Step 1: WordPress Store Locator Plug-in Users Need A Google API Key

Posted by lcleveland in Base Plugin, FAQ, for WordPress, Getting Started, Support

SaaS users can skip this step. Store Locator Plus® for WordPress plug-in users need a Google API key to utilize the full features available in the the plugin. WordPress administrators who are self-managing their plugin updates, security, and Google services need to setup a Google API account so they can start billing for map services.

If you are a subscriber to Store Locator Plus® – our SaaS directory and locator service, you can ignore this page, we’ve got it covered. Go to our Getting Started guide and move on to Step 2.

For the Store Locator Plus® for WordPress users these instructions are a general guideline. You will need to visit the Google developers page and read their User guide to obtain a new account or update your existing account. Google will bill you directly for your monthly map views and location look-ups.

Step 3: Add A Location Map To Your Site

Posted by lcleveland in Base Plugin, for Everything, for WordPress, Getting Started, Locations, Support

Add a location map to your site by putting the SaaS embed code or WordPress shortcode on any page. You’ll need to have an active Store Locator Plus® SaaS subscription or have the Store Locator Plus® for WordPress plugin installed and activated.

Make sure you’ve completed the initial configuration and setup steps outline in the Store Locator Plus® Getting Started article.

When a visitor goes to a page with the Store Locator Plus® map code embedded, it will show a default search form and a map centered in your country or on the “Center Map At” address you entered when configuring Store Locator Plus®. When someone searches for a zip code that is close enough to a location you entered it will show those locations on the map.

Where to find the Store Locator Plus for WordPress Plug-in versions and updates

Posted by cici in FAQ, for WordPress

For the WordPress SLP stand alone (do it yourself) plug-in , the latest update to the Word Press base plugin normally appears in your WordPress site Plugin menu for auto update

To check your version against what is currently available please see the site home page under Support/Versions

The WordPress Store Locator Plus base plug-in is again available in the WordPress plug-in directory. If you purchased an add-on you will need to log into your WPSLP account and download it manually the first time you use it.

ALWAYS BACK-UP your site immediately before updating any Plug-ins.

How to manually update.

Most Common “What Should I Buy” Questions

Posted by cici in What To Buy

Some of the most common features requested are included with either the Plug-in for WordPress using add-ons OR a higher level plan if you use the all inclusive (but separate from the plug-in) Store Locator Plus Software as a Service (SaaS)

Import Locations ( SLP PLUGIN needs add-on Power or the SLP Software as a service needs the Professional level MySLP )
Export Locations ( Power add-on or if using the SaaS Professional level MySLP )
Map Markers Based On Category ( Power add-on or if using the SLP SaaS Professional level or higher MySLP
Cluster Map Markers ( Premier SUBSCRIPTION PLUG-IN or the SaaS Enterprise level )
Change The Layout ( Experience add-on or the Professional level SaaS plan)
Change The Look Of The Map ( Experience add-on or the Professional level SaaS plan)
Add Location Search To Other Pages ( Experience /add-on or the Professional )
Categorize Locations ( Power add-on or the Professional level or higher MySLP )
Associate Products With Locations ( Power add-on or the Professional level or higher MySLP )
List By City or State ( Experience SLP plug-in add-on or the Professional level or higher SaaS)
Creating SEO Pages From Locations ( Power add-on for the WordPress SLP plug-in. Not available for SLP SaaS)
Add directory listing from Locations (Power/Professional level or higher MySLP)
Bulk filters such as geocode all uncode (Power/Professional level or higher MySLP)
Add url controls (Premier subscription WPSLP or Enterprise level MySLP)

MySLP to WPSLP Comparison

Advanced is comparable to the basic Store Locator Plus plugin.

Professional is the Power level (excluding SEO Pages) plus the Experience add on.

Enterprise is the Professional level plan plus the Premier subscription features, functionality and support services.

Read below for answers to these questions and check out our other “What To Buy” articles.

Map Settings for Store Locator Plus®

Posted by cici in Advanced, FAQ, Map, Professional, Settings

Under the menu for SLP / Settings /Map :

The settings contained in the map panel will change the functionality of the map domain, center map, zoom and appearance.

,Google Map domains,language .

