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Surface Kit AI – AI Chatbot & Conversational AI

Surface Kit AI – AI Chatbot & Conversational AI

By Sanchit Pandey
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Description

Surface Kit AI is a WordPress chatbot plugin that answers your visitors’ questions with AI, with answers you write yourself, or with both. Connect ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), Google Gemini or any OpenAI-compatible service, describe your business once, and your site gets a chat assistant that knows your opening hours, prices, policies and products. Prefer not to use AI at all? Choose the simple assistant: a keyword-based FAQ bot that runs in the visitor’s browser, needs no API key, and costs nothing.

A guided setup wizard opens the moment you activate the plugin. It asks what kind of assistant you want, helps you describe your site (with ready-made examples for a restaurant, an online shop and a dental clinic), connects your AI provider, and puts the chat on your site. Most sites are live in a few minutes, without writing any code.

What you can add to your site

Surface Kit AI gives you three chat features. Use one, two or all three.

  • AI chat bubble (AI Widget). A floating chat button in the corner of your pages. Visitors open it, ask a question in their own words, and get an answer written by the AI from the information you provided.
  • Full-page AI chat (Chat Page). A dedicated chat page at an address you choose, such as yoursite.com/chat. Show it full screen like a chat app, or inside your theme with your header, menu and footer.
  • Simple assistant (Rule Bot). Questions and answers you write yourself, shown as tap-to-ask buttons. Visitors can also type, and the bot matches their words to your answers. It runs entirely in the browser: no API key, no AI cost, no rate limits.

Choose the kind of assistant you need

The first question in setup decides everything else, so you only ever see the settings you need.

  • AI assistant. Answers anything about your business in natural language. Needs an API key from an AI provider, and each message costs a small amount on that provider’s bill.
  • Simple assistant (no AI). Answers from questions you write. Free forever, nothing to connect, and the AI screens stay hidden.
  • Both. AI answers for open questions, plus instant, free answers for the questions people ask most.

You can switch type at any time under Surface Kit AI Settings. Every feature keeps its settings, so switching back restores them.

Works with the AI provider you already use

  • OpenAI (the models behind ChatGPT)
  • Anthropic (Claude)
  • Google (Gemini)
  • Any OpenAI-compatible API, with one-click presets for OpenRouter, Groq, DeepSeek, Z.ai and Zhipu (GLM), Alibaba Qwen, Moonshot (Kimi), MiniMax, Mistral, Together AI, Fireworks AI, Cerebras, SiliconFlow, Perplexity and xAI (Grok)
  • Self-hosted models on your own server through Ollama, LM Studio, vLLM or llama.cpp

You use your own API key, so you pay the provider directly at their published prices. Surface Kit AI adds no markup and no subscription.

Pick a model without knowing the catalogue

Model names change often and are hard to compare. Surface Kit AI shows a short list of recommended models for each provider as cards, each labelled with a cost tier:

  • Lowest cost: quick, simple answers. Plenty for FAQs, opening hours and contact details.
  • Balanced: smarter answers for a little more. A good default for most sites.
  • Best answers: the most capable option, for detailed questions. Costs the most.

Prefer something else? Choose Other model and type any model name your provider offers, or click Show all models to load the live list from your account. Recommended models your account cannot use are hidden automatically.

One API key for everything, or a different AI per feature

Your main AI connection powers every AI feature. If you want more control, give the chat bubble or the chat page its own provider, model and key under Settings Give a feature its own AI. For example, use a low-cost model for the chat bubble and a stronger one for the full chat page. When the provider is the same, the main key is reused, so you never paste the same key twice.

Teach the AI about your business

Write what the assistant should know the way you would brief a new member of staff: who you are, what you sell, hours, prices, delivery, returns, booking rules. Add a few lines on tone, such as “be warm and brief” or “send people to the contact page when unsure”. The AI uses this on every reply and says so plainly when a question is not covered.

