Settings & Configuration - Docs

Overview

Global settings control how HashBar operates across your entire website. Configure analytics tracking, data retention, caching, performance optimizations, and diagnostic features. These settings apply to all announcement bars, popup campaigns, and page builder blocks.

Accessing Settings

Navigate to Settings

Log in to WordPress admin dashboard
Click HashBar in the left sidebar
Click Settings from the submenu
You'll see various setting categories
Click each category to expand settings
Make your changes
Click Save Settings button at bottom

Analytics Settings

Enable/Disable Analytics Tracking

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Analytics	Toggle all analytics tracking on/off	ON
Track Page Views	Record when bars/popups are displayed	ON
Track Clicks	Record when users click CTA buttons	ON
Track Conversions	Record email signups, form submissions, purchases	ON

When to Disable Analytics

Privacy Concerns: If you don't need data, disable to minimize tracking
Performance: Disabling slightly reduces server load (usually negligible)
Compliance: If your privacy policy states no tracking
Testing: Disable while testing to avoid polluting data

Important Note

Privacy Impact: Analytics tracking is local to your site. HashBar does not send visitor data to external servers. All data stays in your WordPress database.

Data Retention Settings

Analytics Data Retention Period

Setting	Description	Options	Default
Retain Data For	How long to keep analytics data before auto-deleting	30/60/90/180/365 days or Forever	90 days
Manual Cleanup	Option to manually delete all analytics data now	Click button to delete	N/A

Retention Period Recommendations

30 Days: Short-term campaigns, minimal storage
60 Days: Monthly reporting, minimal storage
90 Days: Quarterly reporting (recommended for most)
180 Days: Long-term trend analysis, moderate storage
365 Days: Year-over-year comparisons, requires more storage
Forever: Permanent record, maximum storage

Understanding Auto-Deletion

Automatic: Old data is deleted according to your setting
Daily Cleanup: Deletion runs daily for data older than your threshold
Irreversible: Once deleted, data cannot be recovered
Export First: If you need historical data, export as CSV before expiration

Data Retention and Compliance

GDPR: Consider shorter retention for EU visitors (30-90 days recommended)
CCPA: Similar privacy regulations in California
Privacy Policy: Document your retention policy in your privacy policy
User Requests: Have process to delete data upon user request

Cache Settings

Enable/Disable Caching

Setting	Description	Default
Enable HashBar Cache	Cache bar/popup content for faster loading	ON
Cache Duration	How long to cache content (minutes)	30 minutes
Clear Cache Now	Button to manually clear cache immediately	N/A

How Caching Works

Purpose: Store bar/popup data to avoid database queries
Speed: Faster page loads, reduced server load
Updates: Takes up to cache duration time to reflect changes
Manual Clear: Changes apply immediately if you clear cache

Cache Duration Recommendations

5 minutes: Frequently updating bars, minimal performance gain
15 minutes: Good balance for active campaigns
30 minutes: Standard setting (recommended)
60 minutes: Stable campaigns, maximum performance

When to Clear Cache

After publishing a new bar or popup
After editing bar content or settings
When changes don't appear on front-end
During troubleshooting
Before running A/B tests

Cache and External Caching Plugins

WP Super Cache: Compatible, clear both caches
W3 Total Cache: Compatible, clear both caches
WP Fastest Cache: Compatible, may need manual clear
Cloudflare: Compatible, clear Cloudflare cache separately

Performance Optimization Settings

Asset Loading Options

Setting	Description	Impact
Defer JavaScript	Load HashBar JS after page content	Faster page load, small delay showing bars
Async JavaScript	Load JS asynchronously (non-blocking)	Fastest page load, minimal impact
Minify CSS	Compress CSS files for smaller size	Slightly faster, usually enabled automatically
Minify JavaScript	Compress JS files for smaller size	Slightly faster, usually enabled automatically

Performance Optimization Best Practices

Async Loading: Recommended for most sites (default)
Defer Loading: Use if bars should load after content
Test Impact: Monitor page speed with different settings
Minification: Always enable for production sites
CDN: Consider CDN for static assets if high traffic

