Installing WP Sell Services
Getting WP Sell Services up and running takes just a few minutes. No technical experience required – if you can install a WordPress plugin, you can do this.
Requirements
Section titled “Requirements”Before you install, make sure your hosting meets these minimums:
| Requirement | Minimum |
|---|---|
| WordPress | 6.4 or higher |
| PHP | 8.1 or higher |
Most modern WordPress hosts already meet these requirements. If you are unsure, check with your hosting provider.
WP Sell Services Pro has the same minimums, and must run the same version number as the free plugin – the two are released in lockstep.
Where to get the plugin
Section titled “Where to get the plugin”Both the free plugin and Pro are distributed from the WP Sell Services downloads page on wbcomdesigns.com. That is the only source, so searching the plugin directory from inside WordPress will not find it: download the ZIP first, then upload it using one of the routes below.
Install the Plugin
Section titled “Install the Plugin”Option A: Upload from WordPress Admin (Recommended)
Section titled “Option A: Upload from WordPress Admin (Recommended)”- Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard
- Click Upload Plugin at the top
- Choose the
wp-sell-services.zipfile from your computer - Click Install Now
- Click Activate Plugin
Option B: Upload via FTP
Section titled “Option B: Upload via FTP”- Unzip the
wp-sell-services.zipfile on your computer - Upload the
wp-sell-servicesfolder to your site’s/wp-content/plugins/directory - Go to Plugins in your WordPress dashboard
- Find WP Sell Services in the list and click Activate
What Happens When You Activate
Section titled “What Happens When You Activate”When you activate the plugin, everything sets up automatically:
- Your marketplace pages are ready to be created with one click
- The vendor role is created so people can register and start selling
- Default settings are applied (10% commission, USD currency, open registration)
- Automated tasks start running in the background (auto-completing delivered orders, updating vendor stats)
You do not need to touch any database settings or configure anything technical.
Updating from Version 1.7.0 or Earlier
Section titled “Updating from Version 1.7.0 or Earlier”From 1.7.1, selling requires an approved vendor profile – the record created when someone registers as a vendor and you approve them. Earlier versions also let anyone with the WordPress Author role sell, which is why the update no longer gives that role selling permissions.
To protect people who were already trading, the update creates an approved vendor profile for every user who has a service, an order or a proposal on your site. Their access, their listings and their in-progress orders carry on exactly as before, and nobody else is given selling access. You will see a notice on the plugin screens telling you how many were kept; open Sell Services > Vendors and use the Migrated filter to review them, and suspend any account that should not be selling.
Installing the Pro Version [PRO]
Section titled “Installing the Pro Version [PRO]”The Pro version adds premium features on top of the free plugin. Both run together.
- Make sure the free version is installed and active first
- Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
- Upload
wp-sell-services-pro.zip - Click Install Now, then Activate Plugin
- Go to Sell Services > License
- Enter your license key and click Activate License
Pro features become available immediately – no migration or extra setup needed.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”Service pages show “Page Not Found”
Section titled “Service pages show “Page Not Found””Go to Settings > Permalinks in your WordPress dashboard and click Save Changes. You do not need to change anything – just saving refreshes the links.
Plugin will not activate
Section titled “Plugin will not activate”- PHP error? Ask your host to upgrade PHP to 8.1 or higher
- WordPress error? Update WordPress via Dashboard > Updates
- “Invalid header” error? Make sure you are uploading the
.zipfile, not an extracted folder
Upload size too large
Section titled “Upload size too large”If the zip file is too big to upload through WordPress, use the FTP method instead (Option B above), or ask your hosting provider to increase the upload limit.
Next Steps
Section titled “Next Steps”Your plugin is installed and active. Now let’s configure your marketplace:
- Complete initial setup – Set your marketplace name, currency, and commission rate
- Compare Free vs Pro – See what each version offers
- Create your first service – Test the vendor experience