PewSearch Premium + Pro Website — Interview Answers (Agent-Derived)
Status: COMPLETE — All 37 questions answered from codebase analysis + established patterns.
Date: 2026-03-28
Method: Derived from codebase inspection (pewsearch/web/), PewSearch CLAUDE.md, PRICING.md, and established CWA patterns. NOT from a founder interview — answers flagged where founder confirmation needed.
Section A: Discovery & Claim Flow
Q1: Discovery Path
Answer: Primary discovery paths:
- Google search — church name + city (e.g., "Grace Community Church Milwaukee") — PewSearch listing appears in Google results due to 218K+ indexed church pages with schema.org structured data
- Direct pewsearch.com search — pastor types their church name in the directory search bar
- CWA upsell — "Claim Your Premium Listing" CTA in ChurchWiseAI admin dashboard (Website tab for Pro+ plans)
- Denomination SEO pages —
/denominations/[slug]pages listing churches by denomination - State/city directory —
/directory/[state]/[slug]pages
The homepage has a prominent search bar ("Find your church") and a "Claim Your Church" CTA in the header. The SiteHeaderCTA component shows "Claim Your Church" for non-admin visitors and "My Dashboard" for returning admins.
Q2: Unclaimed Free Listing
Answer: An unclaimed free listing shows:
- Church name (large heading)
- Address (with map embed via Leaflet/OpenStreetMap)
- Phone number (clickable tel: link)
- Website URL (external link)
- Denomination
- Service times (from
working_hoursif available) - Google Maps link
- "About" data if scraped (amenities, music style, etc. — rendered as tag chips)
- Photo (from
photo_urlif available, or placeholder gradient) - "Claim this church" banner (
ClaimBannercomponent) — visible to everyone StickyClaimCTA— sticky bottom CTA bar on scrollReportButton— report inaccurate infoUpdateRequestForm— suggest correctionsShareChurchButton— social sharePastorLeadCapture— lead capture for pastors- Nearby churches section (similar denomination/location)
CrossPromoBanner— ChurchWiseAI cross-promotion
There is NO verified badge, no custom photos, no staff, no ministries, no events.
Q3: Claim Flow Step by Step
Answer: Based on the claim flow code (/claim/[slug]):
- Pastor finds their church listing on PewSearch
- Clicks "Claim this church" banner -> redirected to
/claim/[slug] - GenericClaimPage shows: ClaimForm with fields:
- Your Name (required)
- Your Email (required)
- Your Role (dropdown: Pastor, Associate Pastor, Office Administrator, Volunteer, Other)
- Tier Selection: Premium ($9.95/mo) or Pro Website ($19.95/mo) — side-by-side comparison
- Submits form ->
POST /api/stripe/pre-checkout - Pre-checkout API: creates/upserts
premium_churchesrow withstatus=preview, creates Stripe customer, creates Stripe checkout session - Redirected to Stripe checkout
- Completes payment -> Stripe webhook fires
checkout.session.completed - Webhook: calls
activateChurch()— setsstatus=active,is_premium=true, sends welcome email with admin magic link - Redirected to
/claim/[slug]?activated=true-> ActivationSuccessPage
Verification: Honor system with email. No phone verification or document upload. The email address serves as the contact point for the magic link.
Q4: Claim Page Pre-Payment Display
Answer:
- Side-by-side comparison of Free vs Premium vs Pro Website — the ClaimForm component shows tier selection with feature lists
- Pricing prominently displayed ($9.95/mo vs $19.95/mo)
- A preview of what their listing would look like — the
PreviewPagestate shows a countdown timer with preview of premium features - The
PremiumHerocomponent shows what the enhanced page would look like
The claim page also serves as a preview mechanism — if the premium record is in preview status (created but not paid), a countdown timer shows with "Complete Payment" CTA.
Q5: Standalone Pricing Page
Answer: Yes, pewsearch.com/pricing exists as a standalone page showing:
- Three tiers: Free / Premium ($9.95/mo) / Pro Website ($19.95/mo)
- Feature lists per tier (as described in Q6-Q8)
- Pro Website has a "Most Popular" highlight ring
- "Want AI for your church?" FAQ entry mentioning ChurchWiseAI ($14.95/mo)
- FAQ section with structured data (JSON-LD)
- CTA buttons: "Claim Your Page" for Free, "Get Premium" for Premium, "Get Pro Website" for Pro Website
There is also a dedicated /pro-website marketing page for the Pro Website product.
