Start with the answer you want shoppers to receive
A useful Zipchat knowledge base starts with clear store policies, not a large pile of documents. Before importing anything, choose the page or document your team treats as authoritative. If a product page and an old PDF describe different return conditions, settle that difference first.
This guide covers source selection and maintenance rather than installing the chat widget. The official knowledge-base guide describes ways to add information beyond your website. We checked it, the pricing page, and the Shopify listing on October 4, 2026.
Your next step is a small trial: take one question about shipping, returns or product specifications, add the appropriate source, then ask the question in a few different ways.
Match the source to the way you maintain it
Use the source your team will actually keep current. A published returns page is a sensible home for returns rules; a product manual may be better for care instructions. A short FAQ can fill a specific gap without duplicating an entire document.
Zipchat supports website sources, PDFs and directly entered text, among other formats. For a first pass, you rarely need every option. Choose a representative product and the purchase conditions shoppers need to understand.
For example, a cookware store might use its product page for dimensions, a current manual for cleaning instructions, and a short answer for gift packaging. Check that the manual matches the model being sold. If older products still need support, make their model names explicit rather than leaving several nearly identical manuals without context.
Keep location-specific rules clear. “Free shipping” means little without the eligible destination and order conditions. The same applies to warranty coverage and returns windows. Write those qualifications into the source rather than expecting the chatbot to fill them in.
Resolve conflicting information before importing it
Treat conflicting answers as a content problem first. Adding another FAQ is unlikely to help if the website continues to make a different promise.
Pick three questions that regularly reach your team. Find the current answer to each one and compare the places where it appears. Update the original source when needed, then bring the corrected information into Zipchat. This also keeps customers who read the website directly on the same page as customers who use chat.
Separate tone instructions from commercial promises. Asking for a friendly reply changes the style; promising next-day delivery changes the substance. The latter needs clear cutoffs, destinations and exclusions.
For complicated policies, organize the source around eligibility, exceptions and the next action. A shopper asking about a return needs to know whether their situation qualifies and where to go next. A reassuring sentence without the conditions is not enough to make that decision.
Add a focused source and check that it is available
Keep the first update narrow enough to troubleshoot. The official page-import guide describes adding sources from AI Training, then Knowledge Base. You can target an individual page or use broader import options for a collection of pages.
After updating a delivery policy, focus on that policy and the questions affected by it. If a page is not accessible to ordinary visitors, check whether access restrictions are interfering with the import. Zipchat's guide directs merchants to support when an initial scan needs to be reset.
Do not plan a time-sensitive offer around an assumed refresh interval. The help article still names older plans in its scan-frequency section. Confirm the interval for the plan you are considering, and check the answer after the source changes. That is particularly useful for a promotion with a defined start and end date.
Budget for replies and source capacity separately
The number of sources and the number of AI replies answer different questions. On October 4, 2026, Zipchat's pricing page listed Starter at USD 80 per month on monthly billing, or USD 768 annually, equivalent to USD 64 per month. It included 750 monthly replies, 1,000 training pages and a seven-day trial.
A reply allowance is not a shopper allowance. Consider how your typical conversation unfolds rather than counting only visitors. Likewise, a catalog's product count will not necessarily equal the total number of training pages once policies and FAQs are included.
Use the trial to understand your sources and likely conversations before choosing a larger plan. Our Zipchat pricing guide explains the broader billing considerations.
Explore Zipchat's 7-day free trial
Test the exception, not just the obvious question
A useful answer should survive a change in context. After asking a general shipping question, try a destination with different conditions. For a product manual, ask about both the current model and an older one. For an offer, ask what happens outside the promotional window.
These are suggested checks for your store, not promises about how a particular conversation will unfold. The point is to see whether the source includes enough detail to support a clear answer.
Zipchat's AI Training guide describes reviewing conversation history to improve responses. When a reply misses the mark, decide whether the source is missing a fact, contains a contradiction or needs a clearer condition. Add targeted information rather than another broad document. For requests that need a staff decision, plan the human handoff as well.
Common questions before your first import
Should you upload everything? Start with current information that helps a shopper choose or use a product. Old promotions and ambiguous internal notes make it harder to identify the right answer.
What if the FAQ is not on the website? Directly entered text can cover a focused question. Keep it consistent with public policies, especially when it concerns delivery, returns or eligibility.
When should sources be reviewed? Revisit the affected material when products, policies or offers change. You do not need to turn every small edit into a complete rebuild of your knowledge base.
Choose one real customer question and its authoritative source. Use the free trial to check the answer, then expand to the next topic once the first one is clear.
