Troubleshooting

Start with this checklist before investigating further. It covers the most common reports.

Quick diagnostic checklist

• MediaShield is activated on the Plugins page
• Settings > Enable MediaShield is ON
• Protection level is not set to “None” (globally or per-video)
• You’re viewing a page that contains a video shortcode, block, or embed
• Browser cache cleared (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)
• No JavaScript errors in the browser console (press F12, open Console tab)
• No MediaShield errors in wp-content/debug.log

If all seven pass and you still have an issue, the sections below cover specific symptoms.

Videos aren’t being detected or wrapped

Your video shows on the page but has no watermark, no badge, and no protection layer.

1. Use a shortcode or block. If you pasted a raw YouTube URL into a post, MediaShield’s output buffer wraps it - but only if output buffering isn’t disabled by another plugin. Use [mediashield id=X] to guarantee wrapping.

2. Page builder JavaScript timing. Some builders render videos via JavaScript after the output buffer runs. In that case, use the MediaShield Video block or [mediashield id=X] shortcode in the builder, not a raw iframe or URL.

3. Custom embed format. Go to Settings > Custom URL Patterns and add a pattern that matches your iframe’s src URL.

4. Output buffer disabled. Rare, but some performance plugins disable output buffering. Check your plugin list for anything that modifies output buffering.

5. Enable MediaShield is off. Check Settings > General > Enable MediaShield.

Watermark isn’t showing

Video plays but no username or IP overlay appears.

1. Protection level is Basic or None. Basic skips the watermark. Set to Standard or Strict globally (Settings > General) or on the individual video.

2. Opacity is 0. Go to Settings > Watermark > Opacity. Set it to 30 or higher.

3. User is not logged in. Without a logged-in user, the watermark shows “Guest” plus IP. If you expected a named watermark, confirm the viewer is logged in.

4. Theme CSS conflict. In browser DevTools, look for an element with class ms-watermark-canvas inside the video container. If it exists but is invisible, your theme may be hiding canvas elements. Add this CSS to your theme:

.ms-protected-player .ms-watermark-canvas {
    display: block !important;
    position: absolute !important;
}

Session tracking isn’t working

Videos play but the Dashboard shows zero sessions and milestones never fire.

1. REST API is blocked. Visit /wp-json/mediashield/v1/ in your browser. You should see a JSON response. If you see a 404, a security plugin (such as iThemes Security or Wordfence) is blocking /wp-json/. Whitelist that path.

2. Caching plugin is caching security tokens. This is the most common cause. Full-page caching serves the same nonce (one-time security token) to every visitor, so each new viewer’s session start fails.

   Quick fixes by caching plugin:

   • LiteSpeed Cache: Settings > Cache > Do Not Cache URIs. Add /wp-json/mediashield/.
   • WP Rocket: REST API is excluded by default. Verify under Advanced Rules.
   • W3 Total Cache: Performance > Page Cache > Reject URIs. Add /wp-json/.
   • WP Super Cache: Advanced > Rejected URL Strings. Add /wp-json/.
   • Cloudflare APO: Add a Page Rule for *yoursite.com/wp-json/* set to Cache Level: Bypass.

3. Ad blocker on the viewer’s browser. Some strict privacy browsers block /wp-json/ requests. Advise viewers to whitelist your domain.

Dashboard shows no data

Stat cards all read 0. Chart is empty.

1. No sessions yet. The dashboard shows real data only. Watch a video as a logged-in user for at least 30 seconds, then refresh.

2. Date range filter. Check the period selector at the top of the dashboard. Make sure your test activity falls within the selected range.

“Log in to watch” overlay on public pages

Visitors see the login gate even on pages you intended to be public.

1. Require Login is on globally. Settings > General > Require Login. Turn off if you want public viewing.

2. Per-video override. Open the video edit screen and check the Access settings. Make sure it is not set to require login.

Self-hosted video returns 403

1. Session not started. Self-hosted streaming requires an active session token. Check the Network tab in browser DevTools to confirm the session start request succeeded.

2. Nginx configuration. If you use Nginx (not Apache), add a rule to deny direct access to the protected upload directory and let only the PHP proxy serve files. See the server configuration section in the developer guide.

3. CDN caching the stream endpoint. The self-hosted stream endpoint should not be cached. If you use Cloudflare or another CDN, add a bypass rule for your stream URL.

Still stuck?

1. Enable WordPress debug logging. Add to wp-config.php:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );

2. Reproduce the issue.

3. Open wp-content/debug.log and look for lines tagged with MediaShield or mediashield.

4. Email support@wbcomdesigns.com with the relevant log lines and your environment: WordPress version, PHP version, active theme, active plugins.

For Pro customers, SLA is 48 business hours. For free users, the WordPress.org plugin forum is monitored.