General Settings

Configure the core behavior of Academic References. Access these settings at References > Settings > General.

Settings Overview

General settings tab

Bibliography Title

Set the default heading for bibliographies.

Default: References

Common alternatives:

• Works Cited (MLA)
• Bibliography (Chicago)
• Reference List
• Sources
• Literature Cited

This can be overridden per-post using the Bibliography block settings.

Footnote Numbering Style

For citation styles that use footnotes, choose the numbering format:

Style	Example
Numeric	1, 2, 3
Roman (lowercase)	i, ii, iii
Roman (uppercase)	I, II, III
Alphabetic (lowercase)	a, b, c
Alphabetic (uppercase)	A, B, C

Enabled Post Types

Select which post types can use citations and bibliographies:

Default enabled:

• Posts
• Pages

Can also enable:

• Custom post types from your theme
• WooCommerce products
• Course content (if using LMS plugins)
• Any registered post type

To enable a post type:

1. Check the box next to the post type name
2. Save changes
3. The Citation and Bibliography blocks appear in that post type’s editor

Reference Post Type Settings

Public References

Enable: References are viewable on the frontend with their own archive and single pages.

Disable: References are only visible in the admin area.

When enabled:

• /references/ shows all references
• /reference/reference-name/ shows individual references
• References appear in search results

Reference Slug

Customize the URL slug for references:

Default: reference

Example: Changing to source creates URLs like /source/reference-name/

After changing, visit Settings > Permalinks and click “Save Changes” to flush rewrite rules.

Default Reference Status

When creating new references, set the default status:

Status	Use Case
Published	References immediately available for citation
Draft	Review before publishing
Pending Review	Requires editor approval

Cache Settings

Enable Caching

Cache rendered citations and bibliographies for faster page loads.

Recommended: Enable on production sites.

Disable when: Debugging citation display issues.

Cache Duration

How long to keep cached citations:

Setting	Duration
Short	1 hour
Medium	12 hours
Long	24 hours
Very Long	7 days

Tip: Use shorter durations during active editing, longer durations on stable content.

Clear Cache

Click Clear Citation Cache to immediately invalidate all cached citations. Use after:

• Changing citation styles
• Bulk editing references
• Updating the plugin

Debug Mode

Enable detailed logging for troubleshooting.

When enabled:

• Citation processing steps logged
• API requests recorded
• Errors captured with stack traces

Log location: wp-content/debug.log (requires WPDEBUGLOG in wp-config.php)

Warning: Debug mode impacts performance. Disable after troubleshooting.

Uninstall Behavior

Control what happens when the plugin is deleted:

Keep Data

Default. All references, citations, and settings remain in the database.

Use when:

• Temporarily deactivating
• Troubleshooting
• Planning to reinstall

Delete All Data

Removes all plugin data on uninstall:

• References (post type)
• Citations (post meta)
• Collections
• Settings
• All associated meta

Use when:

• Permanently removing the plugin
• Starting fresh
• Testing clean installs

Warning: This cannot be undone. Export your references first.

License Settings

License Key

Enter your license key from wbcomdesigns.com to:

• Receive automatic updates
• Access support
• Use premium features

License Status

Shows current license state:

• Active – Valid and receiving updates
• Expired – Renew to receive updates
• Invalid – Check key for errors

Deactivate License

Click to deactivate and use on a different site. Each license allows a limited number of active sites.

Import/Export Settings

Quick access to:

• Export Settings – Download current configuration as JSON
• Import Settings – Restore configuration from JSON file

Useful for:

• Migrating settings between sites
• Backing up configuration
• Sharing setup with team members

Recommended Initial Setup

1. Set citation style first (separate tab)
2. Enable post types where you’ll use citations
3. Configure bibliography title to match your style guide
4. Enable caching for performance
5. Enter license key for updates

Troubleshooting

Settings not saving

• Check user permissions (need manage_options capability)
• Disable caching plugins temporarily
• Check for JavaScript errors in browser console

Post type not appearing

• Post type must be registered before plugin loads
• Some post types hide from settings by design

Cache not clearing

• Try clearing your hosting/CDN cache too
• Some page builders cache independently
• Check for object caching plugins

Next Steps

• Citation Style Settings – Configure default style
• Display Settings – How citations appear
• Advanced Settings – Technical configuration