Troubleshooting

This guide covers the most common issues you might encounter with WPsigner and provides step-by-step solutions.

Quick Diagnostics

Before troubleshooting specific issues, check the System Status:

1. Go to WPsigner → More → System Status
2. Review all health checks
3. Address any items marked with ⚠️ or ❌

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Installation Issues

”Plugin could not be activated”

Symptoms:

• Error message on activation
• White screen after activation
• Plugin immediately deactivates

Causes & Solutions:

Cause	Solution
PHP version too low	Upgrade to PHP 7.4 or higher
Missing OpenSSL	Enable OpenSSL extension
Memory limit	Increase to 128MB minimum
Plugin conflict	Deactivate other plugins to identify conflict

How to check PHP version:

php -v

How to enable debug mode: Add to wp-config.php:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

Then check /wp-content/debug.log for specific errors.

”Upload failed - file size exceeds limit”

Symptoms:

• Cannot upload plugin zip file
• Error during upload process

Solutions:

1. Increase PHP upload limits in php.ini:

upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M
max_execution_time = 300

2. Or use FTP upload method:
   • Extract the zip file locally
   • Upload via FTP to /wp-content/plugins/
   • Activate in WordPress admin

Fatal error on activation

Full error message check:

1. Enable debug mode (see above)
2. Try activating again
3. Check /wp-content/debug.log
4. Search for the specific error

Common fatal errors:

Error	Solution
Cannot redeclare function	Plugin conflict - identify and deactivate
Class not found	Missing dependency - reinstall plugin
Memory exhausted	Increase WP_MEMORY_LIMIT

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Form integrations (Fluent Forms / WPForms)

OTP says verified, but submit fails

Symptoms:

• OTP modal shows Identity verified
• Form then shows “Please verify your identity…” (or similar)
• No signed document is created

Solution:

1. Update WPsigner to 3.1.1+
2. Hard-refresh the form page (Ctrl+F5 / Cmd+Shift+R)
3. Submit again and complete OTP once

This mainly affects content signing forms with many fields + OTP. See Fluent Forms, Formidable Forms, and WPForms.

Fluent Forms CC did not receive the signed PDF

1. Update to WPsigner 3.2.8+.
2. In the feed, set CC email field to the form’s Email/CC field (do not paste {inputs...} into Additional CC emails).
3. Submit a test and confirm that field contains a real email.

See Fluent Forms → CC emails.

E2Pdf dropdown is missing on the Formidable feed

E2Pdf is a separate plugin. Install and activate it. WPsigner does not bundle it, and there is no E2Pdf card in Integrations. Guide: E2Pdf.

If the dropdown is there but your template is not, the template must use extension = Formidable. WPsigner lists created templates even when they are not yet license-activated in E2Pdf (those rows show not activated in E2Pdf). Trashed templates stay hidden.

Formidable + E2Pdf created no document

1. Update to WPsigner 3.2.12+.
2. Confirm the E2Pdf template uses extension = Formidable and item = that form.
3. Map Name + Email on the feed. Do not add the WPsigner Signing field on an E2Pdf form.
4. Check wp-content/debug.log for [inSigner FormidableE2Pdf].

Formidable says “Your entry appears to be blocked spam!” {#formidable-blocked-spam}

That text is from Formidable, not WPsigner. Formidable was scanning the signature PNG (a large base64 string) against its denylist and WordPress Disallowed Comment Keys.

1. Update to WPsigner 3.2.12+ (the signing field is skipped, like Formidable’s native Signature field).
2. Name, email, and message are still checked.
3. If it continues after the update, check Formidable → Global Settings → Spam, or another anti-spam plugin (CleanTalk, Akismet).

Formidable WPsigner Signing field looks like a text box

Formidable 6 was converting the custom type to text. 3.2.12+ registers a real field type so the pad stays Draw / Type / Upload. Hard-refresh the form after updating.

No Download Signed PDF after Formidable content signing

The button is added to Formidable’s Show message confirmation. If the form redirects to another URL, add {inSigner:download_button} there or in the notification email. Guide: Formidable Forms — Download.

