A. A shortcode is a WordPress-specific code that lets you do nifty things with very little effort. Shortcodes can embed files or create objects that would normally require lots of complicated, ugly code in just one line. In other words, a Shortcode = shortcut.
Schedule For Initial Distance
The Premier Add On allows you to set a scheduled interval using the built-in WordPress Cron scheduler to calculate the initial distance for locations where the distance is zero.
The initial distance setting is used by Store Locator Plus to boost performance when loading the initial map. It uses and SQL index on a numeric value to select a subset of data versus calculating values for potentially thousands of locations and then filtering based on the calculation. For sites with more than 1,000 locations this feature significantly boosts initial map loading performance.
Google Map Icons
All those little location markers on the map that Google just made FAR more prevalent in their latest update? Those are what they call map icons. They are also clickable which means all those locations will pop up a map bubble even if they are not YOUR Locations for your business. Premier Add On v 4.7.1 or higher for Store Locator Plus or MySLP/Enterprise lets you disable the “clickability” on the map icons.
What To Buy: Filter By Brand
Question
We need to filter our locations by brand. Does your plugin or an extension to your plugin have this feature?
Assigning Brands To Locations
Power add-on for WPSLP (DIY) or the Professional level plan (or higher) for MySLP is the right choice for doing that. Either allows for simple categories or parent/child relationships between categories. Locations can be assigned to one or more categories. Your users can then search for locations based on those categories.
For more complex hierarchical functionality , button bars , horizontal check-boxes for categories and more customized approaches you might want to check out our WPSLP Premier subscription or the MySLP Enterprise level subscription
Add a category for each brand you offer and your users will be able to filter locations showing only those that offer specific brands.
Import remote file retrieval
Power Add-on for WPSLP or the Professional level or higher for MySLP allows the administrator to schedule your Import process from a remote file retrieval (must be accessible public) to provide more control over recurring imports from a full url where you CSV file resides and allows flexibility for scheduling the time for daily imports.
WordPress CRON is not exact, it executes the next time a visitor comes to your site.
WordPress times are UTC/GMT time NOT local time. Set to none and leave the URL blank to clear the CRON job. Example: 14:25. (Default: empty = do not run daily cron)
Checking your server, PHP and MySQL to ensure the character set is correct will go a long way toward importing special characters like registration characters.
Additional Import Data field headers
If you have the Power add-on for the Self managed WPSLP or if you have the Professional Level MySLP SaaS plan, you will have the ability to import data fields via a properly formatted csv file. All columns MUST have a header row with the correct field name. All fields are short text fields, up to 255 characters, unless otherwise noted. The header text is NOT case sensitive.
If you are using the category functionality of Power you may want to import and assign a category slug on the fly. The header field name is:
category (or plural categories).
If you wish to import and assign more than one category per location , you will need to use a comma-separated list for the data field (category). Example: My location has more than one category associated with it, I want to indicate it is a hotel,restaurant, and has music. Category for that location would show under the column with the header row “category”…. hotel,restaurant,music
Alternatively, to define parent/child relationships , i.e. hierarchical categories , use a double colon as the separator Example the Parent is Facility, the child is showroom.
Facility::Showroom.
Geocoding Locations On A Schedule
The Premier Add On includes an option to run location geocoding on a regularly scheduled interval. This can be useful for a hands-off approach when loading locations remotely through direct data connections.
Use Dial Link For Phone Setting
Included in MySLP Professional and WPSLP Experience.
Find it under Settings | Results | Results Interaction
When the Use Dial Link for Phone Setting is checked it will make the phone number in your locations results clickable to auto dial by adding a tel: based hyperlink.
The dial-ready hyperlink will be used wherever the [slp_location] shortcode is used. This includes the results under the map, directory landing pages, and in Store Pages if the [slp_location] shortcode is used instead of the [storepage field=”phone”] shortcode.
Extensions Pause
Use along with the Phone Extension Delimiter setting to handle pauses for extensions.
Formerly labelled: Make a Dial Link Phone number (clickable)
What To Buy : Rank Hide Import 10K Locations With Products Offered
Question: I would like to use your plugin to add location searching to my site. I would like to be able to rank and even possibly remove locations from the search results. Also, each location offers different products of mine. So, if a user selects a product and a zip code I would like to show them locations that offer the product they are looking for ranked in order of my ranking system. I have many locations (10k +). Can you please let me know what add-ons I will need to accomplish my goals? I definitely need to be able to upload CSV.
User Interface Settings for WPSLP plug-in
Settings that impact how JavaScript works on your site. Note, if you subscribe to the MySLP SaaS, you will not see a General tab. With the MySLP we take care of this for you! The My Store Locator Plus service is a fully-managed application that works with any website or mobile development platform.
UI jQuery Version –
reflects the jQuery version that is currently used with the Store Locator Plus version you are using. The SLP jQuery versions are in compliance with the WordPress minimal version requirements.
Force Load JavaScript
This settings forces the Store Locator Plus JavaScript (slp.js) to be loaded when your WordPress Theme header is loaded. This is NOT the way to go. It is recommended that you turn OFF “Force Load JavaScript” and instead contact your theme author. See Troubleshooting for more information