Wade Digital

Internal SOP + Client Onboarding

AI Employee Setup Guide

A complete implementation guide for installing, training, launching, and maintaining AI assistants for local business websites.

1. Overview

Wade Digital's AI Employee system starts as a website AI assistant: a branded chat widget trained on the client's business that answers questions and captures leads.

The same foundation can later expand into appointment booking, a voice AI receptionist, CRM integration, SMS follow-up, analytics, and white-label client portals. Each expansion is optional and scoped per client — the website assistant is always Phase 1.

This guide is the standard operating procedure for every install: follow it top to bottom for a new client, or jump to a section during maintenance.

2. Required Tech Stack

  • Next.js website

    The client's site (or any site that can load a script tag).

  • Embeddable AI chat widget

    The branded bottom-right widget served from the AI backend.

  • AnythingLLM (or similar RAG backend)

    Hosts the knowledge base, retrieval, and chat API.

  • Ollama

    Local models for free development and testing before paid models.

  • OpenAI / Anthropic / GroqOptional

    Paid models for production accuracy when needed.

  • Retell AI / Vapi / SynthflowOptional

    Voice AI receptionist (Phase 3, future).

  • Google Calendar or Calendly

    Booking links for appointment scheduling.

  • Email notification system

    Owner notifications for new leads and bookings.

  • SMS providerOptional

    Optional SMS confirmations and follow-up.

  • CRMOptional

    Optional lead pipeline integration (HubSpot, GoHighLevel, etc.).

3. Server Setup

  1. 1Use Docker to run the AI backend (AnythingLLM or your chosen RAG stack) so installs are repeatable per client.
  2. 2Connect Ollama for free local testing during development; swap in a paid model provider for production if accuracy requires it.
  3. 3Put the backend behind HTTPS — no exceptions. Use a reverse proxy (Caddy, Nginx, or Traefik) if hosting multiple clients on one server.
  4. 4Keep the backend admin panel private: firewall it, use strong auth, and never expose admin routes publicly.
  5. 5Never expose API keys client-side. The widget talks to your backend; the backend holds all model keys server-side only.
  6. 6Restrict widget access to the client's domain (allowed origins / domain allowlist).

4. Client Onboarding Checklist

Collect everything below before building the knowledge base. Missing items cause hallucinations later.

  • Business name
  • Website URL
  • Services offered
  • Service areas
  • Business hours
  • Phone number
  • Email
  • Booking link
  • Contact form URL
  • Pricing rules (what can and cannot be quoted)
  • FAQs
  • Policies (warranty, cancellation, guarantees)
  • Emergency instructions (what to say, who to call)
  • Staff handoff rules (when to route to a human)
  • Topics the AI should NOT answer

5. Knowledge Base Setup

  1. 1Scrape the client's website pages into the knowledge base.
  2. 2Upload PDFs: brochures, spec sheets, service documents.
  3. 3Upload FAQs — the single highest-value source.
  4. 4Upload service pages individually so retrieval stays precise.
  5. 5Upload pricing sheets (only prices the client approves for sharing).
  6. 6Upload policy documents (warranty, cancellation, service terms).
  7. 7Add business rules: hours, areas, booking process, response expectations.
  8. 8Add approved answers for the most common questions, worded by the client.
  9. 9Add blocked topics: legal, medical, financial, emergency advice, and anything client-specific.
  10. 10Add a fallback response for unknown questions: admit uncertainty and route to the business.

6. Prompt Instructions

Start every client from this template, then tune per business. Keep guardrails explicit — the prompt is the contract.

System prompt template
You are the AI customer assistant for [Business Name]. Answer only from the approved business knowledge base. Be helpful, concise, and professional. Your goal is to answer questions, guide visitors to the correct service, collect lead details when appropriate, and encourage booking or contact. If unsure, say you are not certain and offer to connect the visitor with the business. Never invent prices, guarantees, legal advice, medical advice, emergency instructions, or policies not in the knowledge base.

7. Website Embed Instructions

Get the embed script from the AI backend, then install it per platform. Always test desktop and mobile after installing.

Any website

Paste the embed script immediately before the closing </body> tag.

Next.js

Use the next/script component in the root layout so the widget loads without blocking the page.

