When you're ready to connect Narrative's Plugin to your website, there are a few details to keep in mind in order for it to connect it correctly.
If you're running into a "Narrative cannot find the plugin on your website" message, have a look at the following scenarios that could be blocking the connection:
1. Narrative's plugin is not installed and/or activated on your website
Verify that you have Narrative's plugin installed and activated as shown below
2. Your website is in testing/clone/staging mode or not launched
When your website isn't launched or it's on testing/staging mode, the app will not find the plugin even if it's activated. Due to this, we suggest waiting until your website is live and launched to connect the plugin.
In the meantime, if you have any blogs on hold, find your platform below to see the publishing alternatives you can use:
WordPress: You can publish through the manual method. To learn how to do this click here
Showit + Basic Blog Plan: Due to the plan's limitations, you won't be able to publish through the code. Until your website is live, you can use the exporting and uploading method. To learn how to do this, click here
Showit + Advanced Blog Plan: You can publish through the manual method. To learn how to do this click here
3. You have firewall plugins activated in your website
Firewalls are a great tool to protect your website. However, when having them activated it will likely block the connection of the plugin to your website. Have a look into your activated plugins and see if you find any firewall plugins activated.
WordFence
Sucuri
If you find any, try deactivating them and try connecting the plugin to the app again.
4. Your hosting company has a security setting or firewalls blocking the connection of the plugin
Sometimes the plugin gets blocked by the firewall or security setting of your hosting company that could block the connection of the plugin to the app.
Have a look at the most common ones and their next steps detailed below:
Siteground: It's possible that they have a firewall which doesn't let our plugin to connect with your site. Due to this, we suggest reaching out to their support team to confirm if it's your case. In the meantime, we suggest using the manual publishing method instead.
Bluehost: Unfortunately they have a firewall which doesn't let our plugin to connect with your site. Due to this, the app is unable to find Narrative's plugin even if it's installed and activated. We suggest using the manual publishing method instead.
GoDaddy: It's possible that they are blocking the connection. Whitelisting an IP won't work because we use dynamic. However, you can reach out to their support and ask if it's possible to whitelist a URL path. If possible, whitelisting
action=narrativeshould solve it.O2Switch: Requesting them to deactivate a security setting will allow you to connect the plugin.
SiteLock: Requesting them to disable a restrictive security setting that is activated by default will allow you to connect the plugin.
GreenGeeks: It's possible that they are blocking the connection. If you'd like to reach out to them to confirm, you can do so by opening a ticket with them here.
If you're unable to find your hosting company above, we suggest reaching out to them to confirm if this is the case.
5. If none of these scenarios sort the issue, try the steps reconnecting the plugin through the following steps:
Open WP and search for Narrative's plugin > Deactivate and Activate again
Head back to Narrative Publish and open the publishing settings window:
When you see your publishing settings, click on Check/Continue until you see the Access Key window as shown below:
Once you copied it go back t your website, click on Narrative's Plugin and paste the Access Key and save the changes.
Go back to Narrative and click on Check to confirm the connection
6. I tried everything but I'm still unable connect the plugin
You can try deleting and reinstalling the plugin. By doing this, it will not affect your previous posts published through the plugin.
Have a look at the steps below for how to do this:
1. Deactivate and delete Narrative's plugin from the website's backend
2. Reinstall and activate Narrative's plugin
3. Opening the publishing settings window and see if the plugin is detected.
4. Open the blog inside the Narrative App and click on the gear icon to open the publishing settings window
5. Fill in your website details > Click on "Continue"
6. If the app detects the plugin on your website, it will give you an Access Key > Click on it to copy it
7. Go back to your WordPress backend
7.1 Search for Narrative's plugin
7.2 Paste the code
7.3 Click on Save Changes
7.4 Make sure that the time and date match when you pasted it
8. Go back to the app and click on "Check" > Choose the default category > Click on "Update"
Once the publishing settings are updated, you should be able to publish it through the app and see it on your backend as drafts.
If you're still unable to connect the plugin to your website, we suggest reaching out to your hosting provider to see if they can help you out.
In the meantime, you can publish manually through the HTML code without using the plugin. Have a look at the article here for how to do this
If you run into any issues please contact support via the chat bubble in the bottom right corner.