faq

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)#

Quick answers to common questions about AlonChat.

Getting Started#

What is AlonChat?#

AlonChat is an AI-powered chatbot platform that lets you create intelligent agents trained on your own knowledge base. Your agent can answer customer questions, collect leads, and integrate with popular tools - all without coding.

Key features:

  • Upload documents, websites, and Q&A pairs as knowledge sources
  • Customize AI personality and communication style
  • Deploy to website, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs
  • Integrate with CRM, email, and automation tools
  • Available 24/7 with instant responses

How is AlonChat different from ChatGPT?#

FeatureAlonChatChatGPT
KnowledgeTrained on YOUR contentGeneral knowledge only
AccuracyAnswers from your sourcesMay hallucinate or guess
CustomizationYour brand voice, tone, styleGeneric AI assistant
DeploymentWebsite widget, FB, InstagramWeb interface only
IntegrationsWebhooks, CRM, automationLimited API
Lead CollectionBuilt-in forms and workflowsNo lead capture

Bottom line: AlonChat is for businesses wanting a branded, accurate AI assistant that represents their company.

Do I need coding skills?#

No! AlonChat is designed for non-technical users.

You can do WITHOUT code:

  • ✅ Create and train agents
  • ✅ Upload knowledge sources
  • ✅ Customize appearance and tone
  • ✅ Deploy to website (copy-paste code snippet)
  • ✅ Connect Facebook/Instagram
  • ✅ Set up Zapier automations

You MAY need code for:

  • Custom webhooks (we provide examples!)
  • Advanced API integrations
  • Custom UI implementations

Help available: Pre-built templates, code examples, and support team.

How much does it cost?#

See Pricing Page for current plans.

Typical costs:

  • Trial: 14 days free, 500 credits
  • Basic: ₱600/month, 500 credits/month, 1 agent
  • Starter: ₱2,000/month, 2,000 credits/month, 2 agents (Most Popular)
  • Pro: ₱5,000/month, 6,000 credits/month, 5 agents (Best Value)
  • Enterprise: ₱12,000/month, 15,000 credits/month

Credit system:

  • AI model costs vary from 1-25 credits per message
  • Budget models (Grok 4.1, Gemini Flash): 1 credit
  • Premium models (GPT-5.2, Claude): 9-25 credits

Can I try before buying?#

Yes! Free plan includes:

  • 100 messages/month
  • 1 AI agent
  • Basic knowledge sources
  • Website widget
  • Community support

No credit card required. Upgrade anytime.

Knowledge Base#

What file types can I upload?#

Supported formats:

  • Documents: PDF, Word (.docx), Text (.txt), Markdown (.md)
  • Spreadsheets: Excel (.xlsx), CSV
  • Code: JSON
  • Images: JPG, PNG (with AI Vision, premium feature)

File size limits:

  • Free: 5MB per file
  • Paid plans: 30MB per file

Need other formats? Contact support@alonchat.com

How many sources can I add?#

PlanKnowledge SourcesTotal Content
Free10 sources100 pages
Starter50 sources500 pages
ProUnlimited5,000 pages
EnterpriseUnlimitedUnlimited

What counts as a "page"?

  • 1 page ≈ 500 words ≈ 2,000 characters
  • Example: 10-page PDF = 10 pages

Can I crawl my entire website?#

Yes! AlonChat can crawl and index your website.

Features:

  • Automatic page discovery
  • Sitemap support
  • Pattern filtering (include/exclude URLs)
  • Maximum 500 pages per source

Best for:

  • Documentation sites
  • Marketing websites
  • Blog posts
  • Product catalogs

See: Website Sources Guide

How often should I re-train my agent?#

Re-train when you:

  • Add new knowledge sources
  • Edit existing Q&A pairs
  • Delete outdated content
  • Update website content (re-crawl)

Training is incremental - only new/changed sources are reprocessed.

Tip: Set a monthly reminder to review and update your knowledge base.

Accuracy & Quality#

Why does my agent say "I don't know"?#

Common causes:

1. Information not in knowledge base

  • Solution: Add the missing information
  • Check: Search your sources for the topic

2. Question phrasing doesn't match sources

  • Solution: Add Q&A pairs with common phrasings
  • Example: "How much?" vs "What's the price?" vs "Cost?"

3. Agent not trained yet

  • Solution: Go to Knowledge Base → Train Agent

4. Retrieval settings too strict

  • Solution: Contact support to adjust retrieval threshold

Fix: Add specific Q&A pairs for commonly asked questions that get "I don't know" responses.

How can I improve agent accuracy?#

Best practices:

1. Add specific Q&A pairs

  • Create explicit question-answer pairs
  • Use multiple phrasings of the same question
  • Q&A has higher priority than documents

2. Keep sources focused

  • Remove duplicate content
  • Delete outdated information
  • One topic per source (easier to update)

3. Test with real questions

  • Ask the same questions your customers ask
  • Check if answers match your sources
  • Adjust sources based on testing

4. Use examples in system prompt

  • Show desired response format
  • Provide sample conversations
  • Demonstrate tone and style

5. Review conversation logs

  • Check for patterns in unanswered questions
  • Add missing information to knowledge base
  • Refine Q&A pairs based on actual usage

Can my agent handle multiple languages?#

Yes! AlonChat supports 50+ languages.

Language mixing (code-switching):

  • ✅ English-Tagalog (popular in Philippines)
  • ✅ English-Spanish
  • ✅ Any language combination

How it works:

  • Agent automatically detects user's language
  • Responds in the same language
  • Can mix languages within same conversation

Filipino businesses: Agent can naturally code-switch between English and Tagalog, just like real Filipino customer service.

