---
updatedAt: 2026-02-13T20:38:55.000Z
agentTools:
  projectIndex: https://developer.fastspring.com/llms.txt
---

# Find answers with Ask AI

Use our interactive assistant to search the documentation, ask follow-up questions, and analyze specific guides with your preferred AI tools.

Ask AI is an interactive assistant built directly into our documentation. It allows you to ask questions, get answers based on our documented content, and ask follow‑up questions to refine or continue the conversation.

> **Note:** Ask AI does not replace documentation—it helps you navigate, understand, and connect concepts that are already documented.

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The sections below explain how to use the assistant, best practices for writing prompts, and how to use page-specific features. Select a section or use the TOC on the right to jump ahead.

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<Cards columns={3}>
  <Card title="Access Ask AI" href="#access-ask-ai" icon="fa-magnifying-glass">
    Learn how to open the panel and ask questions
  </Card>

  <Card title="Best practices" href="#best-practices" icon="fa-bullseye">
    Tips for writing clear prompts to get the best answers
  </Card>

  <Card title="Ask AI on a document" href="#ask-ai-on-a-document" icon="fa-file-code">
    Use specific documentation pages with your own AI tools
  </Card>
</Cards>

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## Access Ask AI

The Ask AI panel is accessible from anywhere in the documentation, allowing you to find answers without leaving your current page.

1. Open any [FastSpring documentation](https://developer.fastspring.com) page.
2. Click the **Ask AI** button located near the search bar (top of the page). The Ask AI side panel will open.

   <Image align="center" border={false} width="70%" src="https://files.readme.io/f1991da238c4f3dba96681e06ff6156e6b82cfee7fa78e57da097fbcb46131bd-ask-ai-button.png" />
3. Type your question in the input field to start the conversation.

Once the panel is open, Ask AI maintains the context of the conversation. You can ask follow‑up questions to clarify an answer without repeating previous details. To get the most accurate answers, check out our [Best practices](#best-practices) below.

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## Best practices

How you ask your question directly impacts the quality of the answer. Use the tips below to refine your prompts.

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<Accordion title="Ask clear, direct questions" icon="fa-bullseye">
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  Ask AI performs best when you provide specific context regarding what you are trying to achieve.

  * **Do:** "Can you provide a complete list of all payment methods available through FastSpring?"
  * **Do:** "List out step-by-step details on how I can create a new product."

  **What to avoid:**

  * Very short or vague prompts (e.g., "Payment methods" or "New product").
  * Mixing multiple unrelated topics in one sentence.

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</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Ask one thing at a time" icon=" fa-list-ol">
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  Break complex topics into smaller, focused questions. If you have a multi-part process to solve, ask about the first step, review the answer, and then use a follow-up question for the next step.

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</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Use follow-up questions" icon="fa-comments">
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  You don't need to start over if the first answer isn't enough. Ask AI remembers the context of the chat. View the example below to see how a conversation evolves.

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  <ContentModal label="View Example" title="Refining an answer with follow-ups" size="md" buttonColor="#0B1440">
    **👤 User:**
    How do I create a subscription?

    **🤖 Ask AI:**
    To create a subscription, go to **Catalog > Subscription Plans** and click **Create Subscription**. You will need to define the price and interval.

    **👤 User:**
    Can you explain the interval options in more detail?

    **🤖 Ask AI:**
    Certainly. The interval determines how often the customer is billed. You can choose Adhoc, Day, Week, Month, or Year.
  </ContentModal>

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</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Rephrase if needed" icon="fa-rotate">
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  If an answer implies that the information doesn't exist, or if the answer seems generic:

  * **Reword the question:** Use different terminology (e.g., try "MoR" instead of "Merchant of Record").
  * **Add specifics:** Mention the specific feature or UI element you are looking for.
  * **Simplify:** If the question was long, try breaking it down into a shorter sentence.

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</Accordion>

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## Ask AI on a document

While the main Ask AI panel searches the entire site, the **Ask AI on a document** option allows you to focus on a single guide. This feature sends the text of the current page to your own external AI tool (such as ChatGPT or Claude) for specific analysis.

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### How it works

1. Open any [FastSpring documentation](https://developer.fastspring.com) page.
2. Click the **Ask AI** dropdown located right above the **Table of Contents** list (right side).
3. Select your preferred AI tool (e.g., **ChatGPT** or **Claude**).
4. The content of the document is passed to the tool as context, allowing you to ask specific questions about that page.

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### View and copy Markdown

This feature also provides access to the raw source content of our documentation. This is useful if you need to:

* Reuse content in your internal documentation.
* Share formatted instructions with teammates.
* Import documentation into your own workflows.

To access this, select the **Ask AI** option on the page and choose **View as Markdown** or **Copy Markdown** to get the Markdown content.

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## When to use each tool

Both Ask AI options serve different purposes.

**Use Ask AI (Search / Panel) when:**

* You are not sure which document you need.
* You want to explore or understand a broad topic.
* You want to ask follow-up questions that might span multiple documents.

**Use Ask AI on a document when:**

* You are already on the relevant page.
* You want deeper explanations of that specific guide.
* You prefer using your own AI tool (like ChatGPT or Claude).
* You need to view or copy the raw Markdown content.

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## Feature comparison

Use the table below to choose the AI tool that best meets your current needs.

| Feature                  | Ask AI (Search / Panel) | Ask AI on a Document      |
| :----------------------- | :---------------------- | :------------------------ |
| **Scope**                | All documentation       | Single document           |
| **Follow-up questions**  | Yes                     | Yes (within your AI tool) |
| **Uses built-in Ask AI** | Yes                     | No                        |
| **Uses your own AI**     | No                      | Yes                       |
| **View / copy Markdown** | No                      | Yes                       |

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## FAQs

<Accordion title="What if Ask AI doesn't have the answer?" icon="fa-question-circle">
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  Ask AI responses are generated solely from our documentation. If a feature or scenario is not documented, Ask AI may not have an answer. For complex edge cases, always review the linked source articles to validate details.

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</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How can I provide feedback?" icon="fa-thumbs-up">
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  Your feedback helps us improve both the AI responses and the source documentation. Use the **Thumbs Up** or **Thumbs Down** icons within the chat panel to rate the helpfulness of an answer.

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</Accordion>