Author: Oliver

YakWP does not just chat with your visitors — it can send every conversation to n8n for automation. Here is how that works and what you can do with it.

What is n8n?

n8n is a workflow automation tool (like Zapier, but self-hosted and more powerful). You connect services together with visual workflows — no code needed.

How YakWP Connects to n8n

When enabled, YakWP forwards each conversation to your n8n webhook URL. The payload includes the visitor message, the AI response, any captured email, and metadata like the page URL and timestamp.

5 Things You Can Automate

1. CRM sync — Add every lead to HubSpot, ConvertKit, or any CRM automatically
2. Email follow-up — Send a personalized email to leads within minutes
3. Slack notifications — Get notified in Slack when a lead asks about pricing
4. Support tickets — Create a ticket in Zendesk or Freshdesk when someone needs human help
5. Lead scoring — Tag leads by intent (pricing question = hot lead, general inquiry = warm)

How to Set It Up

1. Install n8n (self-hosted or cloud)
2. Create a webhook workflow in n8n
3. Copy the webhook URL into YakWP settings (Settings → YakWP → n8n Webhook URL)
4. Enable n8n integration in YakWP settings
5. Build your workflow in n8n — add CRM nodes, email nodes, Slack nodes, etc.

Free vs Pro

n8n webhook integration is included in the free version of YakWP. You do not need Pro to use it. Pro adds white-label, conversation export, and custom CSS — but n8n integration works out of the box.

Most AI chatbot services for WordPress are SaaS products. You pay a monthly fee, your data flows through their servers, and you are locked into their pricing. YakWP takes a different approach: BYOK — Bring Your Own Key.

What BYOK Means

Instead of paying YakWP for AI usage, you connect your own API key from Google Gemini or OpenAI. You pay the AI provider directly — at their cost. No markup. No middleman.

The Cost Comparison

SaaS chatbots typically charge $29-99/month for a limited number of conversations. Over a year, that is $348-1,188.

YakWP + Gemini free tier: $0/month. Google Gemini gives you 500 AI requests per day at no cost. For most small business websites, that is more than enough.

YakWP + OpenAI: Pay-per-use at OpenAI rates. GPT-4o-mini costs roughly $0.15 per million input tokens. A typical chatbot conversation uses 500-2000 tokens. That means 500-2000 conversations for about $0.15.

Data Privacy

YakWP is self-hosted on your WordPress site. Conversations are stored in your WordPress database. The only external call is to your chosen AI provider (Google or OpenAI) — there is no YakWP server in the middle.

This matters for GDPR compliance. You control the data. You decide retention periods. You can export and delete conversations at any time.

No Vendor Lock-in

Do not like Gemini? Switch your API key to OpenAI. Want to try a new model? Change one setting. Your chatbot keeps working — same widget, same conversations, same WordPress integration. Only the AI brain changes.

Bottom Line

BYOK means: you own the costs, you own the data, you own the choice. YakWP is the plugin that makes it easy to run an AI chatbot on your own terms.

The free version of YakWP includes every core feature. Pro adds capabilities that matter for businesses and agencies.

What’s Included in Free

• All 4 chat modes (Sales, Support, Explain, Custom)
• RAG from your WordPress content — the bot searches your posts and pages for relevant answers
• Email lead capture — asks for email when visitors show buying intent
• Quick reply buttons — clickable suggestions after each response
• Dark mode support — follows visitor’s system preference
• n8n webhook integration — forward conversations to n8n for CRM sync, ticketing, email
• GDPR notice — configurable “Powered by AI” disclosure
• Google Gemini and OpenAI support

What Pro Adds (64 euros one-time)

• White-label — Remove “Powered by YakWP” from the widget. Your brand, your bot.
• Conversation export — Download all conversations as CSV for analysis, training, or compliance.
• Custom widget CSS — Full control over the chat widget’s appearance. Match your brand exactly.
• Per-site licensing — One license per WordPress installation. Need more? Contact us for volume deals.
• Priority email support — Get help faster when you need it.

Which Should You Choose?

Free is perfect if you want a fully functional AI chatbot with no strings attached. It includes RAG, lead capture, n8n integration — everything you need.

Pro is for businesses that need white-label branding, conversation data exports, or custom widget styling. One-time payment of 64 euros. No subscription. No trial period. Lifetime updates included.

Get Pro at yakwp.lemonsqueezy.com

Step 1: Install the Plugin

Go to Plugins → Add New in your WordPress dashboard and search for “YakWP”, or download from wordpress.org/plugins/yakwp. Click Install then Activate.

Step 2: Add Your API Key

Go to Settings → YakWP. Choose your AI provider:

• Google Gemini — Free tier gives 500 requests per day. No credit card needed. Create a project in Google AI Studio and get an API key.
• OpenAI — Pay-per-use. GPT-4o-mini costs roughly $0.15 per 1M input tokens. Get an API key from platform.openai.com.

Paste your key and click Save Changes.

Step 3: Choose a Chat Mode

YakWP offers 4 chat modes:

• Sales — Promotes your products, captures leads, answers pricing questions
• Support — Helps visitors troubleshoot, offers human handoff
• Explain — Educates visitors, links to your content
• Custom — Write your own system prompt for any use case

Step 4: Customize and Go Live

Pick your widget color, position (bottom-right or bottom-left), welcome message, and quick reply buttons. The chat bubble appears on your site immediately after saving.

That’s It

No coding. No monthly subscription. No third-party servers. Your chatbot runs on your WordPress site with your API key. You control the data, the costs, and the experience.