AI Review Reply Assistant

AI Review Reply Assistant is a self-hosted workspace for turning customer feedback into thoughtful, professional reply drafts. It stores the original review, source, star rating, selected tone, AI summary, generated response, and workflow status in one place.

The application is designed to assist—not replace—business judgment. Every response should be reviewed for factual accuracy, privacy, tone, and platform suitability before it is posted publicly.

1. Create a MySQL or MariaDB database and database user.

2. Upload the application files to a dedicated folder or subdomain on your hosting account.

3. Copy config.example.php to config.php when included in your package.

4. Enter the database credentials and initial administrator details in config.php.

5. Visit install.php in your browser and complete the installer.

6. Log in through public/login.php or the login URL supplied by your installation.

7. Delete or rename install.php after installation.

8. Enable HTTPS and confirm that unauthorized visitors cannot access the admin area.

Recommended environment:

- PHP 8.1 or newer
- MySQL 5.7+, MySQL 8+, or a compatible MariaDB release
- PDO MySQL extension
- cURL extension for live AI requests
- JSON and mbstring support
- HTTPS for production use
- Permission for the application to write to any configured cache, log, or storage directories

Demo mode can be used before live AI credentials are configured.

Demo mode allows you to test the review workflow without sending content to an external AI provider.

For live mode, open config.php and locate the AI configuration. Change the provider from demo to the supported live provider, add your API key, and select a supported model. Never commit a live API key to a public repository or expose config.php through the web.

After saving the configuration, test with a fictional review before entering real customer content. Confirm that errors are handled safely and that provider usage appears in the correct account.

1. Log in and choose Add Review.

2. Enter the customer name only when it is appropriate and available.

3. Select the review source.

4. Record the star rating.

5. Paste the exact review text.

6. Choose a reply tone.

7. Save the review.

8. Generate the AI summary and reply draft.

9. Check the response against the original review.

10. Edit and approve the final wording before posting it on the source platform.

Professional is a strong default for most businesses.

Friendly works well when the brand voice is conversational and the review is positive or neutral.

Appreciative is useful for thanking satisfied customers and acknowledging specific praise.

Apologetic can help begin a response to disappointment, but it should not admit legal liability or promise compensation without authorization.

Short is appropriate when the feedback needs a brief acknowledgment.

Detailed is useful when public readers would benefit from additional context, provided private information is not disclosed.

Thank the customer, reference a specific part of the review when possible, and keep the response natural. Avoid copying the same generic paragraph for every customer.

A strong positive reply usually does three things: acknowledges the customer, reinforces the experience they valued, and welcomes them back. Do not overload the response with promotional language or unrelated offers.

Read the review carefully and separate verifiable facts from emotion or assumptions. Acknowledge the experience without arguing. Keep private account details out of the public reply.

When investigation is required, invite the reviewer to continue through a private support channel. Do not promise refunds, discounts, disciplinary action, or specific outcomes unless you are authorized to do so.

For threatening, discriminatory, fraudulent, or legally sensitive content, pause the normal workflow and seek appropriate professional guidance.

Draft means the review has been entered but the response is not final.

Ready means a reply has been generated and reviewed enough for final approval or posting.

Replied means the approved response has been published on the original platform.

Archived means the record is retained but no longer requires active attention.

Use statuses consistently so the dashboard reflects the real workload and unanswered reviews are easy to identify.

Before publishing a reply, confirm:

- The customer name is correct.
- The response matches the actual rating and review.
- No facts, services, dates, or policies were invented.
- No private customer or account information is disclosed.
- No unauthorized refund, discount, guarantee, or legal promise is included.
- The tone fits the brand and situation.
- The response is concise enough for the platform.
- Spelling, grammar, and contact instructions are correct.

Protect the application with strong administrator credentials and HTTPS. Limit access to staff who are responsible for reputation management. Keep config.php and API credentials outside public exposure wherever your hosting structure permits.

Only store information needed to prepare and track the response. Avoid sensitive personal information and redact unnecessary details before submitting review content to an AI provider. Review your provider settings and retention terms according to your business obligations.

Back up the database and customized application files before upgrades or configuration changes. Keep a separate list of code customizations.

Periodically verify that PHP, database software, SSL certificates, and AI provider settings remain supported. Review stored records according to your retention policy, archive completed items, and remove data that no longer serves a business purpose.

If installation fails, verify database credentials, PHP version, PDO MySQL, file permissions, and the application URL.

If live generation fails, confirm cURL is enabled, the API key is valid, the provider and model names are supported, billing or credits are available, and outbound HTTPS requests are allowed.

If generated replies are weak, include the complete review, select a more appropriate tone, and regenerate. Always edit output rather than repeatedly generating until an unverified response appears acceptable.

For blank pages, enable safe application logging and inspect the PHP error log without displaying sensitive errors publicly.

Respond consistently and promptly, but prioritize accuracy over speed. Use AI to create a starting point while preserving a genuine human voice.

Track which reviews still need action. Personalize replies with relevant details. Never argue publicly, expose private facts, or use the same template for every customer. Move complex resolutions to a private channel and follow through internally.

Review patterns across feedback to identify recurring service, product, or communication problems. The strongest reputation program improves the underlying customer experience as well as the public response.