Frequently Asked Questions
Does this plugin require BuddyPress?
Section titled “Does this plugin require BuddyPress?”Yes. BuddyPress Status is an extension for BuddyPress and requires BuddyPress to be installed and active. It also works with BuddyBoss Platform.
What is the character limit for a status?
Section titled “What is the character limit for a status?”140 characters. This is enforced both in the browser (the maxlength attribute on the textarea) and on the server before saving. The limit is defined by the constant BPSTS_STATUS_MAX_LENGTH. Developers can override it — see Hooks & Filters.
Can members use custom emojis?
Section titled “Can members use custom emojis?”The plugin includes 1,500+ standard Unicode emojis. Custom emoji (non-standard image-based emoji) are not supported. You can add emoji directly into global status suggestions as plain Unicode characters when creating them in the admin.
How do I hide the status form from certain user roles?
Section titled “How do I hide the status form from certain user roles?”Go to WB Plugins > BuddyPress Status > General, scroll to User roles allowed to post status updates, and uncheck any role you want to restrict. Administrators always retain access.
Can I create my own feeling activities?
Section titled “Can I create my own feeling activities?”Yes. Go to WB Plugins > BuddyPress Status > Feeling Activities. You can edit or delete any of the 11 default activities, and add new ones with a custom name, question prompt, and Font Awesome icon.
What happens to status data if I deactivate the plugin?
Section titled “What happens to status data if I deactivate the plugin?”Status data is stored in WordPress user meta and stays in the database after deactivation. If you reactivate the plugin, all previously saved statuses appear again.
Is the plugin compatible with multisite?
Section titled “Is the plugin compatible with multisite?”Yes. The plugin works on WordPress multisite when BuddyPress is network-activated.
Can I increase the 140-character limit?
Section titled “Can I increase the 140-character limit?”The limit is set by the constant BPSTS_STATUS_MAX_LENGTH (default: 140). Developers can override it before the plugin loads:
if ( ! defined( 'BPSTS_STATUS_MAX_LENGTH' ) ) { define( 'BPSTS_STATUS_MAX_LENGTH', 280 );}Add this to your theme’s functions.php or a must-use plugin. The JavaScript character counter reads this value server-side via a localized variable.
Does it work with RTL languages?
Section titled “Does it work with RTL languages?”Yes. The plugin includes RTL stylesheet support.
Are status updates private?
Section titled “Are status updates private?”Statuses follow your BuddyPress privacy settings. Anyone who can view a member’s profile can see their current status. The plugin does not add its own privacy controls beyond user role permissions.
How do I export status data?
Section titled “How do I export status data?”Status data lives in WordPress user meta under the key bpsts_saved_status. You can export it using standard WordPress export tools or WP-CLI:
wp user meta get <user_id> bpsts_saved_statusThe emoji picker is conflicting with another plugin that also loads Font Awesome. What should I do?
Section titled “The emoji picker is conflicting with another plugin that also loads Font Awesome. What should I do?”The plugin automatically attempts to handle Font Awesome conflicts by deregistering older versions of Font Awesome and loading version 6.5.1 from a CDN. If conflicts persist, try these steps:
- Deactivate other plugins one by one to identify the conflicting plugin.
- If you need to prevent the plugin from loading its own Font Awesome copy, contact the plugin’s support team — this requires a code-level workaround that depends on your specific setup.
- As a last resort, use CSS to hide duplicate Font Awesome elements or contact the conflicting plugin’s author to give them the option to deregister their copy on BuddyPress pages.
Where are the plugin settings?
Section titled “Where are the plugin settings?”Go to WP Admin > WB Plugins > BuddyPress Status. The settings are split across four tabs: Welcome, General, Global Status, and Feeling Activities.