Where to find Michelle in your Coachful dashboard
Michelle is Coachful's built-in AI assistant, and she lives directly inside your coach dashboard — no separate app, no browser extension, no switching tabs. Whether you need a quick answer about a platform feature, want to draft a message to a client, or need to take action across your workspace without clicking through a dozen menus, Michelle is your first stop. Opening her takes about two seconds once you know where to look.
This guide walks you through every way to open Michelle, what you'll see when she loads, and how to get the most out of her from the moment she appears on your screen.
TL;DR — Quick answer
- Look for the Michelle icon in the bottom-right corner of any page inside your Coachful coach dashboard.
- Click the icon to open the chat panel. Michelle loads instantly — no page reload required.
- You can also access Michelle from the left sidebar navigation under the AI Assistant section (if visible in your plan).
- Michelle is available on desktop and on the Coachful mobile app (iOS and Android).
Step-by-step: Opening Michelle from the dashboard
If you've never opened Michelle before, here's the exact process from the moment you log in:
- Sign in to your Coachful workspace. Go to app.coachful.co/sign-in and log in with your coach credentials. You'll land on your main dashboard home screen.
- Locate the Michelle icon. In the bottom-right corner of the dashboard, you'll see a small circular icon — this is the Michelle launcher. It may display a sparkle or AI indicator. It's persistent, meaning it stays visible as you move between dashboard sections.
- Click the Michelle icon. A chat panel slides open from the right side of the screen. Michelle greets you and is immediately ready to receive your question or command.
- Type your message or question. Use natural language. You don't need special commands or syntax. Examples: "Show me my upcoming bookings", "How do I add a habit to a program?", or "Draft a welcome message for my new client Jordan."
- Review Michelle's response. She'll either answer your question directly, show you where to navigate in the platform, or execute an action on your behalf (like pulling up a client's profile or summarizing program progress).
- Close or minimize the panel. Click the X in the top-right corner of the panel to close it, or click elsewhere on the dashboard to continue working. Michelle remembers the conversation context if you reopen her during the same session.
Opening Michelle on mobile (iOS and Android)
Coachful runs as a progressive web app and also has a native shell available for iOS and Android via the mobile gateway at app.coachful.co/mobile. Michelle is fully accessible on mobile, which is useful when you're between sessions and need a fast answer on the go.
On a mobile device, the Michelle icon appears in the same persistent bottom-right position in the coach dashboard view. On smaller screens, the chat panel opens as a full-screen overlay so you have plenty of room to read and type. Tap the icon, type your question, and tap Send — the experience is nearly identical to desktop.
If you've downloaded the Coachful app from the App Store or Google Play, Michelle is available there too. Just make sure you're logged in as a coach (not a client/member account) to see the AI assistant panel.
What Michelle can do once you've opened her
Opening Michelle is just the starting point. Understanding what she's capable of helps you use her more intentionally from the very first message.
Answer platform questions instantly
Michelle has deep knowledge of the Coachful platform. Ask her how to set up a coaching program, configure your Stripe Connect payout account, or add a new squad — she'll give you a direct, step-by-step answer without you needing to leave your current page or open a new browser tab.
Execute actions across your workspace
Michelle isn't just a Q&A bot. She can take action across the platform on your behalf. Tell her to look up a client's enrollment status, summarize a program's recent activity, or navigate you directly to a specific settings page. This cuts down the admin time that quietly eats into a coach's day.
Draft communications and content
Need a quick check-in message for a client who just finished week 4 of your program? Paste context into Michelle and ask her to draft it. She can write welcome emails, session recap notes, habit reminders, or social captions — anything where you need a starting point faster than a blank page.
Help you set up offers and billing
If you're building out a new offer — say, a 12-week group coaching program with a payment plan — Michelle can walk you through the exact steps inside Coachful's Stripe Connect billing setup. Ask her something like "How do I create a payment plan for a $1,200 program?" and she'll guide you through it without you needing to hunt through documentation.
Pro tip: Michelle works best when you give her context. Instead of asking "How do I add a task?", try "I'm building a 6-week fitness program and want to add a daily water-tracking habit to week 2 — how do I do that?" The more specific your prompt, the more useful her response.
Navigating to Michelle via the sidebar
On some dashboard layouts — particularly on wider screens — you may also see an AI Assistant entry in the left sidebar navigation. Clicking this link opens the same Michelle panel. If you don't see this sidebar item, it may be hidden based on your current plan tier or your screen width. The bottom-right icon is always present regardless of plan or screen size, so use that as your fallback.
Coaches on the Scale plan get expanded access to Michelle's action-execution capabilities. Growth plan users can still open and interact with Michelle for Q&A and guidance. Check your billing and plan page if you're unsure which tier you're on.
