AI agent

Speed up your support with AI

10 articles

Introduction to the AI agent

What is the AI Agent? The AI Agent is an autonomous support bot that handles customer tickets without human intervention. Built specifically for Shopify stores, it manages common support tasks that plague e-commerce stores. You can customize its tone, leverage your store data, and provide specific instructions for handling tickets. When enabled, the AI Agent is automatically assigned to new tickets and responds immediately unless configured otherwise. Human agents can remove the AI Agent from any conversation as needed. Key Features Playground Test the AI Agent safely by simulating conversations using your actual Shopify customer data. Shopify Actions The agent performs essential e-commerce tasks: - Order tracking and shipping updates - Address modifications - Order cancellations - Item replacements (size, color changes) - Order tagging - Standard helpdesk functions (ticket assignment, private notes) Knowledge & Guidance Train the agent using your store's products, store pages, help articles, canned responses, saved training responses and custom guidances for specific support scenarios. Multi-Platform Support Deploy across email, live chat, direct messages, and social media comments. Common Questions How do I prevent hallucinations? The agent is programmed to handover tickets when uncertain about available knowledge or guidance. The most effective prevention method is rigorous testing in the Playground using your historical tickets. Users who thoroughly test against old tickets see the best results. Can I limit which tickets the agent handles? Yes. Configure the AI Agent to respond only to tickets with specific guidance in the settings. This approach helps you gradually adopt the technology while maintaining control over ticket handling. What model powers the agent? We use multiple providers with proprietary technology for testing, evaluation, and tool execution. Our agent reliably follows complex, multi-step processes without the $1-per-ticket costs charged by other platforms. How do I add custom documents to the knowledge base? Copy your documentation into help center articles and leave them in draft status. Control which articles the AI Agent accesses through Knowledge settings. Alternatively, use AI training responses in Knowledge settings to add question-and-answer pairs directly. PDF and spreadsheet uploads are not currently supported. Does the agent work with multiple stores? The AI Agent functions across all stores connected to your account, but shares knowledge between them. For separate brands, use distinct Commslayer accounts (easily switchable via the top-left dropdown menu). Can the agent process customer images? Yes! AI agent is able to access and analyze pictures sent by customers.

Last updated on Jan 13, 2026

How to setup the AI agent

Enable Shopify permissions If you installed Commslayer before August 2025, you must reauthorize your Shopify connection to grant order editing permissions. 1. Navigate to Settings → Shops 2. Click "Reauth" if displayed 3. Complete Shopify authentication and confirm updated permissions Customize agent settings Configure the AI agent's identity and behavior through basic customization options. Agent name Most brands include "AI agent" in the name (e.g., "Awesome Brand's AI agent"). Some merchants, particularly dropshippers, use human names without AI disclosure. Your choice. General rules (optional) Define behavioral guidelines for the AI agent. Only add rules after thorough playground testing and guidance configuration. Tone of voice (optional) Specify communication style per channel (friendly, formal, brief, Gen Z, emoji-free). The agent defaults to channel-appropriate helpful tones. Change only if dissatisfied with default behavior. Signature Set email and direct message signatures. Useful for AI disclosure to customers. Handover settings Configure whether the AI agent transfers uncertain conversations to unassigned queue or specific human agents. Set the fallback message sent during handovers. Enable the AI agent Access AI agent settings from the left menu to select active inboxes. Restrict to enabled intents Critical setting that appears after inbox selection: - Disabled: AI agent handles all inbox tickets using available knowledge and guidance - Enabled: AI agent only responds to tickets with matching guidance, regardless of other available knowledge This restriction helps gradual adoption by limiting responses to specific scenarios like order tracking or cancellation requests. Operational details - Response delays: The AI agent includes randomized response delays for email and social media comments to appear natural and prevent customer frustration with instant replies. - Assignment behavior: The AI agent is automatically assigned to new tickets. Removing it stops responses to that conversation. If initially disabled for a conversation, the agent won't respond to existing messages until new customer messages arrive. Frequently Asked Questions Where do AI-assigned tickets appear in my inbox? Tickets being handled by the AI agent are filtered out of regular inbox views to reduce noise. To find them: 1. Go to AI Agent → Pending in the left sidebar 2. Or use the "All Conversations" view and filter by assignee This is why tickets might seem to "disappear"—they're just in the AI agent's queue, not lost. Can I disable AI drafts? AI drafts (the suggested replies that appear when you open a ticket) are currently always enabled. We're working on a toggle to disable them. In the meantime: - Press S to quickly dismiss a draft - The draft won't be sent unless you click Send How do I change the automated greeting message? The greeting message customers see when they first message you can be customized: 1. Go to Settings → Inboxes 2. Select your inbox 3. Find the Greeting message setting 4. Edit or disable as needed This is separate from the AI agent's responses—it's the initial auto-reply before any AI processing. Does the AI agent work in languages other than English? Yes! The AI agent can handle conversations in most major languages including German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and more. Write your guidance rules in the same language your customers use, and the AI will respond accordingly. Note: Our team can only help debug guidance written in English, so you'll be on your own for non-English troubleshooting.