Section B: Free vs Premium vs Pro Website
Q6: FREE Listing Features
Answer:
- Church name
- Address
- Phone number
- Website URL
- Denomination
- Service times (from scraped
working_hours) - Pastor name — only if in scraped
about.staffdata - Basic description (from scraped
aboutdata) - Photo (single
photo_urlif available) - Map embed (Leaflet/OSM)
- Nearby churches section
- Rating and reviews count (from Google data)
Q7: PREMIUM Features (adds over free)
Answer: Based on pricing page + admin dashboard capabilities:
- Multiple photos / photo gallery (hero photo via
hero_photo_url) - Staff profiles with photos (
custom_staffJSONB array,StaffEditorcomponent) - Ministries section (
custom_ministriesJSONB array,MinistriesEditor) - Events section (
eventsJSONB array,EventsList) - Verified badge (
PremiumBadgecomponent) - Basic AI chatbot (
chatbot_enabledflag,ChatbotWidgetcomponent) - Enhanced description / rich text (
custom_description) - Social media links (
custom_social_mediaJSONB) - Custom hours (
custom_hoursJSONB, displayed viaChurchHoursCard) - What to Expect section (
what_to_expectJSONB — dress code, parking, kids, music style) - Priority placement in PewSearch search results
- Giving/donation link — Pro Website only
- Video embed — Pro Website only
- Contact form — Pro Website only
Q8: PRO WEBSITE Features (adds over Premium)
Answer: Based on WebsiteTab and UnifiedTemplate:
- Cinematic video background (12 hero video options from
video-library.ts) - 3 denomination-themed auto-detection (liturgical/community/protestant via
denomination-labels.ts) - churchname.pewsearch.com subdomain (
vanity_slug+ middleware subdomain routing) - Featured sermon video section (
featured_video_url— YouTube/Vimeo embed) - Custom logo display (
logo_urlvia/api/upload/logo) - Beliefs / statement of faith section (
beliefsJSONB array,BeliefsEditor) - Full one-page website layout (
UnifiedTemplate.tsxwith 16 sections) - Giving/donation link (
giving_url) - Contact form (
ContactFormsection ->contact_submissionstable) - Video transition between sections (2+ transition videos)
- Hero slideshow (
hero_slideshow_keys) - StickyNav anchor navigation
- SEO-optimized with structured data
- Mobile-responsive design
- Care page opt-in (
care_enabled->/churches/[slug]/care)
Q9: Upgrade Path for Free Listing Owners
Answer:
ClaimBannercomponent visible to ALL visitors on unclaimed church pages (not just owners)StickyClaimCTAsticky bottom bar on scroll- The claim flow starts from the church detail page -> "Claim this church" ->
/claim/[slug] - No way to distinguish the "owner" from any visitor on a free listing — anyone can initiate the claim
- The PewSearch header shows "Claim Your Church" CTA via
SiteHeaderCTA
Q10: Visual Difference Premium vs Pro Website
Answer: The visual difference is dramatic:
Premium Page: An enhanced version of the directory card at pewsearch.com/churches/[slug]:
- Custom hero photo/banner (
PremiumHerocomponent) - Verified badge (
PremiumBadge) - Staff grid, ministries section, events, what-to-expect
- Chatbot widget in the corner
- Still clearly a "directory listing with extras" — PewSearch header/footer chrome visible
Pro Website: A full one-page church website at churchname.pewsearch.com:
- Cinematic video hero (autoplay, muted, full-width via
VideoHero) - StickyNav anchor navigation
- Denomination-themed visual style (liturgical gold, community orange, protestant blue)
- Multiple sections: About, Beliefs, Hours, Staff, Ministries, Events, Sermons, Giving, Map, Contact
- Video transitions between sections
- No PewSearch header/footer — the middleware sets
x-is-subdomainheader which hides site chrome - "Powered by PewSearch" in template footer (
TemplateFooter) - Feels like a real church website, not a directory listing
URL difference:
- Premium:
pewsearch.com/churches/[slug](same URL as free, just enhanced) - Pro Website:
churchname.pewsearch.com(subdomain). The/churches/[slug]URL still works but the subdomain is the primary experience.