Built-in cost control

  • Rate limits per visitor across three windows: per 10 minutes, per hour and per day. They apply to AI messages only.
  • A cap on reply length and on how many earlier messages the AI remembers in a chat.
  • Lowest-cost model recommendations, clearly labelled.
  • The simple assistant answers your most common questions for free, so the AI only handles the rest.

Privacy and security by default

  • Your API keys are encrypted (AES-256-CBC) with your site’s own security salts and never sent to a visitor’s browser.
  • Every AI request goes from your server to the provider. Visitors’ browsers never contact the AI service.
  • Conversation storage is off by default. When you switch it on, old conversations are deleted after the number of days you choose, and suggested privacy policy wording is provided for you.
  • Stored conversations contain only the messages and replies: no page address, user account or IP address.
  • No cookies, no tracking, no third-party scripts on your pages, and no “Powered by” links.

Designed for real visitors

  • Mobile-friendly chat panel and full-page chat.
  • Suggested questions as one-tap buttons, so visitors know what to ask.
  • Open the chat bubble automatically after a delay, after scrolling, or when a visitor is about to leave, at most once per visit.
  • Show the chat bubble on every page, only on some pages, or on all pages except some.
  • Keep the conversation as visitors move between pages.
  • Choose the corner, colour, icon, button size, title, welcome message and input placeholder.
  • Restrict the full-page chat to logged-in users if you need to.
  • AI replies support simple formatting (bold, lists, links), rendered safely as plain text with no HTML injection.

Conversation insights

With storage switched on, the Conversations screen shows chats per day, total chats and messages, average conversation length, and which feature they came from, over 7, 30 or 90 days. Open any conversation to read the full transcript, or delete conversations individually or all at once.

Who is Surface Kit AI for?

  • Small businesses that want to answer customer questions at any hour without hiring support staff.
  • Restaurants, clinics, salons and local services that get the same questions about hours, booking and prices every day.
  • Online stores answering questions about shipping, returns, sizing and product care.
  • Agencies and freelancers setting up chatbots for clients, with the AI provider of the client’s choice.
  • Bloggers, course creators and publishers who want a “chat with my site” experience.
  • Anyone who wants an FAQ bot without AI, without monthly fees, and without sending data to a third party.

How it works

  1. Install and activate Surface Kit AI. The setup wizard opens.
  2. Choose an AI assistant, a simple assistant, or both.
  3. Describe your business, or start from one of the examples.
  4. Pick where people can chat: a chat bubble, a full chat page, or both.
  5. Paste your API key and choose a model (AI only).
  6. Finish. The assistant is live, and View site shows it to you.

For developers

  • skai_providers filter: add your own AI service or presets. Any entry that speaks the OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini wire format works.
  • skai_system_prompt filter: change the instructions sent with every AI request.
  • skai_widget_active and skai_rulebot_active filters: decide per request whether the chat bubble or the simple assistant appears.
  • Settings live in one option (skai_settings), and the admin is built with standard WordPress components.

Source code

The complete, uncompiled source ships inside the plugin. The admin screens are built from src/ with @wordpress/scripts, and package.json and gulpfile.js are included. To rebuild, run npm install and then npm run build. The chat script and stylesheets in assets/ are not compiled and are served as they are.

External services

Surface Kit AI can connect to an external AI service to write replies for the AI chat bubble (AI Widget) and the full-page chat (Chat Page). This is how those features work: the AI service reads the visitor’s question and writes the answer. You choose the service and provide your own API key. Nothing is sent to any service until you choose an AI or “Both” assistant type, connect a service, and turn on the AI Widget or the Chat Page. The simple assistant (Rule Bot) never contacts an external service.

What is sent, and when

  • When a visitor sends a message in the AI Widget or the Chat Page, your WordPress server sends the connected service: that message; up to the number of earlier messages from the same chat that you set as the history limit; your instructions and the business information you entered; your site name and tagline; and the model and reply settings. Your API key is sent with the request so the service can authenticate it.
  • When an administrator clicks Check it works, the server sends one short test message to the selected service and model.
  • When an administrator opens the AI settings or clicks Show all models, the server sends the API key to the service’s model-listing endpoint to fetch the models your account can use.
  • Requests are made from your server, not from the visitor’s browser. No visitor IP address, cookie, page address or account detail is added to them.
  • A feature with its own AI connection sends the same data to the service chosen for that feature.

