=== Sommelier Chatbox – Wine Recommendation Widget for WooCommerce ===
Contributors: winechatbox
Tags: woocommerce, wine, sommelier, wine pairing, wine recommendation
Requires at least: 6.0
Tested up to: 7.0
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.1.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
A floating WooCommerce chat widget that guides shoppers to 2-3 wines using your catalog data.

== Description ==

Sommelier Chatbox is a free WooCommerce widget designed to improve product discovery for wine stores.

The plugin adds a floating chat-style interface to your store that guides visitors through a short, simple conversation and returns a small, focused selection of wines from your existing WooCommerce catalog.

The goal is to reduce choice overload and help customers move faster from browsing to decision, without disrupting your store layout.

This FREE version works entirely inside WordPress and WooCommerce:
- No checkout integrations
- No tracking

All recommendations are generated using deterministic rules based on your existing WooCommerce data (categories, tags, attributes, descriptions, prices, stock).

Upgrade to PRO for advanced recommendations.
Learn more about Sommelier Chatbox PRO: https://www.sommelierchatbox.com

== Features ==

- Floating, non-intrusive chat widget
- Guided conversational UX
- Deterministic product filtering using WooCommerce data
- Displays 2–3 relevant wines per interaction
- Uses existing product categories, tags, attributes, and prices
- No manual tagging required
- Fully functional as a standalone FREE plugin

== Free vs Pro ==

Free:
- Deterministic recommendations using WooCommerce data
- 2-3 picks per request
- Runs entirely inside WordPress and stays lightweight for small to mid-size catalogs

Pro:
- AI-guided recommendations with natural replies
- Better handling of short or imperfect inputs
- Deeper catalog analysis for larger catalogs

Learn more about Sommelier Chatbox PRO: https://www.sommelierchatbox.com

== How It Works ==

1. The visitor opens the chat widget.
2. The widget asks a few simple questions (occasion, taste, budget).
3. The plugin matches keywords to WooCommerce categories, tags, attributes, and descriptions.
4. A filtered query selects up to 3 suitable products.
5. Results are displayed directly in the widget.

If no products match, a graceful fallback message is shown.

== Installation ==

1. Upload the plugin files to the `/wp-content/plugins/sommelier-chatbox` directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen.
2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress.
3. Make sure WooCommerce is installed and active.

== Usage ==

Once activated, the widget appears automatically on the front-end of your WooCommerce store.

No configuration is required for basic usage.

Optional settings can be configured in the WordPress admin panel to adjust the chat appearance.

== Requirements ==

- WordPress
- WooCommerce

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does it modify my product data? =
No. It only reads existing WooCommerce data.

= Is this plugin suitable for production stores? =
Yes. The plugin is lightweight and does not interfere with checkout or product pages.

= Does it require an API key? =
No. The free version runs entirely inside WordPress and WooCommerce.

= How are recommendations generated? =
Deterministic rules match user input to your categories, attributes, tags, and prices.

= Does it track users? =
No tracking is performed by the free version.

= Do you have a Pro version? =
Upgrade to PRO for advanced recommendations.
Learn more about Sommelier Chatbox PRO: https://www.sommelierchatbox.com

= When should I upgrade to Pro? =
If you want more natural conversations or you have a large catalog and need deeper matching.

== Screenshots ==

1. Instant wine recommendations from your WooCommerce catalog.
2. Add to cart directly from the chat widget.

== Changelog ==

= 1.1.0 =
- Added upgrade CTA at the bottom of the widget linking to the AI version.

= 1.0.9 =
- Clarify Free vs Pro positioning

= 1.0.8 =
- Make clarification prompt default to English and localizable

= 1.0.7 =
- Reduce readme tags to WordPress.org limit

= 1.0.6 =
- Add soft ranking for rating and vintage preferences
- Add clarification prompt for low-signal messages

= 1.0.5 =
- Update close icon styling

= 1.0.4 =
- Add Free vs Pro guidance in admin and readme
- Add plugin list Upgrade link

= 1.0.3 =
- Expanded deterministic pairing rules
- Improved budget parsing and fallback messaging

= 1.0.2 =
- PHPCS/WPCS compliance updates
- Add Pro upgrade link to readme

= 1.0.1 =
- Update text domain to match plugin slug
- Add WooCommerce dependency header
- Block direct file access in main plugin file

= 1.0.0 =
- Initial public release
- Free WooCommerce recommendation widget
- Deterministic filtering logic
- No external dependencies

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.0.9 =
Free vs Pro copy update.

= 1.0.8 =
Clarification prompt localization update.

= 1.0.7 =
Readme tag cleanup.

= 1.0.6 =
Soft ranking and clarification improvements.

= 1.0.5 =
UI polish update.

= 1.0.4 =
Free vs Pro messaging updates.

= 1.0.3 =
Enhanced deterministic matching and budget handling.

= 1.0.2 =
Maintenance and documentation updates.

= 1.0.1 =
Maintenance update for WordPress.org review compliance.

= 1.0.0 =
Initial release.
