AI Assistant Architecture
The AI assistant is powered by:- @ai-sdk/mcp - Model Context Protocol integration
- @modelcontextprotocol/sdk - MCP server implementation
- AI SDK - Vercel AI SDK for streaming responses
- MCP Tools - E-commerce-specific tools for shopping workflows
MCP Integration
The MCP transport layer connects AI models to Openfront’s GraphQL API:Available Tools
The AI assistant has access to comprehensive e-commerce tools:Product Discovery
searchProducts - Search for products with regional pricing:Shopping Cart Management
createCart - Initialize a shopping cart:Checkout Process
setShippingAddress - Set delivery address:Payment Processing
getPaymentProviders - List available payment methods:Order Management
getOrder - View order details:Regional Support
getAvailableCountries - List shipping destinations:AI Shopping Workflow
The assistant follows a guided workflow for order placement:Implementation Example
Basic Shopping Conversation
Enhanced Product Search
The assistant can provide rich product displays:GraphQL Integration
The MCP server directly queries Openfront’s GraphQL API:Schema Introspection
The assistant can explore the data model:Advanced Features
Smart Product Recommendations
The AI can suggest products based on conversation:Conversational Cart Management
Checkout Assistance
Configuration
Environment Variables
AI Model Selection
Configure which AI model to use:Security Considerations
Authentication
MCP transport includes session cookies:Data Access
AI assistant respects:- User authentication state
- Regional availability
- Product visibility
- Inventory levels
Best Practices
Conversation Design
- Ask for country early for accurate pricing
- Guide customers through checkout steps
- Confirm important details
- Provide clear next steps
Error Handling
- Handle out-of-stock gracefully
- Provide alternatives when products unavailable
- Explain payment issues clearly
- Offer checkout link as fallback
User Experience
- Show product images and prices
- Provide cart summaries
- Display shipping options clearly
- Confirm order details before completion
Monitoring and Analytics
Track AI Interactions
Common Queries
- Product searches
- Cart operations
- Checkout completions
- Order lookups
- Abandoned carts