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Installation Guide

VideoHub360 Installation Guide

Overview

VideoHub360 is a WordPress-based platform package built around the VideoHub360 theme and its bundled plugins. Together, they provide a video/content layer, community features, frontend user experiences, optional PWA/app functionality, and demo import support.

This guide walks you through installing the VideoHub360 theme, activating the required plugins, importing a starter demo site, and confirming that the main platform features are working correctly.

1. Before You Begin

Before installing VideoHub360, make sure you have:

  • A working WordPress installation.
  • Administrator access to your WordPress dashboard.
  • A copy of the VideoHub360 theme ZIP file.
  • A valid VideoHub360 license key, if your package requires licensing for updates or premium features.
  • PHP, WordPress, and server settings that meet modern WordPress theme/plugin requirements.

Recommended environment:

  • Latest stable WordPress version.
  • PHP 8.0 or newer.
  • HTTPS enabled.
  • Pretty permalinks enabled.
  • Sufficient upload limits for theme, plugin, and demo package ZIP files.

Recommended WordPress setting:

  1. Go to Settings → Permalinks.
  2. Select Post name.
  3. Click Save Changes.

2. Install the VideoHub360 Theme

  1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
  2. Go to Appearance → Themes.
  3. Click Add New.
  4. Click Upload Theme.
  5. Choose the VideoHub360 theme ZIP file.
  6. Click Install Now.
  7. After installation completes, click Activate.

After activation, WordPress may display notices asking you to install or activate required/recommended plugins. This is expected.

3. Install and Activate Required Plugins

After activating the theme, install the plugins recommended by VideoHub360.

Typical bundled plugins may include:

  • VideoHub360 Core — provides the main platform functionality, including custom video/content types, widgets, AJAX features, frontend tools, licensing integrations, and Elementor-related features.
  • VideoHub360 Community — supports community engagement features such as comment likes, share tracking, and related activity data.
  • VH360 PWA & App — adds progressive web app functionality, including manifest support, service worker support, offline fallback behavior, install prompt support, and optional push/app features.
  • VideoHub360 Starter Sites — powers the one-click starter/demo import system, if included in your package.
  • WooCommerce — required if you are using VideoHub360 paid memberships, checkout, products, or billing-related features.
  • VideoHub360 Memberships — required if your package includes the paid membership system.
  • Elementor — recommended for editing many demo layouts and theme pages.
  • Contact Form 7 — recommended if the imported demo content uses contact forms.

To install plugins:

  1. Go to Appearance → Install Plugins or follow the admin notice shown after theme activation.
  2. Select the required/recommended plugins.
  3. Choose Install from the bulk actions dropdown.
  4. Click Apply.
  5. After installation, select the plugins again.
  6. Choose Activate.
  7. Click Apply.

If a plugin is bundled with the theme, VideoHub360 should install it from the included plugin ZIP. If a plugin comes from WordPress.org, WordPress will download it from the official plugin repository.

4. Enter Your License Key

If your VideoHub360 package uses license activation:

  1. Go to the VideoHub360 license/settings area in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Enter your license key.
  3. Save or activate the license.
  4. Confirm that the license status shows as active.

Your license may be used for:

  • Theme/plugin updates.
  • Access to premium features.
  • Support eligibility.
  • Download/update validation.
  • Optional locked functionality inside bundled plugins.

If your license does not activate, confirm:

  • The license key was copied correctly.
  • The license is not expired or revoked.
  • The site URL is allowed for the license.
  • Your server can make outbound API requests.

5. Import a Starter Site Demo

If your package includes the VideoHub360 Starter Sites importer, you can import a complete demo site.

Important Before Importing

A demo import may create or modify:

  • Pages.
  • Posts.
  • Menus.
  • Widgets.
  • Elementor templates/settings.
  • Theme options.
  • Customizer settings.
  • Homepage and blog page assignments.
  • Demo media/content.

For best results, import starter sites on a clean WordPress installation.