See: Facebook Sources Guide for persona generation with code-switching.

Integrations#

Can I connect to Facebook Messenger?#

Yes! Native Facebook Messenger integration included.

Features:

  • Auto-respond to page messages 24/7
  • Seamless handoff to human agents
  • Conversation history sync
  • Lead collection via Messenger

Requirements:

  • Facebook Business Page (not personal profile)
  • Page admin access

See: Facebook Messenger Integration

Does it work with Instagram?#

Yes! Instagram DM auto-response supported.

Requirements:

  • Instagram Business or Creator account
  • Facebook Page linked to Instagram

Limitations:

  • Only direct messages (DMs)
  • Story replies not supported (Instagram API limitation)

See: Instagram Integration

Can I integrate with my CRM?#

Yes! Multiple options:

1. Zapier (No-code)

2. Webhooks (Code)

3. API (Advanced)

What automation tools does AlonChat support?#

Supported platforms:

  • ✅ Zapier (most popular)
  • ✅ Make.com (Integromat)
  • ✅ n8n (open-source)
  • ✅ Pipedream
  • ✅ Custom webhooks (any platform)

Popular workflows:

  • Lead submitted → Google Sheets
  • Lead submitted → Send email
  • Conversation ended → Slack notification
  • Tool failed → Admin alert

Technical Questions#

Where is my data stored?#

Hosting: Supabase (PostgreSQL) on AWS

Data centers:

  • Primary: United States (AWS us-east-1)
  • Backups: Multiple regions

Security:

  • ✅ Encrypted at rest (AES-256)
  • ✅ Encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3)
  • ✅ Regular backups (daily)
  • ✅ GDPR compliant

Is my data used to train AI models?#

No. Your data is NEVER used to train AI models.

What we do:

  • Store your content securely
  • Use it ONLY for your agent's responses
  • Encrypt all data

What we DON'T do:

  • Share with third parties
  • Use for AI training
  • Sell to advertisers

OpenAI disclaimer: We use OpenAI API for embeddings and chat. OpenAI states they do not use API data for training.

Can I delete my data?#

Yes! You can delete:

  • Individual knowledge sources
  • Entire agents
  • Conversations
  • Your entire account

Deletion is permanent:

  • Data removed from primary database within 24 hours
  • Backups purged within 30 days
  • Cannot be recovered after deletion

GDPR right to erasure: Contact support@alonchat.com to request full account deletion.

What happens if I exceed my message limit?#

Options:

1. Upgrade plan

  • Get more messages immediately
  • Plans start at ₱999/month

2. Wait for reset

  • Limits reset monthly
  • Date shown in dashboard

3. Purchase add-on credits

  • One-time purchase for extra messages
  • No recurring charge

Agent behavior when limit reached:

  • Agent stops responding
  • Users see "Agent unavailable" message
  • Can configure custom message

Can I use my own AI model?#

Currently: AlonChat supports multiple AI providers:

Available models (credit costs vary):

  • OpenAI: GPT-5.2 (9 credits)
  • Anthropic: Claude Haiku (5), Sonnet (15), Opus (25)
  • Google: Gemini Flash (1-3), Gemini Pro (7-10)
  • xAI: Grok 4.1 (1 credit - best value!)
  • OpenRouter: Various free/budget models (1 credit)

Tip: Use 1-credit models for simple queries, premium models for complex tasks.

Enterprise: Contact us for custom AI model integration.

Troubleshooting#

Agent is responding too slowly#

Solutions:

1. Switch to faster AI model

  • Go to Settings → AI Settings
  • Try Grok 4.1 or Gemini Flash (fastest, 1 credit)
  • Faster response, slightly less sophisticated

2. Reduce knowledge base size

  • Remove duplicate sources
  • Delete outdated content
  • Split large files into smaller ones

3. Optimize retrieval

  • Admin can adjust retrieval chunk limit
  • Fewer chunks = faster search

4. Upgrade plan

  • Higher tiers may have better performance
  • Contact support for options

Integration stopped working#

Check these:

For webhooks:

  1. Webhook still exists (Settings → Webhooks)
  2. Endpoint URL is reachable (use "Test" button)
  3. Signature verification is correct
  4. View logs for error messages

For Facebook/Instagram:

  1. Integration shows "Connected" (green)
  2. Facebook permissions still granted
  3. Click "Reconnect" if needed
  4. Check Health Status (Settings → Integrations → Health Check)

For Zapier:

  1. Zap is turned ON
  2. Webhook URL is correct in AlonChat
  3. Check Zap History for errors

How do I contact support?#

Methods:

Include in support request:

  • Agent ID or conversation ID
  • Screenshot of issue
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Error messages (if any)

Billing#

Can I cancel anytime?#

Yes! No contracts or commitments.

How to cancel:

  1. Go to Settings → Billing
  2. Click "Cancel Subscription"
  3. Confirm cancellation

What happens:

  • Access continues until end of billing period
  • No future charges
  • Data preserved for 30 days
  • Can reactivate anytime

Do you offer refunds?#

30-day money-back guarantee for paid plans.

Eligibility:

Refund process: 5-7 business days to original payment method.

Can I upgrade/downgrade plans?#

Yes! Change plans anytime.

Upgrade:

  • Immediate access to new features
  • Prorated charge for current period

Downgrade:

  • Change takes effect next billing cycle
  • Keep current features until then
  • Excess data may need to be removed

Still Have Questions?#

Check these resources:

Contact support:

faq | AlonChat Docs