Services the plugin can connect to

Links in the admin screens. The settings screens link to each provider’s API key page and model documentation so you can find them easily. These are ordinary links that open in your browser when you click them; the plugin does not request those pages itself.

Privacy

  • Visitors: the plugin sets no cookies, adds no tracking, loads nothing from third-party servers on your pages, and shows no credit links.
  • Rate limits: to stop abuse, a one-way hash of each visitor’s IP address is kept in a temporary WordPress transient for up to one day, only to count AI messages. The address itself is never stored.
  • Browser storage: the chat keeps the current conversation in the visitor’s browser (localStorage) so it survives a page reload. It stays on the visitor’s device.
  • Conversation storage: off by default. When on, messages and replies are saved in your own database with no page address, account or IP address, and old conversations are deleted after your retention period.
  • Privacy policy text: suggested wording is added to Settings Privacy for you to review and include in your policy.
  • Uninstall: deleting the plugin removes all of its tables and options.

Credits

  • The admin interface uses the Poppins typeface by the Poppins Project Authors, bundled with the plugin under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 (see assets/fonts/poppins-OFL.txt). It is served from your own site.
  • Built with WordPress components and @wordpress/scripts.

Screenshots

The setup wizard asks what kind of assistant you want: AI, simple (no AI), or both.
The setup wizard asks what kind of assistant you want: AI, simple (no AI), or both.
Describe your business, with ready-made examples for a restaurant, a shop and a clinic.
Describe your business, with ready-made examples for a restaurant, a shop and a clinic.
Choose where people can chat: a floating chat bubble, a full-page chat, or both.
Choose where people can chat: a floating chat bubble, a full-page chat, or both.
Connect your AI provider and pick a model by cost tier.
Connect your AI provider and pick a model by cost tier.
The dashboard shows which features are live and recent activity.
The dashboard shows which features are live and recent activity.
The AI chat bubble settings with a live preview.
The AI chat bubble settings with a live preview.

Installation

Automatic installation

  1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins Add New Plugin.
  2. Search for Surface Kit AI.
  3. Click Install Now, then Activate.
  4. The setup wizard opens. Follow the steps to choose your assistant type and go live.

Manual installation

  1. Download the plugin zip file.
  2. Go to Plugins Add New Plugin Upload Plugin, choose the file and click Install Now.
  3. Activate the plugin. The setup wizard opens.

After installation

  • AI assistant: get an API key from your provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or another service) and paste it during setup, or later under Surface Kit AI Settings. Click Check it works to confirm the key and model.
  • Simple assistant: no key is needed. Write your questions and answers, or start from an example set.
  • To run setup again, open Surface Kit AI Dashboard and click Run the setup wizard again.

FAQ

What is Surface Kit AI?

Surface Kit AI is a free WordPress plugin that adds a chat assistant to your website. It can answer visitors with AI (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and others), with answers you write yourself, or with both. It includes a floating chat bubble, a full-page chat and a keyword-based FAQ bot.

How do I add a chatbot to my WordPress site?

Install and activate Surface Kit AI. The setup wizard opens automatically and walks you through choosing an assistant type, describing your business, picking where the chat appears and connecting an AI provider. No coding or page builder is needed.

How do I add ChatGPT to my WordPress website?

Choose AI assistant in setup, select OpenAI (ChatGPT) as the provider, and paste an API key from platform.openai.com. The chat bubble and chat page then answer visitors using OpenAI’s models. Note that a ChatGPT Plus subscription does not include API access; the API is billed separately by OpenAI.

Can I use Claude or Google Gemini instead of ChatGPT?

