What is the Home Screen and AI Assistant? #
Home is the landing screen of Pointics. It is built around a single prompt box—the AI hero—plus a grid of feature cards that show what is set up on your site and how much of it there is.
Typing into the prompt box does not chat inside Pointics. Pointics hands the prompt over to a companion plugin called Aisentic, which owns the chat window. If Aisentic is not installed, Pointics offers to install, activate, and register it for you—with your consent—and then reopens with your prompt already sent.
A second, smaller prompt bar appears in the page header on every admin screen. It works the same way but keeps its own separate draft.
Why Do You Need It? #
- Describes intent, not configuration: Most store owners don’t know what a good loyalty program looks like. Describe what you want and the assistant proposes concrete earning rules, rewards, and levels.
- A live checklist: The feature cards double as a running list of what is still missing from your loyalty program.
- One-click setup: You never leave the Pointics admin area to install and start using the AI Assistant.
Prerequisites #
- An Administrator account.
- Permission to install and activate plugins if you want Pointics to install Aisentic automatically.
- Aisentic version 1.1.2 or later.
- An active internet connection.
- An email address to activate the free AI tier.
Version 1.1.2 is the first release of Aisentic that supports Pointics. Earlier versions are not supported and will be refused instead of failing silently.
Where to Find It #
Navigate to Pointics → Ask AI.
/wp-admin/admin.php?page=pointics#/Step-by-Step Instructions #
Step 1: Open the Home Screen #
Go to Pointics → Ask AI. The Home screen includes:
- The Pointics AI Assistant heading.
- A prompt field labeled “Describe what you want to set up” with a Configure with AI button.
- Three suggestion chips.
- A What I can do section containing feature cards.
Step 2: Pick or Type a Prompt #
The suggestion chips change depending on whether your loyalty program already contains earning rules. Clicking a chip fills the prompt box but does not send it.
| Your State | Suggestion Chips |
|---|---|
| No earning rules yet | “Give 2× points on orders over $100” “Reward customers on their birthday” “Set up a points-for-signup rule” |
| At least one earning rule | “Which reward gets redeemed most?” “Add a VIP tier above my top level” “Double points for the next two weeks” |
Step 3: Send the Prompt #
Click Configure with AI. The behavior depends on your current Aisentic installation status.
| Situation | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Aisentic is already installed and connected | The chat opens immediately with your prompt already sent. No page reload occurs. |
| Aisentic is missing or not connected | A consent dialog appears. After confirmation, Pointics installs, activates, registers, reloads the page, and opens the chat with your prompt. |
| Aisentic is installed and already configured | Pointics connects instantly. No consent dialog is shown and nothing is installed. |
| Aisentic is installed but older than version 1.1.2 | The request is refused with an update message. |
Step 4: Give Consent, If Asked #
The consent dialog appears only when Pointics needs to install Aisentic or send your email address for activation. After confirming your email and accepting the consent request, installation begins.
Your prompt is automatically saved before installation starts, so it is restored after the page reload.
Step 5: Review the Feature Cards #
Each feature card displays a title, description, count badge, and action button. When a feature count is zero, the card switches to a first-time setup state.
| Card | Normal Description | Empty State | Button | Opens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points & Earning Rules | Create earning rules for purchases, referrals, reviews, signups, and more. | Add your first rule and customers start earning. | Add your first rule | Points Program |
| Rewards & Redemption | Configure coupons, discounts, free products, and redemption rules. | Points need somewhere to go. Add a reward. | Add your first reward | Rewards |
| Customer Levels | Create Bronze, Silver, Gold, VIP, and custom tiers. | Build a ladder for your best customers. | Add your first level | Levels |
| Settings & Guides | Update settings, navigate, and access how-to guides. | Same description. | Open Settings | Settings |
The Settings & Guides card does not display a count badge, so it is always visible.
Key Functionality #
Pointics does not contain its own chat interface. Instead, it detects the status of Aisentic, hands over your prompt, and lets Aisentic handle the conversation.
Because the plugin status can change outside Pointics, the assistant status is verified every time you click Configure with AI. This prevents unnecessary installation or connection attempts.
