Verify your WordPress connection
Once you've installed the WP Assist WordPress plugin and pasted your API key into Settings → WP Assist, your WordPress site should appear as connected in the WP Assist dashboard. This guide explains how to confirm the connection is working and what to do if it isn't.
What a successful connection looks like
In your WP Assist dashboard, navigate to your site. If everything is set up correctly, you'll see a Connected status indicator. This means WP Assist can communicate with your WordPress site and you're ready to start using the chat.
If your site shows as not connected
Work through these checks in order:
- Check the plugin is activated. In WordPress admin, go to Plugins and confirm the WP Assist plugin shows as Active.
- Check the API key is correct. Go to Settings → WP Assist in your WordPress admin and make sure the API key is pasted correctly with no extra spaces before or after it.
- Check your site URL. Make sure the URL you entered in WP Assist matches your WordPress site address exactly — including
https://vshttp://. - Check your site is publicly accessible. If your WordPress site is under maintenance mode, in a staging environment with restricted access, or behind a login wall, the connection may fail.
- Try clicking "Verify connection" in your WP Assist dashboard to trigger a fresh check.
Security plugins: Some WordPress security plugins (such as Wordfence or iThemes Security) can block REST API requests. If your connection keeps failing, check your security plugin settings and whitelist the WP Assist REST API endpoints.
Still having trouble?
If you've worked through the steps above and the connection still isn't working, visit the troubleshooting guide or get in touch — we're happy to help.