# BotChap

> BotChap is an AI receptionist for SMEs and solo professionals. It answers customer questions, books appointments, and runs surveys 24/7 — reachable from a website embed, a direct link, or a printed QR code. No website required.

BotChap is a SaaS product for small businesses, solo professionals (trainers, therapists, handymen, doctors, dentists, tutors, Airbnb hosts, beauticians, consultants), and developers who want a branded AI receptionist on their own domain or as a standalone link. Users configure the widget visually — appearance, tone, knowledge base, booking, surveys, GDPR consent — then either let BotChap host the AI (billed pay-as-you-go via BotChap AI Credits, separate from the monthly subscription) or connect their own backend (n8n, Zapier, OpenAI, Flowise, Dify, LangChain, Shopify, custom REST) and pay their own AI provider directly. The widget embeds on any website with a single script tag, lives at a public chatbot link, and prints to a QR code for offline marketing (vans, menus, business cards, hotel rooms, Instagram bios).

## Key pages

- [Home](https://botchap.com/): AI receptionist landing page with live demo, features, and pricing
- [AI Chatbot Widget](https://botchap.com/ai-chatbot-widget/): Long-form product page
- [Integrations](https://botchap.com/integrations/): Every supported AI backend with setup guides
- [Blog](https://botchap.com/blog/): Tutorials, vertical playbooks, and integration walkthroughs
- [Pricing comparison](https://botchap.com/compare/alternative/): BotChap vs the AI-chat-widget alternatives
- [BotChap vs Crisp](https://botchap.com/compare/botchap-vs-crisp/)
- [BotChap vs Tidio](https://botchap.com/compare/botchap-vs-tidio/)
- [BotChap vs Elfsight](https://botchap.com/compare/botchap-vs-elfsight/)
- [BotChap vs Chatbot.com](https://botchap.com/compare/botchap-vs-chatbot-com/)
- [BotChap vs Base44](https://botchap.com/compare/botchap-vs-base44/)
- [BotChap vs Chatbase](https://botchap.com/compare/botchap-vs-chatbase/)
- [Contact](https://botchap.com/contact/)

## Solutions (target verticals)

BotChap publishes a dedicated guide for each profession it serves. The product is the same — these pages explain how an AI receptionist fits the workflow of that profession.

- [Personal trainers](https://botchap.com/solutions/personal-trainers/): Answer package and pricing questions, book trial sessions while you train clients.
- [Therapists & coaches](https://botchap.com/solutions/therapists-coaches/): Intake, fee explanations, initial consultation booking — 24/7, without breaking session.
- [Handymen & contractors](https://botchap.com/solutions/handymen-contractors/): QR code on the van. Answers job questions and books calls while you're on a job site.
- [Solo doctors & dentists](https://botchap.com/solutions/solo-doctors-dentists/): Triage routine questions, route urgent ones, book appointments after hours.
- [Airbnb hosts](https://botchap.com/solutions/airbnb-hosts/): QR code in the rental. Answers Wi-Fi, check-out, parking, and house-rule questions instantly.
- [Consultants & freelancers](https://botchap.com/solutions/consultants-freelancers/): Qualify leads, explain services, schedule discovery calls.
- [Beauticians & hairdressers](https://botchap.com/solutions/beauticians-hairdressers/): Service menu, pricing, booking — straight from Instagram bio.
- [Tutors & teachers](https://botchap.com/solutions/tutors-teachers/): Course details, availability, trial-lesson booking.

## Integrations

BotChap supports these AI backends via a server-side proxy (Managed auth mode). API keys and credentials are stored AES-256-GCM encrypted on the server and never exposed to the browser.

