AI customer and order search
Find store customers and order summaries through an authorised AI assistant in private operator Team Chat.
What it is
Customer search and Order search let an authorised AI assistant find store records in private operator Team Chat. Search returns candidates or order summaries. You can then request an exact customer, order detail or customer order history using the returned record.
Who uses it and why
Operators find records when they have a name or order enquiry to investigate without an attached visitor. Administrators connect the assistant to a specific store and select the operations it may use.
Where to find it
Use the configured AI assistant in Team Chat. Administrators with Settings and relevant AI access, or Developer, configure its Commerce function in Settings › AI › Functions, assign it through Settings › AI › Features, and configure store access in Settings › Commerce › Commerce Providers.
How it works
Ask the assistant to search for a customer using supported name terms or filters. Review the candidates, then identify the intended customer. The assistant can use that returned customer identifier for exact lookup or order history without asking for the email again.
Order searches return summaries with supplied identifiers, dates, contact details, status and totals. Ask for the selected order's detail to retrieve fuller information. Search summaries do not include every order line or shipment.
The request must originate from an authenticated operator in private Team Chat, have no visitor attached, and use a fixed Commerce Provider. Passing a visitor conversation through another assistant does not grant private search access.
Configure it
- With Settings and relevant AI access, or Developer, enable Customer search and/or Order search under the provider's Use for. Save and test the store connection.
- Create or edit a Commerce function in Settings › AI › Functions.
- Select a specific Commerce Provider. Its operations must support all the selected Enabled capabilities.
- Add the search capabilities and any required Customer lookup, Order list or Order lookup capability.
- Assign the function to the AI feature used in operator Team Chat and configure who can use that assistant.
Automatic website/subsite routing cannot supply unrestricted private search. A fixed provider does not fall back to another store.
Settings
| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commerce Provider | Settings › AI › Functions | website | Automatic website/subsite routing | Settings role, Developer role | Selects one fixed store provider for this Commerce function. Private customer and order search requires a fixed provider; automatic routing cannot supply these searches. |
| Enabled capabilities | Settings › AI › Functions | website | Not set | Settings role, Developer role | Selects Customer search, Order search and any supported exact lookup or history operations for the Commerce function. No capabilities are selected initially; select at least one before saving. |
Permissions
| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Configure providers, Commerce functions and AI features, subject to AI access and View Only. |
| AI | Allows AI and commerce configuration for a restricted Settings role. |
| Developer | Configure the provider and AI function or feature. |
Limits and good to know
| Provider | Search behaviour |
|---|---|
| Shopify | Customer name terms and supported contact/date filters; order terms and supported customer, date, total and status filters. Order history can be restricted to 60 days without permission for all orders. |
| BigCommerce | Customer names use substring matching. Order query accepts an exact numeric order number or complete email. For a name, search customers first, then request that customer's orders. |
| Salesforce B2C Commerce | Customer name search uses complete words; exact customer number or email is also supported. Order query uses an exact order number. Phone, status and date filters are unsupported. |
| Custom Script | Only the search terms and filters declared by the integration are available. |
- Searches default to 10 results, with a permitted page size of 1 to 50.
- Search terms are limited to 500 characters. Individual filter values are limited to 254 characters.
- Unsupported filters, invalid emails, negative totals and reversed date or total ranges are rejected.
- Continuing a search requires the same store, operator, operation, criteria and page size. Changed criteria need a new search.
- Private search results remain operator information. Sending an order to a visitor requires the separate order-sharing process.
Depends on and works with
+4 more · this feature uses
- BigCommerce store connectionEnhances
BigCommerce supplies customer name search and order search by exact order number or email.
- Custom commerce integrationsEnhances
Custom providers can implement private search and declare supported filters.
- Store order details and historyEnhances
Returned customer and order identifiers can be used for exact detail and history lookup.
- AI commerce functions and access limitsConfigured by
The Commerce function's enabled capabilities limit private searches and follow-up reads.
View all connections as a list
This feature uses
- Roles and permissionsConfigured by
Roles control administration of the provider and AI configuration.
- AI feature settings and change historyConfigured by
AI feature configuration determines the assistant's functions and permitted use.
- AI functions and required inputsRequires
A Commerce function exposes the enabled search and lookup capabilities.
- Ask AI agents in Team ChatRequires
Search runs through an authorised AI feature in operator Team Chat.
- Team chatRequires
Unrestricted customer and order searches are confined to private operator Team Chat.
- Commerce provider setup and selectionRequires
Private search needs a fixed enabled provider with the requested operations selected.
- Shopify commerce connectionEnhances
Shopify supplies native customer and order search with supported filters.
- Salesforce B2C Commerce connectionEnhances
Salesforce B2C Commerce supplies a narrower set of private search criteria.
- BigCommerce store connectionEnhances
BigCommerce supplies customer name search and order search by exact order number or email.
- Custom commerce integrationsEnhances
Custom providers can implement private search and declare supported filters.
- Store order details and historyEnhances
Returned customer and order identifiers can be used for exact detail and history lookup.
- AI commerce functions and access limitsConfigured by
The Commerce function's enabled capabilities limit private searches and follow-up reads.
Used by
- Shopify commerce connectionEnhances
Supports private customer and order search in Team Chat.
- Salesforce B2C Commerce connectionEnhances
Optional private reads support restricted customer and order search.
- BigCommerce store connectionEnhances
Supports private customer and order searches.
- Custom commerce integrationsEnhances
Implemented private search operations can be exposed to authenticated operator Team Chat.
- Store order details and historyEnhances
Private Team Chat can find customers and orders before reading detail.
- AI commerce functions and access limitsEnhances
Private customer and order discovery is available only in operator Team Chat.
FAQ and troubleshooting
Why does the assistant say private search is unavailable?
Use the authorised assistant in private operator Team Chat, without a visitor attached. Ask your Settings or Developer administrator to check the fixed Commerce Provider, enabled function capabilities and provider operations.
Why can product search work while customer search fails?
Product search can use automatic routing and public catalogue access. Private customer search needs a fixed provider, store customer permissions and the correct Team Chat context.
Why does BigCommerce reject a person's name in an order search?
Its order query accepts an exact numeric order number or complete email. Search for the customer by name first, choose the correct match, then request their orders.
Why must I restart a paged search?
Its continuation belongs to the original criteria and page size, as well as the same operator and provider. Restart after changing any of those.
Does selecting a candidate verify that a visitor owns the account?
No. This is private operator research. Visitor verification and deliberate order sharing have their own checks.