Import Steps

  1. Go to VH360 Theme → Starter Sites or the Starter Sites area provided by your installation.
  2. Wait for the demo registry to load.
  3. Choose the demo you want to install.
  4. Click the import button.
  5. Allow the importer to complete each step:
  • Validate demo manifest.
  • Download demo files.
  • Install/activate required plugins.
  • Import WordPress content.
  • Import widgets.
  • Import Elementor kit/settings.
  • Import theme options.
  • Import Customizer settings.
  • Run post-import setup.
  1. When the import completes, visit the frontend of your site to confirm the demo loaded correctly.

Starter Site Demo Package Structure

A typical demo package may include:

  • manifest.json
  • content.xml
  • widgets.wie
  • elementor-kit.zip
  • theme-options.json
  • customizer.json
  • Preview image or screenshot files

The customizer.json file is important because WordPress theme options and Customizer settings are separate. Some demo appearance settings, such as container width or search bar visibility, may come from Customizer values rather than regular theme options.

6. Configure Core Theme Settings

After installation, review the VideoHub360 theme settings.

Go to:

VH360 Theme → Settings

Depending on your package version, available settings may include:

  • General theme settings.
  • Header settings.
  • Sidebar settings.
  • Mobile navigation settings.
  • Activity feed settings.
  • Profile/channel settings.
  • Authentication page settings.
  • Membership-related display settings.
  • Import/export tools.
  • Cache clearing tools.
  • Notification maintenance tools.

Also review:

Appearance → Customize

Customizer settings may control layout, colors, search display, activity feed sidebar behavior, and other frontend display options.

7. Configure the Activity Feed

VideoHub360 includes a community activity feed system.

To configure it:

  1. Go to the VideoHub360 activity settings area in your dashboard.
  2. Confirm activity tracking is enabled if you want community activity recorded.
  3. Review tracked activity types.
  4. Configure retention days and per-page display counts.
  5. Assign or create the Activity Feed page if needed.

The theme includes a dedicated activity feed template and activity utilities for displaying and counting activity items.

8. Configure the Activity Feed Ad Slot

VideoHub360 includes an optional Activity Feed right sidebar ad slot.

To enable it:

  1. Go to Appearance → Customize.
  2. Find the Activity Sidebar or Activity Feed sidebar controls.
  3. Enable the Activity Feed ad space option.
  4. Publish your Customizer changes.
  5. Go to Appearance → Widgets.
  6. Add a widget to Activity Feed Ad Slot.

Recommended ad creative sizes:

  • 300 × 250
  • 300 × 600

You can use a Custom HTML widget, shortcode widget, or ad plugin widget, depending on your setup.

If the ad slot is enabled but empty, administrators may see a placeholder reminding them to add an ad widget. Regular visitors should not see the admin-only placeholder.

9. Configure Menus

After importing a demo or installing the theme, review your menus.

Go to:

Appearance → Menus

Common menus may include:

  • Primary menu.
  • Community menu.
  • Mobile bottom navigation menu.
  • Dashboard menu.
  • User/account menu.
  • Footer menu.

Recommended steps:

  1. Open each imported menu.
  2. Confirm menu items point to the correct pages on your site.
  3. Remove any duplicate demo menu items.
  4. Assign menus to the correct theme locations.
  5. Save changes.

If you imported a demo, also check for custom links that may still point to a demo domain. Replace those URLs with your own site URLs.

10. Configure Required Pages

VideoHub360 may require several pages for the best frontend experience.

Common pages include:

  • Home.
  • Blog or Posts page.
  • Activity Feed.
  • Members Directory.
  • Frontend Dashboard.
  • Login.
  • Register.
  • Forgot Password / Reset Password.
  • Membership / Pricing page.
  • Account page.
  • Contact or Support page.

After installation:

  1. Go to Pages → All Pages.
  2. Confirm the required pages exist.
  3. Assign templates where needed.
  4. Confirm shortcodes are present where required.
  5. Go to Settings → Reading.
  6. Confirm the correct homepage and posts page are selected.

11. Configure WooCommerce and Memberships

If your VideoHub360 installation uses paid memberships, configure WooCommerce first.

