Installation Guide

Introduction

This guide will walk you through the complete installation process for Customer History for WooCommerce. Whether you’re installing for the first time or upgrading from a previous version, this documentation covers everything you need to know.

The plugin is designed to be lightweight and easy to install, with no complex configuration required to get started. You’ll be tracking customer behavior within minutes of installation.

System Requirements

Before installing Customer History for WooCommerce, ensure your server meets these minimum requirements:

• WordPress: Version 4.0 or higher (5.8+ recommended)
• WooCommerce: Version 6.0 or higher (active and configured)
• PHP: Version 7.4 or higher (8.0+ recommended)
• MySQL: Version 5.6 or higher
• Memory Limit: 128MB minimum (256MB recommended)

Installation Methods

There are three ways to install Customer History for WooCommerce. Choose the method that works best for you.

Method 1: Via WordPress Dashboard (Recommended)

This is the easiest and recommended method for most users.

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Navigate to Plugins → Add New
3. Search for “Customer History for WooCommerce” or “PureDevs Customer History” in the search bar
4. Locate the plugin by PureDevs in the search results
5. Click Install Now on the plugin card
6. Wait for the installation to complete (usually 10-30 seconds)
7. Click Activate to enable the plugin

Method 2: Via Upload

Use this method if you’ve downloaded the plugin ZIP file from WordPress.org or purchased a premium version.

1. Download the plugin ZIP file to your computer from WordPress.org
2. Go to Plugins → Add New in your WordPress dashboard
3. Click the Upload Plugin button at the top of the page
4. Click Choose File and select the downloaded ZIP file
5. Click Install Now
6. After installation completes, click Activate Plugin

Method 3: Via FTP (Advanced)

For advanced users who prefer manual installation via FTP.

1. Download the plugin ZIP file from WordPress.org
2. Extract the ZIP file to your computer
3. Connect to your server using an FTP client (like FileZilla, Cyberduck, or WinSCP)
4. Navigate to /wp-content/plugins/ directory on your server
5. Upload the extracted puredevs-customer-history-for-woocommerce folder to this directory
6. Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins in WordPress admin
7. Find “Customer History for WooCommerce” and click Activate

Plugin Activation

After installation, the plugin needs to be activated to start working. Here’s what happens during activation:

• Database tables are created for storing customer tracking data
• Default settings are initialized with recommended values
• WooCommerce hooks are registered for automatic tracking
• Customer tracking begins automatically for all site visitors
• A new admin menu item is added to your WordPress dashboard

The activation process typically takes just a few seconds. The plugin creates the following database tables:

• wp_pd_woo_customer_history_sessions – Stores browsing session data

Verifying Installation

To confirm the plugin is working correctly:

1. Check for the Customer History menu in your WordPress admin sidebar
2. Navigate to Customer History → Dashboard
3. You should see the main dashboard interface (may be empty initially)
4. Go to Customer History → Settings
5. Verify that settings are accessible and show default values
6. Browse your store as a guest (in incognito/private mode)
7. Return to Customer History → Sessions to see your session recorded

Troubleshooting Installation Issues

Plugin won’t activate

Possible causes and solutions:

• WooCommerce not installed: Install and activate WooCommerce first
• PHP version too old: Upgrade to PHP 7.4 or higher via your hosting control panel
• Memory limit too low: Increase WordPress memory limit in wp-config.php:

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

• Plugin conflict: Temporarily disable other plugins, activate Customer History, then reactivate others one by one

Database errors during activation

Possible causes and solutions:

• Insufficient permissions: Ensure your database user has CREATE TABLE permissions
• Database storage full: Contact your hosting provider to increase database storage
• Corrupted installation: Delete the plugin and reinstall from scratch

White screen after activation

This indicates a critical error. Try these solutions:

1. Access your site via FTP or hosting file manager
2. Navigate to /wp-content/plugins/
3. Rename the puredevs-customer-history-for-woocommerce folder to something like puredevs-customer-history-DISABLED
4. Your site should load again
5. Check your error logs in /wp-content/debug.log (enable WP_DEBUG if needed)
6. Contact support with the error message

Menu item not appearing

Solutions:

• Clear browser cache and hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)
• Check that you’re logged in as an Administrator
• Deactivate and reactivate the plugin
• Check for JavaScript errors in browser console (F12)

Next Steps

Now that Customer History for WooCommerce is installed, here’s what to do next:

Immediate Actions (Do Now)

1. Complete First Time Setup – Configure basic settings
2. Review General Settings – Adjust tracking preferences
3. Browse your store to generate test data

Learn the Features (This Week)

• Customer Tracking – Understand what data is collected
• Analytics Dashboard – Explore reporting features
• Search Analytics – Monitor customer searches

Advanced Configuration (Optional)

• Email Communication – Set up customer emails
• Customer Categories – Configure tier system
• Weekly Reports – Enable automated reporting
• Upgrade to Premium – Unlock advanced features