Yes. Choose Anthropic (Claude) or Google (Gemini) as the provider and paste a key from that company. You can also use any OpenAI-compatible service, such as OpenRouter, Groq, DeepSeek, Mistral or Perplexity, or a model running on your own server.

Is Surface Kit AI free?

Yes. The plugin is free and has no paid tier. The simple assistant (no AI) costs nothing to run. If you use AI, you pay your AI provider directly for what you use, at their prices, with your own API key.

Do I need an API key?

Only for AI answers. The AI chat bubble and the full-page AI chat need an API key from an AI provider. The simple assistant works without any key.

Can I make a chatbot without AI?

Yes. Choose Simple assistant (no AI) in setup. You write the questions and answers, visitors tap a question or type, and the bot replies instantly in their browser. Nothing is sent to an AI service, and nothing costs money.

How much does an AI chatbot cost to run?

It depends on your provider, the model and how many messages visitors send. Low-cost models typically cost a fraction of a cent per message. Surface Kit AI labels each recommended model as lowest cost, balanced or best answers, and lets you cap usage per visitor per 10 minutes, hour and day.

How do I get an OpenAI, Claude or Gemini API key?

The plugin shows step-by-step instructions under How do I get a key? for the provider you select. In short: sign in to the provider’s developer console (platform.openai.com, console.anthropic.com or aistudio.google.com), create an API key, add billing if required, and paste the key into Surface Kit AI.

Which AI model should I choose?

Start with the model labelled Balanced for a good mix of quality and cost. Choose Lowest cost for simple FAQ-style questions, or Best answers for detailed questions. You can change the model at any time, and click Check it works to test it.

Can I use a model that is not in the list?

Yes. Choose Other model and type any model name your provider offers. Click Show all models to load the full list from your account.

How do I train the chatbot on my website content?

In setup (or under Settings How it should answer), describe your business: products, services, prices, hours, policies and anything visitors often ask. The AI uses that text with every reply. Example descriptions for a restaurant, an online shop and a dental clinic show you what works well.

Will the AI make up answers?

The AI is instructed to prefer the information you provided and to say plainly when a question is not covered. You can add your own rules, such as “if you are not sure, send people to the contact page”. As with any AI, review your instructions and test common questions before relying on it.

Can I use different AI models for the chat bubble and the chat page?

Yes. Under Settings Give a feature its own AI, switch on a separate connection for the chat bubble or the chat page and choose its provider and model. If it uses the same provider as your main connection, your main key is reused automatically.

Can I put the chat on its own page, like yoursite.com/chat?

Yes. The full-page chat lives at any address you choose. Set it in the setup wizard or under Chat Page Web address. Choose a full-screen layout or keep your theme’s header and footer.

Can I show the chat bubble only on certain pages?

Yes. Under AI Widget Where and when, show it on every page, only on pages you list, or on every page except those you list. Pages are listed by slug or ID.

Can the chat open automatically?

Yes. The chat bubble can open after a delay, after the visitor scrolls part of the page, or when they move to leave. It happens at most once per visit so it does not nag.

Can I run the AI chat bubble and the simple assistant at the same time?

Yes. Choose Both as your assistant type. Place them in opposite corners; the setup wizard does this for you, and the plugin warns you if they overlap.

Does it work with WooCommerce?

Surface Kit AI works on WooCommerce stores like any other WordPress site. Describe your shipping, returns, payment options and popular products, and the assistant answers those questions. It does not read your product catalogue or orders automatically, so it never sees customer data.

Does the chatbot work on mobile?

Yes. The chat bubble and the full-page chat are responsive and work on phones, tablets and desktops.

Does it work with my theme and page builder?

It should. The chat bubble is added through the standard WordPress footer hook, and the chat page can run full screen or inside your theme. It does not depend on any editor or page builder, so the block editor, the Classic editor and page builders are left untouched.

Does it support other languages?

The admin and the chat interface are translation-ready. AI providers can understand and reply in many languages, and you can write your welcome message, suggested questions and simple-assistant answers in any language.

Does Surface Kit AI store chat conversations?

