Can I install the widget without the plugin?

The widget itself is an embed, but WooCommerce product sync and cart events come from the plugin. On a WooCommerce store, install the plugin.

Will the plugin slow my site down?

The widget is served from a standalone route rather than being compiled into your theme bundle, so it is not in your critical rendering path.

Does it work on WordPress multisite?

Each site connects with its own API key and its own tenant. Network-wide activation is not a supported shortcut for that.

Getting started

Install the PixelChat WordPress plugin

The plugin is how PixelChat talks to your WordPress site. It serves the chat widget, syncs content into the knowledge base, and — on WooCommerce stores — emits the cart and order events that drive automations.

Before you start

Administrator access to the WordPress site.
A PixelChat account with a tenant already created.
Your site reachable from the public internet — the connection is verified from our side, so a site behind HTTP auth or an IP allowlist will fail the check.

Install and connect

Download the current plugin build from Settings → Plugin releases in the PixelChat dashboard.
In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, upload the ZIP, and activate it.
Open the PixelChat panel in the WordPress admin menu.
Copy your API key from Settings → API keys in the PixelChat dashboard and paste it into the plugin.
Save. The panel shows a connection status indicator — wait for it to report connected before moving on.
Enable the widget. Load your site in a private window to confirm it appears.

If the connection fails

The plugin panel reports most failures as an API key problem regardless of the real cause, so work through the layers in order rather than trusting the message:

CDN or proxy — Cloudflare and similar services can block or challenge the REST request before WordPress sees it. Check for a firewall rule or bot-fight setting affecting /wp-json/.
Server firewall or security plugin — Wordfence, iThemes and hosting-level WAFs frequently block REST API calls from unknown origins.
WordPress REST API itself — load /wp-json/ in a browser. If that does not return JSON, nothing else will work and the problem is not PixelChat.
Permalinks — the REST API needs pretty permalinks. Re-save Settings → Permalinks in WordPress.
The API key — only after the four above have been ruled out. Regenerate it in Settings → API keys and paste it again.

Peel the layers in that order

Regenerating the API key is the first thing everyone tries and almost never the cause. A blocked REST request looks identical to a bad key from inside the plugin.

Keeping the plugin current

New builds appear under Settings → Plugin releases. Update through the same upload flow; your API key and settings persist across updates.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install the widget without the plugin?: The widget itself is an embed, but WooCommerce product sync and cart events come from the plugin. On a WooCommerce store, install the plugin.
Will the plugin slow my site down?: The widget is served from a standalone route rather than being compiled into your theme bundle, so it is not in your critical rendering path.
Does it work on WordPress multisite?: Each site connects with its own API key and its own tenant. Network-wide activation is not a supported shortcut for that.

Last updated 10 August 2026.