Modules & API Integration

EcomBot's Module System allows you to infinitely extend your virtual sales assistant's capabilities without changing your e-commerce storefront's core codebase. Each module delivers custom tools (AI functions), specialized business prompts, and interactive visual components directly rendered inside your customers' chat widget.

What is an application module?

A module acts as a secure, intelligent bridge between EcomBot and your external enterprise resources (ERPs, CRMs, shipping systems, or 3D product configurators). Unlike traditional static integrations, EcomBot modules load asynchronously and securely (Eager Sync) to guarantee lightning-fast response times and absolute visitor data isolation.

Concrete use cases include:

1. Real-time parcel tracking: Connect your shipping courier (DHL, FedEx, USPS) so the AI can immediately answer questions like "Where is my order?" by querying live carrier tracking endpoints.
2. Interactive product configurators: Let the AI open a helper interface (enabling dimensions, colors, or materials selection) and return the structured result into the conversation for an instant add-to-cart action.
3. ERP cross-selling recommendations: Sync physical brick-and-mortar inventories and CRM purchase histories to suggest hyper-relevant complementary accessories.

Technical Architecture & Security

EcomBot's module execution pipeline relies on three main technical pillars:

1. Dynamic Tool Calling

When a module is enabled for your project, its tools are prefixed uniquely (e.g., erp-order-tracking__get_order_status) and registered with the AI model. The AI autonomously decides during a conversation exactly when to invoke your module's API.

2. Secure Template Resolution

To safely fetch third-party API endpoints, EcomBot utilizes dynamic request templates (for URL, headers, and body payloads). You can securely inject active variables:

• {{customer.email}}: The logged-in customer's email.
• {{customer.phone}}: The customer's billing phone number.
• {{project.config.api_key}}: Your project's secure API key configured in the dashboard.

🚨 Important: API Security and GDPR Compliance All API credentials and authorization tokens configured in your modules are stored fully encrypted. Furthermore, our server logs automatically filter and mask credentials in developer traces and diagnostics logs to prevent accidental data leaks.

3. Interactive Custom UI Renders (_module_ui)

When a module tool returns a payload, it can include an optional _module_ui layout directive. The chat widget intercepts this directive and instantly displays the corresponding React component (e.g., an interactive shipping timeline with progress bars) for a high-end customer experience.

How to Install and Configure a Module

1. Go to your EcomBot Admin Dashboard, navigate to Data sources then Modules.
2. Browse the global module catalog and click Install on your chosen module.
3. Fill in the required configuration variables (API keys, base URLs, default values).
4. Check the Enable module box to instantly equip your AI sales assistant.
5. Use the Test Chat Console to simulate a customer chat and verify the AI successfully triggers your module API.

💡 Tip: Graceful Degradation Guard If your external API experiences downtime or high network latency, EcomBot silently times out the request after 5 seconds. The AI seamlessly handles the failure, politely explaining to the shopper that it cannot reach the tracker at the moment, without ever freezing the widget.