=== Blackwall Systems AI Chatbot ===
Contributors: bwsystems
Tags: chatbot, ai, gemini, customer support, assistant
Requires at least: 6.2
Requires PHP: 7.4
Tested up to: 7.1
Stable tag: 2.6.6
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

A free AI chatbot for WordPress that connects directly to Google Gemini using your own API key.

== Description ==

Blackwall Systems AI Chatbot Free adds a configurable AI chat widget to WordPress. It connects directly to the Google Gemini API using credentials supplied by the site owner. AI usage is not included; any Google API charges, quotas, or terms are separate.

= Free features =

* Google Gemini integration using your own API key.
* Configurable Gemini model and optional custom model ID.
* Custom system prompt, assistant name, launcher text, and welcome message.
* Chat widget appearance controls and left/right positioning.
* Encrypted API-key storage using AES-256-GCM when WordPress security salts and OpenSSL are available.
* Optional wp-config.php/environment variable support with `BLACSYAI_GEMINI_API_KEY`.
* Per-session and per-IP hourly request limits.
* Message cooldown and message-length limits.
* Optional retry handling for temporary API failures.
* No Blackwall Systems account or license is required for the free plugin.

= Pro edition =

A separately distributed Pro edition is available from Blackwall Systems. Pro code is not included or locked inside this WordPress.org plugin. It adds WooCommerce-aware assistance, knowledge/document tools, conversation and analytics tools, additional AI providers/integrations, and advanced support controls.

Learn more at https://blackwallsys.com/ai-chatbot

== Installation ==

1. Install and activate Blackwall Systems AI Chatbot.
2. Open **BWS Chatbot** in WordPress admin.
3. Add a Google Gemini API key.
4. Choose a Gemini model and configure the system prompt.
5. Customize the launcher and appearance.
6. Enable the chatbot and save changes.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does the free plugin require a Blackwall Systems license? =

No. The WordPress.org edition is fully usable without a Blackwall Systems account, subscription, trial, or license key.

= Does the plugin include AI usage? =

No. The site owner supplies a Google Gemini API key. Google controls API availability, quotas, billing, and terms.

= Is WooCommerce required? =

No. The free edition is a general WordPress AI chatbot. WooCommerce-specific functionality is available separately in Blackwall Systems AI Chatbot Pro.

= Where is my Gemini API key stored? =

By default the plugin encrypts the key in the WordPress options table using AES-256-GCM when OpenSSL and WordPress security salts are available. You may instead define `BLACSYAI_GEMINI_API_KEY` in the server environment or WordPress configuration.

= Are conversations stored by the free plugin? =

No. The free edition does not provide conversation-history storage or transcript retention.

== External services ==

This plugin connects to the Google Gemini API only after the site administrator supplies a Gemini API key and enables the chatbot. Visitor messages and the configured system prompt are sent to Google so Gemini can generate responses.

Google Gemini API: https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs
Google API Terms: https://developers.google.com/terms
Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

The optional Pro information link opens https://blackwallsys.com/ai-chatbot only when an administrator chooses to click it. The free plugin does not contact Blackwall Systems licensing or update servers.

== Privacy ==

The free plugin does not store chat transcripts. Visitor messages are transmitted to the Google Gemini API when the chatbot is used. The browser stores a random chat session identifier in local storage. When IP rate limiting is enabled, the plugin stores a one-way hash derived from the visitor IP address in a WordPress transient for up to one hour; the raw IP address is not stored by this plugin. Site owners are responsible for disclosing this processing in their privacy policy and for configuring their use of Gemini consistently with applicable law and Google's terms.

== Changelog ==

= 2.6.6 =
* Standardized WordPress-facing identifiers with the unique blacsyai_/BLACSYAI_ prefix requested during directory review.
* Updated the WordPress.org contributor username to bwsystems.

= 2.6.2 =
* Removed dormant Pro-era client-side code and unused public AJAX endpoints from the Free package.
* Hardened request sanitization and IP-rate-limit handling.
* Added WordPress 7.1 compatibility metadata and expanded privacy disclosure.

= 2.6.1 =
* Updated the bundled/default Gemini model from Gemini 2.5 Flash to Gemini 3.6 Flash.
* Automatically maps legacy Gemini 2.5 Flash and Flash-Lite saved settings to Gemini 3.6 Flash.
* Removed the legacy 2.5-specific thinking configuration.

= 2.6.0 =
* Created a standalone WordPress.org Free edition.
* Removed commercial licensing code and all Pro-only implementation code from the directory package.
* Retained the standalone Gemini chatbot, appearance controls, encrypted credential storage, and basic request protection.
* Added a settings-page link describing the separately distributed Pro edition.
