FAQ - plantwise

What does plantwise do for my store?

plantwise adds a shopping assistant to your storefront that helps visitors find plants suited to their specific conditions. It asks 2-3 quick questions -- like their light level, whether they have pets, or their ZIP code for hardiness zone -- then shows a per-product assessment on every product page.

When a product isn't a great fit, plantwise recommends better alternatives from your own catalog. This keeps shoppers on your site and steers them toward plants they'll actually succeed with, which means fewer returns and higher satisfaction.

How does plantwise match my products to plants?

When you first sync your catalog, plantwise compares each product title against a database of over 4,200 plants and 11,400 name variations (common names, scientific names, and synonyms). Most products match automatically.

Products with lower confidence scores are flagged for your review on the Products page. You can confirm, fix, or ignore any match in a few clicks. Once a product is matched, plantwise writes plant data to your product metafields so it can assess compatibility for each visitor.

What if a product is matched incorrectly?

Go to the Products page in your plantwise admin and find the product. Click "Fix" to open the plant search and select the correct plant. Manual corrections are never overwritten by future syncs -- plantwise respects your manual matches.

If a product isn't a plant at all (pots, soil, tools), mark it as "Ignored" and it won't appear in the widget or collections.

Can I customize the widget appearance?

Yes. On the Settings page you can adjust:

Position -- bottom-right, bottom-left, top-right, or top-left
Size -- small, medium, large, or extra-large (auto-scales on mobile)
Layer -- behind navigation, above content, or always on top
Visitor controls -- whether shoppers can hide the widget, and whether that preference is remembered

Changes take effect on your storefront immediately after saving.

Does plantwise collect my customers' personal information?

No. Visitor responses (light level, pets, ZIP code) are stored in the visitor's own browser using localStorage. plantwise does not send or store any personally identifiable information on our servers. Assessments and alternatives are generated using only the product handle and the visitor's anonymous profile.

See our Privacy Policy for full details.

How do the auto-created collections work?

plantwise creates smart collections based on your matched plant data -- for example, "Pet Safe Plants," "Low Light Plants," or zone-specific collections like "Zone 7a Compatible." These use Shopify's automated collection rules tied to the metafields plantwise writes to your products.

You control which collections are published to your online store from the Collections page in plantwise. Products are added or removed from collections automatically as you match or update them.

What plant data does plantwise use?

Our database covers 4,255 plants including houseplants, tropicals, succulents, perennials, trees, shrubs, annuals, herbs, grasses, and vines. For each plant we track:

Light requirements (low through direct sun)
Pet toxicity for cats, dogs, and horses, with severity levels
USDA hardiness zone range
Sun requirements and planting windows for outdoor plants
Maximum height and growth habit

Data is sourced from ASPCA, USDA, university extension programs, and botanical garden databases.

What does plantwise cost?

plantwise includes a 14-day free trial so you can set up the app and see it working on your store before paying anything. After the trial, billing is handled through Shopify Managed Pricing -- you'll see the charge on your regular Shopify invoice.

There are no per-product fees, no visitor limits, and no feature gates. Every plan includes the full shopping assistant, all collections, and unlimited product matching.

Frequently Asked Questions