Next.js snippet
import Script from "next/script";

// In the root layout, inside <body>:
<Script
  src="https://YOUR-AI-BACKEND/embed/anythingllm-chat-widget.min.js"
  data-embed-id="CLIENT_EMBED_ID"
  strategy="lazyOnload"
/>
WordPress

Add the script to the theme footer via a header/footer plugin (e.g. WPCode) or the child theme's footer.php.

Shopify

Edit the theme's layout/theme.liquid and paste the script before </body>.

Webflow

Project Settings → Custom Code → Footer Code, paste the script, then republish.

8. Lead Capture Flow

Configure the assistant to collect these fields when a visitor shows intent. Keep it conversational — never a wall of form fields.

  • Name
  • Phone
  • Email
  • Service needed
  • City / location
  • Preferred appointment time
  • Urgency
  • Notes

9. Booking Setup

  1. 1Start simple: share the client's Calendly or Google Calendar appointment link in chat when a visitor wants to book.
  2. 2Later, upgrade to a direct calendar API integration for in-chat booking (scoped per client).
  3. 3Always confirm appointment details back to the visitor: service, date, time, location.
  4. 4Send the owner a notification for every booking (email at minimum).
  5. 5Send the customer a confirmation (calendar invite or email).
  6. 6Add a fallback if the calendar is unavailable: collect contact details and promise a callback.

10. Voice AI Roadmap (Optional / Future)

Voice AI is a future phase. Do not sell it as live until it is fully implemented and tested for that client.
  1. 1Choose a platform: Retell AI, Vapi, Synthflow, or similar.
  2. 2AI answers the phone with the client's greeting.
  3. 3Customer asks questions; AI answers from the same knowledge base as the website assistant.
  4. 4AI books appointments through the booking integration.
  5. 5AI transfers to a human when asked or when the conversation needs one.
  6. 6AI sends a call summary to the owner after every call.

11. Testing Checklist

Run every question below before launch. The last three MUST produce safe refusals or human handoffs.

  • What services do you offer?
  • What areas do you serve?
  • What are your hours?
  • How do I book?
  • Can I get a quote?
  • Do you offer emergency service?
  • What does it cost?
  • Can I speak to a person?
  • An out-of-scope question (e.g. unrelated trivia) — should decline politely
  • A dangerous/legal/medical question — must refuse and route to a professional or the business
  • A request for pricing that is not in the knowledge base — must not invent a number

12. Launch Checklist

  • Widget installed on the live site
  • Mobile tested
  • Desktop tested
  • CTA buttons working
  • Booking link working
  • Contact form working
  • Owner notification working
  • Fallback answers tested
  • Out-of-scope answers tested
  • Privacy/disclaimer added to the site
  • Client has approved the answers

13. Maintenance Plan

  1. 1Review conversations weekly for wrong or awkward answers.
  2. 2Update FAQs monthly from real questions visitors asked.
  3. 3Add new services as the client adds them.
  4. 4Remove outdated info (old prices, discontinued services, past promotions).
  5. 5Check booking links still work.
  6. 6Check model/API usage and cost against the plan's message limit.
  7. 7Check failed or fallback questions and add approved answers.
  8. 8Improve prompts when patterns of weak answers appear.
  9. 9Send a monthly report to the client (see Copy/Paste Assets below).

14. Security Rules

  • Never expose API keys in client-side code — keys live on the backend only.
  • Restrict the widget to the client's allowed domains.
  • Use HTTPS everywhere.
  • Use rate limits on the chat endpoint to prevent abuse and cost spikes.
  • Log carefully: keep conversation logs for quality, but avoid storing more than needed.
  • Avoid collecting sensitive information (health, financial, ID numbers) unless the business genuinely requires it.
  • Add a privacy notice near or inside the widget.
  • Do not allow the AI to make unsupported claims, guarantees, or promises.
  • Never position the AI as a source of emergency advice — emergencies route to 911 / the business immediately.

15. Client Pricing Operations

Revenue lines Wade Digital can sell on every AI Employee install:

  • Setup fee

    One-time: discovery, knowledge base, branding, install, testing.

  • Monthly hosting/maintenance

    The core recurring plan (Starter/Professional/Business).

  • Add-ons

    Extra pages trained, extra message volume, extra sites.

  • Premium model fee

    Pass-through + margin for paid AI models.

  • Booking integration fee

    Direct calendar API work, scoped per client.

  • Voice AI fee

    Phase 3 receptionist setup + per-minute costs.

  • White-label fee

    Agencies reselling under their own brand.