If Aisentic is installed but activation of the free AI tier fails, your prompt is kept as a draft instead of being sent automatically. This ensures that nothing is submitted without your confirmation.
How the Handoff Works #
When you click Configure with AI, Pointics checks the status of Aisentic before handing over your prompt. Depending on the plugin’s installation and connection status, one of the following actions takes place.
- You type a prompt and click Configure with AI.
- Pointics checks whether the AI Assistant is available.
- If the assistant status cannot be determined, an error message is displayed.
- If Aisentic is installed but the version is older than 1.1.2, Pointics asks you to update the plugin before continuing.
- If Aisentic is already installed, active, and connected, the chat opens immediately and your prompt is sent automatically.
- If Aisentic is not installed, Pointics checks whether your account has permission to install plugins.
- If your account cannot install plugins, you are prompted to ask an administrator to install Aisentic.
- If installation is allowed and Aisentic has already been configured previously, Pointics reconnects silently.
- If installation is allowed but Aisentic has not been configured yet, a consent dialog requests your email address and approval.
- Your prompt is saved before installation begins so it is restored after the page reload.
- Pointics installs, activates, and registers Aisentic automatically.
- If registration is successful, the page reloads and your prompt is sent to the AI Assistant.
- If free token activation fails, Pointics asks you to retry the activation.
Settings #
The Home screen does not contain its own settings. Instead, it reflects the current AI Assistant and loyalty feature configuration.
| Setting | Effect on Home |
|---|---|
| AI Connection State | Managed automatically by the connection process and cannot be changed from the Home screen. |
| Rewards & Levels Availability | If a feature is disabled, its card is hidden completely instead of displaying a zero count. |
Validation Rules #
- Email: Must be a valid email address or left empty. If left empty, your WordPress account email is used.
- Consent: Required before installing the AI Assistant. Without consent, the installation cannot continue.
- Permissions: Your account must have permission to install and activate plugins.
- Request Limit: A maximum of 30 AI or connection requests per user per minute.
- Send Button: Disabled while a connection request is in progress or when the prompt field is empty.
- Prompt Drafts: Saved for up to 10 minutes, even if the page reloads during installation.
Limitations #
- Pointics does not include its own chat interface. After the handoff, all conversations take place inside Aisentic.
- If a loyalty feature is disabled, its feature card is hidden instead of displaying a count of zero.
- The Home screen prompt and the page-header prompt are stored independently and do not synchronize with each other.
Troubleshooting #
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| The installed AI Assistant is too old to work with Pointics. | Update Aisentic to version 1.1.2 or later. |
| Ask an administrator to install the Pointics AI Assistant on this site. | Your account cannot install plugins. Contact an administrator or install Aisentic manually. |
| The assistant could not be installed. | Check file permissions, hosting restrictions, and access to WordPress.org. |
| The assistant was installed, but activating your free tokens failed. | Retry the activation. The plugin has already been installed successfully. |
| Could not determine whether the assistant is available. | Detection failed. Reinstall Pointics or verify that Aisentic is installed correctly. |
| You are not allowed to install plugins on this site. | Your account does not have permission to install or activate plugins. |
| Consent is required to install the assistant. | Enable the consent checkbox before continuing. |
| The assistant is not in the plugin catalog. | This indicates an installation issue. Contact support. |
| Too many AI requests. Please wait a moment and try again. | Wait approximately 60 seconds before trying again. |
| No loyalty features are available on this site yet. | All loyalty features are currently disabled. |
| Your prompt disappeared after the page reload. | Prompt drafts expire after 10 minutes, and private browsing may prevent them from being saved. |
Notes #
- Pointics only reads Aisentic’s configuration. It never modifies Aisentic settings or stores your AI API key.
- Aisentic manages its own registration process. Pointics simply requests registration and checks the result.
- The AI Assistant can review your existing earning rules, rewards, levels, branding, and points configuration, then propose improvements.
- Every AI-generated proposal must be reviewed and approved before any changes are applied.
- The free version of Pointics supports a single loyalty level, so the AI proposes one level at a time.
