Test Olvio on your storefront
Once Olvio is set up, run a quick test on a real product page. You check that the widget appears, that Olvio answers from your product information and recommends other products, and that the conversation is recorded in the Olvio admin.
Before you start
Make sure these are in place first. Otherwise the test fails for reasons that have nothing to do with your product:
You've chosen a plan. Until you do, the widget doesn't appear on your storefront. See Subscribe to a plan and start your free trial.
Your Anthropic API key is saved on the API Key page. Without a key, the widget still appears, but it shows no suggested questions and can't answer.
Your catalog import is finished: the Olvio Dashboard shows the Catalog synced badge. While it shows Setting up your product catalog or Catalog sync in progress, Olvio replies with an error message on products it hasn't imported yet. If it shows Catalog sync failed, click Retry sync and wait for Catalog synced. If your store had no products yet when Olvio imported your catalog, the import ends this way too: add your products in your Shopify admin, then click Retry sync. If it shows Some products aren't fully indexed, click Resync now. Until indexing finishes, Olvio still answers on those products, but it may not recommend them.
The Olvio — Product page block is in the product template of your published theme. See Add the Olvio widget to your product pages.
Open a product page
Open your storefront in a private (incognito) browser window. The widget remembers an open chat and its suggested questions in the same browser tab, so a private window shows it the way a new shopper sees it. If your online store is password protected, enter your store password in the private window first.
Go to a product page that uses the product template where you added the block. Test in your store's default language.
The widget shows your Expert name in small uppercase letters (default: YOUR EXPERT), your Hook question (default: Any question about this product?), up to two suggested questions and a question field. If you keep the default text, it appears in the widget's language when that language is French, German, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese, for example VOTRE EXPERT in French. You edit this text on Widget → Product Detail Page. See Change the widget expert name, hook question, and avatar.
If the setup guide card is still on your Dashboard, the step Add the Olvio block to your product page is checked off the first time the widget loads on an active product that Olvio has already imported, and its button becomes View conversations. If it was the last open step, the card disappears instead.
Check that Olvio answers from your product information
Type a question about a detail that only your product information contains, such as a material, a size or a care instruction from the description. Olvio should answer with that detail.
For an unmistakable result, add a test phrase to the product:
In your Shopify admin, open the product and add a sentence at the start of the description, such as "Test note: the special code is BANANA42." Olvio may not read the end of a very long description, so keep the sentence near the top.
Click Save. Olvio picks up product changes automatically. On the Dashboard, Last change synced shows how long ago the latest change was picked up.
Reload the product page in your private window and ask: "What is the special code?"
Olvio should reply with BANANA42.
Remove the test sentence when you're done so shoppers don't see it. Suggested questions aren't regenerated the moment you edit a product: they reflect the change within about a day.
Check product recommendations
Ask a question that calls for another product, for example "Do you have something cheaper?" or "Show me other options."
When Olvio recommends other products from your catalog, up to six product cards appear under its answer. Each card shows the product image, title and price, and opens the product page in a new tab. If Enable add to cart in chat is on in the Add to cart in chat card on the Advanced tab of Appearance, cards for available products also let shoppers add the product to the cart, and change the selected variant first when the product has several. See Show product cards and let shoppers add to cart from the chat.
Cards are for other products that Olvio's answer recommends, not for the product you're viewing. If nothing in your catalog fits, Olvio should say so without showing a card, so ask about something your store actually sells.
Find the conversation in the Olvio admin
In the Olvio admin, open Conversations. The list shows the newest conversations first, so your test chat is at or near the top. You can also type the product name or your question in Search questions or product.
Check the row: Date, Customer question (your first message), Product, Messages, Added to cart and Outcome.
Click the row to read the messages. The page also shows a Details card and an Outcome card. Product cards that appeared in the chat aren't shown here.
Test chats are recorded like any shopper's conversation, so they count in your Dashboard figures, such as Engaged visitors and Engagement rate.
Check the Unanswered tab
In your private window, ask about a detail your product information doesn't cover.
In the Olvio admin, open Conversations and click the Unanswered tab.
Look under the product for a short description of the missing information.
Olvio should record the gap when its reply says the detail isn't available. It's listed under the product the question is about and describes the missing information instead of repeating your exact words. See Find and fix knowledge gaps on the Unanswered tab.
Test the Advisor (Growth and Scale)
If you're on the Growth or Scale plan and have created starter chips, test them too:
In the theme editor of your published theme, click the App embeds icon, turn on Olvio Advisor, then click Save.
In the Olvio admin, open Widget, click Configure on the Advisor card, then click Edit on a chip and copy the URL hash from the Direct link section. It looks like
#olvio_advisor=chip:….In your private window, open a page of your storefront that isn't a product page, such as your home page, with the hash added to the end of its URL. The Advisor opens on that chip.
On product pages that show the Olvio block, the link can open the Advisor even while the Olvio Advisor app embed is off, so a test there doesn't confirm the embed is on.
Advisor conversations appear on the Advisor tab of Conversations. See Turn on the Olvio Advisor and add Advisor links to your store.
If something doesn't work
The widget doesn't appear: The widget isn't showing on my storefront.
The chat replies with an error: The chat replies 'Sorry, an error occurred. Please try again.'
No suggested questions: Suggested questions don't appear on my product pages.
Answers are vague or wrong: Olvio gives wrong or generic answers.