Articles on: Integrations

Settingup InstaWP Integration Plugin

The InstaWP Integration plugin enables you to create WordPress sites instantly, integrate site creation with WooCommerce, and manage InstaWP sites directly from your WordPress admin. Instead of manual setup, InstaWP handles everything automatically — resulting in faster site delivery and a seamless customer experience.


In this documentation, we will explore:



Let's get started 🚀


This plugin requires an active InstaWP account and API key. Click here to know how to configure API Key



Overview


The InstaWP Integration plugin enables you to:


  • Create WordPress sites instantly using InstaWP snapshots
  • Integrate site creation with WooCommerce products and orders
  • Manage InstaWP sites directly from your WordPress admin
  • Provide customers with easy access to their created sites
  • Use shortcodes for standalone site creation forms


Video Guides:



Installation


Step 1: Download the plugin files from the GitHub repository.




Step 2: Install the plugin from WordPress Dashboard




Step 3: Activate the plugin through Plugins in the WordPress admin menu.



Step 4: Navigate to InstaWP → Settings and enter your API key.




Configuration


Step 1 — Get Your API Key



Step 2 — Configure the Plugin


  • Go to InstaWP → Settings in your WordPress admin
  • Enter your API key in the General Settings tab
  • Enable the desired integration options
  • Click "Refresh Snapshots" and "Refresh Plans" to load your data


Step 3 — Configure Products (WooCommerce)


  • Edit any WooCommerce product
  • Go to the InstaWP tab in the product data panel
  • Select a snapshot and plan
  • Choose site expiry settings
  • Save the product



WooCommerce Integration


Product Configuration


Edit a WooCommerce product and open the InstaWP tab to configure:


  • Snapshot — The InstaWP snapshot to use for site creation
  • Plan — Hosting plan (optional)
  • Site Expiry — Permanent (indefinite) or Temporary (1–8760 hours)


Customer Experience


When a customer completes a purchase:


  1. A site is automatically created when the order status becomes completed
  2. The customer receives an email notification containing:
  3. Site URL and admin login credentials
  4. Magic login link (when available)
  5. Direct link to their WordPress dashboard
  6. All sites are accessible from My Account → Orders



Shortcode Usage


The [iwp_site_creator] shortcode embeds a standalone site creation form anywhere on your site.


Basic usage:


[iwp_site_creator snapshot_slug="your-snapshot-slug"]


Parameters:


  • snapshot_slug (required) — The InstaWP snapshot to use
  • email (optional) — Pre-fills the email field
  • name (optional) — Pre-fills the site name field
  • expiry_hours (optional) — Hours until the site expires
  • sandbox (optional) — Set to "true" for shared/sandbox sites


Examples:


Pre-filled form:

[iwp_site_creator snapshot_slug="ecommerce-store" email="customer@example.com" name="My Store"]


Temporary site (24 hours):

[iwp_site_creator snapshot_slug="demo-site" expiry_hours="24"]


Demo environment:

[iwp_site_creator snapshot_slug="wordpress-blog" email="demo@test.com" name="Demo Site" expiry_hours="48"]



Site Plan Upgrades


This feature lets customers upgrade an existing site rather than creating a new one.


Step 1: Go to InstaWP → Settings and enable "Use site_id Parameter".


Step 2: The customer visits yoursite.com/shop/?site_id=123 — the plugin enters upgrade mode.


Step 3: The customer purchases a plan-enabled product — the existing site is upgraded instead of a new one being created.



Team Management


The plugin supports InstaWP's multi-team functionality, allowing you to filter snapshots and plans by team.


Selecting a Team


Step 1: Go to InstaWP → Settings → InstaWP Data.


Step 2: Use the team dropdown to select a team. By default, "User's Logged In Team" is selected (no filter applied).


Team Features


  • Automatic Filtering — Snapshots and plans are filtered by the selected team
  • Team-Specific Caching — Each team's data is cached separately for performance
  • API Parameter — The selected team ID is automatically appended as ?team_id={id}
  • Persistent Selection — Your team choice is saved across sessions



Demo Site Storage & Reconciliation


The plugin automatically stores demo sites created via shortcode and reconciles them to customer accounts upon payment.