- [n8n](https://botchap.com/integrations/n8n-chatbot-widget/): Connect to n8n Chat Trigger or Webhook nodes. BotChap sends chatInput, sessionId, chatbotId, and metadata.
- [Zapier](https://botchap.com/integrations/zapier-chatbot-widget/): Connect to any Zap via a Webhooks by Zapier Catch Hook. Sync mode returns the Zap's reply; async mode triggers automations with a fixed acknowledgement.
- [OpenAI Chat](https://botchap.com/integrations/openai-chatbot-widget/): Chat Completions with configurable model, system prompt, temperature, max tokens, and message history depth.
- [Flowise](https://botchap.com/integrations/flowise-chatbot-widget/): Connects to the Flowise prediction endpoint.
- [Dify](https://botchap.com/integrations/dify-chatbot-widget/): Connects to the Dify chat-messages API in blocking mode. Supports chat, completion, and agent app types.
- [LangChain](https://botchap.com/integrations/langchain-chatbot-widget/): POST to any LangChain or LangGraph HTTP endpoint with configurable input/output keys.
- [Shopify](https://botchap.com/integrations/shopify-chatbot-widget/): Product search widget. Sends visitor query to Shopify Admin GraphQL and returns top 3 matching products.
- [Custom REST API](https://botchap.com/integrations/custom-rest-api-chatbot-widget/): POST or GET to any HTTP endpoint with configurable headers, body template ({{message}}, {{sessionId}} tokens), and dot-notation response path.

## Features

- Built-in AI backend (currently Google Gemini, billed pay-as-you-go via BotChap AI Credits — top up from $10, no expiry, no per-conversation surcharge)
- Knowledge base / RAG: upload PDFs, paste docs, scrape URLs; chunks stored as embeddings
- Appointment booking with availability windows, durations, buffer time
- In-widget surveys (NPS, CSAT, custom multi-step lead qualification)
- Public chatbot link (`/c/<chatbotId>`) — works without a website
- Printable QR code per chatbot for offline marketing
- Animated widget triggers: pulse, bounce, shake, wave, glow-ring, slide-in, pop, glow, jump, breath, float, wiggle
- Entry animations: fade, zoom, fall, slide-up, slide-down, slide-left, slide-right
- Widget shapes: circle, ellipse, rounded, square
- Positions: bottom-right, bottom-left, top-right, top-left, custom coordinates
- Draggable widget; auto-open on page load with configurable delay
- Tooltip with animation (fade-in, slide-up, bounce-in)
- Fully customizable colors for header, messages, footer, buttons, background
- Custom CSS injection
- RTL layout support (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian)
- File upload with allowlist MIME validation (max 4 MB, 3 files per message)
- Voice input via native browser speech-to-text
- Hidden context injection with token substitution ({{now}}, {{date}}, {{time}}, {{url}}, {{hostname}}, {{lang}})
- GDPR consent screen with configurable title, body, accept label
- Domain allowlist for restricting widget usage
- Rate limiting (messages per session, cooldown)
- Geofencing (allow or block by country)
- Chat logs (Scale plan, Managed auth only)
- Message history depth (1–20 turns) for OpenAI Chat
- Branding removal (Growth and Scale plans)
- Inline embed mode in addition to floating widget

## Pricing

The monthly subscription covers the widget and features. Built-in AI usage is metered separately via BotChap AI Credits (pay-as-you-go) — or wire a custom backend (n8n / OpenAI / Flowise / Dify / LangChain / custom REST) and pay your AI provider directly with no BotChap AI Credits involved. Yearly subscription billing is roughly 17% cheaper than monthly.

- **Free**: 1 widget, basic features, BotChap branding. Built-in AI requires BotChap AI Credits or a custom backend.
- **Starter — $9.59/month or $95.90/year**: 1 AI receptionist, knowledge base, public chatbot link, QR code
- **Growth — $17.99/month or $179.90/year**: 3 AI receptionists, appointment booking, surveys, branding removal
- **Scale — $79/month or $790/year**: 200 AI receptionists, chat logs, priority support, multi-location

BotChap AI Credits cover the actual AI usage (token cost) for the built-in model — you only pay for what you use, no expiration, top up in any increment from $10 upward. This is decoupled from the subscription tier so a busy month scales linearly on credits while your subscription stays flat.