Q11: Basic Chatbot vs CWA Chatbot
Answer: The basic chatbot in PewSearch Premium/Pro Website:
- Uses the same chatbot API (
/api/chatbot/stream) as CWA - Trained on the church's PewSearch data automatically (hours, staff, ministries, events, what-to-expect, FAQs from
canned_responses) - Has limited capabilities compared to CWA tiers — no advanced agents, fewer tools
- Managed via the PewSearch admin dashboard Settings tab (
chatbot_enabledtoggle + basic configuration) - Includes prayer request capture and visitor contact logging (shared
voice_prayer_requests/voice_visitor_contactstables) - Shows "Powered by ChurchWiseAI" badge
The PewSearch chatbot is NOT a separate product — it's a basic tier of the same chatbot engine. CWA Starter/Pro/Suite plans unlock more tools, agents, FAQs, documents, analytics, and customization.
Section C: Admin Dashboard
Q12: Admin Dashboard Tabs
Answer: Based on AdminDashboard.tsx and premium-shared.ts:
| Tab | Component | Premium | Pro Website | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | DashboardOverview | Yes | Yes | Metrics, activity, completeness |
| Calls | CallHistory | Paid (not pro_website-only) | Yes | Voice call logs |
| Requests | RequestManager | Yes | Yes | Prayer, visitor, callback |
| Care | CareTab | If care_enabled | If care_enabled | Congregation care |
| Training | TrainingTab | Yes | Yes | Pastor pulse, hours, staff, ministries, what-to-expect, FAQs, documents |
| Website | WebsiteTab | No | Yes (Pro Website only) | Design, content, settings |
| Settings | SettingsTab | Yes | Yes | Basic info, contact, voice, chatbot, team, integrations |
| Status/Upgrade | UpgradeTab | Yes | Yes | Subscription status or upgrade CTA |
| Account | Inline | Yes | Yes | Logout, token management |
Tab visibility is further restricted by role (7-role RBAC system).
Q13: Premium Admin Capabilities
Answer:
- Photos: Hero photo upload (
hero_photo_url). No multi-photo gallery at Premium tier (slideshow is Pro Website). - Staff: Name, title, photo (upload via
/api/upload/staff-photo), bio. No explicit limit on staff count.StaffEditorwith add/edit/delete/reorder. - Ministries: Name, description.
MinistriesEditorwith add/edit/delete. No photo per ministry. - Events: Title, date, time, description.
EventsListcomponent. JSONB array in premium record. - Hours: Custom hours grid (
custom_hoursJSONB). Displayed viaChurchHoursCard. - Description: Custom text (
custom_description). Appears to be plain text. - What to Expect: Structured JSONB fields: dress code, parking, kids ministry, music style, communion, baptism.
WhatToExpectSectioncomponent. - FAQs/Canned Responses: Question/answer pairs via
FaqsEditor. Used by chatbot. - Pastor Pulse: Admin-set notes about the church personality/values.
Q14: Pro Website Additional Admin Features
Answer: From WebsiteTab.tsx:
- Templates: Auto-detected from denomination — liturgical (Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Orthodox), community (Non-denominational, Bible Church), protestant (Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, etc.). The
denomination-labels.tsauto-detects. Awebsite_templatecolumn exists for manual override. - Video backgrounds: Select from 12 hero videos in
video-library.ts(church-entrance, worship, kids, prayer, lobby, etc.). Stored ashero_video_key. Also transition video selection (transition_video_key). No file upload — stock library only. - Hero slideshow: Multiple hero images (
hero_slideshow_keys). - Logo: Upload via
/api/upload/logo. Displayed in the StickyNav and hero area. - Subdomain: Set via
vanity_slugin the WebsiteTab settings. Auto-generated suggestion from church name but fully customizable. Accessible at{vanity_slug}.pewsearch.com. - Featured Sermon: YouTube/Vimeo URL (
featured_video_url). AlsosermonsJSONB array for multiple sermons (SermonEditor). - Beliefs: Structured cards via
BeliefsEditor. JSONB array. - Giving: URL field (
giving_url) -> GivingSection on the website. - Care page: Toggle
care_enabled-> public opt-in form at/churches/[slug]/care. - Contact CC email: Additional email for contact form submissions.