Already using Coachful and want to unlock everything Michelle can do? Explore Coachful's plan options or sign in to your dashboard and open Michelle right now — she can even explain the difference between plans for you.
Michelle availability by role
Coachful has several user roles — user, editor, coach, admin, and super_admin — as well as org-level roles like super_coach (owner), coach, member, and virtual_assistant. Michelle is available to coach-level roles and above in the dashboard. Here's a quick breakdown:
- Super_admin / Admin / Super_coach (owner): Full access to Michelle, including action-execution features.
- Coach (org role): Full access to Michelle within their own client workspace.
- Editor / Virtual_assistant: Can open Michelle for Q&A and navigation help. Action-execution scope may be limited to their permissions.
- Member / Client: Michelle is not currently available in the client-facing portal. Clients interact with their coach through Squad chat and the session booking flow.
If you're a virtual assistant managing a coach's account and don't see Michelle, confirm with the account owner that your org role is set correctly under Settings → Team → Manage Roles.
Common issues when opening Michelle
The Michelle icon isn't visible on my dashboard
First, make sure you're logged in as a coach or admin, not as a client or member. If your role is correct, try a hard refresh (Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows / Cmd + Shift + R on Mac). If the icon still doesn't appear, clear your browser cache and try again in an incognito window. If the problem persists, reach out via the Help icon in the dashboard — it could be a plan-level restriction or a temporary display bug.
Michelle's panel opens but won't load
This is almost always a network issue. Michelle requires a stable internet connection to process responses. Check your connection, disable any aggressive browser extensions (especially ad blockers that may intercept API calls), and refresh the page. If you're on a corporate or school network, the firewall may be blocking the AI service endpoint — try on a personal network or mobile data.
Michelle gives an answer that doesn't match my actual platform setup
Michelle's knowledge covers the Coachful platform broadly, but she may not always know the exact state of your specific workspace (e.g., a program you haven't published yet, or a custom domain you recently added). If her answer seems off, give her more context: tell her what you've already set up and where you're stuck. She'll recalibrate.
I'm on mobile and the icon is hard to tap
The Michelle icon on mobile is positioned in the bottom-right corner, which on some devices can overlap with system navigation gestures. Try tapping slightly above the icon, or scroll up slightly on the page so the bottom navigation bar retracts. If you're using the native iOS or Android app, make sure it's updated to the latest version from the App Store or Google Play.
Michelle isn't remembering my conversation from yesterday
Michelle's conversational memory is session-based by default. Each time you open a new dashboard session (i.e., after logging out and back in), she starts fresh. This is by design to protect client privacy and keep responses relevant to what you're currently working on. If you need continuity, start your message with a brief recap: "Last session we were setting up my 8-week mindset program — I need to continue with the habit configuration."
My virtual assistant can't see Michelle
Virtual assistants need to be added to the workspace with the correct org role. Navigate to Settings → Team, find the VA's account, and confirm their role is set to virtual_assistant or higher. If they've been added as a plain member, they won't have dashboard access and therefore won't see Michelle.
Best practices for getting the most out of Michelle
Michelle is a powerful co-pilot, but like any tool, the results you get depend on how you use her. A few habits that experienced Coachful coaches have developed:
- Start with action verbs. "Show me", "Draft a", "Walk me through", "Explain how to" — these prompt Michelle to give actionable outputs rather than generic overviews.
- Reference your specific setup. "I have a 12-week program with 3 tasks per week" is more useful context than "I have a program."
- Use Michelle before you search the help docs. In most cases, Michelle can answer platform questions faster than browsing articles — and she can point you to the exact navigation path inside Coachful rather than describing it abstractly.
- Ask follow-up questions. If Michelle's first response is close but not quite right, say so. "That's helpful, but I'm specifically asking about recurring payments, not one-time offers." She'll refine.
- Let her draft first, then edit. When writing client-facing content, let Michelle produce a first draft even if you know you'll change it. A draft to react to is almost always faster than starting from zero.
Best practice: Open Michelle at the start of each workday and ask her to summarize your upcoming bookings and any active client programs. It takes about 10 seconds and gives you a situational overview before you dive into tasks — a small habit that saves a surprising amount of mental overhead.
Ready to put Michelle to work?
Michelle is one of the most underused features on the Coachful platform — mostly because coaches don't realize how much she can actually do until they start asking. Opening her is a two-click action from anywhere in your dashboard, and within a few messages you'll have answers, drafted content, or a clear navigation path to wherever you need to go next.
If you're not yet a Coachful user, Michelle is one of many reasons coaches choose this platform over stitching together a dozen separate tools. Start your free trial at coachful.co and open Michelle the moment you're inside — ask her anything about setting up your first program or configuring your booking page, and she'll walk you through it step by step. Already a member? Sign in to your dashboard and look for that icon in the bottom-right corner. She's already waiting.