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  1. 1.Before you start
  2. 2.Open the conversation settings
  3. 3.Turn the assistant on
  4. 4.Give it a name and a personality
  5. 5.Review the advanced options
  6. 6.Save
  7. 7.Add your salon details
  8. 8.Connect a channel
  9. 9.Send a test message
  10. 10.If something is off
  11. 11.Common questions
GuideAccelerate plan

Set up the AI assistant

Turn on the AI assistant, give it a name and personality, and connect the channels where clients message you.

4 min readRole: Super Administrator or higherAI Assistant & inboxUpdated October 25, 2026
Open in the app

The AI assistant replies to client messages for you and books appointments in the chat. Setting it up takes three parts: turn it on, shape how it talks, and connect at least one channel.

Before you start

  • Your salon is on the Accelerate or Ultimate plan. The Starter plan doesn't include the assistant or the inbox.
  • You're a Super Administrator or the Owner. Settings and integrations need these roles.
  • Your services, locations and team working hours are set up. The assistant books from the same availability as your booking website.
  1. 1

    Step 1 of 8

    Open the conversation settings

    Go to Settings and open Conversations. The Assistant card is near the top of the page.

  2. 2

    Step 2 of 8

    Turn the assistant on

    Switch on Enable Assistant. While it's off, the assistant doesn't reply in any conversation.

  3. 3

    Step 3 of 8

    Give it a name and a personality

    • Name: the name the assistant uses for itself. It's also the label on its messages in your inbox.
    • Formality: Formal, Neutral or Casual.
    • Traits: pick up to 3, such as Warm or Concise.
    • Additional Details: up to 1,000 characters of extra guidance on how it should talk.
  4. 4

    Step 4 of 8

    Review the advanced options

    Click the arrow at the bottom of the card to show more options. Here you choose whether the assistant books in the chat, which messages it answers, and which follow-ups it sends. Each one is explained in AI assistant settings explained.

  5. 5

    Step 5 of 8

    Save

    Click Save at the bottom of the card.

    You will see:

    A Settings Updated message appears.

  6. 6

    Step 6 of 8

    Add your salon details

    In the Knowledge Base card, add facts the assistant can't find in your settings, like parking or your late policy. Then click Save. See Teach the assistant about your salon.

  7. 7

    Step 7 of 8

    Connect a channel

    Clients need a way to reach the assistant. You can use one channel or several:

  8. 8

    Step 8 of 8

    Send a test message

    Message your salon from your own phone or open live chat on your booking site. Then open Conversations in the sidebar.

    You will see:

    Your message and the assistant's reply appear in the inbox.

Replies written by the AI use credits from your plan. Check your balance before you go live. See Credits explained.

If something is off

The assistant doesn't reply

Check that Enable Assistant is on and saved, and that you have credits left. In the conversation itself, make sure the assistant isn't turned off and the status isn't Needs Attention. The inbox shows a note when a reply was skipped because of credits, limits or your reply settings.

The assistant turned itself off after a plan change

When a salon moves to a plan without the assistant, Softalon turns off both the assistant and live chat. After you upgrade again, turn them back on in Settings › Conversations.

I can't find Conversations in Settings

Settings are only shown to Super Administrators and the Owner. Ask one of them to set up the assistant, or to change your role.

Common questions

No. You can turn it on first. It starts replying as soon as messages arrive on a connected channel or on live chat.

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Related guides

How the AI assistant worksWhat the AI assistant answers, how it books in chat, when it hands a conversation to your team, and when it uses credits.AI assistant settings explainedEvery setting on Settings › Conversations: the assistant's personality, booking in chat, reply rules, follow-ups, knowledge base, keywords and live chat.Teach the assistant about your salonUse the knowledge base to give the AI assistant facts about your salon, like parking, policies and products, so it can answer client questions.
PreviousHow the AI assistant worksNextAI assistant settings explained