Last updated on Jan 13, 2026

Training the AI agent

Your AI agent learns from two sources: Knowledge and Guidance. Knowledge is the information your AI agent can look up—help articles, canned responses, products, and past support conversations. The AI searches this automatically when customers ask questions. Guidance is custom instructions you write to handle specific scenarios. Think of it like training a new teammate: you explain when a situation applies and exactly how to handle it. Where to start 1. Test in the playground Before changing anything, try your AI agent in the playground. Send it some test messages to see how it responds out of the box. This helps you understand what it can already do and where it needs guidance. Go to AI Agent → Playground to start a test conversation. 2. Add guidance for common scenarios Most support questions fall into a few categories: shipping status, returns, damaged items, order changes. Create guidance rules to handle these scenarios the way you want. → Writing guidance — Examples and best practices for WISMO, returns, damaged items, and more 3. Build knowledge over time As you handle real conversations, save great responses as training examples. Add help articles and canned responses to give your AI more information to work with. → Knowledge sources — Help articles, canned responses, and training examples Reference → AI agent capabilities and actions — What your AI agent can and can't do, including Shopify actions and default behaviors

Last updated on Jan 13, 2026

Writing guidance

Guidance rules tell your AI agent how to handle customer scenarios. Each rule has four parts: - Title — Short name (e.g., "WISMO: Regional delivery timeframes") - Description — WHEN to trigger: the topic or customer situation - Instructions — HOW to handle it: specific scenarios and conditions - Status — disabled, testing (playground only), or enabled (live) Writing descriptions The description defines WHEN this guidance triggers. It can be broad—specific scenarios go in the instructions. Examples: - "Customer inquiries about order location, delivery status, shipping updates, tracking information, or asking 'where is my order'" - "Customer wants to return an order or item" - "Customer reports product arrived damaged, broken, or defective" Writing instructions Instructions tell the AI HOW to handle the situation. Break them into scenarios with clear conditions. Example: WISMO with regional timeframes Title: WISMO: Regional delivery timeframes Description: Customer inquiries about order location, delivery status, shipping updates, tracking information, or asking variations of 'where is my order/package/shipment.' Includes questions about delivery timing, order progress, or shipping delays. Instructions: Scenario 1: No tracking available yet Trigger: Customer asks for tracking and no tracking number is available IF order created less than 2 business days ago: - Inform tracking will be available once dispatched, usually within 24 hours - Processing can take up to 3 business days during busy periods - Advise customer to check back later IF order created more than 2 business days ago: - Apologize for the shipping delay - Escalate to an agent Scenario 2: Tracking available, not delivered Trigger: Order has tracking but not yet delivered Delivery timeframes by region: - USA: 5-9 business days - Canada: 5-9 business days - UK: 5-7 business days - Australia: 5-9 business days - Other countries: 10-15 business days Calculate expected delivery using order date plus regional timeframe. IF order is on time: - Share tracking information - Assure: "We're closely monitoring every shipment to make sure it arrives safely." IF order is behind by less than 2 business days: - Advise customer to wait an additional 2 days due to possible delays IF order is delayed by more than 2 business days: - Escalate to an agent Scenario 3: Marked delivered, not received Trigger: Customer reports order marked delivered but not received Ask customer to verify: - Neighbor, roommate, or doorman accepting package - Shipping address is correct - Carrier contacted for delivery details - Package left in discreet location Next steps: - Ask customer to wait 2 business days after posted delivery date - Share tracking info and shipping address - If verification done and 2+ days since marked delivered, escalate to agent Example: Damaged item reports Title: Damaged or defective item reports Description: Customer reports product arrived damaged, broken, defective, or not as described Instructions: Check if customer has an order - No match → Ask for order number and checkout email If multiple items: Ask which specific item