WooCommerce lists WPsigner as incompatible

WPsigner declares HPOS and Cart/Checkout Blocks. If you just hit a fatal and recovery mode was on, WooCommerce did not see that declaration.

1. Update to 3.2.12+ (declaration runs even in recovery mode).
2. Click re-enable the plugin if the recovery notice is still there.
3. On Plugins, switch the filter from Incompatible with WooCommerce features to All.

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Access codes

The signer cannot request the code

Request access code only appears for a random code sent after 3.2.8, and only to the email or phone already on that signer. A code you typed (SSN last-4, date of birth) cannot be resent from the signing page. Share it separately, or the signer enters the secret they already know.

The access-code page does not mention SSN / date of birth

On Review, choose I’ll set the access code and fill Signer prompt (or use a preset). The prompt is not shown for a random PIN.

See Access codes.

Cannot save a content-signing feed

Symptoms:

• Feed Name and Form are filled
• Save shows “Please fill in Feed Name and Form”
• You are not using a PDF template (inline Signing field)

Solution: Update to 3.1.1+. Content-signing feeds do not require a template — only Feed Name and Form.

Wrong signer name on the document

Map a real Name / Names field. Do not map a field labeled only Username.

Field labels missing in feed mapping

In the PDF editor, double-click each field and set a Field name. Details: Form fields.

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Email Issues

Emails not sending

This is the most common issue. Emails may not send for several reasons.

Step 1: Verify email configuration

1. Go to WPsigner → Settings → Email Settings
2. Verify “From Name” and “From Email” are set
3. Ensure email address is valid

Step 2: Send a test email

1. Go to WPsigner → More → Email Templates
2. Click Send Test
3. Enter your email address
4. Check if received

Step 3: Configure SMTP

WordPress’s default wp_mail() function often fails. Install an SMTP plugin:

Plugin	Recommendation
WP Mail SMTP	Most popular, easy setup
FluentSMTP	Free, full-featured
Post SMTP	Good logging

Step 4: Check SMTP logs

Most SMTP plugins have logging. Check for:

• Connection errors
• Authentication failures
• Rejected recipients

Emails going to spam

Causes:

• No SPF/DKIM records
• Using @gmail.com as sender
• Poor sender reputation
• Missing authentication

Solutions:

1. Use your own domain for “From Email” (not @gmail.com)

2. Set up email authentication:

   • Add SPF record to DNS
   • Configure DKIM signing
   • Set up DMARC policy

3. Check content:

   • Avoid spam trigger words
   • Don’t use all caps
   • Include clear unsubscribe option (if applicable)

Signer claims they didn’t receive email

Checklist:

1. ✅ Verify email address is correct (check for typos)
2. ✅ Check spam/junk folder
3. ✅ Check “Promotions” tab (Gmail)
4. ✅ Ask if email was blocked by corporate filter
5. ✅ Use Resend option in document actions
6. ✅ Review SMTP logs for delivery status

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Document Issues

Vietnamese or accented characters missing on the signed PDF

Symptoms:

• Names look fine on the signing page but the downloaded PDF shows boxes, ?, or missing marks
• Certificate of Completion drops ă, ơ, ư, đ, or similar

Solution:

1. Go to WPsigner → Languages
2. Open Signed PDF fonts
3. Install Accented Latin (Vietnamese and other Latin languages with accents)
4. Click Use for signed PDFs
5. Send a new test document — already flattened PDFs are not rewritten

For Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hebrew, or Thai, install that pack instead. Guide: Signed PDF fonts.

Require WordPress login will not stay checked

The signer email is not a WordPress user, or the document has an active public campaign. Create the user first, pause the campaign, or leave the option off. Guide: WordPress login.

