommerce active | The plugin does not load without it |
| Reachable from the internet | ShopAssist reads the catalog to verify the connection |
/wp-json/wc/v3/ reachable | This is the path ShopAssist reads |
WooCommerce counts as active when the Plugins screen offers Deactivate next to it. If it offers Activate, select that first.
A store behind a password, an IP allowlist or a coming-soon plugin fails at step 3, because ShopAssist cannot reach the catalog.
HTTPS is recommended. On an HTTP store the WooCommerce REST API accepts the key as a query parameter rather than a header, so the credentials travel in the URL.
2. Install the plugin
Work in the client's WordPress admin.
- Download shopassist.zip.
- Open Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin.
- Select the zip file, then Install Now, then Activate.
Upload the zip file as downloaded. WordPress installs a plugin from the archive, so extracting it first causes the install to fail.
A ShopAssist entry appears under the WooCommerce menu.
Enable auto-updates
On the Plugins screen, select Enable auto-updates next to ShopAssist AI Chat Widget. Later versions then install without another upload.
3. Connect the store
- Open WooCommerce → ShopAssist.
- Select Connect to ShopAssist on the Connect your store panel.
The plugin creates a read-only WooCommerce REST API key and sends it to ShopAssist, then opens the ShopAssist dashboard. There are no keys to create or copy.
What happens next depends on whether that browser already has a ShopAssist session:
- Already signed in to the partner portal. The store is assigned to your agency and you return to WooCommerce → ShopAssist automatically.
- Not signed in. Enter your agency email address, open the emailed link, and you return to the store.
Connecting with an agency address assigns the store to your agency. It creates no merchant login and no merchant session.
The panel then reads Pending activation until you publish the assistant, and the client card in the portal reads Connected.
The second button on the panel, Verify manual connection, sends no key. It applies only to stores ShopAssist has already configured.
Panel states
The panel heading reflects the shop's status in ShopAssist.
| Heading | Status | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Connect your store | No shop | Step 3 has not run |
| Pending activation | pending | Not live yet |
| Connected | active | Live for shoppers |
| Suspended | suspended | Switched off by ShopAssist |
| Archived | archived | Closed by ShopAssist |
| Disconnected | uninstalled | The plugin was deactivated |
Check again re-reads the status. Deactivating the plugin disconnects the store and revokes the API key the plugin created.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Connect fails with a credentials or unreachable error | ShopAssist cannot read /wp-json/wc/v3/ | Make the store reachable and unblock the WooCommerce REST API |
| "Connection could not be verified" | The one-time link expired after 15 minutes | Repeat step 3 |
| "This store is already set up by another agency" | Another agency holds the store | Contact support |
| Client card stays on created | The credentials did not arrive | Repeat step 3 and read the plugin panel |
| Connected, but no widget on the storefront | The shop is not live, or Enable Widget is off in the plugin | Take the shop live, then check the plugin setting |
For anything else, email support@getshopassist.com with the shop domain, the step reached, and the text shown on the plugin panel.
Next
Build and ship the assistant. That guide also covers the two storefront components you place by hand: the Ask ShopAssist pills and the Compare button.
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