Requirements
Check these requirements before you install Geeky Bot. The Setup screen checks most of them for you on your own site.
Software versions
Section titled “Software versions”| Software | Geeky Bot | Commerce Pro |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | 6.0 or later (tested up to 7.1) | 6.0 or later (tested up to 7.1) |
| PHP | 7.4 or later | 7.4 or later |
| WooCommerce | 7.0 or later (tested up to 11.1) | 7.0 or later, and must be active |
| Geeky Bot | — | Geeky Bot 2.1.2 or later |
Geeky Bot declares compatibility with WooCommerce High-Performance Order Storage and the Cart and Checkout blocks, so WooCommerce doesn’t list it as incompatible.
What works without WooCommerce
Section titled “What works without WooCommerce”Geeky Bot activates without WooCommerce, but it is a WooCommerce shopping assistant and most of it needs WooCommerce:
- The Setup screen marks the store system check, the product search index and the Guided Demo as Blocked, and shows an Install WooCommerce or Activate WooCommerce button.
- No product index is built until WooCommerce is active. When you activate WooCommerce, Geeky Bot schedules the first index build by itself.
- In the chat, a question that matches one of your approved Store Knowledge pages can still be answered. Any other question gets “Product assistance is temporarily unavailable. Please contact the store if you need help.”
Commerce Pro doesn’t run at all without WooCommerce.
Server needs
Section titled “Server needs”- WordPress REST API. The storefront chat talks to your site through the REST API. The Setup screen shows WordPress REST API as Failed if it isn’t available.
- Permalinks. Plain permalinks work, but the Setup screen recommends a readable permalink structure.
- WordPress scheduled events. Large index rebuilds finish in the background, and the daily translation check runs on a schedule.
- Outgoing HTTPS requests, only for the optional services you use:
| Service | When your server connects to it |
|---|---|
OpenAI (api.openai.com) |
When OpenAI is your answer mode, or Smart Catalog, Rescue or learning from missed searches uses your OpenAI key |
Zywrap (api.zywrap.com) |
When Zywrap is your answer mode, or the search levels use your Zywrap key, or you create or connect a Zywrap account |
| geekybot.com | To download translations on a site that isn’t in English, and, once you enter a Commerce Pro licence key, for licence checks, downloads and update checks |
In Local grounded mode on an English site without Commerce Pro, Geeky Bot makes no outgoing requests.
Encryption for API keys and licence keys
Section titled “Encryption for API keys and licence keys”Geeky Bot stores OpenAI and Zywrap API keys, and the Commerce Pro licence key, encrypted with your site’s WordPress salts. To do that, PHP needs the Sodium (libsodium) or the OpenSSL extension. Most hosts have both.
If neither is available:
- Geeky Bot → AI & Privacy shows “API keys cannot be stored on this server.” Saving a key is refused, instead of storing it unencrypted.
- Geeky Bot → License refuses to activate a licence key until your host enables OpenSSL or Sodium.
Local grounded mode doesn’t need a key, so it works either way. Ask your host to enable one of the extensions if you want to use OpenAI, Zywrap or Commerce Pro.
SQLite databases
Section titled “SQLite databases”Geeky Bot 2.1.3 and later run on sites whose database is SQLite, such as WordPress Playground and WordPress Studio. See Playground and SQLite.