was damaged Request photo(s) of damaged item(s) for assessment Review damage policy and explain options: "We stand behind the quality of our products. If your item arrived damaged: - Report within 7 days of delivery for fastest resolution - Replacement ships within 1-2 business days at no cost - Full refunds available if replacement isn't preferred - Keep the damaged item - no need to return unless requested" Example: Influencer collaboration Title: Influencer collaboration requests Description: Customer inquires about partnerships, collaborations, sponsorships, influencer opportunities, or brand partnerships Instructions: Step 1: Initial response - Thank customer for their interest in partnering - Express enthusiasm about potential partnership - Ask about collaboration details: rates, content requirements, deliverables Step 2: Assess partnership type IF customer proposes paid partnership: - Explain current partnership model available - Outline affiliate program terms: - Commission rate: [INSERT PERCENTAGE] - Product allocation: [INSERT DETAILS] - Content requirements: [INSERT DELIVERABLES] Step 3A: Customer agrees to affiliate terms IF customer agrees: - Collect: name, email, phone, shipping address - Label conversation: [INSERT LABEL] Step 3B: Customer declines IF customer declines: - Thank them for their time - Express openness to future partnerships - Label conversation: [INSERT LABEL] Key principles 1. Use scenarios for different situations Don't handle everything in one block. Break into Scenario 1, Scenario 2, etc. 2. Include specific timeframes and thresholds "2 business days", "5-9 business days", "within 7 days" — not "soon" or "quickly" 3. Define clear escalation rules Be specific: "delayed by more than 2 business days" not just "if there's a problem" 4. Tell the AI what to DO, not what to SAY - Good: "Apologize for the delay and share tracking" - Bad: "Say: Dear customer, we sincerely apologize..." 5. Reference actions naturally - "Escalate to an agent" - "Resolve the conversation" - "Leave private note about shipping damage" - "Label conversation: [tag name]" 6. Include verification steps when needed - "Request photo of damaged item" - "Ask for order number and checkout email" - "Confirm with customer it's the correct order" Common mistakes Missing scenarios Not covering different situations (tracking available vs not). Fix: Break into separate scenarios with triggers. Vague thresholds Using "if delayed" instead of specific timeframes. Fix: "Delayed by more than 2 business days" No escalation rules AI doesn't know when to hand over to a human. Fix: Define specific conditions for escalation. Over-scripting Writing full customer messages instead of instructions. Fix: Write instructions, not scripts. Overriding defaults Trying to change automatic behaviors like pending status. These can't be changed via guidance. See AI agent capabilities and actions for details. Testing guidance 1. Set status to "testing" (active only in playground) 2. Simulate real conversations in playground 3. Test each scenario path 4. Adjust and re-test 5. Set to "enabled" when ready

Last updated on Jan 13, 2026

Knowledge sources

Your AI agent automatically searches these sources when responding to customers. Knowledge is provided dynamically based on how well information matches the customer's request. Help articles Articles from your help center. The AI searches article titles and content to find relevant information. Tip: Write articles that answer common customer questions. The more comprehensive your help center, the better your AI agent can self-serve. Canned responses Pre-written message templates. Create these for frequently used responses like return instructions or shipping policies. To create a canned response: 1. Go to Settings → Canned responses 2. Click Add canned response 3. Enter a short code (e.g., "return-policy") and the response content Shopify products If you've connected Shopify, your AI agent can look up product details including titles, descriptions, pricing, and availability. Shopify orders Your AI agent can retrieve order information including status, tracking numbers, and order history for identified customers. AI training responses Save successful support conversations as training examples. When an agent writes a great response, you can add it to the AI's knowledge base. To save a training response: 1. Find a message in a conversation that handled a situation well 2. Click the Add AI training response button next to the message 3. The system will polish the response and save it Training responses help your AI agent learn your team's voice and how you handle specific situations.

