AI Chatbot Troubleshooting: 10 Common Issues & Quick Fixes

Even the best chatbots can misbehave now and then. Maybe your bubble never appears on mobile, or the bot keeps repeating itself. The good news: most problems have straightforward cures you can apply in minutes. Below we cover the ten issues we see most often across WordPress, Wix, Shopify, and other popular platforms, plus the exact steps (and copy-paste snippets) to get things back on track.

Heads-up for Kiwi readers:
All examples use New Zealand spelling, time zones, and local privacy requirements. Feel free to adapt the code to suit your store or site.

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1. Embed Code Not Loading at All

Symptom:
Nothing shows—no bubble, no console errors.

Quick Fix:
Place the EnvokeAI script just before the closing </body> tag so it loads after other assets.

Example:

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• On WordPress: Go to Appearance → Theme File Editor → footer.php
• On Shopify: Go to Online Store → Themes → Edit Code → theme.liquid (look for </body>)

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2. Chat Bubble Missing on Mobile

Symptom:
Bubble shows on desktop but not on phones or tablets.

Quick Fix:
Add a viewport-friendly position override to your theme’s custom CSS:

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3. Bot Stuck Repeating the Same Reply

Symptom:
Loops the same message regardless of the question.

Quick Fix:

• Open AI Chat Agents → Knowledge Base.
• Remove any duplicate entries—circular references confuse the language model.
• In Behaviour Settings, switch Conversation Memory from Unlimited to “Last 10 exchanges”.
• Save and test.

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4. Messages Never Send to the Dashboard

Symptom:
Visitor sees “Sent” but the transcript never appears for you.

Quick Fix:
If using WordPress caching plugins:

• Exclude /wp-json/* and cdn.envokeai.co.nz/* from the cache.
• Purge cache.
• Ask a mate to test in an incognito window.

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5. Opening-Hours Replies Off by a Day

Symptom:
Bot says the shop is closed when it is open (or vice versa).

Quick Fix:
Set the correct locale and timezone in your script:‍


Add this block right after the main script tag.

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6. Privacy Banner Covers the Chat Bubble

Symptom:
Cookie or privacy banner overlays the bubble on first visit.

Quick Fix:
Raise the chatbot’s stacking order by adding this to your custom CSS:

If you use CookieYes or similar, set its z-index to 9000.

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7. Multiple Chat Widgets Clash

Symptom:
Running a marketing pop-up and the chatbot at the same time hides controls.

Quick Fix:
Switch the chatbot to a left-hand launcher:

Update the script, refresh, and both widgets should be visible.

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8. Fonts or Colours Look Off

Symptom:
Chat window ignores your brand style.

Quick Fix:
Override key variables in your custom CSS:

Paste this into your theme’s custom CSS area and clear cache.

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9. Conversation Does Not Auto-Scroll

Symptom:
Long replies push the input box out of view.

Quick Fix:
Add this helper script after the embed code (works on all CMSs):

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10. Chat Takes Too Long to Load

Symptom:
Bubble appears only after several seconds.

Quick Fix:

• Move heavy third-party scripts (analytics, heatmaps) below the EnvokeAI script tag.
• On Shopify, disable “Load Lazily” for the chatbot script so it is fetched early.
• Verify no ad-block extension is stopping the request (cdn.envokeai.co.nz should be whitelisted).

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General Tips for Smooth Chatbot Performance

• Keep the knowledge base tidy, update after every product change or policy update.
• Review transcripts weekly, spot new FAQs and improve responses.
• Test on real devices, emulators miss layout quirks on iPhone or mid-range Android.
• Stay within two external fonts, more slows the render time.
• Host the bot on NZ servers (already the default with EnvokeAI) for minimal latency.

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Need Hands-On Help?

If these quick fixes do not solve the issue, or you just prefer someone else to wrestle with code—reach out to our support team in Auckland. We answer during standard NZ business hours and usually sort display or loop problems in one session.

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