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Installation

Empora installs like any other WordPress plugin: upload a ZIP, activate it, and a new Empora menu appears in your admin. The whole thing takes about two minutes on a site that already runs WooCommerce.

Before you start​

RequirementMinimum
WordPress6.2 or newer
WooCommerce8.0 or newer, installed and active
PHP8.1 or newer

WooCommerce must be installed and active before you activate Empora. If it is missing, Empora does not activate its modules — it stays dormant and shows an admin notice instead, so a missing dependency can never half-break your store. Full detail, including HPOS and multisite notes, is in Requirements & compatibility.

Not yet on WordPress.org

Empora is not listed in the WordPress.org plugin directory yet, so Plugins → Add New → Search will not find it. Installing means uploading the ZIP, as below. When the directory listing goes live, this page will say so and the changelog will carry the announcement.

Install the plugin​

  1. Download the plugin ZIP. The free build is available from empora.aoneahsan.com; the premium build is the one you receive after arranging a plan (see Plans & pricing).
  2. In WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
  3. Choose the empora-for-woocommerce-*.zip file and click Install Now.
  4. Click Activate.
  5. Open Empora in the admin menu. The free core modules are usable straight away.

To turn on premium modules, activate your license next.

Free build or premium build

Both builds install identically; the difference is which modules they contain. The free build carries the seven free core modules. The premium build additionally carries the premium modules and the in-plugin updater — but which of those it will actually let you enable is decided by your license, not by the ZIP.

What activation does​

When Empora activates it:

  • Registers the Empora top-level admin menu — Dashboard, Modules, Settings, Reports and License.
  • Declares HPOS compatibility with WooCommerce, so it is safe on stores using High-Performance Order Storage.
  • Creates the database tables its enabled modules need, such as wishlist and compare storage.
  • Leaves every premium module off. Nothing changes on your storefront until you switch a module on yourself. Activating the plugin is not the same as enabling a feature, which is deliberate: you decide what runs.

If something goes wrong​

The two failures worth knowing in advance:

  • The plugin will not activate. Almost always a version floor — check PHP and WordPress against the table above. WordPress refuses the activation and names the reason.
  • Empora activates but the menu shows a notice about WooCommerce. WooCommerce is missing, inactive, or older than 8.0. Install or update it, and the notice clears on the next admin page load.

Everything else is in Troubleshooting.

Updating​

  • Premium build — the bundled updater checks the license server and offers updates in place, the same way any other plugin update appears under Dashboard → Updates. It needs an active license to see them.
  • Free build — until the WordPress.org listing exists, updating means uploading the newer ZIP over the installed copy. Your settings and data are kept; WordPress replaces the plugin files only.

New versions are announced in the changelog, which publishes an RSS feed.

Uninstalling​

Deactivating the plugin switches its modules off and leaves your data alone, so deactivating to test a conflict is safe and reversible.

Deleting the plugin runs its uninstall routine, which removes the data its modules created. If you want to keep anything — wishlists, settings, review metadata — export it first from the relevant module before you delete. Deactivate and delete are different actions with different consequences; only the second one removes data.

Next​