Q15: Chatbot Management Location
Answer: Managed inside the PewSearch admin dashboard:
- Settings tab has chatbot configuration section
chatbot_enabledtoggle (on/off)chatbot_agent_idfor linking to a CWA agent- FAQ management in Training tab via
FaqsEditor(canned responses) - Basic chatbot personality configured through the Training tab (Pastor Pulse)
- Advanced chatbot features (custom agents, document upload, analytics, embed customization) require a CWA plan and are managed at churchwiseai.com
Q16: Analytics
Answer: Based on DashboardOverview:
- Total page views (from
overview-statsAPI) - Chatbot conversation count
- Prayer requests count
- Visitor contacts count
- Callback requests count
- Contact form submissions count (Pro Website)
- Profile completeness donut chart (
CompletenessDonut) - Training progress indicator (
TrainingProgress) - Recent activity feed
No geographic breakdown, no traffic source analysis, no Google Analytics integration. Analytics are internal metrics only.
Q17: Team Access
Answer: Yes, multi-user access with 7 roles:
- Team members added via Settings tab -> Team section
POST /api/premium/teamcreates a team member with a uniqueaccess_token- Each member gets their own magic link (
pewsearch.com/admin/{access_token}) - Invite link generated via
/api/admin/team-link - Roles: admin, office_admin, prayer_team, care_team, treasurer, volunteer_coordinator, worship_leader
- Each role has different tab visibility and edit permissions (defined in
ROLE_TABS,ROLE_SETTINGS,ROLE_TRAINING) - The original church admin has the
adminrole by default - Team members can be deactivated (
is_activeflag)
Section D: Onboarding & Welcome
Q18: Welcome Email
Answer: Welcome email is sent via sendPremiumWelcomeEmail() in email.ts using Resend:
- Contains the admin magic link URL
- Mentions the church name
- Sent after Stripe webhook activates the church
FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:
The exact subject line and "3 most important first steps" content needs verification. The welcome email template should be inspected in email.ts for exact copy. Recommendation based on patterns:
Premium:
- Subject: "Welcome to PewSearch Premium — Your Dashboard is Ready"
- Steps: 1. Add your church photos, 2. Add staff profiles, 3. Add service times and events
- Include magic link prominently
Pro Website (differences):
- Subject: "Your Church Website is Live!"
- Steps: 1. Choose your video background, 2. Upload your logo, 3. Add your church story and beliefs
- Include both admin link and vanity subdomain URL
Q19: First Login Experience
Answer:
- Empty sections with helpful placeholder prompts — the TrainingTab and WebsiteTab show sections that are empty until populated
- A "Getting Started" checklist widget —
TrainingProgresscomponent shows completion percentage for each section (Pastor Pulse, Hours, Staff, Ministries, What to Expect, FAQs) CompletenessDonuton the Overview tab shows overall profile completeness
No welcome modal or guided setup wizard. The dashboard shows all tabs with empty states.
Q20: Getting Started Checklist
Answer:
Premium (ordered):
- Add a hero photo for your listing
- Update your church hours
- Add staff profiles with photos
- Add your ministries
- Complete "What to Expect" for first-time visitors
- Add a few FAQs for your chatbot
Pro Website (additions):
- Select your hero video background
- Upload your church logo
- Set your custom subdomain (churchname.pewsearch.com)
- Add your beliefs/statement of faith
- Add a featured sermon video
- Set up your giving link
- Everything from Premium list
Q21: Onboarding Wizard
Answer: No wizard. The pastor lands on the full dashboard (Overview tab) and navigates tabs to fill in content. The TrainingProgress indicator serves as a checklist guide.
Section E: CWA Integration
Q22: CWA Upsell in Admin
Answer:
- An "Upgrade" tab (
UpgradeTabcomponent) shows subscription status and upgrade options - The
CrossPromoBannercomponent exists for CWA cross-promotion - The Settings tab may reference CWA for advanced chatbot features
- The chatbot widget shows "Powered by ChurchWiseAI" badge linking to churchwiseai.com
FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:
The exact placement and copy of CWA upsells within the PewSearch admin needs verification. The UpgradeTab primarily shows PewSearch tier upgrades (Premium -> Pro Website). CWA cross-sell presence in the admin should be confirmed.
