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FairCite Documentation

Integration Guide for Publishers

Dashboard

WordPress Plugin Integration

Complete guide for installing and configuring the FairCite WordPress plugin to track AI bots, scrapers, and crawlers.

Time Required: 10-15 minutesDifficulty: EasyWordPress Version: 5.0+

Prerequisites

  • WordPress Admin access
  • FairCite account with Site ID and API key
  • WordPress 5.0 or higher
  • PHP 7.4 or higher
Don't have credentials yet? Create your FairCite account first

Part 1: Plugin Installation

Step 1: Download the Plugin

Plugin Download

Download the latest FairCite WordPress plugin (Version 1.0.5 • 21KB). After downloading, you'll upload it through your WordPress admin dashboard.

Download Plugin (v1.0.5)
✓ WordPress 5.0+•✓ PHP 7.4+

Step 2: Upload Plugin to WordPress

  1. Access WordPress Admin:
    • Log into your WordPress admin panel
    • Navigate to: https://yoursite.com/wp-admin
  2. Navigate to Plugins:
    • Go to Plugins → Add New
    • Click the "Upload Plugin" button at the top
  3. Upload Plugin File:
    • Click "Choose File"
    • Select the downloaded faircite-bot-detection.zip file
    • Click "Install Now"
  4. Activate Plugin:
    • After installation completes, you'll see "Plugin installed successfully"
    • Click "Activate Plugin"
    • You'll see a success message: "Plugin activated"

Part 2: Plugin Configuration

Step 3: Access FairCite Settings

  1. In WordPress Admin, navigate to Settings → FairCite
  2. You'll see the FairCite configuration page

Step 4: Enter Your Credentials

Important

You'll need your Site ID and API key from your FairCite dashboard. These were provided when you added your site.

General Settings Configuration

  1. Enable Bot Detection: Check this box ✓
  2. Site ID: Paste your Site ID from FairCite dashboard
    pub_hgo7d2trmjd6
  3. API Key: Paste your API Key from FairCite dashboard
    sk_live_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Step 5: Configure Advanced Settings (Optional)

Recommended Settings

  • Batch Size: 10 (default) - Number of detections before sending
  • Flush Interval: 30 seconds (default) - Time between batch sends

Note: Do not modify the "Tracking Settings" section unless instructed by FairCite support.

Step 6: Save Configuration

  1. Scroll to the bottom of the settings page
  2. Click "Save Changes"
  3. Look for the success message: "Settings saved successfully"

Part 3: Verification & Testing

Step 7: Test Connection

  1. After saving settings, look for the "Test Connection" button
  2. Click the button to verify your credentials
  3. You should see: "✅ Connection successful!"
  4. This confirms your Site ID and API Key are valid
Connection Successful

Your WordPress site is now connected to FairCite and will start tracking bot activity automatically.

Step 8: Verify Data Collection

  1. Visit your website's homepage and navigate through a few pages
  2. Wait 1-2 minutes for data processing
  3. Return to your FairCite dashboard
  4. Check the Analytics section for incoming detection data

Verification Checklist

Before considering setup complete, verify all these items:

Account & Credentials

  • FairCite account created and verified
  • Site added to FairCite dashboard
  • Site ID and API Key saved securely

Plugin Installation

  • WordPress plugin installed and activated
  • Credentials entered in plugin settings
  • Connection test passed
  • Bot detection working in analytics

Plugin Features

What Gets Detected

  • AI Agents: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
  • Search Crawlers: Googlebot, Bingbot, Yahoo
  • Social Crawlers: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
  • SEO Tools: Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz
  • Content Scrapers: Unauthorized scrapers
  • Monitoring Services: Uptime monitors

Performance Optimizations

  • Intelligent Batching: Groups requests for efficiency
  • Async Processing: Non-blocking performance
  • Client-side Tracking: JavaScript-based detection
  • Minimal Overhead: <1ms impact on page load
  • Error Handling: Automatic retry with backoff

Common Issues

"Invalid Site ID or API Key" Error

Common solutions to resolve authentication issues:

  • •Double-check credentials for extra spaces
  • •Ensure you're using the API key, not the site ID in the wrong field
  • •Regenerate credentials in FairCite dashboard if needed
  • •Verify your site domain matches the dashboard exactly

Plugin Not Detecting Bots

Steps to troubleshoot bot detection issues:

  • •Ensure "Enable Bot Detection" checkbox is checked
  • •Clear WordPress cache (if using caching plugins)
  • •Check if pending batches exist, click "Flush Batches Now"
  • •Wait 1-2 minutes for data to appear in dashboard
  • •Verify JavaScript is enabled and loading properly

Connection Test Fails

Network connectivity troubleshooting steps:

  • •Verify server can make outbound HTTPS requests
  • •Check if firewall is blocking edge.faircite.com
  • •Ensure PHP curl extension is enabled
  • •Contact hosting provider if issues persist

Next Steps