Last updated on Jan 13, 2026

AI agent capabilities and actions

Your AI agent can perform different types of actions. Some happen automatically, some need to be enabled, and some behaviors can't be changed. Information lookup (automatic) The AI automatically searches when relevant: - Help articles — Your knowledge base content - Canned responses — Pre-written templates - Shopify products — Product details, pricing, availability - Shopify orders — Order status, tracking, history Conversation actions (always available) These are always available to your AI agent: - Respond to customer — Send messages to customers - Hand over to human agent — Transfer to your team - Resolve conversation — Close completed tickets - Snooze conversation — Pause until a specific time - Assign to agent or team — Route to the right person - Add or remove labels — Categorize conversations - Add private notes — Internal documentation Shopify actions (must be enabled) The AI agent can automatically handle common customer requests by performing actions in Shopify. This eliminates delays when customers need immediate changes to their orders, especially outside business hours. These actions must be enabled in Settings → AI Agent → Actions: Cancel order Cancels an unfulfilled Shopify order completely. This will cancel all unfulfilled items, stop pending fulfillment, automatically restock products, process a full refund, and send a confirmation email. If the order is already fulfilled/shipped, the agent will explain that cancellation is no longer possible. Edit order items Replaces or swaps items in a Shopify order (e.g., different size/color). The agent will ask which item to remove and what to add, check stock availability, restock removed items, and handle payment adjustments. For price increases, creates a handover to your team for additional payment. For decreases, automatically refunds the difference. Remove items from order Removes specific items from a Shopify order when customers change their mind. The agent will confirm which items to remove, restock them in Shopify, refund the amount for removed items, and send a confirmation email. Change shipping address Updates the delivery address for a Shopify order. The agent will verify the new address with the customer before making the update. Hold order fulfillment Temporarily pauses the fulfillment process. Useful when you need to make changes, verify information, or resolve issues before shipping. Tag Shopify order Adds custom tags to orders for organization and tracking (e.g., "urgent", "gift", "review_needed"). Issue full refund Processes a complete refund for all items in a Shopify order. Use with strict guidance as this refunds the entire order value. Using actions in guidance Once enabled, reference actions naturally in your guidance instructions: 1. Check if the order is unfulfilled 2. If unfulfilled, apologize and cancel the order 3. Confirm the cancellation and explain refund timing 4. Resolve the conversation The AI recognizes action phrases and performs them automatically: - "Cancel the order" → Executes cancel - "Hold fulfillment" → Pauses shipping - "Add tag: rush-delivery" → Tags the order - "Assign to returns team" → Routes conversation - "Escalate to human" → Hands over to agent Enabling Shopify actions Navigate to AI agent → Actions to enable Shopify actions. Each action can be individually enabled or disabled. Click "Edit" to configure conditions that must be met before the AI executes each action. Setup requirements: - If you installed Commslayer before August 2025, reauthorize your Shopify connection in Settings → Shops to grant order editing permissions - Each action requires individual activation using the toggle switches Default behaviors (cannot override) Some AI agent behaviors are automatic and cannot be changed via guidance. Pending on reply When the AI responds and expects the customer to reply, the conversation moves to "pending" status automatically. You cannot override this with guidance instructions. The AI determines whether it expects a reply based on context (e.g., asking a question vs. providing final information).

