1Define use-cases and data needs
Prioritize outcomes: search relevance, PDP recs, chat-to-cart, pricing tests, or email/onsite personalization. Note required data (catalog, events, zero-party), PII handling, and locales. Reject tools without data-processing addendums and clear opt-out.
2Shortlist by capability and safety
Look for: server-side events, edge caching, A/B control, rollback, prompt audit, latency <300ms, and brand safety filters. Favor plugins with native support for WooCommerce hooks and minimal custom tables.
3Evaluate 2026-ready categories
Search/recs: Doofinder AI, Algolia with Recommend, ElasticPath AI. Personalization: Nosto, Rebuy, Qubit. Chat/agents: Gorgias + AI, Intercom Fin, custom via LangChain+Vercel. Testing: Convert, Eppo, GrowthBook with Woo connectors.
4Run a 14-day pilot safely
Stage first. Limit traffic to 10–20%. Set guardrails: margin floors, stock buffers, tone rules, and error fallbacks. Log prompts and decisions. Compare uplift vs control on conversion, AOV, latency, and override rate.
5Operationalize and monitor
Push to production with a change log, owner, and rollback plan. Add alerting for latency, 500s, override spikes, and recs coverage. Review weekly with screenshots of changes so stakeholders see what shipped.
Go-live checklist
- Guardrails set: margin floors, stock buffers, banned phrases, latency ceilings.
- Traffic split defined and rollback switch verified.
- Prompt and decision logs flowing to Slack/Teams or observability.
- Performance tested: Core Web Vitals and TTFB unchanged.
- KPIs tracked: conversion, AOV, latency, override rate, and coverage.
FAQ
How do I test AI plugins without risking revenue?
Run them on staging first, then limit to 10–20% of traffic with clear rollback switches and logs for prompts and decisions.
Which metrics should decide a go-live?
Watch conversion rate, AOV, latency, override rate, and coverage. Ship only if uplift is positive and latency stays under 300ms.
How do I keep AI plugins from slowing the site?
Favor server-side events, edge caching, and minimal assets. Audit third-party scripts and retest Core Web Vitals after enabling.
Final thoughts
AI plugins can compound revenue, but only if they respect performance, privacy, and margin guardrails. Start with narrow use-cases, run staged pilots, and insist on prompt and decision logs so you can override fast. Keep a lean stack, and pair this evaluation framework with speed best practices and store build fundamentals to ensure every AI layer sits on a stable base.