Announcing Version 2.0.4 of the Kognetiks Chatbot for WordPress Plugin!

Discover the latest updates in version 2.0.4, including unique ID assignment and resolution of response issues

I’m excited to announce the release of version 2.0.4 of the Kognetiks Chatbot for WordPress plugin!  This update addresses several key issues and introduces new features to enhance your chatbot experience.

Unique ID Assignment

In version 2.0.4, I’ve made significant improvements to how the plugin handles user sessions and identification.  Previously, the plugin relied on session_start() to manage conversation continuity, which could sometimes lead to conflicts with other plugins or themes using PHP sessions.

New Approach to User Identification:

• Unique ID Assignment: Generates and stores a unique ID in a cookie for each visitor and logged-in user.
• Improved Tracking: Uses cookies instead of PHP sessions for more reliable user interaction tracking.  This change ensures each user is consistently identified across interactions, even if not logged in.
• Output Buffering: Continues to use output buffering to prevent “headers already sent” issues, ensuring smooth functionality for the chatbot and other site features.

These enhancements not only resolve previous session management issues but also pave the way for more robust and scalable features in the future.

With version 2.0.4, I am committed to delivering a seamless and efficient user experience, ensuring that the chatbot remains a valuable tool for your WordPress site.

Assistant Responses Revert to ChatGPT Responses

Occasionally, the chatbot stopped using the Assistant for responses and reverted to generic ChatGPT responses.  This issue was linked to how visitor sessions were identified and tracked.

The schematic below illustrated is the 80 thousand foot overview of the how the chatbot works.

Based on the new unique ID assignment process, I am confident that communications between visitors, the chatbot, and the Assistant will remain aligned.

Technical Overview

To keep it simple, interactions with the chatbot are asynchronous, meaning the chatbot interface (JavaScript) and the backend logic (PHP) work together seamlessly.

At last count, there were 17,168 lines of PHP code but only 1,843 lines of JavaScript, or 9.32 lines of PHP for every line of JavaScript.

Thank You

As always, the generosity and patience of the open-source community continue to inspire me.  Your contributions have made visible impacts on the stability and reliability of the plugin.  The Kognetiks Chatbot for WordPress plugin community will soon reach 2,000 active installations, and I sincerely appreciate everyone who has taken the time to download, activate, and interact with the chatbot.  Your ongoing feedback is invaluable and drives continuous improvements, enhancing the experience for everyone.

Thank you for your dedication and support!

#Chatbot #ChatGPT #WordPress #Plugin