WooCommerce Setup

  1. Go to WooCommerce → Settings.
  2. Configure store address, currency, taxes, checkout, and payment methods.
  3. Create or review the WooCommerce products used for membership plans.
  4. Confirm checkout and account pages are assigned correctly.

VideoHub360 Membership Setup

  1. Go to VH360 Theme → Paid Membership or the membership settings area used by your package.
  2. Enable the membership system if you want gated access.
  3. Configure available plans.
  4. Map plans to WooCommerce products or Stripe Price IDs, depending on your implementation.
  5. Configure display names, prices, descriptions, and plan features.
  6. Choose which platform features require membership.
  7. Configure locked-content messages and pricing page links.
  8. Save settings.

Recommended testing:

  • View the pricing/membership page while logged out.
  • View it as a logged-in user without a membership.
  • Purchase or manually assign a test membership.
  • Confirm gated areas unlock correctly.
  • Confirm expired or inactive users are blocked correctly.

12. Configure VideoHub360 Core Features

Depending on your package and enabled plugins, review the core VideoHub360 plugin settings.

Common areas may include:

  • Video/content post types.
  • Elementor widgets.
  • Frontend submission or dashboard tools.
  • Chat features.
  • Video quality tools.
  • Related content tools.
  • Shortcode builder.
  • Import/export settings.
  • License-gated features.

Recommended steps:

  1. Confirm the VideoHub360 Core plugin is active.
  2. Review its settings pages.
  3. Create sample content.
  4. Confirm archive pages and single content pages display correctly.
  5. Test frontend dashboard actions that your site will allow users to perform.

13. Configure Community Features

VideoHub360 includes community-style features, depending on the active plugins and theme settings.

Common features include:

  • Activity feed.
  • Member profiles.
  • Follow system.
  • “Who to Follow” recommendations.
  • Notifications.
  • Direct messages.
  • Comment likes.
  • Share tracking.

Recommended checks:

  1. Create at least two test users.
  2. Log in as User A and follow User B.
  3. Confirm follow buttons work.
  4. Confirm notifications are created where expected.
  5. Test direct messages if enabled.
  6. Like or interact with content.
  7. Confirm activity feed items appear correctly.

14. Configure PWA/App Features

If the VH360 PWA & App plugin is active, review the app settings.

Common PWA features include:

  • Web app manifest.
  • Service worker.
  • Offline fallback page.
  • Install prompt behavior.
  • App icons.
  • Optional push notification integrations.
  • App packaging/readiness tools.

Recommended steps:

  1. Go to the PWA/App settings area.
  2. Configure app name, short name, theme color, icons, and start URL.
  3. Confirm your site uses HTTPS.
  4. Save settings.
  5. Test the site in a supported browser.
  6. Confirm install prompt behavior if enabled.
  7. Test offline fallback behavior if configured.

15. Flush Permalinks and Clear Caches

After installation and demo import, flush permalinks:

  1. Go to Settings → Permalinks.
  2. Click Save Changes without changing anything.

Then clear any active caches:

  • WordPress caching plugin cache.
  • Server cache.
  • CDN cache.
  • Browser cache.
  • Theme/plugin cache tools, if available.

This helps prevent old URLs, scripts, styles, or template states from being displayed after setup.

16. Post-Installation Checklist

Use this checklist before launching your site.

Theme and Plugins

  • [ ] VideoHub360 theme is installed and active.
  • [ ] Required plugins are installed and active.
  • [ ] License key is activated, if required.
  • [ ] WordPress permalinks are set to Post name.
  • [ ] Demo import completed successfully, if used.

Pages and Menus

  • [ ] Homepage is assigned correctly.
  • [ ] Blog/posts page is assigned correctly, if used.
  • [ ] Activity Feed page exists.
  • [ ] Members Directory page exists.
  • [ ] Dashboard page exists.
  • [ ] Login/Register pages exist if using custom auth templates.
  • [ ] Menus are assigned to the correct theme locations.
  • [ ] Demo-domain links have been replaced.