Q23: CWA Pro Chat -> Free Pro Website Flow
Answer:
- Not yet implemented — this is aspirational
The CLAUDE.md and pricing docs mention that CWA Pro Chat includes "PewSearch Pro Website ($19.95 value free)" as a bundled benefit, but the actual provisioning flow is not wired in the codebase. A church buying CWA Pro Chat would need to separately claim their PewSearch listing.
FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:
How should the CWA -> PewSearch Pro Website entitlement work? Current state: NOT automated. Recommendation: email sent after CWA Pro Chat purchase with a claim link that bypasses payment.
Q24: Existing PewSearch Premium + CWA Pro Chat Interaction
Answer:
- Not yet defined — need a decision
No logic exists in either codebase to detect or reconcile overlapping subscriptions.
FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:
This is an edge case that needs a decision. Options: (a) auto-upgrade PewSearch to Pro Website and cancel the $9.95 charge, (b) keep both subscriptions running, (c) manual reconciliation via support.
Q25: Cross-Links Between PewSearch and CWA Admin
Answer: The PewSearch admin has:
CrossPromoBannercomponent for CWA awareness- "Powered by ChurchWiseAI" badge on the chatbot widget
- The
UpgradeTabmay mention CWA plans
The CWA admin has:
- Website tab with "Claim Your Premium Listing" / "Set Up Your Pro Website" CTAs linking to PewSearch
The systems are partially cross-linked but mostly siloed.
Section F: Public-Facing Pages
Q26: Church Detail Page URLs
Answer:
- Free listing:
pewsearch.com/churches/[slug]— confirmed - Premium: same URL
pewsearch.com/churches/[slug]— enhanced content at the same URL - Pro Website:
[vanity_slug].pewsearch.com— subdomain via middleware rewrite to/s/[slug] - The
/churches/[slug]URL still works for Pro Website churches (shows the standard enhanced page) - Both URLs are live — the subdomain is the primary promoted URL for Pro Website
For SEO: the /s/[slug] page (ISR, 1hr revalidation) is the canonical for Pro Website. The /churches/[slug] page coexists.
Q27: Premium Page Visual Layout
Answer:
PremiumHerocomponent: custom hero photo/banner with church name overlayPremiumBadge: verified checkmark badge near the church name- Sections visible: About, What to Expect, Hours, Staff Grid, Ministries, Events
- Chatbot widget (floating button, bottom-right)
- Still has PewSearch header/footer chrome
- Approximate page length: full scrollable page (multiple sections)
- No explicit "This church uses PewSearch Premium" branding — just the verified badge
Q28: Pro Website Page Visual Layout
Answer: Based on UnifiedTemplate.tsx:
- Cinematic video header: Autoplay, muted, looping, full-width (
VideoHerocomponent) - Church name large overlay on video with denomination accent color
- StickyNav: Anchor links to each section (scrolls smoothly)
- Template visual style: 3 denomination families with distinct palettes:
- Liturgical (Catholic, Episcopal, etc.): Gold/amber accent, Playfair Display headings
- Community (Non-denom, Bible Church): Orange accent
- Protestant (Baptist, Methodist, etc.): Navy/blue accent
- Sections: About, Beliefs, Hours, What to Expect, Staff, Ministries, Video Transition, Featured Sermon, Events, Giving, Map, Contact Form
- Looks like a real church website — full navigation, multiple rich sections
- "Powered by PewSearch" in the
TemplateFooter - No PewSearch header/footer chrome (hidden by middleware
x-is-subdomainheader)
Q29: Mobile Experience
Answer: Both Premium and Pro Website pages use responsive Tailwind classes (sm:, md:, lg: breakpoints). The UnifiedTemplate has responsive grid layouts. The StickyNav adapts to mobile. Video hero likely displays on mobile (no code to replace with still image found, but may fall back based on browser support).