The Free plan covers a single solo professional who wants to try the product. Most paying users land on **Growth** because it unlocks booking and surveys. Agencies, multi-location businesses, and resellers use **Scale** for the 200-widget headroom and chat logs.

## Blog (selected posts)

- [How Solo Professionals Lose Clients by Missing Calls — And How to Fix It](https://botchap.com/blog/how-solo-professionals-lose-clients-by-missing-calls/): The case for an AI receptionist over voicemail or hiring.
- [AI Receptionist vs. Virtual Assistant: Which Is Better for Solo Professionals?](https://botchap.com/blog/ai-receptionist-vs-virtual-assistant/): Cost, availability, and trade-off breakdown.
- [How to Automate Appointment Booking Without a Receptionist](https://botchap.com/blog/how-to-automate-appointment-booking-without-a-receptionist/): Booking flow setup with BotChap Growth ($17.99/mo).
- [Do You Need a Website? How to Run a Business With Just an AI Chatbot Link](https://botchap.com/blog/run-business-without-website-ai-chatbot-link/): Operating off the public chatbot link + QR code only.
- [20 Real-World Ways Solo Professionals Use a QR Code Chatbot](https://botchap.com/blog/20-qr-code-chatbot-scenarios-for-solo-professionals/): Vertical-by-vertical playbook of QR-code chatbot use cases.
- [QR Code Marketing for Handymen: A Practical Guide](https://botchap.com/blog/qr-code-marketing-for-handymen/): Putting a chatbot QR on a van, door, or invoice.
- [Airbnb Host Hack: A QR Code That Answers Every Guest Question](https://botchap.com/blog/airbnb-host-qr-code-guest-assistant/): A printable QR in the rental that handles guest FAQs.
- [How to Add a Booking Chatbot to Your Instagram Bio](https://botchap.com/blog/how-to-add-booking-chatbot-to-instagram-bio/): Link-in-bio strategy for service businesses.
- [BotChap Now Becomes a Full RAG Chatbot for Your Website](https://botchap.com/blog/botchap-rag-chatbot-knowledge-base/): Knowledge-base / retrieval-augmented generation feature explainer.
- [Building a RAG Chatbot With BotChap and OpenAI](https://botchap.com/blog/building-rag-chatbot-botchap-openai/): RAG setup walkthrough with your own OpenAI key.
- [In-Widget Surveys: Run NPS, CSAT, and Lead Qualification Inside the Chat](https://botchap.com/blog/in-widget-surveys-nps-csat-lead-qual/): Multi-step survey flow inside the widget.
- [How to Add a Chat Widget to Your n8n Workflow (Step-by-Step)](https://botchap.com/blog/how-to-add-chat-widget-to-n8n-workflow/): n8n integration walkthrough.
- [How to Embed an AI Chatbot on Any Website Without Writing Code](https://botchap.com/blog/how-to-embed-ai-chatbot-on-any-website-without-code/): Embed instructions for WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Wix, Squarespace, plain HTML.
- [Flowise + BotChap: Complete Integration Guide](https://botchap.com/blog/flowise-botchap-integration-guide/): Flowise integration walkthrough.
- [How to Build a Zapier AI Chatbot Widget for Your Website](https://botchap.com/blog/zapier-ai-chatbot-widget/): Zapier integration walkthrough.

The full blog index is at https://botchap.com/blog/.

## Technical facts

- Embed method: single `<script>` tag with `data-id` attribute
- Widget file: `https://botchap.com/widget.js`
- Backend proxy endpoint: `https://botchap.com/api/chat` (Managed auth mode)
- Auth storage: API keys stored AES-256-GCM encrypted at rest
- Session handling: stable session ID per browser session, passed to all backends
- Streaming: not currently supported in the managed proxy
- Hosting: works on any website that allows custom script injection (WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Wix, Squarespace, Framer, raw HTML)
- Standalone: every chatbot also has a public link at `/c/<id>` and an auto-generated QR code, so it works without a website

## Questions & answers

**Q: What is BotChap?**
A: BotChap is an AI receptionist for SMEs and solo professionals. It answers customer questions, books appointments, and runs surveys 24/7. It lives on your website as an embedded widget, on a public chatbot link, or behind a printed QR code.

