Everything your board needs to know about The Community Bot — from how the AI works to how you manage it day-to-day.
The basics about what The Community Bot is and how it works.
The Community Bot is a custom AI chatbot trained specifically on your HOA's governing documents — bylaws, CC&Rs, architectural guidelines, meeting minutes, and any other community rules. When a homeowner has a question like "Can I build a pergola?" the bot searches your actual documents, finds the relevant section, and delivers an accurate, cited answer in seconds. It works 24/7 so residents get answers without waiting for a board member to respond.
Generic AI chatbots have no knowledge of your community's specific rules. They would either refuse to answer or make something up. The Community Bot is trained exclusively on your documents using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Every answer comes directly from your approved content with a citation. If the answer isn't in your documents, the bot says so transparently rather than guessing.
Anything covered in your governing documents — property modification rules, fee schedules, pet policies, parking rules, amenity hours, governance procedures, complaint processes, and recent board decisions from meeting minutes. If a document covers it, the bot can answer it.
The bot acknowledges when it doesn't have information rather than guessing. It responds with something like: "I don't have specific information about that in the community's documents. I'd recommend reaching out to the board." The unanswered question is logged in your analytics so you can identify gaps and add documentation.
Yes. The AI supports over 50 languages — Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and many more. The bot responds in the same language while referencing your English-language documents. Included free on every plan.
Very high, because the bot only answers from your approved documents. Every response cites the specific document and section. We test the bot against real questions before launch and include a 30-day tuning period at no additional cost. The bot is a reference tool, not a legal advisor — we recommend including a disclaimer for binding interpretations.
Questions specific to the Essentials plan — the bot as a standalone tool or embedded widget.
We provide a standalone URL for your chatbot — like thecommunitybot.com/oakwood or chat.oakwoodhoa.com. Share it via email newsletters, community bulletins, QR codes in the clubhouse, or as a link on your management company's portal. Residents bookmark it and use it anytime.
We provide a single line of HTML code to paste into your site. A floating chat bubble appears in the bottom-right corner. Works with WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, custom HTML, or any management company portal. Takes about 5 minutes. We'll walk you through it or do it via screen share.
Email your new documents to updates@thecommunitybot.com. Attach PDF, Word, or text files with a brief note about what changed. We process updates within your plan's schedule (monthly for Essentials). You'll receive confirmation when the bot is updated. It's as simple as forwarding an email after your board meeting.
No. All plans include unlimited resident queries. We don't throttle usage or charge per question. The monthly fee covers all AI processing.
Questions about the Pro plan — a full community website with the bot integrated.
A fully designed, mobile-responsive website with:
The chatbot also appears as a floating widget on every page.
No. We manage the website for you. Need to post an announcement? Email it to us. Board roster changed? Send the updated names. We handle all the technical work. You also get the client upload portal for submitting documents and requests in a structured way.
Yes. Domain registration (e.g., oakwoodhoa.com), hosting, DNS configuration, and SSL certificate are all included at no additional cost. If you already own a domain, we configure it to point to your new site.
Absolutely. We design around your community's colors, logo, photography, and tone. It's custom-designed, not a template. Post-launch design refinements are included in your monthly plan.
Questions about the technology, maintenance, and day-to-day operations.
Advanced large language models combined with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Your documents are processed into a specialized vector database. When a question comes in, the system performs a semantic search across your indexed documents, retrieves relevant sections, and the AI composes a conversational answer based exclusively on the retrieved content — not general internet knowledge.
Most communities go live in 7–10 business days. Day 1 for onboarding; Days 2–6 for document processing and AI training; Days 7–8 for testing and board review; Days 9–10 for deployment. Website + Chatbot Pro plans take 10–14 days to include the website design phase.
Submit the updated document via email or the upload portal. We replace outdated sections with the amended content. The old version is archived and no longer served. Every change is timestamped for a full audit trail.
Yes. Every plan includes an analytics dashboard with conversation logs, most-asked questions, topic volume, and escalated queries. Pro and Enterprise plans include monthly analytics reports. This data helps boards identify common concerns and address policies proactively.
All documents are encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS). Each community's data is completely isolated. We don't sell data, use it to train external models, or share it with third parties. Conversation logs are only accessible to your authorized admins. We'll sign a DPA or NDA if needed.
Yes. All plans are month-to-month after setup — no long-term contracts. We deactivate at end of billing cycle. Your documents and conversation history can be exported on request. The one-time setup fee is non-refundable, but there are no cancellation penalties on the monthly subscription.
Absolutely. Upgrade from Essentials to Pro and we'll build the website and migrate your chatbot — the setup fee difference applies prorated. Downgrade and your chatbot continues working standalone. Transitions are seamless with no disruption to residents.
We're happy to walk through anything in more detail. Reach out and we'll respond within one business day.