Testing Connections

Ensuring reliable connections between WP Automator and your WordPress sites is crucial for smooth operation. This guide covers comprehensive connection testing, troubleshooting common issues, and maintaining optimal connectivity.

Why Test Connections?

Regular connection testing helps:

• Verify credentials are valid and working
• Detect issues before bulk operations
• Monitor performance and response times
• Ensure permissions are properly configured
• Validate API endpoints are accessible

Quick Connection Test

Running a Basic Test

Test Results Explained

Comprehensive Testing

Full Diagnostic Test

Run a complete diagnostic to verify all functionalities:

Diagnostic Test Checklist:
✓ API Discovery - Locate REST API endpoints
✓ Authentication - Verify credentials
✓ Permissions - Check user capabilities
✓ Post Creation - Test write access
✓ Media Upload - Verify media permissions
✓ Category Access - List categories
✓ Plugin Detection - Identify active plugins
✓ Performance - Measure response times

Test Components

Running Advanced Tests

Access advanced testing options:

1. Navigate to site settings
2. Click "Advanced" tab
3. Select "Run Diagnostics"
4. Choose test components
5. Review detailed report

Common Connection Issues

Authentication Failures

Network Issues

Timeout Errors

Symptoms:

• "Request timeout after 30 seconds"
• Intermittent connection failures
• Slow response times

Solutions:

Quick Fixes:
  - Increase timeout to 60 seconds
  - Check server load
  - Verify hosting resources
  - Test from different location

Long-term Solutions:
  - Upgrade hosting plan
  - Implement caching
  - Optimize database
  - Use CDN for assets

SSL Certificate Problems

Common SSL Errors:

Resolution Steps:

1. Verify certificate validity
2. Check certificate chain
3. Update certificate if expired
4. Contact hosting provider
5. Temporarily disable SSL check (not recommended)

Permission Issues

Insufficient Capabilities

Required WordPress Capabilities:

• edit_posts - Create and modify posts
• publish_posts - Publish content
• upload_files - Add media
• manage_categories - Create categories
• edit_others_posts - Modify any post

Granting Permissions:

API Endpoint Verification

Checking REST API Availability

Test if REST API is accessible:

# Manual test via browser or curl
https://yoursite.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts

# Expected response
{
  "posts": [...],
  "status": "success"
}

Common API Issues

REST API Disabled:

• Check if plugin is blocking API
• Verify .htaccess rules
• Review security plugin settings
• Ensure permalink structure is set

Custom API Routes:

// If using custom routes, configure in settings
/wp-json/custom/v1/
/api/wp/v2/
/rest-api/

Performance Testing

Response Time Analysis

Monitor and optimize connection performance:

Load Testing

Test site capacity for bulk operations:

1. Gradual Load Test: Start with 1 request, increase gradually
2. Spike Test: Send multiple simultaneous requests
3. Endurance Test: Sustained load over time
4. Stress Test: Find breaking point

Automated Monitoring

Setting Up Health Checks

Configure automatic connection monitoring:

{
  "monitoring": {
    "enabled": true,
    "interval": "5 minutes",
    "checks": [
      "api_availability",
      "authentication",
      "response_time",
      "error_rate"
    ],
    "alerts": {
      "email": true,
      "dashboard": true
    }
  }
}

Alert Configuration

Set up notifications for connection issues:

• Immediate Alerts: Connection failures
• Warning Alerts: Slow response times
• Daily Summary: Overall health report
• Weekly Report: Performance trends

Troubleshooting Tools

Built-in Diagnostics

WP Automator provides several diagnostic tools:

External Testing Tools

Supplement with external tools:

• Postman: Test API endpoints manually
• cURL: Command-line API testing
• Browser DevTools: Network inspection
• Pingdom: Uptime monitoring
• GTmetrix: Performance analysis

Debug Mode

Enable debug mode for detailed information:

Connection Best Practices

Security Recommendations

1. Use Application Passwords: Never use main account password
2. Implement IP Whitelisting: Restrict API access
3. Enable 2FA: Add extra security layer
4. Regular Password Rotation: Change credentials periodically
5. Monitor Access Logs: Track API usage

Performance Optimization

1. Use Caching: Implement object and page caching
2. Optimize Database: Regular maintenance and indexing
3. CDN Integration: Offload static assets
4. Rate Limiting: Prevent overload
5. Connection Pooling: Reuse connections

Maintenance Schedule

Regular maintenance tasks:

• Daily: Automated health checks
• Weekly: Performance review
• Monthly: Security audit
• Quarterly: Credential rotation
• Annually: Full system review

Recovery Procedures

Connection Recovery

When connections fail:

Bulk Recovery

For multiple site failures:

1. Identify common pattern
2. Check group settings
3. Verify hosting status
4. Test sample sites
5. Apply fix to all affected

Next Steps

Ensure reliable operations with:

1. Dashboard Overview for monitoring
2. Error Handling Guide for issue resolution
3. Troubleshooting Guide for complex issues

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Having connection issues? Our support team is available 24/7 to help diagnose and resolve any problems.