In short: The EchoCall Chat Widget plugin puts an AI chat agent from the EchoHub on your WordPress site. You download the ZIP file in the EchoHub, install it in WordPress, activate it and enter the chatbot ID. That part really does take only a few minutes. The chat agent itself takes longer: a good knowledge base, a clear greeting and a few test conversations.
We rewrote this post in October 2026. The old version described the plugin as a listing in the WordPress plugin directory, with an API key, automatic colour matching to the theme, lead handover to newsletter services and a selectable hosting region. That was not accurate. You get the plugin as a ZIP file in the EchoHub, it needs no API key, and it does not have the other features. Below is what it actually does.
What the EchoCall WordPress plugin is
The plugin is called EchoCall Chat Widget and is at version 1.0.0, licensed under GPLv2 or later. According to its description it needs at least WordPress 5.6 and PHP 7.4 and has been tested up to WordPress 6.7.
One thing matters for understanding it: the plugin does not contain the AI. It displays an AI chat agent that you built in the EchoHub. Knowledge, greeting, language, colour and logo are set there. The plugin makes sure this agent appears on your website, where and how you want it.
It offers three ways to display the chat:
| Display | Where to set it | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Floating button | Settings, EchoCall Chat | Chat on every page, bottom right or bottom left |
| Shortcode | in the page or post editor | Chat embedded in a page, such as your help page |
| Elementor widget | in Elementor under General | Chat dragged and dropped into an Elementor layout |
The plugin is not in the official WordPress plugin directory, so a search for "EchoCall" under Plugins will not find it. You install it by uploading a ZIP file, which WordPress provides for exactly this case. [2]
How to install an AI chatbot on WordPress, step by step
You need an EchoCall account with a chat agent. To try it out there are 30 voice minutes and 30 chat conversations for 14 days, and the credit card is verified with €1. [1]
- Create the chat agent. In the EchoHub, create a chat agent, set its name and greeting and fill the knowledge base. The quickest way is your website address, which the agent reads in.
- Download the plugin. In the chat agent's embed dialog, open the WordPress tab and click the button to download the WordPress plugin. You receive the file
echocall-chat-widget.zip. - Upload it to WordPress. In the WordPress admin, go to Plugins, choose to add a new plugin, click "Upload Plugin" at the top, select the ZIP file and install it. [2]
- Activate it. After installation, click "Activate".
- Enter the chatbot ID. Under Settings, EchoCall Chat, enter the ID of your chat agent. It is in the chat's address:
hub.echocall.de/chat/{ID}. Leave the Server URL field at its default. Save. - Test it. Open your website in a private browser window, click the chat button and ask the three questions your customers ask most often.
Steps 2 to 5 are one download, one upload, two clicks and one input field. You can do that in five minutes. Step 1 takes as long as you are willing to spend on a good agent. The post How to Build an AI Agent Without Code shows how to approach it.
The settings in detail
You will find the settings page in the WordPress menu under Settings, EchoCall Chat. It is currently in German and has six fields:
- Widget / Chatbot ID: the ID from the chat address in the EchoHub.
- Server URL: stays at the default unless support gives you a different one.
- Widget aktiviert (widget enabled): switches the floating button on or off without deactivating the plugin.
- Position: bottom right or bottom left.
- Mobil ausblenden (hide on mobile): hides the button on screens narrower than 768 pixels.
- Seiten ausschließen (exclude pages): one URL path per line, such as
/imprintor/privacy. The button does not appear there.
Excluding pages is more useful than it sounds. On checkout pages a chat button tends to distract, and on pages with their own contact form it can feel like a duplicate.
Embedding the chat with a shortcode
Instead of a floating button you can place the chat directly into a page. Shortcodes are the placeholders in square brackets that WordPress replaces when it delivers the page. [3]
[echocall_chat]uses the ID from the settings.[echocall_chat id="13"]shows a specific chat agent, here the one with ID 13.[echocall_chat id="13" height="600px"]also sets the height.
With the id attribute you can show different agents on different pages. For example, an agent with your consumer tariffs on the page for private customers, and one with your business terms on the page for business customers.
Embedding the chat in Elementor
After activation you will find the EchoCall Chat widget in Elementor under General. Drag it into your layout and set three values: Chatbot ID, height and border radius. That is the most convenient route if your pages are built with Elementor anyway.
Plugin or code snippet?
You do not strictly need the plugin. The chat agent can be added to any website with one line:
<script src="https://cdn.echocall.de/widget.js" data-id="CHATBOT_ID" async></script>
| Question | Plugin | Code snippet |
|---|---|---|
| Edit theme files? | no | yes, or use a plugin for header and footer code |
| Exclude pages, hide on mobile | via a form | only with your own code |
| Chat embedded in a page | via shortcode or Elementor | no, only the floating button |
| Usable outside WordPress | no | yes |
For most WordPress sites the plugin is the simpler route. If you already use a plugin for custom header code, or serve several systems with the same chat, the snippet gets you just as far.
