Install and configure GymCore AI.
Purpose
Install the staff-facing AI companion, configure an approved provider through WordPress AI Client, and verify the configuration screens without claiming that write execution has passed an installed-version test.
Audience and access
For: Site owners and WordPress administrators<br>
Access needed: activate_plugins to install or activate; manage_woocommerce to open the AI hub; manage_options to configure GymCore AI<br>
Open after activation: GymCore Admin > AI > Settings
Before you start
- Confirm the site runs WordPress 7.0 or later and PHP 8.0 or later.
- Install and activate GymCore first. GymCore AI stops initialization when GymCore is unavailable.
- Install the approved WordPress AI provider plugin and configure it under Settings > Connectors. GymCore AI never reads or stores its credential.
- Take a current database backup because activation creates or updates GymCore AI tables, options, and agent accounts.
- Use staging for the first activation and prepare individual least-privilege test accounts.
Exact visible steps
Migrate sites from the retired HMA AI Chat plugin
Back up the database and plugin files. Stage the reviewed Gym Core AI source at wp-content/plugins/gym-core-ai while leaving hma-ai-chat active and installed; on Pressable, deploy with Delete extra files: OFF. Verify the staged plugin reports version 0.5.6, then run wp --skip-plugins=hma-ai-chat eval-file wp-content/plugins/gym-core-ai/migrate-from-hma-ai-chat.php from the WordPress root. Do not activate Gym Core AI manually before the command. Continue only after Migration complete. No errors. and verification that migrated data, activation scopes, schedules, legacy-owned state, accounts, and the hma-ai-chat directory were retired. Restore the backup on any failure.
New installs
-
In WordPress, open Plugins > Add Plugin > Upload Plugin, select the approved Gym Core AI ZIP, and choose Install Now.
Expected: WordPress reports that the plugin installed. Do not activate an unreviewed ZIP or overwrite a different plugin folder to resolve a name mismatch.
-
Choose Activate Plugin.
Expected: Gym Core AI appears as active under Plugins > Installed Plugins. A requirement notice must not report an unsupported WordPress version or an inactive Gym Core plugin.
-
Open Settings > Connectors, configure the approved provider plugin, and confirm that provider reports connected.
Expected: The secret is owned by WordPress and the provider plugin. It is never pasted into GymCore AI settings or stored in a support ticket.
-
Open GymCore Admin > AI > Settings > General and read System Status.
Expected: GymCore and WordPress AI Client are active. Provider configuration remains under Settings > Connectors.
-
On an upgraded site, confirm the provider is connected under Settings > Connectors, then use Clear stale key from database to delete the retired GymCore AI option without inspecting it.
Expected: WordPress reports Deprecated API key cleared from the database. The current resolver does not use the old database option.
-
Set Gym Name and Conversation retention (days), then select Save Changes. Use Connections & Security to discover, test, and activate an exact provider/model pair.
Expected: The settings page reloads with the saved values. A blank Gym Name falls back to the WordPress site title; retention accepts 1–365 days and defaults to 30.
-
Open Settings > Agents, review each persona’s Enabled, Display Name, and Capability, then select Save Changes.
Expected: The saved agent values reload. These persona gates do not replace the capability checks on individual tools.
-
Open GymCore Admin > Staff Dashboard.
Expected: A working installation shows the AI chat panel when
GYM_CORE_AI_VERSIONis available. If the unavailable notice appears, confirm both plugins are active and stop; configuration status alone is not proof that chat is usable. -
On staging, use a fictional read request, then compare the result with its GymCore or WooCommerce source record.
Expected: The answer matches the source record. A read-only request has no commit button. Do not run a production write as the installation test.
Expected result
Gym Core AI is active, its status screen detects GymCore and WordPress AI Client, and its saved General and Agents settings reload correctly. Provider/model discovery, readiness, activation, and rollback remain bound to the official WordPress AI Client registry.
Defaults and limits
| Setting or dependency | Current source behavior |
|---|---|
| WordPress | 7.0 or later required |
| PHP | 8.0 or later required |
| GymCore | Required and active |
| AI runtime | WordPress AI Client only |
| Provider credentials and transport | Owned by WordPress and the registered provider plugin |
| Deprecated database API-key option | Cleanup only; never read for runtime execution |
| Effective model | Exact activated provider/model from the official registry |
| Conversation retention | 30 days by default; 1–365 days |
| WooCommerce and service extensions | Needed only by tools that consume their data or services |
Side effects and privacy
Activation creates local AI data stores and provisions agent users. Prompts, tool inputs, and provider responses can contain personal or financial data, so configure provider retention and access before production use. Conversation cleanup applies only to conversations and messages; it does not purge pending actions, completed actions, rejected actions, or audit history.
Recover by symptom
Activation shows a WordPress or GymCore requirement notice
Do not suppress the notice. Confirm WordPress 7.0+, PHP 8.0+, and that Gym Core is active. Correct the dependency on staging, then activate once.
System Status cannot find an AI provider
Verify that WordPress AI Client and the approved provider plugin are active, then check the provider under Settings > Connectors. Do not add a GymCore AI API-key option, constant, or environment fallback.
Settings is missing
The AI overview uses gym_view_ai_hub; legacy manage_woocommerce remains a compatibility source. Administrative AI destinations use their own policies with the administrator fallback. Test with the intended role, then correct that role rather than sharing the administrator account.
Staff Dashboard says AI Chat is not available
Confirm both GymCore and Gym Core AI are active, record their versions, and inspect the requirement notice. Do not define an undocumented compatibility constant on production to bypass the check.
Migrate from the retired AI Chat plugin
Follow Migrate sites from the retired HMA AI Chat plugin above. The reviewed 0.5.6 migration script copies only allowlisted non-secret settings and verified table rows, activates Gym Core AI in corresponding site/network scopes, removes the complete legacy-owned state inventory, and deletes retired executable files without executing legacy plugin code. Any error blocks the cutover; do not delete hma-ai-chat manually or copy credential values into GymCore AI.
A green status row is mistaken for a full test
System Status checks dependency presence only. It does not prove Twilio, Slack, WooCommerce Subscriptions, CRM, notifications, external automation, approval execution, or source-record updates work.
Related guides
- Chat safely with GymCore AI
- Review and decide an AI-proposed action
- Configure approval notifications
- Troubleshoot GymCore AI
Source review: checked-out gym-core-ai and gym-core PHP/JavaScript on 2026-08-06. Exact-commit PHPUnit, multisite, and browser evidence is produced only after the reviewed source is committed.
Need help?
Describe one problem and the installed versions. Never send passwords, license keys, API keys, payment details, or member records.