AI chat for a custom-built site
Custom and non-standard systems have no single way to hand over a catalog. So the bot tries several sources in turn.
Where the bot gets products, in order: an XML (YML) feed (the most reliable), schema.org markup (Product with a name and price), then page parsing (a fallback, less accurate).
Catalog sources
- An XML feed in YML format. A file with name, price, availability, category, photo and link. The bot looks for it at typical addresses (
/yml.xml,/yandex.xmland similar) and in links on the home page. YML is the only feed format supported so far; other formats, such as Google Merchant feeds, are not read yet. - schema.org markup. If product pages contain
Productwith a name and price, the bot reads them via the sitemap. - Page parsing. When the markup is incomplete or broken, the bot takes the name from the page heading, the price from the price block and the picture from
og:image. This is a fallback and is less reliable than a feed.
Typical problems
- No sitemap. The bot will take links from the home page but study fewer pages. Add a
sitemap.xml. - The site answers with a 403 error. Bot protection blocks us too. Add the User-Agent
BotNowBotto the allowlist or upload a product file. - CSP. If Content-Security-Policy is on, allow scripts and requests to the BotNow API host from your install code.
- Thousands of products. In demo mode a sample is read. A full catalog needs a feed; otherwise the crawl takes too long.
How to install
Paste the BotNow line of code into the shared page template before </body>. If you’d rather not do it yourself, the service has a “Send to a developer” button with a ready-made instruction.
Frequently asked questions
Which catalog source is best?
An XML (YML) feed: it holds name, price, availability, category, photo and link. Without a feed the bot reads schema.org markup and, as a fallback, parses the product page, which is less reliable.
What if the site answers the robot with a 403 error?
Add the User-Agent BotNowBot to the allowlist in your bot protection, or upload a product file.
Do I need to change the Content-Security-Policy?
If a policy is enabled, allow loading scripts from, and requests to, the BotNow API host that appears in your install code.
Can the bot handle thousands of products?
In demo mode a sample is read. For a full catalog you need a feed, otherwise crawling the pages would take too long.