What the AI chat agent can do on your WordPress site
The difference from classic chatbot plugins lies not in the plugin but in the agent behind it. Many older chatbots work with fixed decision trees. An AI chat agent understands free-form questions and answers from your material. The post AI Chat Agents vs. Traditional Chatbots explains the difference.
What the EchoCall chat agent brings:
- A knowledge base from your content. Upload PDF, TXT, Markdown and CSV, have single pages re-read at a fixed interval, crawl the whole website or enter free text.
- More than 30 languages. The widget is available in several languages, and you decide which languages the agent answers in.
- Handover to your team. Conversations can be taken over in the Live Inbox when a human is needed.
- Tools during the conversation. Through integrations the agent books appointments in Google Calendar, Calendly or Cal.com, looks up contacts in HubSpot or creates tickets in Zendesk or Freshdesk.
- AI notice. The widget automatically shows a notice that an AI is answering, in German, English and French.
- Domain allowlist. In the EchoHub you set which domains the chat may run on, so nobody can embed your agent on someone else's site.
What does an AI chatbot on WordPress cost?
The plugin itself costs nothing. You pay for the chat agent, by conversation. The packages according to the pricing page: [1]
| Chat conversations per month | Price, excl. VAT |
|---|---|
| 100 | €40 |
| 300 | €120 |
| 1,000 | €400 |
| 5,000 or more | from €1,000 |
Example calculation. Assumptions: an online shop on WordPress has 4,000 visits a month, and 2 per cent of visitors start a conversation. That is 80 conversations, so the smallest package is enough. If the rate rises to 6 per cent, it is 240 conversations, and the package with 300 fits. You will see your own figures in the EchoHub after the first few weeks. Extrapolate then, not before.
Chatbot hosting in Germany and data protection on WordPress
The chat does not run on your WordPress server but on EchoCall's servers in IONOS data centres in Frankfurt and Karlsruhe. For your WordPress site that means four tasks:
- Sign a data processing agreement. Anyone who has conversation data processed by a service provider needs a contract under Art. 28 GDPR. [4] The documents are on the data protection page.
- Update your privacy policy. Under Art. 13 GDPR you inform people about the purpose, legal basis and retention period. [4] List the chat agent there as its own item.
- Settle consent. The plugin has no built-in connection to cookie banners. Check with your data protection adviser whether your consent tool should load the chat only after consent.
- Make sure the AI notice is shown. Since 2 August 2026 people must be told that they are talking to an AI. [5] The widget shows this notice automatically. More in the post on the EU AI Act and the AI disclosure duty.
Also exclude your imprint and privacy policy using the exclude pages field. Nobody expects a chat there.
Limits of the plugin
An honest post also says what is missing:
- No automatic updates. WordPress updates plugins from the official directory by itself. This plugin comes as a ZIP file, so you also download new versions in the EchoHub and install them.
- Tested up to WordPress 6.7. That is what the plugin description says. Check the chat yourself briefly after every major WordPress update.
- No WooCommerce connection. The agent answers questions from your knowledge base, including products, shipping and returns, as long as they are on your website. It cannot look up WooCommerce orders without custom development.
- No listing in the plugin directory. That means no reviews or support forum on wordpress.org. Questions go to EchoCall support.
Frequently asked questions
Is the EchoCall plugin in the WordPress plugin directory?
No. You download it in the EchoHub from your chat agent's embed dialog and install it in WordPress via "Upload Plugin".
Do I need an API key for the WordPress plugin?
No. The plugin only needs the chatbot ID. You need an API key only if you want to control EchoCall from your own software, see the EchoHub API Guide.
Does the plugin work with Elementor?
Yes. After activation the EchoCall Chat widget is available in Elementor under General, with fields for chatbot ID, height and border radius.
Can I show the chat only on certain pages?
Yes, in two ways. Either you exclude individual pages from the floating button in the plugin, one path per line. Or you switch the button off and place the chat by shortcode only on the pages where it should appear.
What does an AI chatbot for WordPress cost?
The plugin is free. With EchoCall the chat agent costs from €40 excluding VAT for 100 conversations. To try it there are 30 voice minutes and 30 chat conversations for 14 days, and the credit card is verified with €1.
Is an AI chatbot on WordPress GDPR compliant?
It can be, if you meet your obligations: a data processing agreement, a note in the privacy policy, settled consent and the AI notice. EchoCall's servers are in Frankfurt and Karlsruhe, and the AI notice is built into the widget.
Sources
- EchoCall, pricing: echocall.de/en/pricing
- WordPress Documentation, Manage Plugins, section Upload Plugin: wordpress.org
- WordPress Plugin Handbook, Shortcodes: developer.wordpress.org
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Art. 13 and Art. 28: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act), Art. 50 transparency obligations: eur-lex.europa.eu
All links were checked on 6 October 2026. This post is not legal advice.
