Test Simulator
Simulate a live conversation with your phone assistant in a text-based chat environment—without making a real phone call. This tool is completely free, you may use it to thoroughly test the phone assistant without starting a subscription or entering a payment method.
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Overview
The Test Simulator page allows you to have a live, real-time conversation with your phone assistant using your exact production configuration in text-based chat environment — all without needing to dial a physical phone number. Use this tool to verify your business info, instructions, test active integrations, evaluate language behavior, and confirm your notifications are working perfectly before launching live.
Open this page at: i118.ai/app/testing
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Requirement: You must complete at least Step 1 (Business Info) before you can open and use the Test Simulator.
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We highly recommend running a quick test after every significant change to your instructions, operating hours, or software integrations. Catching configuration errors in a sandbox environment ensures a seamless experience for your live customers.
Test options
Configure the test session before launching:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Language | Select the language for your test session. This operates exactly like your live call-flow language selection (for example: "Press 1 for English, Press 2 for Spanish"). |
| Submitted as Live Orders and Requests | When enabled, any orders or requests made in the test simulator are processed as real submissions — saved to your Orders page. |
| Enable real submission to POS and integrations | Allows the test session to create, update, cancel, and finalize actions in connected POS systems and external integrations. |
| Enable real notifications | Allows the test session to send real SMS messages, push notifications, and printed receipts. |
Limitations:
If you are using the Test Simulator without having entered a valid payment method, the "Enable real notifications" feature may only work by using the Order Monitor App (see Notifications page). This is because SMS (text) notifications require a forwarding phone number, which can only be obtained once a payment method is on file.
Running a test
Configure your test options
Set the Language and toggle any options appropriate for what you want to test. To send orders into a connected POS, enable Enable real submission to POS and integrations. To verify notifications, enable Enable real notifications and Submitted as Live Orders and Requests.
Start the test simulator
Click Start Test Simulator (or Restart Test Simulator if one is already running). A chat widget appears on the page.
Have a conversation
Type your requests into the chat bubble as a customer would speak. Depending on what you are testing, you can ask questions, practice placing an order, or request a mock appointment.
Review the results
After the conversation and "Submit and End Chat" to finalize the session:
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Review Captured Details: Check the Pending Orders panel to see what data the phone assistant successfully captured.
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Verify Live Orders: If "Submitted as Live Orders and Requests" was enabled, confirm that the record properly appears in your Orders tab.
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Confirm Notifications: If "Enable real notifications" was active, verify that the corresponding SMS and/or app notifications arrived as expected.
Pending orders panel
During and after your test conversation, the Pending Orders panel displays the order data captured by the phone assistant in real time. If "Submitted as Live Orders and Requests" is enabled, this exact information will be sent to your notifications and saved directly to your Orders page.
Examples of what to test
Testing after-hours call handling (such as hanging up or routing to voicemail) requires a live phone call and cannot be simulated using the Test Simulator. To test this configuration:
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Adjust your hours: Temporarily modify your Hours of Operation so that your current time is marked as closed.
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Place a live call: Call your forwarding phone number.
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Verify the action: Confirm that the correct after-hours response triggers successfully.
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Restore settings: Change your Hours of Operation back to your normal business schedule once the test is complete.