16. Troubleshooting

Widget not showing

Check the script is before </body>, the embed ID matches, the domain is on the allowlist, and no ad-blocker/CSP is blocking the script. Clear CDN/page cache.

AI giving wrong answers

Find the source document with the wrong/ambiguous info, correct it, and add an approved answer for that exact question. Re-test.

AI hallucinating

Tighten the system prompt ('answer only from the knowledge base'), lower temperature, add the missing info it invented, and strengthen the fallback response.

Booking link not working

Verify the link directly, check the client didn't change their Calendly/Calendar URL, and update the knowledge base + widget CTAs.

Slow responses

Check backend server load, model latency, and document count. Switch to a faster model (e.g. Groq or a smaller model) or reduce retrieval size.

Too many messages

Check for bot/spam traffic, add rate limits, and discuss a plan upgrade with the client if traffic is legitimate.

API cost too high

Review model choice (downgrade where quality allows), cap max tokens, enable rate limits, and confirm caching/retrieval settings are sane.

Client wants changes

Route through the knowledge base — update documents and approved answers, don't hand-edit one-off replies. Log the change in the client file.

Mobile display issue

Test on a real device. Check widget z-index vs sticky headers, viewport meta tag, and that the bubble doesn't cover the client's own CTAs.

17. Copy/Paste Assets

Standard documents for every install. Copy, fill in the blanks, send.

Client Onboarding Questionnaire — Send before the discovery call.

Client Onboarding Questionnaire
AI EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING — [Business Name]

1. Business name:
2. Website URL:
3. Services offered (list all):
4. Service areas (cities/regions):
5. Business hours:
6. Phone number for customers:
7. Email for leads/notifications:
8. Booking link (Calendly/Google Calendar), if any:
9. Contact form URL:
10. Pricing: what can the AI share? (exact prices / starting-at ranges / no prices)
11. Top 10 questions customers ask:
12. Policies (warranty, cancellation, guarantees):
13. Emergency requests: what should the AI say?
14. When should the AI hand off to a human?
15. Topics the AI must NOT answer:

AI System Prompt Template — Paste into the backend's system prompt, replace [Business Name], then tune.

AI System Prompt Template
You are the AI customer assistant for [Business Name]. Answer only from the approved business knowledge base. Be helpful, concise, and professional. Your goal is to answer questions, guide visitors to the correct service, collect lead details when appropriate, and encourage booking or contact. If unsure, say you are not certain and offer to connect the visitor with the business. Never invent prices, guarantees, legal advice, medical advice, emergency instructions, or policies not in the knowledge base.

Website Install Instructions (for clients) — Send when the client's web person installs the script.

Website Install Instructions (for clients)
INSTALLING YOUR AI ASSISTANT

1. Copy the script snippet we sent you.
2. Paste it just before the closing </body> tag of your website.
   - WordPress: use a header/footer plugin (e.g. WPCode) → Footer.
   - Shopify: Online Store → Edit code → layout/theme.liquid → before </body>.
   - Webflow: Project Settings → Custom Code → Footer Code → publish.
   - Other builders: look for "custom code" or "footer scripts".
3. Publish/refresh your site.
4. Confirm the chat bubble appears bottom-right on desktop AND mobile.
5. Ask it one test question, then let us know — we'll run the full test list.

Client Approval Checklist — Get sign-off before launch.

Client Approval Checklist
PRE-LAUNCH APPROVAL — [Business Name]

[ ] I have reviewed the assistant's answers to our top questions
[ ] Services and service areas are correct
[ ] Business hours and contact details are correct
[ ] Pricing rules are correct (nothing shared that shouldn't be)
[ ] Booking/contact links are correct
[ ] I understand the AI can make mistakes and important answers should be reviewed
[ ] I approve the assistant going live on our website

Name: ____________  Date: ____________

Monthly Report Template — Send to every maintenance client monthly.

Monthly Report Template
AI EMPLOYEE MONTHLY REPORT — [Business Name] — [Month]

Conversations this month: ___
Leads captured: ___
Most common questions:
1.
2.
3.

Knowledge base updates made:
-

Recommended next improvements:
-

Notes on accuracy/quality:
-

Questions? Reply to this email or book a call: [link]

Need Wade Digital to install this for your business?

We handle the full setup: discovery, knowledge base, branding, installation, testing, and monthly maintenance.

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