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Time: 20 minutes | Level: Advanced
Prerequisites: Knowledge Base Fundamentals

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What You’ll Learn

  • Creating calculator-style helpers
  • Linking fields to knowledge data
  • Building dynamic pricing logic
  • Generating instant quotes
  • Sharing calculators with clients

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Why Build Price Calculators?

Transform your uploaded price lists into interactive tools:
Manual ProcessWith Calculator
Client calls for quoteClient uses self-service tool
You look up pricesPrices auto-populate
Calculate totals manuallyInstant calculated totals
Email quote backQuote generated instantly

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Step 1: Prepare Your Knowledge

Before building, ensure your Knowledge Base has the pricing data:
1

Upload Price List

If not already done, upload your pricing document (PDF, Excel, or image).
2

Verify Extraction

Check that key pricing elements were extracted:
  • Product/service names
  • Base prices
  • Quantity tiers (if applicable)
  • Options and add-ons
3

Note the Structure

Understand how your data is organized:
  • What are the main product categories?
  • What variables affect price (size, material, quantity)?
  • Are there any conditional rules?

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Step 2: Create the Calculator Helper

1

Create New Helper

Tap + → describe: “Price calculator for [your product/service]”Example: “Price calculator for printing services with paper type, size, and quantity”
2

Review Generated Fields

Peanuts creates fields based on your description. Common calculator fields:
Field TypeUse Case
SelectProduct type, paper type, size options
NumberQuantity, dimensions
CheckboxAdd-ons, rush delivery
CalculatedSubtotal, tax, total
3

Customize Fields

Adjust fields to match your pricing structure:
  • Add options from your price list
  • Set appropriate min/max for quantities
  • Add any missing variables
Connect your calculator to the uploaded pricing data:
1

Open Helper Settings

Go to your calculator helper → Settings → Knowledge.
2

Link Price List

Select the relevant knowledge document(s) containing your pricing.
3

Test the Connection

Ask Peanuts within the helper:
"What's the price for [specific option]?"
It should return the correct price from your knowledge.

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Step 4: Configure Pricing Logic

Set up how prices are calculated based on selections:
For straightforward pricing (select option → get price):
Paper Type: Matte → $25/100 sheets
Paper Type: Glossy → $30/100 sheets
Paper Type: Premium → $45/100 sheets
The calculator looks up the price based on the selected option.

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Step 5: Add Calculated Fields

Create fields that automatically compute totals:
Calculates the base price before extras:Formula concept:
Unit Price (from knowledge) × Quantity
Sums selected optional extras:Formula concept:
Sum of all checked add-on values
Applies tax rate to subtotal:Formula concept:
(Subtotal + Add-ons) × Tax Rate
Final amount due:Formula concept:
Subtotal + Add-ons + Tax

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Step 6: Test Your Calculator

Run through test scenarios to verify accuracy:
1

Test Base Cases

Try the simplest selections and verify prices match your source.
2

Test Edge Cases

  • Minimum quantities
  • Maximum quantities
  • Tier boundaries (99 vs 100 units)
  • All add-ons selected
3

Compare to Manual

Calculate a few quotes manually and compare to calculator output.
4

Fix Discrepancies

If prices don’t match:
  • Check knowledge extraction accuracy
  • Verify field-to-knowledge linking
  • Review calculation logic

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Sharing Your Calculator

Create a public widget for your website:
  1. Go to helper Settings → Sharing
  2. Enable Public Widget
  3. Copy embed code
  4. Add to your website
<iframe 
  src="https://peanuts.app/widget/[your-helper-id]"
  width="100%"
  height="500"
  frameborder="0"
></iframe>

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Real-World Examples

Print Shop Calculator

Fields: Paper size, paper type, quantity, color/B&W, bindingKnowledge: Price list PDF with size × paper × quantity matrixOutput: Instant quote with itemized breakdown

Catering Quote Tool

Fields: Event type, guest count, menu selection, add-onsKnowledge: Menu with per-person pricingOutput: Total cost with dietary accommodation notes

Shipping Calculator

Fields: Package weight, dimensions, destination, speedKnowledge: Carrier rate tablesOutput: Shipping options with delivery dates

Service Quote

Fields: Service type, hours estimated, parts needed, urgencyKnowledge: Hourly rates and parts catalogOutput: Labor + parts + rush fee total

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Exercise

Practice: Build a Complete Price Calculator

Create a calculator for a real or fictional business:
  1. Choose a product/service (printing, food, shipping, services)
  2. Create or upload a price list with at least:
    • 3+ product options
    • 2+ quantity tiers OR size variants
    • 1+ optional add-on
  3. Build the calculator helper with appropriate fields
  4. Link to your knowledge base
  5. Test with 5 different quote scenarios
  6. Generate a shareable widget
Bonus: Share the widget link and test it on a different device.

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Key Takeaways

Remember: Price calculators = Knowledge Base + structured fields + calculated totals. Once set up, they generate accurate quotes 24/7 without any manual lookup.

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Next Steps

Multi-Source Lookups

Query across multiple knowledge documents

Webhooks & Automation

Auto-send quotes via email