FAQ & Troubleshooting Guide

Find answers to common questions and solutions to frequent issues with the Was This Helpful plugin.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Q: Is this plugin free or paid?

A: The plugin is available in pro versions. Check hasthemes for current pricing and features.

Q: Will this plugin slow down my site?

A: No. The plugin is lightweight and optimized for performance. It adds minimal overhead and won’t affect your page load speed.

Q: Does it work with page builders?

A: Yes! It works with:

• Elementor
• Gutenberg (Block Editor)
• Classic Editor
• And all other page builders

Q: Is it mobile-responsive?

A: Yes, the feedback widget automatically adapts to all screen sizes (mobile, tablet, desktop).

Q: Can I use it on WooCommerce products?

A: Yes! If WooCommerce is installed, “Product” will appear in the post type selection. Just check the box to enable feedback on products.

Q: Does it support multiple languages?

A: The plugin is translation-ready and works with:

• WPML
• Polylang
• TranslatePress
• Loco Translate
• And other translation plugins

Configuration Questions

Q: Can I change the feedback question?

A: Yes! Go to Was This Helpful → Option Tab → Message Settings and change “Your Question” field.

Q: Can I use emojis in button text?

A: Yes! You can copy any emoji and paste it into the button text fields. The plugin provides common emojis as examples.

Q: Can I have different questions on different posts?

A: Not through the settings interface. The question is set globally. However, you can use custom code to override it per post if needed.

Q: How do I change button colors?

A: Go to Was This Helpful → Style Tab and use the color pickers for:

• Positive Button Background
• Negative Button Background
• Button text color
• And more

Q: Can I remove the feedback widget from specific posts?

A: Currently, the plugin enables feedback on all posts of selected types. To exclude specific posts, you would need custom code.

Vote & Data Questions

Q: How does “Vote Once” work?

A: The plugin uses IP-based tracking. When a visitor votes, their IP address is recorded. If they try to vote again from the same IP, they’ll see an “Already Voted” message.

Q: Will clearing cookies allow re-voting?

A: No. The plugin uses IP tracking, not cookies, so clearing cookies won’t reset the vote.

Q: What if someone uses a VPN?

A: If they change their IP address (via VPN or mobile data switch), they could technically vote again. This is a limitation of IP-based tracking.

Q: Where is feedback data stored?

A: All data is stored in your WordPress database in custom tables created by the plugin. Nothing is sent to external servers.

Q: Can I export feedback data?

A: You can take screenshots or manually copy the data from the Report tab. Full CSV export may be added in future updates.

Q: How long is data retained?

A: Data is stored permanently until you manually delete it or uninstall the plugin with data deletion option.

Display Questions

Q: Where does the feedback widget appear?

A: By default, it appears at the bottom of post content, before comments. You can use custom code to change the position.

Q: Can I add it to sidebar or footer?

A: Not through default settings. This would require custom development or shortcode support (may be added in future).

Q: Does it work with custom post types?

A: Yes! All registered post types appear in the “Select Post Types” option. Just check the ones you want.

Q: Can I show it only to logged-in users?

A: Not by default, but this can be achieved with custom code/filters.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: Feedback Widget Not Showing

Symptoms: Widget doesn’t appear on posts/pages

Solutions:

✅ Check 1: Post Type Selected

1. Go to Was This Helpful → Option Tab
2. Scroll to Select Post Types
3. Ensure the correct post type is checked (post, page, etc.)
4. Click Save Changes

✅ Check 2: Plugin Activated

1. Go to Plugins in WordPress admin
2. Ensure “Was This Helpful” shows as active
3. If not, click Activate

✅ Check 3: Theme Compatibility

• Your theme must use standard WordPress content hooks
• Test with default WordPress theme (Twenty Twenty-Four)
• If it works with default theme, contact your theme developer

✅ Check 4: Plugin Conflicts

1. Deactivate all other plugins
2. Check if widget appears
3. Reactivate plugins one by one to find the conflict

✅ Check 5: Cache Issues

• Clear browser cache (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R)
• Clear WordPress cache plugins (WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, etc.)
• Clear CDN cache if using Cloudflare, etc.

Issue 2: Votes Not Being Counted

Symptoms: Users can vote but numbers don’t increase

Solutions:

✅ Check 1: Vote Once Setting

1. Go to Was This Helpful → Option Tab
2. Find Vote Only Once dropdown
3. Ensure it’s set to “Yes” for proper tracking
4. Test in incognito mode (new IP simulation)

✅ Check 2: Database Permissions

• Ensure WordPress can write to database
• Check with hosting provider if needed

✅ Check 3: JavaScript Errors

1. Open browser Developer Tools (F12)
2. Go to Console tab
3. Look for JavaScript errors (red text)
4. If present, report to support with error message

✅ Check 4: AJAX Issues

• Check if other AJAX features work on your site
• Disable any “AJAX optimization” plugins temporarily

Issue 3: Styling Not Applying

Symptoms: Color changes or style modifications don’t appear

Solutions:

✅ Check 1: Save Changes

• Ensure you clicked Save Changes button after modifications
• Look for success message at top of page

✅ Check 2: Clear Cache

• Browser cache: Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)
• Plugin cache: Clear WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, etc.
• Server cache: Ask hosting provider
• CDN cache: Purge Cloudflare, etc.

