Secretary of DeCourse WordPress Chatbot Plugin

A professional WordPress plugin that integrates the Secretary of DeCourse American Government teaching assistant directly into your WordPress site.

🚀 Features

• WordPress Native Integration - Fully integrated with WordPress security and permissions
• AJAX-Powered Chat - Real-time messaging without page reloads
• Multiple Display Modes - Floating widget or shortcode embedding
• Educational Focus - Specialized in American Government topics
• Text-to-Speech - Built-in speech synthesis for accessibility
• Mobile Responsive - Works perfectly on all devices
• Genially Compatible - Perfect for embedding in presentations
• Admin Dashboard - Easy configuration through WordPress admin

📦 Installation

Method 1: Direct Upload (Recommended)

1. Download the plugin folder (secretary-chatbot-plugin)
2. Upload to WordPress:

   /wp-content/plugins/secretary-chatbot-plugin/
   

3. Add the badger image:
   • Save your badger.png image to: /wp-content/plugins/secretary-chatbot-plugin/assets/badger.png
4. Activate the plugin in WordPress Admin → Plugins
5. Configure settings in WordPress Admin → Settings → Secretary Chatbot

Method 2: ZIP Installation

1. Create a ZIP file of the secretary-chatbot-plugin folder
2. Upload via WordPress Admin:
   • Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
   • Choose your ZIP file and install
3. Add the badger image as described above
4. Activate and configure

⚙️ Configuration

WordPress Admin Settings

1. Go to Settings → Secretary Chatbot
2. Enable the chatbot by checking the checkbox
3. Choose display mode:
   • Floating Widget: Shows a floating icon on all pages
   • Shortcode Only: Only appears when you use the shortcode

Display Options

Floating Widget

• Automatically appears on all pages when enabled
• Shows as a floating badger icon in bottom-right corner
• Clicking opens the chat window

Shortcode Usage

[secretary_chatbot]
[secretary_chatbot width="500" height="700"]
[secretary_chatbot width="300" height="500"]

🎓 Genially Integration

For Genially Presentations:

1. Create a dedicated page in WordPress with the shortcode:

   [secretary_chatbot width="400" height="600"]
   

2. Get the page URL (e.g., https://yoursite.com/chatbot-page/)

3. In Genially:

   • Add an iframe element
   • Set source to your page URL
   • Set dimensions to match your shortcode (400x600px)

Alternative: Direct Embed

If your hosting allows, you can also embed the chatbot directly in Genially using the page URL.

🔧 Customization

Styling

• All styles are prefixed with secretary- to avoid conflicts
• Modify /assets/style.css for custom styling
• Colors use the theme: Dark blue (#1e3a8a), white background, black text

Content

• Edit /includes/chatbot-logic.php to modify responses
• Add new prompts and replies in the arrays
• Customize government-related content

Images

• Replace /assets/badger.png with your custom avatar
• Replace /assets/user.png for user avatars
• Images should be square (recommended: 100x100px minimum)

🛡️ Security Features

WordPress REST API Authentication

• Modern REST API - Uses WordPress REST API with proper authentication
• Rate Limiting - 30 messages per hour per user to prevent abuse
• Input Validation - Message length and content filtering
• Security Logging - All access attempts and security events logged

BEEP Plugin Integration

• Enhanced Security - Integrates with BEEP Assessment plugin security
• AI Access Control - Uses BEEP's AI feature access controls
• Unified Logging - Security events logged to BEEP's system
• Permission Inheritance - Follows BEEP's user permission patterns

WordPress Security Standards

• Nonce Protection - CSRF protection for all requests
• Input Sanitization - All user inputs properly sanitized
• Capability Checks - WordPress user capability validation
• Direct Access Prevention - All PHP files protected from direct access

📱 Mobile Support

• Fully responsive design
• Touch-friendly interface
• Optimized for mobile screens
• Maintains functionality across all devices

🔊 Accessibility

• Text-to-Speech - Automatic speech synthesis for bot responses
• Keyboard Navigation - Full keyboard support
• Screen Reader Friendly - Proper ARIA labels and semantic HTML
• High Contrast - Clear visual design for readability

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Chatbot not appearing:

   • Check if plugin is activated
   • Verify settings are enabled
   • Clear any caching plugins

2. Images not loading:

   • Ensure badger.png is in /assets/ folder
   • Check file permissions (644 for files, 755 for folders)
   • Verify image file format (PNG recommended)

3. AJAX errors:

   • Check WordPress debug logs
   • Verify nonce security is working
   • Test with default WordPress theme

Debug Mode

Add this to your wp-config.php for debugging:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);

📊 Performance

• Lightweight - Minimal resource usage
• Cached Assets - CSS/JS files are properly cached
• Optimized AJAX - Efficient server communication
• No Database Bloat - Minimal database storage

🔄 Updates

To update the plugin:

1. Backup your current installation
2. Replace plugin files with new version
3. Keep your custom badger.png image
4. Reactivate if necessary

📞 Support

• Check WordPress debug logs for errors
• Verify all file permissions are correct
• Test with a default WordPress theme
• Ensure no plugin conflicts exist

📄 License

GPL v2 or later - Compatible with WordPress licensing

🎯 Educational Use

Perfect for:

• Educational institutions
• Government courses
• Civic education websites
• Online learning platforms
• Student engagement tools

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Ready to enhance your WordPress site with an intelligent American Government teaching assistant! 🇺🇸