Installation Guide – Smart Directory Pro

Pre-Installation Checklist

System Requirements

  • WordPress 5.0+ (Latest version recommended)
  • PHP 7.4+ (PHP 8.0+ recommended)
  • MySQL 5.6+ (MySQL 8.0+ recommended)
  • 512MB+ RAM (1GB+ recommended)
  • 100MB+ free disk space
  • mod_rewrite enabled (for pretty permalinks)

Required Access

  • WordPress admin access
  • FTP/SFTP access (for manual uploads)
  • Database access (if needed)
  • Domain/hosting control panel access

Optional but Recommended

  • Google Maps API key
  • OpenAI API key (for AI features)
  • SSL certificate installed
  • CDN configured

Installation Methods

Method 1: WordPress Admin Upload (Recommended)

Step 1: Install Plugins

  1. Navigate to Plugins
    • Go to WordPress Admin → Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
  2. Upload MK Directory Plugin
    • Upload smart-directory-pro.zip
    • Click “Install Now”
    • Click “Activate Plugin”
  3. Upload Smart Directory Pro Forms Editor
    • Upload smart-directory-pro-forms-editor.zip
    • Click “Install Now”
    • Click “Activate Plugin”

Step 2: Install Theme

  1. Navigate to Themes
    • Go to WordPress Admin → Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload Theme
  2. Upload Theme
    • Upload smart-directory-pro-v2.zip
    • Click “Install Now”
    • Click “Activate”

Method 2: Manual FTP Upload

Step 1: Upload Files

  1. Extract Archives unzip mk-directory.zip unzip smart-directory-pro-forms-editor.zip unzip smart-directory-pro-v2.zip
  2. Upload via FTP # Upload plugins to: /wp-content/plugins/mk-directory/ /wp-content/plugins/smart-directory-pro-forms-editor/ # Upload theme to: /wp-content/themes/smart-directory-pro-v2/

Step 2: Activate Components

  1. Activate Plugins
    • Go to WordPress Admin → Plugins
    • Activate “Smart Directory Pro”
    • Activate “Smart Directory Pro Forms Editor”
  2. Activate Theme
    • Go to WordPress Admin → Appearance → Themes
    • Activate “Smart Directory Pro V2”

⚙️ Initial Configuration

Step 1: Permalink Setup

  1. Go to Settings → Permalinks
  2. Select “Post name” or “Custom Structure: /%postname%/”
  3. Click “Save Changes”

Step 2: Plugin Configuration

MK Directory Plugin

  1. Go to Business → AI Settings
    • Configure OpenAI API key (optional but recommended)
    • Enable desired AI features
    • Save settings
  2. Go to Business → Import
    • Download sample CSV template
    • Test import functionality
  3. Go to Business → Enrichment (if applicable)
    • Configure FireCrawl API key
    • Set default connector
    • Configure enrichment options

Smart Directory Pro Forms Editor

  1. Go to Directory Pro Forms → Settings
    • Configure form settings
    • Set up email notifications
    • Configure file upload settings
  2. WooCommerce Integration (if using paid listings)
    • Install and activate WooCommerce
    • Configure WooCommerce settings
    • Create listing packages as products

Step 3: Theme Configuration

Customizer Setup

  1. Go to Appearance → Customize
  2. Site Identity
    • Upload logo
    • Set site title and tagline
    • Adjust logo width
  3. Hero Section
    • Set hero background image
    • Configure hero title and subtitle
    • Set popular search terms
  4. Business Sections
    • Configure featured businesses count
    • Set section titles and subtitles
    • Adjust display settings
  5. Map Settings
    • Add Google Maps API key
    • Configure map display options
  6. Footer Settings
    • Set contact information
    • Configure social media links
  7. Color Scheme
    • Choose default color scheme
    • Enable/disable color switcher

Menu Setup

  1. Create Menus
    • Go to Appearance → Menus
    • Create “Primary Menu”
    • Create “Footer Quick Links”
    • Create “Footer Categories”
    • Create “Footer Bottom Links”
  2. Assign Menu Locations
    • Assign menus to appropriate locations
    • Save menu structure

Content Setup

Step 1: Create Categories

  1. Go to Business → Categories
  2. Add Main Categories
    • Restaurants
    • Shopping
    • Professional Services
    • Healthcare
    • Automotive
    • etc.