PDF generation failed

Symptoms:

• Error when finalizing document
• Certificate of Completion not appending
• Blank or corrupted PDF output

Required extensions:

Extension	Purpose	Check Command
GD	Image processing	`php -m
Imagick	Advanced image/PDF	`php -m
mbstring	String handling	`php -m

Solutions:

1. Enable GD extension:

   # Ubuntu/Debian
   sudo apt-get install php-gd
   sudo service apache2 restart

2. Check file permissions:

   # The uploads directory must be writable
   chmod 755 wp-content/uploads
   chmod 755 wp-content/uploads/wpsigner

3. Increase memory limit: Add to wp-config.php:

   define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

Document upload fails

Common causes:

Issue	Solution
File too large	Increase upload_max_filesize
Wrong format	Use PDF, PNG, or JPG only
Timeout	Increase max_execution_time
Permissions	Check /wp-content/uploads/ is writable

Check upload limits:

1. Go to WPsigner → More → System Status
2. Review “Upload Size” value
3. Increase if needed in php.ini

Document appears blank or corrupted

Possible causes:

• PDF was created with unsupported features
• PDF is password-protected
• File was corrupted during upload

Solutions:

1. Try re-uploading the document
2. Use a simpler PDF (avoid complex layers/fonts)
3. Convert to PDF/A format
4. Remove password protection before uploading

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Signing Issues

Signing page not loading

Symptoms:

• White screen when signer clicks link
• 404 error on signing page
• Redirect loop

Solutions:

1. Flush permalinks:

   • Go to Settings → Permalinks
   • Click Save Changes (without changing anything)

2. Check permalink structure:

   • WPsigner requires “pretty” permalinks
   • Select any option except “Plain”

3. Check for conflicts:

   • Disable caching plugins temporarily
   • Try a default theme
   • Deactivate security plugins for testing

Signature pad not working

Symptoms:

• Cannot draw on signature pad
• Signature not appearing
• Pad is unresponsive

Causes & Solutions:

Cause	Solution
JavaScript error	Check browser console for errors
Cache	Clear browser cache, disable caching plugin
Plugin conflict	Test in incognito mode
Touch issues	Update browser, try different device

Browser compatibility:

• Chrome 80+ ✅
• Firefox 75+ ✅
• Safari 13+ ✅
• Edge 80+ ✅
• Internet Explorer ❌ (not supported)

“Access denied” or “Invalid link”

Causes:

• Link has expired
• Document was voided
• Link was already used (for single-use links)
• Wrong link/typo

Solutions:

1. Check document status (expired? voided?)
2. Use Resend to generate fresh email
3. Verify the complete URL was clicked

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Digital Signature Issues

”Certificate not found” error

Symptoms:

• Error when signing document
• Digital signature not applying
• Adobe shows “Signature is invalid”

Solutions:

1. Configure Digital ID:

   • Go to WPsigner → More → Digital ID
   • Generate or upload a certificate
   • Verify it shows as “Active”

2. Certificate expired:

   • Check certificate validity dates
   • Generate new or upload renewed certificate

Adobe shows “Unknown Signer”

This is expected for self-signed certificates.

For self-signed certificates, recipients must manually trust:

1. Click on the signature in Adobe
2. Click “Validate Signature”
3. Choose “Trust this certificate”

For globally trusted signatures: Purchase a certificate from an AATL member (DigiCert, GlobalSign, etc.)

Timestamp not appearing

Causes:

• TSA not enabled
• TSA server unreachable
• Firewall blocking requests

Solutions:

1. Enable TSA:

   • Go to WPsigner → Settings → Legal & Privacy
   • Check “Enable certified timestamp (TSA)”
   • Save settings

2. Test TSA connection:

   curl -I https://freetsa.org/tsr

3. Try different TSA:

   • FreeTSA.org
   • DigiCert timestamp server
   • Sectigo timestamp server

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Performance Issues

Plugin is slow

Optimization steps:

1. Enable caching (but configure WPsigner exclusions)

2. Optimize database:

   • Delete old/completed documents you no longer need
   • Use a database optimization plugin

3. Upgrade hosting:

   • Move from shared to VPS
   • Ensure adequate PHP memory

4. CDN for static assets:

   • Won’t help with signing pages
   • Does help general WordPress performance

Signing page loads slowly

Causes:

• Large PDF files
• Slow server
• Multiple large images in document

Solutions:

1. Optimize PDF size before uploading
2. Use compression for images
3. Upgrade hosting resources
4. Move to geographically closer hosting for your signers

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API Issues

API returns 401 Unauthorized

Causes:

• Invalid API key
• Invalid API secret
• Key revoked
• Missing headers

Checklist:

1. Verify API key is active (not revoked)
2. Check both key AND secret are correct
3. Ensure headers are set correctly:

   X-WPS-API-KEY: your_key_here
   X-WPS-API-SECRET: your_secret_here

API returns 403 Forbidden

Causes:

• Key has read-only permissions for write endpoint
• User doesn’t have required WordPress capabilities

Solutions:

1. Check key permissions (read vs read_write)
2. Create new key with appropriate permissions

Rate limit exceeded

Default limits:

• 60 requests per minute per key

Solutions:

1. Implement request throttling in your code
2. Use bulk endpoints where available
3. Cache responses to reduce calls

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WordPress Conflicts

Conflict with caching plugins

Symptoms:

• Signing page shows cached content
• Changes not appearing
• Session issues

Solution - Add exclusions:

Caching Plugin	Exclusion Pattern
WP Rocket	Add /sign/* to never cache URLs
W3 Total Cache	Add to page cache exceptions
LiteSpeed	Add to Do Not Cache URIs
WP Super Cache	Add to rejected pages

Conflict with security plugins

Common conflicts:

• Wordfence blocking signing requests
• iThemes Security blocking API
• Sucuri WAF filtering uploads

Solutions:

1. Whitelist WPsigner paths (/sign/*, /wp-json/wpsigner/*)
2. Add WPsigner to trusted plugins
3. Review security logs for blocks

Theme compatibility issues

Symptoms:

• Signing page has theme elements
• Broken layout on signing page
• Missing styles

Solutions:

1. WPsigner signing pages should be standalone
2. If theme is interfering, check for forced templates
3. Report to support with theme name

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Database Issues

Missing database tables

Symptoms:

• “Table doesn’t exist” errors
• Plugin functions not working
• Data not saving

Solution:

1. Deactivate and reactivate plugin (triggers table creation)

2. If that fails, manually run table creation:

   • Access your database via phpMyAdmin
   • Check if wp_wps_* tables exist
   • If missing, try reinstalling plugin

Data migration issues

When upgrading:

1. Always backup before upgrading
2. Check that database updates run successfully
3. Review changelog for migration notes

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Getting More Help

Information to gather before contacting support

Collect this information for faster resolution:

Information	How to Get It
WordPress version	Dashboard → At a Glance
PHP version	System Status page
WPsigner version	Plugins page
Error messages	Debug log, browser console
Steps to reproduce	Write down exact steps
Screenshots	Capture error screens

Enable debug mode

For detailed error information:

// Add to wp-config.php (before "That's all, stop editing!")
define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

Errors are logged to /wp-content/debug.log

Contact support

If you’ve tried the troubleshooting steps:

1. Visit wpsigner.com/contact
2. Include all gathered information
3. Attach debug logs and screenshots
4. Describe expected vs actual behavior

Mobile app will not pair

The native app needs Pro 3.2.2+ and HTTPS. Full steps: Connect the mobile app.

Symptom	Fix
Generate QR is disabled	Serve the site over HTTPS
Scan does nothing / code expired	QR lasts 5 minutes — generate a new one
Confirmation numbers differ	You scanned a stale QR
REST errors or “Could not connect”	Allow /wp-json/insigner/v1/app* in the firewall / security plugin
Password login fails	Check the WordPress user can use signatures

Android download: Google Play. iOS App Store listing is coming soon.

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Next Steps

• System Requirements - Verify compatibility
• Installation - Reinstallation steps
• FAQ - Common questions
• MainWP Troubleshooting - Dashboard / Clients / Sites contract issues
• Uncanny Automator Troubleshooting - Recipes, tokens, prefill, and messaging