Last updated on Jan 13, 2026

Testing the AI agent

The playground lets you safely test your AI agent before deploying it with real customers. You can experiment with responses, test guidance, and ensure everything works correctly without affecting actual customer interactions. What is the playground? The playground is a simulation environment where you can chat with your AI agent using real customer data from your Shopify store. Test different scenarios, validate responses, and refine your AI agent's behavior before enabling it on live conversations. You can find the playground by navigating to AI agent → Playground or simply clicking the Test button on other AI agent pages, which opens the playground on the side of the page. Good to know: AI agent can't access real customers order data unless you a) simulate them or b) replay an existing conversation with the contact. Testing your AI agent Chat directly Type questions and messages to see how your AI agent responds. Test various customer scenarios and language patterns to ensure appropriate responses. Replay existing conversations Import previous customer interactions using the Test button found below any customer message in your conversation history. This lets you test how your AI agent would handle real-world scenarios with real order data from your actual support tickets. Select channel Choose which channel you want to simulate - email & DMs, chat, or social media comments. The AI agent will adapt its tone and response style according to the selected channel. Simulate customers Pick specific customers to simulate by searching their name or email address. This is useful for testing Shopify actions and order-related guidance, as you can select customers with recent orders to use their order data for testing. Simulated actions Actions in the playground are simulated only - no actual changes are made to Shopify orders or conversations. This allows safe testing of order modifications, refunds, and other actions without affecting real customer data. The AI agent will show you what actions it would perform, but your Shopify store and customer conversations remain unchanged. Managing AI knowledge If you notice issues like repetitive canned responses or inappropriate knowledge sources, visit the Knowledge page. You can exclude or edit problematic knowledge sources to help your AI agent respond more naturally and effectively. Regular testing in the playground helps identify knowledge gaps and ensures your AI agent provides consistent, accurate responses across all customer interactions.

Last updated on Jan 13, 2026

Enable AI Agent Without Blowing Up Your Support Inbox

Rushing to deploy AI agents across your entire support inbox is a recipe for disaster. Customers receive confusing responses, your team scrambles to fix issues, and trust in automation plummets. The solution? A careful, gradual approach that prioritizes testing and monitoring over speed. Start with min. 5-10 well-tested guidance scenarios and expand once you've verified that everything works as expected. Avoid letting the AI handle everything in your inbox from day one. New to AI agents? Read our Introduction to the AI agent guide first to understand the basics, including Knowledge sources, Guidance, and Shopify Actions. 1. Restrict Responses to Enabled Guidance Only Consider using the "Restrict to enabled intents" setting to control which requests your AI agent can respond to: When checked: The agent will only respond to requests that match your enabled guidance scenarios When unchecked: The agent may attempt to answer any incoming message using general knowledge. This can lead to unexpected or incorrect replies without proper context. ⚠️ Important: Minimum 5 guidance scenarios required When using "Restrict to enabled intents," you must have at least 5 enabled guidance scenarios for accurate matching. With fewer than 5 guidances, the AI agent may incorrectly match customer messages to unrelated scenarios, causing confusing or wrong responses. Why 5 minimum? The AI needs enough variety to distinguish between different types of requests. Too few options forces the system to make poor matches rather than correctly identifying unmatched requests. Getting started quickly: - Create 5-10 guidance scenarios before enabling restriction - Start with these common scenarios: - "Customer asking about order status" - "Customer wants to cancel their order" - "Customer received wrong item" - "Customer asking about return policy" - "Customer reporting damaged product" - Test each in the Playground first - Once these work reliably, enable "Restrict to enabled intents" Alternative approach: If you want to start with fewer guidances, leave "Restrict to enabled intents" unchecked initially. The AI will use general knowledge for unmatched requests while you gradually build up your guidance library. 2. Test Everything in the Playground First Before enabling any guidance scenario for live customer interactions, test it thoroughly using the AI agent → Playground. The Playground lets you safely simulate customer conversations using your actual Shopify customer data. You can: - Chat directly with your AI agent using different customer scenarios - Replay existing conversations from your ticket history to test real-world situations - Select specific customers to test order-related guidance with actual order data - Test Shopify Actions safely (simulated only - no real changes made) Testing checklist: - Test each guidance scenario with 5-10 real customer messages - Use the Replay feature on historical tickets for that scenario - Verify response accuracy, tone, and any automated actions - Check edge cases and unexpected customer phrasing - Use Revise answer feature to correct any poor responses Learn more: Read our detailed Playground guide for step-by-step testing instructions. Remember: The AI agent can only follow the guidance and knowledge you provide—it cannot guess what you want it to say. Start small with simple scenarios and monitor performance for at least 3-5 days before expanding to more complex use cases. Need help writing effective guidance? Check our Knowledge & Guidance guide for detailed examples and best practices. 