The following settings are available to manage functionality for both WPSLP stand alone plug-in and MySLP SaaS managed service..

At Startup

Center Map: This is where you enter an address, or a state, or a location or a specific latitude and longitude to be displayed as the initial focus for the Map. If nothing is entered in this box , the default will be the center of the United States . Google map has determined the center of United States to be somewhere in Kansas. Example: See Google Localizing the Map: The geocodes “Toledo” based on the default region (US) to “Toledo, Ohio” or one which biases results based on a region set to ES (Spain) to “Toledo, Spain.
Center Latitude Fallback: Center Longitude Fallback: These are the latitude/longitude settings that will be called if the Google server is “busy” or offline and not able to geocode or “call” to load your locations. If you reset to blank it will fill in with the Center latitude/longitude of the map domain you have chosen. You can have a different Lat/long fallback then your map domain or center map if you choose. An image of your fallback will be displayed

General Settings

Posted by cici in Admin, Advanced, Enterprise, General, Our Add Ons, Professional, Server, User Interface

(This section has been updated to reflect updates in SLP version 5.5.)

There are settings under the General tab for Admin , User Interface, (Server and Data tabs in earlier versions, now are included under the APP tab). This documentation has been updated to reflect the Google API changes for our WPSLP self managed plug-in customers. The tab “App” Map is where you will enter your own Google API keys. MySLP customers do not need to worry about that. We do it for them.

Admin

The Admin tab is where your SLP Premier subscription Accounts ID , Log Schedule Messages, and other info is located. There is also a Reset Manage Locations button available for use to reset the back end Manage Locations display page to the default view (10 locations per page view). This feature was previously only available with the free SLP Janitor Add-on.

Search by Name

Posted by cici in Our Add Ons, Professional, Search, Settings

Additional Search settings are available if you are using either:

Word Press Store locator Plus plugin with the Experience Add-on , or the Store Locator Plus SaaS / Professional level plan. have multiple search tool options to display on the front page when a site visitor lands on your locator page. Search by Name is a checkbox that is found under the Store Locator Plus “Settings/Search” menu.

The default is “Name”

Geocoding stopped working suddenly

Posted by cici in Advanced, FAQ, for WordPress, General, Locations, Power Add On, Troubleshooting

(This page has been updated to reflect the changes in Google Cloud Platform API changes)

Most likely reasons;

You moved your site or changed the domain name and did not change your Google Map API key or , as of JUNE 2018 Google API changes, did NOT ADD BILLING TO YOUR API KEY . See Getting Started
Check your Google Platform Usage reports
A self-imposed usage cap has been exceeded.
The provided method of payment is no longer valid (for example, a credit card has expired).
You have exceeded the QPS limits for a given API.
If you have the Power add-on and are using the import function , your csv file is incorrect, or your header rows are not accurate, or they have wrong field names, the columns may be misaligned and the data field for an address could not import and/or does not geocode. Check your import message log.
Google does not recognize an address. See FAQ post

Location Limit URL control

Posted by cici in Enterprise, General, User Interface

Location Limit

The location limit feature is available exclusively to our Store Locator Plus Premier/Enterprise customers.

When the URL Control module is active you can enable location ID passing by turning on “Location Limit” under the General / User Interface tab.

When this is enabled you can pass in a limit for the number of locations to be returned when the map initially loads and when a search is performed by adding ?limit=<id> to the end of the page address where your locator map is deployed with the [slplus] shortcode.

Example: Client has 250 results to return by default but when the site via a URL link loaded they only wanted 5 to come back.

Location Limit functionality supersedes the initial default limit.

Store Locator Plus INFO Plug-in Environment

Posted by cici in for WordPress, Info, Support

Plug-in environment

We often have questions posted from users asking why something is or is not working. The information needed to be able to assist them properly and efficiently is shown under the SLP/INFO tab under Environment

What is meant by the (Plugin) Environment.

The plugin environment shows the versions of Store Locator Plus, and any active SLP add-ons you have installed, as well as the WordPress version, php version, MYSQL , the domain name and other useful data specific to the WPSLP environment.

You can also find the latest release versions under your account Downloads List, and/or review the Versions under the Support tab on the WordPress Store Locator Plus home site to see if you have the most recent version of Store Locator Plus and the various add-on packs.