Community

  • [ ] Activity feed displays correctly.
  • [ ] Follow buttons work.
  • [ ] Notifications work.
  • [ ] Direct messages work, if enabled.
  • [ ] Member profiles display correctly.

Memberships and WooCommerce

  • [ ] WooCommerce checkout works.
  • [ ] Membership products are configured.
  • [ ] Membership plans display correctly.
  • [ ] Gated content works for logged-out users.
  • [ ] Gated content works for logged-in non-members.
  • [ ] Active members can access protected features.
  • [ ] Expired/inactive users are blocked correctly.

PWA/App

  • [ ] Manifest loads correctly.
  • [ ] Icons are configured.
  • [ ] Service worker works, if enabled.
  • [ ] Offline fallback works, if enabled.
  • [ ] Install prompt behavior is acceptable.

Final Testing

  • [ ] Test on desktop.
  • [ ] Test on tablet.
  • [ ] Test on mobile.
  • [ ] Test as administrator.
  • [ ] Test as subscriber/customer.
  • [ ] Test as logged-out visitor.
  • [ ] Clear cache and retest.

17. Troubleshooting

Theme installs but plugins are missing

Confirm that the theme package includes the expected bundled plugin ZIP files. If plugins are installed from the WordPress repository, confirm your server can connect to WordPress.org.

Required plugin notice does not go away

Confirm the plugin is both installed and activated. Also confirm the plugin folder name and main plugin file match what the theme expects.

Starter Site registry does not load

Check that the registry URL is correct and publicly accessible. The registry should return valid JSON and include a demos array.

Demo import fails because files cannot download

Confirm the demo manifest includes a valid base_url and that each file entry uses the correct format.

Demo imports but layout does not match preview

Check whether customizer.json was imported. Some visual settings are stored as Customizer theme mods, not regular theme options.

Elementor pages look broken

Confirm Elementor is installed and active. Then regenerate Elementor CSS:

  1. Go to Elementor → Tools.
  2. Click Regenerate Files & Data.
  3. Clear cache.
  4. Refresh the page.

Pages return 404 errors

Flush permalinks:

  1. Go to Settings → Permalinks.
  2. Click Save Changes.

Activity feed ad slot does not show

Confirm:

  • The Customizer setting is enabled.
  • A widget exists in Appearance → Widgets → Activity Feed Ad Slot.
  • You are viewing the Activity Feed page/template.
  • Cache has been cleared.

Membership content still appears locked after purchase

Confirm:

  • The order completed successfully.
  • The membership record was created or updated.
  • The user is logged into the correct account.
  • The plan/product mapping is correct.
  • The membership has not expired.
  • Any Stripe or WooCommerce webhook settings are configured correctly, if used.

18. Recommended Launch Flow

For a clean public launch:

  1. Install WordPress on the final domain.
  2. Install and activate the VideoHub360 theme.
  3. Install and activate required plugins.
  4. Activate the license.
  5. Import the desired starter site.
  6. Review all pages, menus, widgets, and settings.
  7. Configure WooCommerce and memberships, if used.
  8. Configure community, dashboard, and activity settings.
  9. Configure PWA/app settings, if used.
  10. Replace demo content with your real content.
  11. Test all core flows.
  12. Clear all caches.
  13. Launch.

19. Support Preparation

Before contacting support, gather:

  • Your WordPress version.
  • Your PHP version.
  • Your VideoHub360 theme version.
  • Your active VideoHub360 plugin versions.
  • Your license status.
  • A screenshot of the issue.
  • Any error messages shown on screen.
  • Relevant logs from WordPress debug log or the importer log.
  • Steps to reproduce the issue.

This makes troubleshooting faster and more accurate.

20. Summary

After installation, VideoHub360 should provide a complete WordPress-based video and community platform with optional memberships, demo imports, frontend dashboard features, activity feed tools, direct messaging, notifications, and PWA/app functionality.

The recommended setup path is:

  1. Install and activate the theme.
  2. Install and activate required plugins.
  3. Activate the license.
  4. Import a starter site if desired.
  5. Configure theme, community, membership, and PWA settings.
  6. Review pages and menus.
  7. Test all user flows before launch.