WordPress Troubleshooting

Solutions for common issues with the KaiCalls AI Intake plugin. If your issue is not listed here, contact our support team.

"Connection failed" When Saving Keys

If Settings → AI Intake shows an error instead of Connection successful! after you click Save & Test Connection:

Re-copy both keys. A stray space, a line break, or a truncated key is the most common cause. Copy each key fresh from the KaiCalls dashboard under WordPress.
Check the key prefixes. The Public Key must start with wp_pk_ and the Secret Key with wp_sk_. If they are swapped, the test will fail.
Confirm your server can reach KaiCalls. Some hosts block outbound HTTP requests by default. The plugin needs to reach https://www.kaicalls.com over HTTPS. Ask your host to allow outbound requests to that domain if needed.
Generate a fresh pair of keys. If the keys were revoked or regenerated in the dashboard, the old ones stop working. Create a new pair and paste them in.

If the page shows the literal text [kaicalls_ai_intake_form] instead of a form, or nothing appears at all:

Confirm the plugin is active. Go to Plugins and make sure KaiCalls AI Intake is activated. A deactivated plugin leaves the shortcode unprocessed, so it renders as plain text.
Check the shortcode spelling. It must be exactly [kaicalls_ai_intake_form]. An older guide may reference a different name — use this one.
Use a shortcode block. In the block editor, add a Shortcode block (not a code or HTML block) and paste the shortcode into it.
Page builders. In Elementor, Divi, or WPBakery, use the dedicated shortcode/text widget so the builder processes the shortcode.

Confirm the connection. Settings → AI Intake should show Connection successful! If it shows "Plugin not configured," your keys are missing or invalid — see the section above.
Required fields. Name, Email, and Message are required, and the email must be valid. A submission missing any of these is rejected before it reaches KaiCalls.
Check the right place. Leads land in your KaiCalls dashboard under Leads with the source wordpress_form. The "Recent AI Intake Leads" dashboard widget is cached for up to an hour, so a new lead can appear in KaiCalls before it shows in the widget.
Look for a form error message. The form shows an inline message on failure (for example a network or timeout error). Re-submit and note the exact wording if you contact support.

"Plugin not configured." You haven't saved valid keys yet. Go to Settings → AI Intake, paste your Public and Secret keys, and save until you see Connection successful!
"Error fetching data." Usually a temporary connectivity issue between your host and KaiCalls. Reload the dashboard; if it persists, re-test the connection in Settings → AI Intake.
Widget seems out of date. It is cached for up to an hour. Your KaiCalls dashboard always has the live list of leads.
Widget missing entirely. Only logged-in administrators (users with manage_options) see it. Confirm you are logged in as an admin.

If you are posting your own form directly to the intake endpoint and get a 401:

Check the Authorization header format. It must be Authorization: Bearer wp_pk_xxx:wp_sk_xxx — the public and secret keys joined by a single colon after Bearer .
Don't swap the keys. Public Key (wp_pk_) goes first, Secret Key (wp_sk_) second.
Post JSON. Send Content-Type: application/json with a body of name, email, phone, and message.

See the WordPress developer docs for the full request and response reference.

If you also installed the optional embeddable chat widget (separate from the intake plugin) and it does not appear or respond:

Snippet not saved or stripped: Confirm the widget snippet is still in your footer. Some themes strip <script> tags on save — use a header/footer plugin such as WPCode instead of the theme editor.
HTTPS required: The widget requires your site to use HTTPS. On an HTTP site the browser blocks the script. Enable SSL through your host.
JavaScript conflicts: Open browser developer tools (F12) and check the Console for errors from other plugins or theme scripts.
Wrong IDs: Copy the exact snippet from Business Settings → Widget in your KaiCalls dashboard rather than editing the assistantId or businessId by hand.
Styling / z-index conflicts: Cookie banners, sticky headers, or other chat plugins can cover the widget. Adjust the z-index of the conflicting element.

If you just changed something but don't see it, your site may be serving a cached page:

Clear your WordPress cache: If you use WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, or LiteSpeed Cache, purge all caches.
Clear your CDN cache: If you use Cloudflare or another CDN, purge it.
Clear your browser cache: Press Ctrl+Shift+R (or Cmd+Shift+R on Mac) for a hard refresh.
Managed hosts: WP Engine, Kinsta, and Flywheel have server-level caches that take a few minutes to refresh.

If none of the solutions above resolve your issue, our support team is here to help.

Email: support@kaicalls.com
Phone: 1 (417) 386-2898 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm CST)
Include in your message: your WordPress site URL, the page with the form, and the exact wording of any error message