Frequently Asked Questions

General

Why was the ECM plugin developed and what is it used for?

The ECM plugin was created to help website authors write their own code. The plugin allows you to contribute to your WordPress installation code via a simple web interface, where you can modify and extend the functionality and appearance of your website by writing code directly into ECM code blocks. A typical example of using the plugin can include changing the the way a specific WordPress page is displayed, or making a page more interactive by adding some JavaScript (Dynamic HTML).

Code Blocks

Can I temporarily disable some code blocks?

Yes, you have the option to disable as few or as many code blocks as you like. You can then enable the code blocks any time you want.

To enable/disable just one code blocks, simply select the ON/OFF toggle button at the left-most of the top bar of the code block you want to disable.

To enable/disable all the code blocks together, select “Tools” and then select “Disable All”.

Why use the Footer switch in Location/Hook?

Hook location feature gives you control over the location of outputting the CSS/JS code. This is useful in case overriding another plugins’ CSS is required. Also sometimes its better to put your JS code in the footer to avoid slowing down your page load.

Is block immediately deleted after removed from the blocks list page?

No. After delete block you need to click ‘Save All Changes’ button.

Is block orders immediately saved after drag-and-drop block box?

No. In order to save blocks order you need to press ‘Save All Changes’ button.

Is block saved after I click ‘Create’ in ‘Create New Code Block’ form?

Yes. The block is created and saved in your database. In order to discard the block, you have to delete it.

Can I move the blocks around?

Yes by hovering your mouse cursor over the code block title bar until it turns into a four-sided arrow, this allow you to move the blocks. Clicking the block title bar allows you to open and close the blocks.

What is a ECM ‘code block’?

The ECM code block is the basic unit for writing code and to associate it with specific WordPress requests.

Assignments

Can I use shortcodes in my posts or pages for the code blocks?

Yes, you can use shortcodes to insert code blocks onto your desired post or page.

When you are writing a post, you will see an extra TinyMCE button to insert the ECM code block. Use the drop down to select the desired code block you wish to add to the page.

Can I add a code block to a widget?

You can add an ECM code block to a widget right from the WordPress widgets page.

In the WordPress admin menu, select “Appearance” and then go to “Widgets“. There you should see the ECM Block Widget Linker. Drag and drop this to your desired widget and then configure it to select which code block you want to apply to the widget.

You can follow similar steps to add a code block to the footer as well.

How does the “inverter” function work?

The inverter function in the assignment panel is basically the opposite of the assignment function. You can find this in the Assignments panel. Choosing it will apply the code block to all other parts of the site but that one.

For example, if you choose the inverter and select “Home Page”, the code block will apply to your entire site except your home page.

I’m using the URLs tab and my code is not working?

Make sure you have copied and pasted the Page, Post, or Category URL exactly as it appears in the address bar. For example, you may have inadvertently included an extra forward slash at the end of your URL.

What is the Advanced Expressions tab?

The Advanced Expression tab allows you to fully control what requests to integrate into the code block by using Regular Expressions. In other words, allowing ECM users to define more requests to assign the code block to.

Is it better to use the URLs tab, or select items if found through other tabs?

Pages, Posts, Custom Posts and Categories tabs are created to simplify the assignment process for all types of users. Using URLs is great for fast performance as it requires less time to evaluate/identify the request! However, not all things can be done through the URLs tab. For example, applying a single block to a Category index page and all its sub-categories.

What is the Auxiliary tab?

As there are a number of requests that are not available as normal WordPress items (e.g. Pages, Posts, etc) but since it’s commonly required and most likely be used, you will find them pre-defined in the Auxiliary tab. In the Auxiliary tab you can find pages like: Home, Blog Index, Author, 404 error, Tag, Archive, Entire website, Front-end, Admin back-end and much more!

What is Pages, Posts, Categories and Custom Posts tabs?

These lists with checkboxes represent all of your WordPress Pages, Posts, Categories and Custom Posts that your entire website contains. It also supports subpages and sub-categories, which you will also find in there.

Can you assign multiple blocks to the same items from the Assignment Panel?

Yes. It’s one of the most useful features that ECM supports as it allows you to manage/split your codes into several code blocks, allowing you to override code in a former (or lower ordered) code block.

Can you select more than one item from the Assignment Panel?

Yes. You can select any number of items you need, there is no limitation regarding this.

What is the Assignment Panel?

The Assignment Panel is a tabs window, which appears on the right side of the code block editor and is used to assign/apply the code block into specific requests.

Code and Editor Tools

Can I create code templates?

Yes, using ECM you can create code templates as needed. You can access these in Panel -> Templates.

Can I link external scripts?

Yes, you can link external scripts to your code blocks. To do this, select “Panel” and then “External Scripts“. Now, you can add as many external scripts as you want. You can add one URL per line to link the external links.

Can I create multiple files for a codeblock?

Yes, you can create multiple files for the same codeblock in ECM. Go to “Panels” and select “Code Files“. Now select “Create File…” to create a new file. You can create as many files as you want.

Depending on the language you select, the wrapping tags are also automatically created for you.

Can I change the theme of the editor?

Yes. We have a lot of editor themes for you to choose from. Select “Panel” and go to “Editor Themes”. There you will see a list of themes for you to choose from. Once you click on a theme name, it is automatically applied.

Note: You can choose a separate theme for each of your code block.

Other

Does ECM work with WooCommerce sites?

Yes. ECM is compatible with WooCommerce websites. However, there are limitations to custom assignments in WooCommerce websites compared to a general WordPress website.

See our documentation to learn more.

Can I use ECM on my multi-site website?

Yes, you can use ECM for a multi-site website. However, the support might be limited.

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There is something wrong with my plugin. How can I get help?

We try to cover most of the issues here but there is always a possibility of unexpected errors. If you are a PRO user, you can contact us directly using our premium email support.

Unfortunately, due to the sheer volume of users, we are not able to provide email support for the free users. You can use our excellent community to try and solve the problem.

I received a weird error, what do I do now?

Due to the overwhelming amount of emails we get for users requesting support for our ECM plugins, we cannot provide support for the ECM Free plugin (hosted on WordPress.org) at this stage unfortunately. If you wish to receive priority support, please visit our ECM website and purchase a license for any of our products.