AI Chat
CaptiFi includes a built-in AI Chat widget that provides instant, context-aware assistance directly within the portal. The chat is available on every page as a floating widget in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Overview
The AI Chat widget is designed to help you navigate the portal, answer questions about features, and provide guidance — all without leaving the page you're working on. It supports rich formatting, navigation commands, and persists your conversation history locally.
Accessing the Chat
The chat widget appears as a floating button in the bottom-right corner of every portal page. Click the button to open the chat panel.
- Desktop — Opens as a compact chat panel in the corner of the screen.
- Mobile — Opens in a near-fullscreen mode for easier interaction on smaller screens.
Chat Features
Floating & Draggable Widget
The chat button can be dragged to a different position on the screen if it's covering content you need to see. Your preferred position is saved in your browser, so it will remain where you put it across page loads and sessions.
Message History
Your chat history is persisted locally in your browser's your browser:
- Messages are stored per user, so each account has its own conversation history.
- A maximum of 50 messages are retained. Once the limit is reached, the oldest messages are removed as new ones are added.
- History persists across page navigations and browser sessions (within the same browser).
Note: Clearing your browser's your browser will erase your chat history. Messages are not synced across different browsers or devices.
Message Input
- Maximum message length: 500 characters per message.
- Type your question or message in the input field and press Enter (or click the send button) to send.
- The AI will respond with helpful, contextual answers.
Rich Formatting
The AI assistant supports markdown-like formatting in its responses:
| Syntax | Renders As |
|---|---|
**text** | Bold text |
*text* | Italic text |
| URLs | Clickable links |
Navigation Commands
The AI can include navigation commands in its responses to link you directly to relevant portal pages:
[NAV:page_url|link_text]These render as clickable links that navigate you to the specified page within the portal. For example, the AI might respond with:
"You can configure that in your [NAV:/dashboard/splash-page|Splash Page Editor]."
Clicking the link takes you directly to the Splash Page Editor.
Notifications
- Sound notification — A notification sound plays when a new message is received from the AI.
- Unread badge — When the chat panel is closed and new messages arrive, an unread badge counter appears on the chat button. The badge displays the count up to "9+" for 10 or more unread messages.
Technical Details
API Endpoint
The chat sends messages to the backend via:
POST /api/chat- All requests include CSRF protection (the CSRF token is automatically included).
- Responses are returned as JSON and rendered in the chat panel.
Data Storage
| Data | Storage Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Message history | Browser your browser | Per-user, max 50 messages |
| Widget position | Browser your browser | Drag position saved automatically |
| Unread count | Browser memory | Resets when chat panel is opened |
AI Chat Settings (Admin)
Administrators can configure the AI Chat widget behaviour on a per-tenant basis. This means each business/venue can have its own chat configuration.
Settings that admins can configure include:
- Enable/disable the chat widget for their tenant
- Customise the AI's behaviour and response style
- Configure the assistant's knowledge base to focus on tenant-specific information
For customers: The chat widget appears based on your administrator's configuration. If you don't see the chat widget, it may be disabled for your account. Contact your administrator to enable it.
Chat Transcripts
The Chat Transcripts page allows administrators to review past conversations between users and the AI assistant.
Accessing Transcripts
Navigate to AI Chat → Transcripts in the dashboard sidebar.
Transcript List
The transcript list displays all past conversations with the following columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Conversation ID | A unique identifier for the conversation. |
| Message Count | The total number of messages exchanged in the conversation. |
| Started At | The date and time the conversation began. |
| Last Message At | The date and time of the most recent message in the conversation. |
Viewing a Transcript
Click on any conversation in the list to view the full transcript. The transcript view shows:
- All messages in chronological order
- Both user messages and AI responses
- Timestamps for each message
- Any navigation commands or formatted content
Use Cases for Transcripts
- Understanding user needs — Review what questions users are asking to identify common pain points or feature requests.
- Quality assurance — Check that the AI is providing accurate and helpful responses.
- Training insights — Identify areas where the AI could be improved based on real conversations.
- Support follow-up — If a user reports an issue via chat, find the conversation to understand the full context.
Best Practices
- Be specific — The more specific your question, the better the AI can assist you. Instead of "How do I set up?", try "How do I configure the splash page login method?"
- Use for navigation — If you're unsure where to find a feature, ask the AI. It can link you directly to the right page.
- Check message history — Scroll up in your chat to revisit previous answers before asking the same question again.
- Keep messages concise — With a 500-character limit, focus on one question at a time for the best results.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Chat widget not visible | The widget may be disabled for your tenant. Contact your administrator. Also check that JavaScript is enabled and no browser extensions are blocking it. |
| Widget is in an awkward position | Drag the widget to a new position. If it's stuck off-screen, clear your browser's your browser for this site to reset the position. |
| Messages not sending | Check your internet connection. Ensure the page has fully loaded. If the issue persists, try refreshing the page. |
| No sound notifications | Check that your browser allows notification sounds for this site. Some browsers block audio autoplay by default. |
| Chat history missing | History is stored in your browser. It may have been cleared by browser cleanup tools, privacy settings, or switching browsers. Messages are per-browser and per-device. |
| AI giving unhelpful responses | Try rephrasing your question with more detail. If the AI consistently provides incorrect information, report it to your administrator. |