License Management

License Settings

Setting	Description
License Status	Shows current license type and expiration (if applicable)
License Key	Your license key (for manual activation)
Activate License	Manually activate your license key
Deactivate License	Deactivate license (use before moving site)

License Information

Free Plan: No license key needed, all basic features available
Pro Plan: License key provided upon purchase
Activation: Automatic on plugin activation, manual if needed
Multi-Site: License applies to one site (purchase additional licenses for more sites)

Moving Your Site

When moving to a new domain/host:

Go to Settings
Click Deactivate License
Move your WordPress site
Install HashBar on new site
License will auto-activate, or manually activate with your key

Diagnostic Data Sharing

HashBar Diagnostic Data

Setting	Description	Default
Share Diagnostic Data	Allow HashBar to collect non-sensitive diagnostic info	ON

What Data is Shared

When enabled, HashBar collects:

Included: WordPress version, PHP version, plugin version
Included: Number of bars/popups created (not content)
Included: Active features used (targeting, A/B testing, etc.)
NOT Included: Any visitor data or analytics
NOT Included: Bar/popup content or messages
NOT Included: Your website data

Why Share Diagnostic Data?

Improvement: Helps identify issues and improve HashBar
Compatibility: Ensures compatibility with popular plugins
Security: Helps identify and fix security issues
Support: Speeds up support troubleshooting if you contact us

Privacy

Encrypted: Data transmission is encrypted
Secure: Stored securely and not shared with third parties
Optional: You can disable at any time
No Impact: Disabling has no impact on functionality

Site URL and API Settings

Site Configuration

Setting	Description
Site URL	Your WordPress site URL (auto-populated)
API Endpoint	URL for HashBar API calls (usually auto-configured)
REST API Enabled	Status of WordPress REST API (required for HashBar)

When to Adjust Site URL

Domain Change: If you change your domain
HTTPS Switch: If you add SSL certificate
Subdomain Move: If you move from subdomain to main domain
After Migration: Verify URL is correct after moving sites

Database and Cleanup

Database Management

Action	Description	Impact
Clear All Analytics	Delete all analytics data permanently	Irreversible, frees database space
Reset to Defaults	Reset all settings to factory defaults	Keep bars/popups, reset configuration only
Uninstall Plugin	Remove HashBar completely (from plugins page)	Deletes all HashBar data, irreversible

Before Clearing Data

Export Data: Export analytics as CSV first if you need it
Backup: Create database backup before major cleanup
Archive: Take screenshots if you need records
Confirm: Double-check before irreversible actions

Advanced Settings

Debug Mode

Setting	Purpose
Enable Debug Mode	Output detailed logs for troubleshooting (not for production)
Log Level	Choose what to log (Info, Warning, Error)
View Logs	See debug logs in WordPress debug log file

When to Use Debug Mode

Troubleshooting integration issues
Testing new configurations
Reporting bugs to support
Important: Disable on production sites after troubleshooting

Custom CSS/JavaScript Injection

Custom CSS: Add custom styling to all bars/popups (advanced)
Custom JS: Add custom JavaScript for advanced interactions (advanced)
Use Carefully: Can break functionality if not done correctly
Test First: Test thoroughly before applying site-wide

Settings Checklist

Initial Setup

☐ Review and accept analytics tracking (or disable if preferred)
☐ Set data retention period (recommend 90 days)
☐ Enable caching (recommended for performance)
☐ Configure performance settings (async loading recommended)
☐ Verify site URL is correct
☐ Decide on diagnostic data sharing (optional)

Ongoing Management

☐ Monitor analytics data size
☐ Clear cache when making significant changes
☐ Review license status periodically (if Pro)
☐ Backup database regularly
☐ Update HashBar when new versions available

Troubleshooting Settings Issues

Settings Won't Save

Check if you have admin permissions
Verify nonces/security tokens are valid (refresh page)
Clear browser cache and try again
Check PHP memory limit is sufficient

Changes Not Taking Effect

Clear HashBar cache manually
Clear browser cache
Clear any external caching plugin cache
Wait for cache duration to expire

Performance Issues After Changing Settings

Revert recent setting changes
Check if async/defer settings are causing issues
Disable debug mode if enabled
Review other plugins for conflicts