How It Works


1. Demo Site Creation

  • Customer creates a site using [iwp_site_creator]
  • Site is stored in the database with site_type='demo'
  • Customer email is saved for future reconciliation
  • Works for both logged-in users and guests


2. Automatic Reconciliation

  • When a customer makes a purchase, the plugin searches for demo sites matching their email
  • Matching demo sites are automatically converted to paid sites
  • The demo helper plugin is automatically disabled
  • An order note is added documenting the conversion


3. Frontend Display

  • Converted sites display a "Converted from Demo" badge
  • Sites appear in the customer's order details and My Account page
  • Full access to site credentials and admin login


4. Go Live Page Redirect

  • Users without paid sites can access Go Live pages normally
  • Users with paid sites are automatically redirected to the My Account dashboard


No Data Loss — Demo sites are never lost. They are always tied to customer accounts and converted automatically on purchase.



Admin Features


Sites Management


Navigate to InstaWP → Sites to:


  • View all created sites with real-time status
  • Quick actions: Visit Site, Magic Login, Delete
  • Filter by status: All, Active, Creating, Failed, Expired
  • Filter by source: WooCommerce, Shortcode, etc.
  • Search by URL, username, user, site_id, or order_id


Debug and Testing


  • Enable Debug Mode for detailed logging
  • Set Log Level — Debug, Info, Warning, Error
  • Create test orders with real users for development
  • Monitor API calls and responses
  • Clear cache for snapshots and plans



API Reference


Core Endpoints:


  • GET /teams — Fetch user teams (60s timeout)
  • GET /snapshots — Fetch available snapshots (60s timeout)
  • GET /get-plans?product_type=sites — Fetch hosting plans (60s timeout)
  • POST /sites/template — Create site from snapshot (60s timeout)
  • GET /tasks/{task_id}/status — Check site creation progress (60s timeout)
  • GET /sites/{site_id} — Get site details (60s timeout)
  • POST /sites/{site_id}/upgrade-plan — Upgrade site plan (60s timeout)
  • PATCH /sites/{site_id} — Update site configuration (60s timeout)
  • DELETE /sites/{site_id} — Delete site (60s timeout)
  • POST /site/add-domain/{site_id} — Map custom domain (v1 API)


API Details:

  • Authentication: Bearer token with API key
  • Content-Type: application/json
  • Caching: Snapshots (15 min), Plans (1 hour)



Troubleshooting


Plugin Settings Not Saving
  • Check user permissions — administrator role required
  • Verify WordPress nonce functionality is working
  • Check for plugin conflicts


Snapshots/Plans Not Loading
  • Verify your API key is correct and active
  • Check server internet connectivity
  • Clear plugin cache using the refresh buttons
  • Enable debug mode to view detailed error logs


Sites Not Creating
  • Verify the selected snapshot exists in your InstaWP account
  • Check API key permissions
  • Confirm the WooCommerce order status is completed or processing
  • Review debug logs for specific error messages


Product InstaWP Tab Missing
  • Ensure WooCommerce is active and up to date
  • Verify the user has the edit_products capability
  • Check for theme or plugin conflicts
  • Clear WordPress object cache


Enabling Debug Mode


Step 1: Go to InstaWP → Settings → Testing & Development.


Step 2: Enable "Debug Mode" and set Log Level to "Debug".


Step 3: Reproduce the issue, then check wp-content/debug.log.



Requirements


WordPress:

  • Minimum: WordPress 5.0+ / PHP 7.4+ / 128MB RAM
  • Recommended: WordPress 6.0+ / PHP 8.0+ / 256MB RAM


WooCommerce (optional):

  • Minimum: WooCommerce 5.0+
  • HPOS compatible, tested up to WooCommerce 8.0+


Server:

  • cURL, JSON, Sessions, WordPress Cron



FAQs


Do I need WooCommerce to use this plugin?

No. WooCommerce is optional. The shortcode and admin features work independently.


Are original images/sites affected?

No. Original data is always preserved.


Does it support multiple teams?

Yes. You can filter all data by InstaWP team from the settings panel.


Where can I find debug logs?

Enable Debug Mode in InstaWP → Settings → Testing & Development, then check wp-content/debug.log.


💡 Did you know – You can combine the Shortcode, WooCommerce integration, and Demo Reconciliation for a fully automated WordPress-as-a-Service (WaaS) workflow.




Updated on: 02/03/2026

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