Documentation · License and updates
Know exactly which edition is installed before you update it.
SitePublisher AI Free and Pro share one protected product foundation, but the current test releases do not yet use public license activation. Check the edition and build first, update with the correct package and verify the result before you resume publishing.
Current controlled-release guidance · No public Pro license codes are being issued yet
Current release phase
There is no customer-facing license activation screen yet
The shared licensing foundation can distinguish Free and Pro access, but checkout, subscription validation and the private update service are still being connected and tested.
SitePublisher AI Free
Free features do not require a commercial license. The package identifies itself as SitePublisher AI Free and keeps the local website, Single Article, local Website Profile, Platform Settings and post-and-page metadata available.
View the Free release page →Current Pro test package
The controlled Pro foundation build reports Existing Pro access protected. Access comes from the approved package during this phase; there is no license field to complete and no public license code to purchase.
Review the planned Pro offer →Commercial activation
Stripe checkout, customer accounts, recurring subscriptions, license activation and secure Pro update delivery are a separate release step. Exact instructions will be added here before paid subscriptions open.
See what changes later →Identify your installation
The dashboard tells you what is active
Open the SitePublisher AI dashboard before updating. Save a screenshot of the overview cards so you can compare the installation after the package change.
Read these dashboard cards
Shows SitePublisher AI Free or SitePublisher AI Pro and the current access description.
Shows the plugin version and its exact build number. Include both in every update or support question.
The Edition card also reports how many active features are available for the installed package.
Expected access descriptions
This is the normal license state for the Free package.
This is the normal state for the current approved Pro foundation package.
Do not enter an unofficial code. Confirm that the intended package was installed and contact support with the edition and build.
Unexpected edition?
Stop before changing settings or creating replacement data.
A Free package intentionally hides Pro-only screens and workers. First compare the installed filename, edition and build with the approved release you intended to install.
Manual update during testing
Protect the workflow before replacing plugin files
Until secure product updates are connected, install only the exact verified ZIP supplied for your edition. Never update while an article, image or bulk job is still processing.
Create a recoverable checkpoint
- Read the release notes and confirm Free or Pro
- Back up the WordPress database and website files
- Record the current edition, version and build
- Save any diagnostic log entries you may still need
- Let active AI, media and publication requests finish
Use WordPress plugin upload
- Open Plugins, then Add Plugin and Upload Plugin
- Select the original verified ZIP without unpacking it
- Review the detected current and uploaded versions
- Choose replacement only when the edition is correct
- Keep the shared plugin folder name unchanged
Verify before resuming work
- Confirm that SitePublisher AI remains active
- Check the new edition, version and build
- Run Health checks and review any required failure
- Confirm settings and existing queue records are present
- Create one controlled article and save it as Draft
Six-step verification
Treat the first draft as an update test
Do not resume a full production queue immediately. Verify the smallest safe workflow first, then expand the test only when each previous layer succeeds.
Installation and local workflow
Confirm the intended edition, version, build and available-feature count.
All required checks should pass before you test content generation.
Confirm the OpenAI configuration state and local Website Profile without revealing stored secrets.
Content and Pro workflow
Generate one short controlled article and save it as a WordPress draft.
Confirm remote websites and their profiles are visible before testing one draft publication.
Resume or create a small queue only after the local and remote draft tests succeed.
Official WordPress guidance
Always keep a current backup before updating plugins.
WordPress documents plugin upload, activation and update management in its official plugin administration guide.
Moving between editions
Free restricts Pro access without converting your data
The reviewed Free and Pro packages use the same plugin identity and database structure. The edition controls which screens, routes, workers and services are allowed to run.
Installing Free over a Pro test build
- Keeps existing Pro settings and queue records stored
- Keeps remote website records and encrypted credentials stored
- Hides Pro menus and blocks protected background processes
- Leaves eligible local Single Article jobs available
Returning to an approved Pro build
- Use only the matching approved Pro package
- Verify the Edition card before opening Pro workflows
- Confirm remote credentials are readable without revealing them
- Inspect old queue records before resuming automation
When Pro subscriptions open
This guide will become the complete account and activation manual
The commercial connection will be released only after checkout, license validation and update delivery have been tested together. Until then, the current package status remains the source of access.
Purchase and account
The final guide will explain the official sitepublisher.ai checkout, customer account, subscription details and where to retrieve the license associated with an order.
View current pricing information →Activation and status
It will document activation on the central SitePublisher AI installation, how to read Active or Grace status and what to do when a license is inactive, invalid or expired.
Review the support route →Secure product updates
It will cover authenticated update checks, release information and the normal WordPress update flow for eligible Free and Pro releases. No automatic private Pro update is promised before that service is live.
Read the Changelog →What will not change
Your OpenAI API account remains separate.
A future SitePublisher AI Pro subscription will cover SitePublisher AI software and services. OpenAI API usage will still be charged separately through the API account connected by the customer.
Update problems
Stop at the first failed verification step
Do not resume automation to test an unhealthy installation. Preserve the exact screen message and use the checkpoint created before the update.
Pro tools disappeared
- Read the Edition and Release dashboard cards
- Confirm whether a Free package was installed
- Do not recreate remote websites or credentials
- Restore only the approved Pro package
The plugin cannot start completely
- Copy the exact required Health check failure
- Confirm the package was uploaded without changes
- Ask the host about PHP, extensions or permissions
- Restore the checkpoint if the site is unstable
Settings or queue records seem unavailable
- Confirm the edition before editing anything
- Remember that Free hides protected Pro records
- Check the Logs at the exact update time
- Contact support before deleting or importing data
License and update FAQ
What applies during the current release phase?
These answers deliberately distinguish today’s controlled packages from the future subscription system.
Does SitePublisher AI Free need a license?
No. The Free package reports No license required and its included features work without a commercial subscription.
Where do I enter a Pro license key?
Nowhere yet. Public Pro activation is not connected during the controlled-release phase, and no customer license codes are currently being issued.
Why does Pro say Existing Pro access protected?
That is the expected state of the current approved Pro foundation build. It keeps established Pro functionality available before the external license provider is introduced.
Does installing Free delete my Pro records?
No. The reviewed package keeps Pro settings, remote website data, queue records and encrypted credentials stored, but protected Pro interfaces and workers are unavailable in Free.
Can Free and Pro be installed together?
No. They are editions of the same plugin and must use the same plugin folder. Do not rename one package to run both copies side by side.
Do connected destination websites need this update?
No. Update the WordPress installation that runs SitePublisher AI. A connected destination uses its own WordPress REST API and Application Password; it does not need another SitePublisher AI copy merely to receive articles.
Are private Pro updates automatic already?
No. Use only the verified manual package supplied for the current test until the authenticated commercial update service is released.
Continue the documentation
Next: Website Application Passwords
Learn how WordPress creates a separate revocable credential for secure remote publishing without sharing the normal account password.