Installation

Requirements

Requirement	Minimum Version
WordPress	6.5
PHP	8.1
MediaShield (free)	Matching version - 1.3.0 with Pro 1.3.0

Pro checks only that the free plugin is active, not which version it is, so a mismatched pair activates without complaint and then misbehaves in ways that are hard to diagnose. Update free and Pro together.

Before You Install

Confirm that the free MediaShield plugin is installed and activated. MediaShield Pro will not initialize without it. If the free plugin is missing or inactive, Pro displays an admin notice and stops loading.

Installation Steps

1. Log in to your Wbcom Designs account and download mediashield-pro.zip.
2. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
3. Click Choose File, select the mediashield-pro.zip file, and click Install Now.
4. When installation completes, click Activate Plugin.

Alternatively, upload the extracted mediashield-pro folder to wp-content/plugins/ via SFTP and activate from the Plugins list.

First-Time Setup

After activation:

1. Go to MediaShield > License and enter your license key. This enables automatic updates and support. See License Activation for details.
2. Go to MediaShield > Platforms to connect Bunny Stream, YouTube, Vimeo, or Wistia if you plan to import videos from those platforms.
3. Leave MediaShield > DRM on “None” unless you are testing. DRM is experimental in 1.3.0 – read the DRM section first.

Pro adds 9 sections to the MediaShield admin: Platforms, Alerts, Heatmaps, Realtime, DRM, Export, Upload Queue, Milestone Actions, and License. It also adds a Pro Watermark block to the existing Settings screen. Four more screens (the Bunny, YouTube, Vimeo, and Wistia library browsers) are reached from the Platforms page rather than the menu. The free plugin’s existing sections (Dashboard, Videos, Playlists, Viewers, Tags, Milestones, Settings) remain unchanged.

Deactivation and Deletion

• Deactivation pauses Pro. Pro’s scheduled jobs are unscheduled and all data is preserved. The watermark badge is switched back on, since hiding it is a Pro feature. Free plugin features continue working.
• Deletion (Plugins > Delete) removes Pro’s 7 database tables and most Pro settings from wp_options. A few keys are left behind, including the VPN detection toggle and API key and the Bunny playback options – delete those manually if you need a completely clean removal. The free plugin’s data is not affected.

Troubleshooting Installation

Admin notice: “MediaShield Pro requires the free MediaShield plugin to be installed and activated.” Install and activate the free MediaShield plugin, then return to the Plugins page and activate MediaShield Pro. Activating Pro without free present stops the activation outright rather than leaving it half-loaded.

Pro features not appearing after activation Check that both the free and Pro plugins show “Active” on the Plugins page. Clear any full-page caches and reload the MediaShield admin. Confirm your PHP version is 8.1 or higher at Tools > Site Health > Info > Server.