AI Assistant

Write store copy with your own xAI Grok, OpenAI, Google Gemini or Anthropic Claude key.

The AI Assistant helps you write product descriptions, page and post copy, SEO titles and meta descriptions, and image alt text. It works with your own account at an AI provider (“bring your own key”), so you choose the AI and you pay the provider directly.

You’ll find it in your website admin under E-Splice Tools > AI Assistant. It has two tabs: Write with AI and Settings: provider & API key.

Before you start

You need an account with one of these providers, with credit or billing set up:

Only site administrators can set up the AI Assistant. Editors can use the Write with AI tab with the site’s saved key, but they cannot see, test, change or remove the key.

Step 1: Add your API key

  1. Create an API key on your provider’s website (links above) and copy the whole key.
  2. In your website admin, go to E-Splice Tools > AI Assistant and open the Settings: provider & API key tab.
  3. Choose your Provider.
  4. Choose a Model. Each provider offers a recommended default model and a few alternatives. The default is fast and low cost, which suits store copy well.
  5. Paste your key into the API key box.
  6. Select Test key. This sends one tiny real request to your provider (it costs a fraction of a cent) and tells you if the key works.
  7. Select Save AI settings.

After you save, only the last 4 characters of your key are shown. To replace the key, paste a new one and save again. Leave the box empty to keep the key you already saved.

To stop using AI, select Remove key under Saved keys. We also recommend deleting (revoking) the key on your provider’s website.

Step 2: Write with AI

Open the Write with AI tab and pick a tool:

  • Product description: choose a product, then select Write description.
  • Page or post copy: describe what it should be about (for example, “About us: family-run bakery since 2015”), choose page or blog post, then select Write copy.
  • SEO title & meta description: choose a page, post or product, then select Suggest SEO title & description.
  • Image alt text: choose an image from your media library, then select Suggest alt text.

For descriptions and copy you can also pick a tone (friendly, professional, playful, luxury or concise), a length (short, medium or long) and optional keywords.

Read the result and edit it if needed. Then select Copy, or save it straight to your site with Replace the description / content, Use as short description, Save SEO title & description or Save as alt text. You’re asked to confirm before anything is saved, and you can still edit the text later.

SEO titles and descriptions are saved to Yoast SEO or Rank Math if you use one of them, otherwise to your site’s built-in SEO tags.

Always check facts, prices and claims before you publish AI-written text.

Costs and billing

  • E-Splice doesn’t charge for the AI Assistant.
  • Your AI provider bills you directly for what you use, based on their prices. Short store copy usually costs very little per request.
  • Test key sends one tiny real request, which costs a fraction of a cent.
  • You need credit or billing set up with your provider. Many providers let you set a spending limit in your account, which is a good way to keep costs predictable.

Security and privacy

  • Your key is stored encrypted on our servers.
  • Only the last 4 characters of your key are ever shown again.
  • Only administrators of your site can see, change or test the key.
  • Your key is sent only to the provider you chose. The details you give the assistant (such as a product name, topic or keywords) are sent to that provider so it can write the text.

Limits

Each site can make up to 10 AI requests per minute and 100 per hour. If you reach a limit, the message tells you how long to wait. Your provider may also have its own limits.

Troubleshooting

If something goes wrong, the AI Assistant shows a plain-English message. Here’s what the most common ones mean:

  • The provider did not accept this API key: check that you copied the whole key (no spaces) and that it’s still active on the provider’s website.
  • This looks like a key for a different provider: choose the provider that matches your key.
  • Your account is out of credit or over its usage limit: add credit or raise your limit on the provider’s website.
  • Rate limit or too many requests: wait a minute (or the time shown) and try again.
  • The provider is busy or did not answer in time: try again in a few minutes. Choosing a shorter length can help.
  • The model is not available for this key: pick another model on the Settings tab.
  • The provider declined to write this text: the provider’s content filter stopped the request. Try different wording.

Still stuck? Email [email protected] and tell us the message you see. Please never send us your API key.