Modes of Use

Appilot is delivered three ways. All three read the same configuration, the same knowledge base and the same privacy controls; they differ in how they reach your users and in who supplies the assistant.

The first two put an Appilot assistant in front of the user. The third puts your app in front of an assistant the user already has.

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Mode 1: Chrome Extension

The Chrome Extension is Appilot's user-installed mode. It works on any website without requiring the site owner to do anything.

How it works

1. The user installs the Appilot extension. While the beta is closed that means a .zip from appilot.space/downloads, installed by hand; there is no store listing yet
2. A discreet floating button appears on every page
3. Clicking it opens a side panel with the AI assistant
4. The extension automatically detects page context: forms, fields, navigation state
5. The user asks questions and gets answers grounded in their organization's knowledge

Best for

• Internal tools: Help employees navigate complex internal web apps (ERP, CRM, HR systems)
• Support agents: Provide real-time guidance while agents handle customer cases
• Training & onboarding: Help new team members learn processes faster
• Power users: Anyone who wants AI assistance across multiple web applications

Key characteristics

Aspect	Detail
Installation	Closed beta: a .zip from appilot.space/downloads, loaded unpacked. Chrome Web Store once the beta opens
Works on	Any website the user visits, except sites the user paused and Appilot's own hosts (the public site, this documentation, downloads, and the My Account and Backoffice consoles)
Requires site changes	No
Enterprise deployment	A ZIP handed out today; Chrome policy force-install once the store listing exists
Page context	Structure is detected on every page; field values are read only during a turn you started, and never for credential fields
Privacy	PII masking runs client-side before data leaves the browser, in addition to the server-side masking both modes get

For developers

To run the extension against an application you are building, see The extension for your app. To deploy it across an organization, see Enterprise deployment.

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Mode 2: Embeddable Widget

The Embeddable Widget is Appilot's developer-installed mode. The site owner adds Appilot to their web application, so end users get assistance without installing anything.

How it works

1. The developer registers the domain in the Backoffice. That is what selects the organization, and on a registered domain no key is needed. A widget key covers the places where no domain resolves; see Do I need an API key?
2. The developer adds a <script> tag, or installs the appilot package and boots the widget with bootAppilotWidget
3. The widget renders as a floating assistant on the page (configurable position and style)
4. It reads the host page's DOM to understand context, just as the extension does
5. Users interact with the assistant directly on the site
6. The organization's knowledge base powers the responses

Best for

• SaaS products: Embed contextual help in your application for all your customers
• Customer-facing forms: Guide users through complex forms (insurance, banking, government)
• E-commerce: Help customers complete checkout, understand products, resolve issues
• Regulated workflows: Ensure compliance by providing guided, knowledge-backed assistance

Key characteristics

Aspect	Detail
Installation	Developer adds a script tag, or installs appilot and boots via bootAppilotWidget
Tenant	The registered domain, or a widget key where no domain resolves
Identity	Your own users through the identity relay, the built-in sign-in, or corporate SSO. There is no anonymous usage
Works on	The specific site where it's embedded
Requires site changes	Yes: one script tag, and one endpoint in your backend for identity
User installation	None. It works immediately for all visitors
Page context	Full DOM access via Web Component with Shadow DOM isolation
Style isolation	Shadow DOM prevents CSS conflicts with host page
On-premise	Same JS file, self-hosted, pointed at your own backend. See On-premise

For developers

See the full integration guide: Widget Installation.

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Mode 3: The connector for ChatGPT and Claude

Your users add Appilot to the assistant they already pay for. They share the tab your app is open in, and from then on they can ask that assistant to find things, explain the page, walk a procedure or fill a form, and it happens on the real page in front of them.

How it works

1. The user has the extension installed, or your app embeds the widget
2. They add the Appilot connector in ChatGPT or Claude and sign in with their Appilot account
3. They open your app and share that tab
4. Their assistant reasons; Appilot supplies the hands and your app's procedures

Best for

• Reach without installation friction on your side. Your users are already in ChatGPT or Claude all day.
• Work that starts outside your app. Data that lives in the user's conversation, an email or a document, moved into your form without retyping.
• Cost. The user's own subscription pays for the reasoning.

Key characteristics

Aspect	Detail
Installation	The extension or the widget, plus the connector added in the assistant
Works on	One tab the user has explicitly shared, one at a time
Requires site changes	No
Who pays for the AI	The user's own ChatGPT or Claude subscription
Curated surface	Served only while your configuration passes the health contract with no critical or high findings
Actuation	Assembled plans only, with the person confirming; credential fields are closed

There is a second connector, Appilot Studio, for the people who configure your app rather than use it. See Configure with AI and Assistant connectors.

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Choosing the right mode

Start from who supplies the assistant.

                     Who brings the assistant?
                                |
            +-------------------+-------------------+
            |                                       |
      Appilot does                          The user already has one
            |                                       |
   +--------+--------+                              |
   |                 |                              |
Extension         Widget                    Connector
   |                 |                          |
Any website     Your pages              ChatGPT / Claude
User installs   Zero user setup         A shared tab

One configuration feeds all three, so the question is which ones you turn on first rather than which one to pick.

Decision matrix

Scenario	Recommended mode	Why
Internal employees using various web apps	Extension	Works across all sites without code changes
SaaS product with customer-facing forms	Widget	Customers shouldn't need to install anything
Support agents on a ticketing platform	Extension	Agents can use it on any platform
Regulated form (banking, insurance)	Widget	Ensure all users have access by default
Training across multiple internal systems	Extension	One install covers all systems
Single high-traffic web application	Widget	Embedded experience, no user friction
Users who live in ChatGPT or Claude all day	Connector	They stay where they are, and their subscription pays for the reasoning
Work that begins in an email or a document	Connector	The assistant already holds the values; Appilot puts them in the right fields

Can I use several?

Yes, and most customers end up doing so. The three modes are deliveries of one configuration:

• Extension for internal teams who work across many web applications
• Widget for specific customer-facing pages where you want zero-friction access
• The connector for users who would rather stay in the assistant they already have

Configure your app once and every mode improves at the same time. Knowledge management, plans, controls and policy are unified regardless of how a user reaches the assistant.

Unified identity. A user who accesses both the extension and the widget can link their accounts so both surfaces recognize the same person, share conversation history, and apply the same role. See Account Linkage.