Installation and troubleshooting
Install or update
- Extract the documentation bundle and locate plugin/panelkind-1.7.2.zip.
- On single-site WordPress 6.6+ with PHP 8.1+, open Plugins → Add Plugin → Upload Plugin and upload that inner ZIP.
- Activate as the administrator who should be the initial protected agency owner.
- Skip the optional Freemius connection screen for Free, or activate the installation's paid license through the provided screens.
- Open PanelKind, edit the supplied client View and role-based permissions, then save and preview.
- Review and publish the configuration. For new native roles, publish the workspace setup before assigning users through WordPress Users.
No npm/build step is required on the installed site. The archive contains production PHP, JavaScript, CSS, plugin assets and the bundled Freemius SDK. It intentionally retains wp-adminer/ and wp-adminer.php so existing WP Adminer/PanelKind installations update in place. When WordPress offers Replace current with uploaded, use that update flow rather than installing a second copy. Internal wpa_ keys, WPAdminer namespaces, REST routes and text domain are retained for compatibility.
Activation does not automatically impose a new client workspace. Owners retain native administration, and publication applies View assignments/access configuration. Main-admin styling can separately use the client View as its source, including on owner screens.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Check / action |
|---|---|
| Free refuses a fourth widget or second guide | Drafts and archived library entries count. Edit an existing item or remove placements and delete an unused entry. |
| Cannot create a new View/role | Check current usage; the starter View or legacy PanelKind Client Manager role may already use the Free allowance. Reuse an existing View/role or activate Pro. |
| Colours appear locked in an old screenshot | All colour controls are Free in 1.7.2. Confirm the installed version; historical 1.6.1 screenshots are obsolete for colour entitlements. |
| Theme does not affect the owner's dashboard | Select the client View, enable Apply admin theme, choose Main WordPress admin — all users, save and publish. Editing the client's View alone does not assign it to owners. |
| Free theme save reports Pro styling | Apply a palette to repair stale unpublished surface values, or reset Pro surfaces. Previously published Pro values can remain. Read the actual validation error before changing other fields. |
| Wider sidebar has a narrow native submenu | Version 1.7.2 fixes the expanded desktop submenu width; check installed version and refreshed assets. Folded/mobile navigation follows its own layout. |
| Allow still denies a page | The native role may lack the capability, a mandatory rule may deny it, or an explicit conflict may apply. Use access inspection; a View never grants native permissions. |
| Hidden menu still opens by direct link | Visibility is presentation. Add a supported resource policy and verify the native capability/endpoint coverage. |
| Guide or widget is missing | Check status, audience, View/section placement, draft versus published state, and required resource/native access. |
| New child section cannot be saved | Free permits only two direct children of Main. Also check graph validity, references and technical limits. |
| Cannot delete a custom role | Remove members, default-registration use, assignments, policies and audience references in both draft and published configurations. |
| Save/publish reports a conflict | Another session changed the shared draft or active version. Reload and reconcile before saving. |
| Publish fails after license expiry | A paid draft is rechecked. Remove new paid changes or restore the relevant entitlement; the live configuration stays intact. |
| Backup signature fails | Use an unchanged backup from the same site. Site URL or authentication-salt changes can invalidate it. Cross-site portable import requires Pro. |
| Imported role is missing | Native roles are not created by import. Create matching role IDs and recheck assignments. |
| Preview blocks a save | Expected: preview is browse-only. Exit before editing live WordPress content. |
| Preview is expired or inaccessible | Use Exit preview, including on the denied/expired page, or open PanelKind directly. |
| Pro site cannot download an update | Confirm update entitlement, SDK connection, available release and site update preference. Feature entitlement alone may survive expiry without updates. |
| Access needs recovery | Use protected-owner Activity & recovery, or the documented temporary server recovery constant. Native permissions still apply. |
For more detail see workflow/recovery and licensing. No production site was installed, updated or changed to prepare this bundle.