Step 2: Create Sample Businesses (Optional)

  1. Go to Business → Add New
  2. Fill in Business Details
    • Business name
    • Description
    • Contact information
    • Address and location
    • Categories
    • Featured image

Step 3: Import Data (Optional)

  1. Download Sample CSV
    • Go to Business → Import
    • Download sample CSV template
  2. Prepare Your Data
    • Format data according to template
    • Include business details, categories, images
  3. Run Import
    • Upload CSV file
    • Configure import settings
    • Monitor import progress

API Configuration

Google Maps Setup

  1. Get API Key
    • Visit Google Cloud Console
    • Create new project or select existing
    • Enable Maps JavaScript API
    • Create API key
    • Restrict key to your domain
  2. Configure in WordPress
    • Go to Appearance → Customize → Map Settings
    • Enter API key
    • Save changes

OpenAI Setup (For AI Features)

  1. Get API Key
    • Visit OpenAI Platform
    • Create account or sign in
    • Generate API key
    • Add billing information
  2. Configure in WordPress
    • Go to Business → AI Settings
    • Enter OpenAI API key
    • Configure AI features
    • Test connection

Advanced Configuration

Security Settings

  1. File Upload Security
    • Limit file types in forms
    • Set maximum file sizes
    • Configure upload directories
  2. Form Security
    • Enable nonce verification
    • Configure CAPTCHA (if needed)
    • Set rate limiting

Performance Optimization

  1. Caching Setup
    • Install caching plugin
    • Configure object caching
    • Set up CDN
  2. Image Optimization
    • Configure image compression
    • Set up lazy loading
    • Optimize featured images

SEO Configuration

  1. Install SEO Plugin
    • Yoast SEO or RankMath recommended
    • Configure basic SEO settings
  2. Schema Markup
    • Business listings automatically include schema
    • Configure site-wide schema

Post-Installation Verification

Functional Tests

  • Can create new business listings
  • Business submission form works
  • Search functionality operational
  • Category filtering works
  • Maps display correctly
  • AI features responding (if configured)
  • Import/export functionality

Frontend Tests

  • Homepage displays correctly
  • Business listings page functional
  • Individual business pages load
  • Contact forms working
  • Mobile responsiveness
  • Color scheme switcher (if enabled)

Admin Tests

  • Admin menus accessible
  • Settings pages functional
  • Plugin configurations saved
  • User permissions working
  • Email notifications sent

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Plugin Activation Errors

Error: Plugin could not be activated because it triggered a fatal error

Solution:

  1. Check PHP version compatibility
  2. Increase memory limit in wp-config.php: ini_set('memory_limit', '512M');
  3. Check for plugin conflicts

Theme Display Issues

Theme looks broken or unstyled

Solution:

  1. Clear all caches
  2. Check if Tailwind CSS is loading
  3. Verify theme files uploaded correctly
  4. Check for JavaScript errors in browser console

Database Connection Issues

Error establishing a database connection

Solution:

  1. Verify database credentials in wp-config.php
  2. Check database server status
  3. Contact hosting provider

API Key Issues

Maps not loading or AI features not working

Solution:

  1. Verify API keys are correct
  2. Check API key restrictions and quotas
  3. Ensure billing is set up for paid APIs
  4. Test API keys in browser console

Getting Help

Documentation Resources

Support Channels

Professional Services

  • Custom Development: Contact Developer
  • Setup Service: Available for complex installations
  • Training: One-on-one training sessions available

Success!

Once installation is complete, your Smart Directory Pro system should be fully functional. You can now:

  1. Add business listings through the admin or frontend forms
  2. Import bulk data using the CSV import system
  3. Customize appearance through the WordPress Customizer
  4. Configure AI features for enhanced functionality
  5. Start promoting your directory to attract listings

Next Steps: Check out the User Quick Start Guide to learn how to use your new directory system.