The Setup Wizard is the guided first-run experience that turns a freshly activated Pointics plugin into a working loyalty program. It opens automatically the first time you activate Pointics and walks you through naming your program, deciding how customers earn points, what they can redeem, what VIP levels exist, and how the customer-facing widget looks.
There are two paths through the wizard:
- AI Assistant — you describe your store in plain English, the assistant proposes a full program (earning rules, rewards, levels), and you review and approve it before anything is saved.
- Onboarding Myself — you fill in each step by hand.
You can switch from the AI path to the manual path at any time, and you can skip out of the wizard entirely from any screen.
Why Do You Need It? #
- Removes the empty-admin problem: Setting up a loyalty program from a blank screen is the single biggest drop-off point for loyalty plugins.
- Live in minutes: Within a few minutes your store has real earning rules, at least one reward, a starter VIP tier and a branded customer-facing widget.
- Nothing is guessed: On the AI path, you review and approve every proposed item before it is written to your site.
Prerequisites #
- An Administrator account
- WooCommerce installed and active — optional, but without an integration the Earning step has no triggers to offer and says so
- An internet connection — only for the AI path, which calls the hosted assistant service
- An email address — collected on the Welcome step; it doubles as consent and registration for the free AI tier
No manual configuration is required before running the wizard.
Where to find it #
Go to Pointics → Ask AI, then the URL hash #/onboarding. The direct URL is /wp-admin/admin.php?page=pointics#/onboarding.
The wizard also opens automatically once, right after first activation. It does not open automatically when:
- You activated several plugins at once — the bulk activation results screen is left alone.
- Your user account is not an Administrator.
- Onboarding was already completed.
Step-by-Step Instructions #
Step 1: Confirm Your Email #
Enter your email address on the Welcome screen and click Continue.
Your email is used to enable the Pointics AI Assistant.
Step 2: Choose Your Setup Method #
Choose how you want to configure Pointics:
- AI Assistant: Let AI create a loyalty program based on your business.
- Onboarding Myself: Configure your loyalty program manually.
You can also skip the wizard and configure Pointics later.
Step 3: Set Up Your Loyalty Program with AI #
If you choose AI Assistant, describe your business and what you want your loyalty program to achieve.
For example:
“I run a coffee subscription store. Reward customers for repeat purchases and referrals.”
Click Configure Assistant. Pointics will generate suggestions for:
- Point earning rules
- Customer rewards
- VIP membership levels
Review the suggestions and make any necessary changes. Click Approve to apply the plan.
Note: The suggested settings are not applied until you approve them.
Step 4: Configure Your Program Manually #
If you choose Onboarding Myself, configure your loyalty program through the following options:
- Point Earning: Choose actions such as purchases, sign-ups, reviews, and referrals, then set the points customers will earn.
- Rewards: Create your first reward and set the required points and reward value.
- VIP Levels: Create a membership level and set its required points or spending threshold and benefits.
Click Next after completing each section.
Note: Available earning rules depend on the integrations active on your website.
Step 5: Customize the Loyalty Widget #
Customize how the Pointics loyalty widget appears to customers.
You can set the:
- Widget name
- Icon
- Background and text colors
- Display style
- Position
Click Save to apply your settings.
Step 6: Complete the Setup #
Once the setup is complete, Pointics will show a confirmation screen with a summary of your loyalty program.
Click Go to Dashboard to manage your earning rules, rewards, VIP levels, and other Pointics settings.
Key Functionality #
- Completing or skipping the Setup Wizard records the setup as completed, so the wizard does not appear again automatically.
- If you switch from the AI Assistant to manual setup, existing settings are preserved and can be edited without creating duplicates.
- To add new items during AI setup, update the AI instructions and generate the plan again.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q1. Can I skip the Setup Wizard?
A: Yes. You can skip the wizard and configure Pointics later from the dashboard.
Q2. Can I switch from AI Assistant to manual setup?
A: Yes. You can switch to manual setup at any time. Your existing settings will remain available for editing.
Q3. Does the AI Assistant apply settings automatically?
A: No. AI only suggests a loyalty program. You must review and approve the suggestions before they are applied.
Q4. Do I need WooCommerce to use the Setup Wizard?
A: No. WooCommerce is optional. However, available earning rules depend on the integrations active on your website.
Q5. Can I change my loyalty program after completing the wizard?
A: Yes. You can manage and update your earning rules, rewards, VIP levels, and other Pointics settings from the dashboard.
Conclusion #
The Pointics Setup Wizard provides a simple way to create and launch your loyalty program. You can use the AI Assistant for a faster setup or configure everything manually with Onboarding Myself. After completing the wizard, you can continue managing and customizing your loyalty program from the Pointics dashboard.