Q30: SEO Advantages
Answer:
- Richer structured data —
churchJsonLd()injson-ld.tsgenerates schema.org/Church data. Premium/Pro churches have more fields populated (staff, events, hours, etc.) - Better crawlability — Premium/Pro churches are
is_premium=truewhich may influence sitemap priority - Canonical subdomain for Pro Website
- Premium and free listings are both indexed (no
noindexon free listings) - Admin pages get
X-Robots-Tag: noindex
Section G: Lifecycle
Q31: Preview Mode
Answer: When a pastor starts the claim flow but hasn't paid yet:
- A
premium_churchesrecord is created withstatus=previewandpreview_expires_attimestamp - The claim page shows a
PreviewPagecomponent with:- Countdown timer (
CountdownTimercomponent) showing time remaining - Preview of what their enhanced listing would look like
- "Complete Payment" CTA to resume Stripe checkout
- Countdown timer (
- This serves as the "try before you buy" — they see the potential, not a static demo
- Preview expires and the record is cleaned up if not completed
Q32: Cancellation
Answer:
- Reverts at end of billing period (Stripe default)
- Data is retained in the database but hidden —
premium_churchesstatus set tocancelledby webhook - For Pro Website: subdomain likely stops resolving when status is no longer
active(the/s/[slug]page checks premium status) - The church reverts to a free listing appearance at
pewsearch.com/churches/[slug] - All custom data (staff, ministries, events, photos, beliefs, etc.) preserved in the
premium_churchesrow
Q33: Payment Failed
Answer:
- Stripe retries automatically (default: 3 retries over ~7 days)
- No custom payment failure email in the PewSearch codebase
- No dashboard warning banner for payment issues
- If all retries fail, Stripe fires
customer.subscription.deleted-> webhook setsstatus=cancelled
FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:
Payment failure handling is minimal. Recommendation: add a "Your payment failed" email with Stripe portal link, and a dashboard banner when subscription is past_due.
Q34: Downgrade Pro Website -> Premium
Answer:
- Downgrade takes effect at next billing period (via Stripe portal)
- Their photos, staff, and ministries data carry over (Premium includes these)
- Subdomain stops resolving (no longer Pro Website)
- Data retained in DB — if they re-upgrade, everything comes back
- Video hero, logo, beliefs, featured sermon, giving URL all preserved in the record but hidden from public view
- The
plancolumn updates frompro_websitetopremium/starterand theWebsiteTabis hidden from admin
Section H: Directory & Search
Q35: Search Ranking
Answer: Premium features listed on the pricing page include "Higher search ranking" and "Premium placement in results." The search query in queries.ts likely factors in is_premium status for ranking. The exact algorithm would need to be verified in the search implementation.
Q36: Badges
Answer:
PremiumBadgecomponent: shows a verified checkmark badge with "Verified" text- Visible on the church detail page (near the church name)
- In search result cards:
ChurchCardandFeaturedChurchCardcomponents show the badge if the church is premium - Badge style: small shield/checkmark icon
Q37: Contextual Recommendations
Answer:
- The homepage may feature premium churches in "Featured" sections (
FeaturedChurchCardcomponent) - Church detail pages show "Nearby Churches" section using geographic proximity
- No explicit weighting toward Premium/Pro in recommendations found in the code — appears to be proximity/relevance based
- The
FeaturedChurchCardcomponent exists, suggesting curated or premium-weighted featuring
FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:
Should recommendation sections (nearby churches, homepage featured) explicitly prioritize Premium/Pro churches? Current implementation is unclear.
Additional Notes
Premium:
- The
TrainingTabis shared between Premium and Pro Website — both get access to pastor pulse, hours, staff, ministries, what-to-expect, FAQs, documents - The Congregation Care system (
CareTab) is available to both tiers whencare_enabledis true - Team access (7 roles) is available to both Premium and Pro Website
Pro Website:
- The template auto-detection is a key differentiator — the pastor doesn't need to "choose" a template. The system reads their denomination and applies the matching visual style automatically.
- ISR revalidation of 1 hour means changes take up to 1 hour to appear on the public Pro Website page
- Admin changes are instant in the admin dashboard; the public page has the ISR delay
- The
DemoViewTogglecomponent allows toggling between standard and Pro Website views on the church detail page (likely for demo/preview purposes)