Plugin installation troubleshooting

If the PowerSEC plugin won't install or activate, this guide walks through common causes.

"The link you followed has expired"

Your server's PHP upload_max_filesize or post_max_size is smaller than the plugin ZIP.

Fix:

1. SSH into your server
2. Edit php.ini (location varies; php --ini shows you)
3. Set upload_max_filesize = 16M and post_max_size = 16M
4. Restart PHP-FPM / Apache
5. Retry plugin upload

If you can't edit php.ini, ask your host to increase these values, or install via WP-CLI:

wp plugin install powersec.zip --activate

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

WordPress nonce expired during a long upload. Just try again — should work the second time.

"Plugin could not be activated because it triggered a fatal error"

PHP version mismatch. Check:

1. WP admin → Tools → Site Health → Info → Server
2. Confirm PHP version is 7.4 or later
3. If <7.4, upgrade PHP via your host's control panel

If PHP 7.4+ but error persists, check error log:

tail -50 /path/to/wp-content/debug.log

Common errors:

• Missing PHP extension (mbstring, curl, openssl) — install via your host
• Memory limit too low — set define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M') in wp-config.php
• Conflicting plugin (rare) — temporarily disable other plugins to isolate

"Cannot connect to powersec.io"

Plugin can't reach our servers. Causes:

1. Outbound HTTPS blocked — your host's firewall blocks outbound connections
   • Whitelist *.powersec.io and api.powersec.io in your host firewall
2. DNS issue — server can't resolve powersec.io
   • Test: curl -v https://powersec.io/api/health from server
3. TLS cert verification failure — outdated CA bundle
   • Update OS package ca-certificates
4. Proxy required — your host requires HTTP proxy for outbound
   • Set define('WP_HTTP_PROXY', 'proxy.host') in wp-config.php

"Database error: table 'powersec_*' doesn't exist"

Plugin install didn't complete database setup. Fix:

1. Deactivate plugin
2. Reactivate plugin → it re-runs the installer
3. If still failing, check your DB user has CREATE TABLE permission

Plugin missing from menu

Plugin installed but menu doesn't appear:

1. Hard-refresh your browser (Ctrl+Shift+R / Cmd+Shift+R)
2. Check plugin is Active at /wp-admin/plugins.php
3. Check user has manage_options capability (administrator role)
4. Check no security plugin (e.g., Wordfence) is hiding it

Still stuck?

Open a support ticket with:

• Your WordPress version (Tools → Site Health → Info)
• PHP version
• Plugin version you're trying to install
• Error message (exact text or screenshot)
• Last 50 lines of wp-content/debug.log

We typically respond within 4 business hours (Pro) or 24 hours (Free).