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Admin Assistant ("Ask AI")

Menu Location: Floating button, bottom-center of every admin page (not in the nav menu)

Access Level: Full admins only (store owner accounts). Staff logins with a restricted access level (customer service, routing, warehouse, accounting, etc.) do not see it.

Last Updated: 2026-07-23

Overview

The Admin Assistant is a floating chat widget available on every admin page. It's a read-only AI helper that can answer questions about how the admin works, where to find a setting, and live numbers from your store (order counts, customer counts, and similar), using your own data and documentation. It never makes changes on your behalf.

Currently paused. The Ask AI button is temporarily hidden while we work on the next round of improvements based on recent feedback. No setup or action is needed on your end; it will come back automatically when the next version rolls out.

How to Use

  1. Click the Ask AI tab at the bottom-center of any admin page.
  2. The first time you open it, a notice explains that the assistant is in testing, may not always be accurate, and that conversations are logged and monitored. Click I understand to continue (or Cancel to close without opening the chat). This notice is shown once per admin per browser.
  3. Type a question, such as:
    • "What does this page do?"
    • "Where do I add a discount code?"
    • "How many active customers are there?"
  4. The assistant replies in the panel. A small wrench note under some replies shows which internal lookups it used to answer. When it points you to another admin page, the page name is a clickable link that takes you straight there.
  5. Your conversation stays open as you move between admin pages, reload, or switch tabs, for as long as you stay logged in. Logging out and back in starts a clean conversation. To start over sooner, click Start new conversation below the message box.

What It Can Answer

  • Page/feature explanations: what a given admin page or setting does, in plain language.
  • Where to find something: the menu path to a tool or setting, with a clickable link to the page itself when it's pointing you to somewhere else in this admin.
  • Live store numbers: questions like order counts or customer counts. Unless you specify otherwise, order/week-based questions default to the current delivery week, not all-time totals. Ask for "all time" or a specific week to change the window; the assistant states which window it used in its answer.
  • "This week" applied to routes, products, drivers, box types, or customers: it's read as that thing's activity in the week, not a filter on the thing's own table. "How many routes this week?" answers with the routes that have orders scheduled this week, not a plain count of all routes.
  • Names instead of raw IDs: when a lookup returns internal IDs for something with a name (a route, product, box type, customer, driver, etc.), it fetches and reports the name, e.g. "Downtown, Eastside, and North" rather than "6, 7, 8".
  • A direct answer to a loosely worded question: when one interpretation clearly dominates, it answers that interpretation right away and states the assumption in the same breath, instead of stopping to ask which one you meant. It only asks a clarifying question first when two readings are genuinely about equally likely and would give very different answers.

What It Will Not Do

  • It will not show source code. Requests to view, paste, or dump a file's code, a specific line number, a function body, or a SQL query are refused, even if phrased as "for debugging" or "just summarize the code." It will still explain what a page does in plain business terms.
  • It does not make changes to your store, it's read-only.

Common Use Cases

Finding a setting quickly

Instead of hunting through menus, ask "Where do I set up a discount code?" and get the exact menu path.

Checking this week's numbers

Ask "How many orders do we have this week?" for a fast answer scoped to the current delivery week without needing to run a report.

Understanding an unfamiliar page

On any admin page, ask "What does this page do?" for a plain-language summary before digging into a report or tool you haven't used before.

Troubleshooting

The button isn't showing up. The assistant only appears for logged-in full admin (store owner) accounts on standard admin pages. Staff logins with a restricted access level (customer service, routing, warehouse, accounting, etc.) won't see it, even if otherwise able to use most of the admin.

It says it can't answer or the numbers look off. The assistant is in testing, so double-check anything important against the relevant report page. Bug reports are welcome.

It refused to show code or a query. This is expected: the assistant never reveals source code or raw queries, only plain-language explanations of what a page does.

The button isn't showing up at all. If the assistant is currently paused (see the note at the top of this page), the button is hidden entirely rather than grayed out. This is normal and not an error on your account.

Recent Updates

  • 2026-07-30: While paused, the Ask AI button is now hidden entirely instead of showing grayed out.
  • 2026-07-23: The assistant is temporarily paused while the next round of improvements is worked on. The Ask AI button now renders grayed out, and clicking it shows a notice instead of opening the chat panel.
  • 2026-07-22: Reports names instead of raw internal IDs (route, product, box type, customer, driver names, not numbers). Gives a direct answer to loosely worded questions instead of asking which interpretation you meant, when one clearly dominates. "This week" applied to something other than orders (routes, products, drivers, box types, customers) is now read as that thing's activity in the week, e.g. "routes this week" means routes with orders scheduled this week.
  • 2026-07-21: Now available to full admin (store owner) accounts on every store, not just during Kiva's internal testing. Your conversation now follows you across every admin page and browser tab for the whole time you stay logged in (previously it only survived a reload or a link click in the same tab), and clears automatically the next time you log in fresh; use Start new conversation to clear it sooner.
  • 2026-07-21: Replies that point you to another admin page now show that page as a clickable link instead of just naming it. The assistant can now take more investigation steps on complex questions before answering, and always gives a direct answer instead of trailing off mid-investigation.
  • 2026-07-20: Launcher moved to a tab docked at the bottom-center of the page (was a floating button, bottom-right) and the robot icon now renders solid white. Added a one-time disclaimer modal (testing status, accuracy caveat, conversations are logged) shown before first use per admin per browser. The assistant now firmly refuses any request to reveal source code, file contents, or raw queries. Order/customer count questions now default to the current delivery week instead of all-time unless you specify a different window.