✅ Check 3: CSS Priority

• Your theme’s CSS might override plugin styles
• Solution: Use more specific CSS in Custom CSS box
• Example: Add !important to your custom rules

.feedback-button {
    background-color: #3B82F6 !important;
}

✅ Check 4: Color Format

• Ensure colors are in correct format: #3B82F6 (with #)
• Not: 3B82F6 (without #)

Issue 4: “Already Voted” Message Appearing Incorrectly

Symptoms: Users see “Already Voted” even though they never voted

Solutions:

✅ Check 1: Shared IP Address

• Multiple users on same network share same IP
• Common in offices, schools, public WiFi
• This is a limitation of IP-based tracking

✅ Check 2: Vote Once Setting

1. If you want unlimited voting:
2. Go to Was This Helpful → Option Tab
3. Change Vote Only Once to “No”
4. Save Changes

✅ Check 3: Database Issue

• Rare case: Database needs cleanup
• Contact support with specifics

Issue 5: Reports Not Showing Data

Symptoms: Report tab is empty or shows zero votes

Solutions:

✅ Check 1: Date Range

1. Go to Was This Helpful → Report Tab
2. Clear the From and To date filters
3. Ensure you’re viewing “All Time”

✅ Check 2: No Votes Yet

• Have users actually voted?
• Test by voting on a post yourself (incognito mode)
• Check if it appears in reports

✅ Check 3: Database Connection

• Check WordPress database connection is working
• Other plugins working normally?

Issue 6: Feedback Comments Not Saving

Symptoms: Users submit comments but they don’t appear in reports

Solutions:

✅ Check 1: Comment Box Enabled

• Ensure feedback input form is configured properly
• Test the full flow: Vote → See comment box → Submit

✅ Check 2: Form Validation

• Check browser console for JavaScript errors
• Ensure anti-spam plugins aren’t blocking submission

✅ Check 3: Database Write Permissions

• Contact hosting provider to verify database permissions

Issue 7: Layout/Design Issues

Symptoms: Widget looks broken or misaligned

Solutions:

✅ Check 1: Theme CSS Conflicts

• Your theme’s CSS might conflict
• Test with default WordPress theme
• Add custom CSS to fix alignment:

.feedback-container {
    clear: both;
    overflow: hidden;
}

✅ Check 2: Button Width

• If buttons overlap, increase width
• Go to Style Tab → Feedback Button Width
• Try 130px or higher

✅ Check 3: Container Width

• Ensure container has enough space
• Adjust padding/margin in Style tab

✅ Check 4: Mobile View

• Check on actual mobile device
• Use Chrome DevTools mobile emulator
• Adjust button sizes if needed

Reporting Bugs

If you’ve tried everything and still have issues:

What to Include in Support Request:

1. WordPress version: (e.g., 6.4.2)
2. Plugin version: (e.g., 1.0.5)
3. Active theme: (e.g., Astra)
4. Other active plugins: List main plugins
5. PHP version: (found in Site Health)
6. Description: What’s happening vs. what should happen
7. Screenshots: If visual issue
8. Browser/device: Chrome on Windows, etc.
9. Steps to reproduce: Exact steps to see the issue
10. Console errors: Any JavaScript errors (F12 → Console)

How to Contact Support:

1. Go to your CodeCanyon purchase page
2. Click on the Support tab
3. Fill in the support form with details above
4. Include your purchase code for verification

Response time: Usually 24-48 hours (business days)

Pro Tips

Tip 1: Use Incognito Mode for Testing

• Your IP gets tracked, so use incognito mode or VPN when testing votes
• This simulates a new visitor

Tip 2: Regular Cache Clearing

• After any changes, always clear cache
• Makes troubleshooting much easier

Tip 3: Backup Before Updates

• Always backup your site before updating plugins
• Use UpdraftPlus or similar

Tip 4: Test on Staging Site

• If you have a staging site, test changes there first
• Avoids breaking live site

Tip 5: Keep WordPress Updated

• Update WordPress, themes, and plugins regularly
• Many issues are fixed in updates

Additional Resources

• Getting Started Guide – Basic setup
• Options Tab Settings – Configuration details
• Style Tab Guide – Customization options
• Report Tab Guide – Analytics help

Still Need Help?

Support options:

1. Documentation: Re-read relevant guides
2. Direct Support: Use support tab on purchase page

Before contacting support:

• ✅ Read this troubleshooting guide
• ✅ Try all suggested solutions
• ✅ Gather the information listed in “Reporting Bugs”
• ✅ Check if issue exists with default theme and no other plugins

Most issues can be resolved by following this guide. If you discover a solution not listed here, please share it with support to help other users!