Classcard's AI Chat Assistant lets you automate responses to common inquiries from students and parents. This article walks you through enabling the assistant, adding FAQs, setting support hours, and configuring staff access.
Navigate to the Chat main menu (speech bubble icon) on the left sidebar. At the top of the "All chats" panel, click the Settings icon (⚙) next to the "+ New" button.
The Chat settings dialog box has four tabs: AI assistant, Knowledge base, Support hours, and Access controls.
1. Enable and Configure the AI Assistant
On the AI assistant tab:
Toggle Enable AI assistant replies to ON (blue). This allows the assistant to respond to queries automatically.
Enter a name for your AI assistant in the Assistant name field ("Min" is the default name given).
Under Assistant avatar, click Change to upload a square image (256 × 256 px) of your AI assistant. You could use your logo, mascot, or a friendly character.
In the Welcome message box, type the greeting visitors will see when they start a new chat (e.g., "Welcome to [Academy Name]! I'm [Name]. How can I help you today?").
Click Save changes in the bottom-right corner of the dialog.
2. Build the Knowledge Base
The Knowledge base tab is where you add FAQs that the AI uses to generate accurate responses.
Click + Add FAQ.
Enter the Question a customer might ask (e.g., "What are the academy's working hours?").
Enter the Answer (e.g., "8 am to 4 pm") and click on Add.
You can edit or delete any FAQ using the three-dot menu (⋮) on each card.
💡 Cover your most common topics: working hours, pricing, enrollment, cancellation policies, and class schedules. The more FAQs you add, the better the assistant performs.
3. Set Support Hours
Head to the Support hours tab. This defines when your team is available for live chat.
Under the Support hours heading, the Same as operation hours box is checked by default to sync chat support with your academy's existing schedule. If you wish to enable additional support hours, uncheck the box to set your own support hours.
Enable a day by toggling it on, then set the start and end time using the dropdowns.
Use the Copy time to [next day] shortcut to apply the same hours across multiple days.
In the Reply outside support hours box, type the message customers will see when no one is available (e.g., "Hey, we are on break right now. We'll get back to you soon.").
💡 Even outside support hours, the AI assistant continues to reply 24/7 if enabled. The outside-hours message simply lets customers know when a human will follow up.
Click Save changes in the bottom-right corner of the dialog.
4. Configure Access Controls
Click the Access controls tab. Here you choose which staff roles can view, reply to, and manage chats.
The permission matrix shows roles across the top (Teaching Assistant, Teacher, Sales, Front Office, Admin, Owner) and three permission types down the side:
Access chats — Can see the Chat section. This is the parent permission; without it, the other two have no effect.
Access own chats — Can view and respond to chats assigned to them.
Access others chat — Can view and respond to chats assigned to other staff members.
Check or uncheck the boxes to match your team's needs.
Here's a video on how to set up Classcard's AI Chat Assistant:
FAQS
Will the AI assistant respond outside of support hours?
Yes. If enabled, the AI replies 24/7 regardless of your support hours schedule.
Can I update the assistant's name and avatar later?
Yes. Return to Chat settings at any time to make changes.
Is there a limit on FAQs?
No strict limit. Add as many as you need.
What if a role doesn't have "Access chats" enabled?
Staff in that role will not see the Chat section at all.