Only if you turn it on. Conversation storage is off by default. When switched on, transcripts are kept in your own database and deleted automatically after the retention period you set. Stored transcripts contain no page address, account or IP address. Mention conversation storage in your site’s privacy policy; suggested wording is under Settings Privacy.

Is it GDPR friendly?

Surface Kit AI is built to keep data collection minimal: storage is off by default, no cookies or tracking are added, stored transcripts carry no personal identifiers, and suggested privacy policy text is added to Settings Privacy. Tell visitors in your privacy policy that the chat uses an AI service and, if you turn storage on, that conversations are saved. When AI is on, visitor messages are sent to the AI provider you chose, which processes them under its own terms. Whether your site is compliant depends on your setup and your provider, so review their data processing terms.

Where is my API key stored, and is it safe?

Your keys are encrypted in your WordPress database using a key derived from your site’s security salts, and they are never included in any page or script sent to a browser. All AI requests are made from your server.

Do the rate limits apply to the simple assistant?

No. The simple assistant answers in the visitor’s browser and never contacts your server, so it costs nothing and is never limited. Rate limits apply only to AI messages.

Will the chatbot slow down my website?

No. The chat script is small and loads in the footer, nothing loads from third-party servers, and AI requests only happen when a visitor sends a message.

Can I change the chat colours, icon and position?

Yes. Each feature has its own colour, title, welcome message and placeholder. The chat bubble also offers left or right corner, three button sizes and three icons.

Can I use a local or self-hosted AI model?

Yes. Choose Any OpenAI-compatible API and select the Ollama, LM Studio or vLLM preset, or enter your own server address. Messages then never leave your server.

How do I switch from an AI assistant to a simple one, or back?

Open Surface Kit AI Settings and choose a different Assistant type. Screens and features update to match, and every feature keeps its settings for when you switch back.

What happens to my data if I delete the plugin?

Deleting Surface Kit AI from the Plugins screen removes every database table and option it created, including stored conversations and encrypted keys.

Where can I get help?

Post in the plugin’s support forum on WordPress.org. Please include your WordPress and PHP versions and the provider you use, but never your API key.

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Contributors & Developers

“Surface Kit AI – AI Chatbot & Conversational AI” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

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Interested in development?

Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.

Changelog

1.0.0

  • First release.
  • Guided setup wizard that opens on activation, with ready-made examples for a restaurant, an online shop and a dental clinic.
  • Three assistant types: AI assistant, simple assistant (no AI), or both. Screens and features follow the type you choose.
  • AI chat bubble (AI Widget): a floating chat answered by the AI provider you connect, with page targeting, auto-open triggers and suggested questions.
  • Full-page AI chat (Chat Page) at an address you choose, full screen or inside your theme, with optional login requirement.
  • Simple assistant (Rule Bot): keyword-matched answers with tap-to-ask buttons, resolved in the browser with no API key and no per-message cost.
  • Connect OpenAI, Anthropic Claude or Google Gemini, or any OpenAI-compatible API by base URL, with one-click presets for OpenRouter, Groq, DeepSeek, GLM, Qwen, Kimi, MiniMax, Mistral, Together AI, Fireworks AI, Cerebras, SiliconFlow, Perplexity, xAI Grok, Ollama, LM Studio and vLLM.
  • Recommended models shown as cards with cost tiers (lowest cost, balanced, best answers), plus any model name you type and a live list from your account.
  • One main AI connection for every feature, with an optional separate provider, model and key per feature.
  • Step-by-step help for getting an API key from each provider.
  • Optional conversation storage, off by default, with suggested privacy policy text and automatic retention.
  • Conversation insights: daily volume, totals, average length and a per-feature split over 7, 30 or 90 days.
  • API keys encrypted with AES-256-CBC using your site salts; all AI requests made server-side.
  • Per-visitor rate limits across three windows, applied to AI messages only.
  • Settings save automatically as you edit.
  • Filters for developers: skai_providers, skai_system_prompt, skai_widget_active and skai_rulebot_active.

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