FAQ - AI Analytics Insights

1. Is this the same as opening nopCommerce’s default admin reports?

No. Built-in reports answer fixed, predefined layouts. This plugin answers your natural-language question by planning read-only SQL for that wording and showing a fresh grid plus narrative. The output is not a canned screen from core reporting, it is computed for the question you asked (within the allowlisted analytics schema).

2. What business problem does it solve that reports alone do not?

Ad-hoc combinations (two periods, custom top-N, multiple breakdowns in one ask), faster leadership prep (narrative + numbers + optional chart/PDF), and less Excel glue work between separate report exports, while core nopCommerce remains the source for statutory and accounting-grade reporting.

3. What should I know before purchasing (limitations)?

Questions must fit the allowlisted schema; AI prose can mis-summarize (verify the grid); each request stands alone (restate date ranges in follow-ups); a configured AI provider is required; at most one chart per successful response when chart metadata exists and you ask for a chart.

4. Which other plugins are required?

Analytics Insights depends on NopAdvance.Core and Agentic Commerce Core. Install and license them first, configure an AI provider in Agentic Commerce Core, then install Analytics Insights (see the Installation topic in this plugin’s documentation).

5. The dashboard loads, but I do not get AI-written answers. Why?

Typical causes: the plugin is disabled for the current store scope; no usable AI provider is resolved (fix Agentic Commerce Core or set a valid provider override here and use Test Connection); or the AI/SQL step failed (check the message shown in chat and nopCommerce system log). Outbound HTTPS to your provider must be allowed from the server.

6. Should I tru st AI numbers over nopCommerce?

Treat tabular results returned in the dashboard as coming from read-only SQL executed against your database within the plugin’s safety rules. AI text explains those results and can still be wrong, use nopCommerce’s own reports and raw data for accounting, disputes, and compliance.

7. Does the plugin support multiple stores?

Yes. Use the store scope control on the configuration page and the per-field override for store checkboxes for enable, default lookback, provider override, temperature, and max tokens.

8. What is sent to the AI provider?

The assistant uses your natural-language question, an allowlisted schema description, and (after a safe query runs) a limited sample of result rows to build the written answer. SQL runs on your server; the model does not receive a full-database dump. Tune customer-field handling in Agentic Commerce Core privacy settings.

9. Do follow-up questions remember the previous turn?

The chat UI keeps prior messages for your reference, but each analytics request is processed from the current question (prior turns are not replayed into the AI for this plugin’s query pipeline). Include the date range and topic again when you refine a question.

10. I get token limit or truncated answers. What should I change?

Increase Max tokens on this plugin’s configuration page, lower Temperature slightly for more focused completions, or ask for a shorter date range so fewer rows need summarizing.

11. Can shoppers on the storefront use Analytics Insights?

No. This is an administration tool under NopAdvance menus and permission Manage AI Analytics Insights (assigned to Administrators by default). It is not a customer-facing widget.

12. What are “Manage Prompts” / saved prompts?

Administrators can define reusable questions (title + prompt text, display order) so the dashboard can insert common queries quickly. Prompt text is limited (for example up to 2000 characters in the default English resources); titles are shorter labels shown as chips.

13. How do CSV and PDF export work?

Export orders (CSV) uses UTF-8 with BOM for Excel; the period aligns with the last successful analytics response when available (see the in-admin hint). Export PDF captures the current assistant reply (and optional chart image from the UI) into a simple PDF for sharing.

14. Will the AI echo customer email addresses?

Narration uses values after Agentic Commerce Core privacy settings (for example optional email anonymization). CSV exports may still contain fields your organization classifies as personal data, handle files under your privacy policy.

15. When do charts appear?

When the AI returns chart metadata for the current result set and you ask for a chart-style answer (for example “show a bar chart”). There is at most one chart per successful response in the current implementation.