**Q: Do I need a website to use BotChap?**
A: No. Every BotChap chatbot has a public link (`/c/<id>`) and a printable QR code, so a solo professional can run their business off a QR code on a van, a menu, or an Instagram bio without ever building a site.

**Q: Do I need an OpenAI key or another AI account?**
A: No. BotChap ships with a built-in AI (Google Gemini) that runs on pay-as-you-go BotChap AI Credits — separate from the monthly subscription. You can still bring your own backend (n8n, OpenAI, Flowise, Dify, LangChain, Zapier, custom REST) and pay your own AI provider directly if you'd rather avoid BotChap AI Credits.

**Q: Who is BotChap for?**
A: Solo professionals (trainers, therapists, doctors, dentists, tutors, beauticians, handymen, Airbnb hosts, consultants), small businesses, and developers who want a branded AI receptionist without building one from scratch.

**Q: How much does BotChap cost?**
A: Subscription tiers: Free (1 widget, basic features), **Starter** $9.59/month ($95.90/year) for 1 widget, **Growth** $17.99/month ($179.90/year) for 3 widgets plus booking, surveys, and branding removal, **Scale** $79/month ($790/year) for 200 widgets, chat logs, and priority support. On top of the subscription, the built-in AI is metered via BotChap AI Credits — pay-as-you-go, you only pay for what you actually use, no expiry. Or wire a custom backend and pay your AI provider directly.

**Q: Can BotChap book appointments?**
A: Yes, on the Growth plan ($17.99/month) and above. Configure availability windows, durations, buffer time, and the booking confirmation channel.

**Q: Can BotChap answer questions from my own documents (PDFs, FAQs)?**
A: Yes. Upload PDFs, paste documents, or point BotChap at URLs. Content is chunked and embedded; the bot uses retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to ground its answers in your material.

**Q: How is BotChap different from Crisp, Tidio, Intercom, or Elfsight?**
A: Most chat widgets are built around human-staffed live chat with bot deflection. BotChap is built around the AI receptionist as the default operator — so it includes RAG knowledge base, appointment booking, in-widget surveys, public chatbot links, and QR codes as first-class features rather than bolt-ons. See the named comparison pages above.

**Q: How is BotChap different from Base44 or Chatbase?**
A: Base44 and Chatbase focus on document-grounded chatbots. BotChap covers the same RAG use case but adds appointment booking, in-widget surveys, animated widget triggers, public chatbot links, and a no-website mode for solo professionals working off a QR code.

**Q: Can I remove BotChap branding?**
A: Yes, on Growth ($17.99/month) and Scale ($79/month).

**Q: How is data stored?**
A: API keys and credentials are AES-256-GCM encrypted at rest. Conversation data is encrypted in transit. BotChap exposes a configurable GDPR consent screen for visitor-side compliance.

**Q: Where is BotChap available?**
A: Anywhere your website is reachable. Geofencing lets you allow or block specific countries per widget.

**Q: Is there a free plan?**
A: Yes — one widget, the core builder, animated triggers, and embed code. The built-in AI runs on BotChap AI Credits, so Free-plan widgets typically connect to a custom backend (OpenAI / n8n / Flowise / etc.) and pay that provider directly, or top up a small BotChap AI Credits balance to use the built-in AI. No credit card required to start.

**Q: How does BotChap AI Credits billing work?**
A: When you use the built-in AI, each message consumes BotChap AI Credits proportional to the underlying model's token cost. Top up in any increment from $10 upward, no expiration, no overage rates. This decouples your monthly subscription (widget + features) from your actual AI usage — heavy months cost more credits while your subscription stays flat, and a quiet month costs almost nothing.