3. Use Clear AI Agent Identification Configure your agent's name and signature to make it obvious that responses come from AI, not a human agent. Recommended format: - Name: "AI Assistant" or "[Your Company] Bot" - Signature: "This response was generated by AI. Need human help? Just ask!" This approach: - Sets proper customer expectations - Reduces confusion if the AI responds incorrectly - Encourages customers to request human assistance when needed - Builds trust through transparency 4. Disable Conflicting Automations Before enabling your AI agent, turn off these features to prevent message conflicts: - Business hours settings that send automated responses - "Send message" automations such as auto-replies These can trigger unnecessary messages and create confusing customer experiences when combined with AI agents. 5. Set Up Knowledge Sources Before going live, review the knowledge sources your AI agent has access to: Essential knowledge sources: - Help articles - Your help center content (can be kept in draft status) - Canned responses - Templates your human agents use - AI training responses - Saved examples of good human agent interactions - Shopify products - Your product catalog (automatically synced) - Shopify website pages - Store content and policies Knowledge management tips: - Review AI agent → Knowledge sources to see what's available - Exclude irrelevant or outdated content that might confuse responses - Add AI training responses for common scenarios not covered elsewhere - Keep help articles in draft if you only want the AI to access them Detailed setup: Our Knowledge & Guidance guide explains how to configure each knowledge source. 6. Configure Shopify Actions (If Needed) If your guidance scenarios involve order changes, enable the appropriate Shopify Actions: Popular starter actions: - Get latest order information - Add order tags - Change shipping addresses - Cancel unfulfilled orders Setup requirements: - Navigate to AI agent → Actions to enable specific actions - If you installed Commslayer before August 2025, reauthorize your Shopify connection - Each action requires individual activation and condition setup Important: Actions only execute when the AI agent is confident. Uncertain situations automatically escalate to human agents. Learn more: Read our Shopify Actions guide for complete setup instructions and available actions. Rollback Plan Have a clear process for quickly disabling the AI agent if issues arise: 1. Immediately disable problematic guidance scenarios in AI agent → Guidance 2. Notify your support team of any customer confusion 3. Review and adjust guidance instructions based on issues found 4. Re-test thoroughly in the Playground before re-enabling Good to Know - AI agents include natural response delays on emails and social media comments - Start with your highest-volume, lowest-complexity requests - Plan for a 2-4 week gradual rollout timeline - Keep your human agents informed about AI capabilities and limitations - The AI agent is programmed to hand over tickets when uncertain - this prevents hallucinations - Regular Playground testing helps identify knowledge gaps and improve responses Related Guides - Introduction to the AI agent - Complete overview of features and capabilities - Training the AI agent - How to train your AI agent with store information and custom instructions - AI agent actions- Automate order management with AI-powered actions - Testing the AI agent - Step-by-step testing and validation instructions Quick Start Checklist - Read the What is the AI Agent? overview guide - Enable "Restrict to enabled intents" setting - Write 1-3 guidance scenarios for your most common issues - Test each scenario thoroughly in the Playground - Configure clear AI agent name and signature - Set up relevant Knowledge sources - Enable Shopify Actions if your scenarios require order management - Disable conflicting business hours and auto-reply settings - Brief your support team on the rollout plan - Enable AI agent with limited guidance scenarios - Monitor performance for 3-5 days before expanding

Last updated on Jan 13, 2026

Exclude products from AI recommendations

Tag products in Shopify to prevent the AI agent from recommending or finding them. Add the commslayer-exclude tag to any product you want to hide from the AI agent's product search and recommendations. How to exclude a product 1. Go to your Shopify admin 2. Open the product you want to exclude 3. Add the tag commslayer-exclude 4. Save the product The AI agent will no longer recommend this product or return it in search results when customers ask about it. What happens when you exclude a product: When a product has the commslayer-exclude tag: - It won't appear in AI product recommendations - The AI won't find it when searching your catalog - Customers can still purchase it directly from your store If customers ask about an excluded product by name, the AI may fetch recommendations from Shopify's recommendation API or suggest similar items instead.

Last updated on Jan 13, 2026

How to enable AI social media comment moderation

AI will automatically hide toxic or inappropriate comments like spam, profanity, negativity, complaints, and ads. You can review and unhide comments if needed. Steps to Enable: 1. Go to AI agent -> Social media moderation. 2. Toggle on "Auto-hide inappropriate comments". To review hidden comments, check the Hidden comments view in the sidebar.

Last updated on Jan 13, 2026