Price History Manager

Installation

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Requirements

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• WordPress 5.8 or higher
• WooCommerce 7.0 or higher
• PHP 7.4 or higher
• MySQL 5.6 or higher

Installation Steps

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1. Upload Plugin

• Download the plugin ZIP file
• Navigate to WordPress Admin → Plugins → Add New
• Click “Upload Plugin” and select the ZIP file
• Click “Install Now”

1. Activate Plugin

• After installation, click “Activate Plugin”
• Or navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins and activate “Price History Manager”

1. Database Setup

• Upon activation, the plugin automatically creates necessary database tables
• No manual database configuration required

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Initial Setup

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Quick Start Guide

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1. Navigate to Settings

• Go to WooCommerce → Settings
• Click on the “Products” tab
• Select “Price History” sub-tab

1. Enable Price Tracking

• Toggle “Enable Price Tracking” to ON
• Choose your preferred tracking method
• Save changes

1. Configure Display

• Select display format (Text, Badge, or Graph)
• Choose display position on product pages
• Configure display conditions

1. Test Configuration

• Visit a product page to verify price history displays correctly
• Adjust settings as needed

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Configuration

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General Settings

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Enable Price Tracking

• Description: Master switch to enable/disable price tracking
• Default: Disabled
• Note: Must be enabled for plugin to function

Track Variable Products

• Description: Enable tracking for product variations
• Default: Enabled
• Impact: Each variation tracked separately when enabled

Include Taxes

• Description: Track prices with or without taxes
• Default: Follow WooCommerce tax display settings
• Options: Yes, No, Use WooCommerce Settings

Tracking Period

• Description: How long to retain price history
• Default: 90 days
• Range: 7-365 days

Display Settings

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Display Format

Choose how price history appears on product pages:

• Text: Simple text display with customizable template
• Badge: Styled badge with price information
• Graph: Interactive chart showing price trends

Display Position

• Before Add to Cart: Shows above the add to cart button
• After Add to Cart: Shows below the add to cart button
• After Price: Shows immediately after the product price
• Custom: Use shortcode for manual placement

Display Conditions

• Always: Show on all products
• On Sale Only: Show only when product is on sale
• Price Drop Only: Show only when current price is lower than historical

Compliance Settings

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Omnibus Directive Mode

• Description: Enable EU Omnibus Directive compliance
• Default: Disabled
• Effect: Shows lowest price in last 30 days before discount

Compliance Period

• Description: Number of days to check for lowest price
• Default: 30 days
• Note: EU Omnibus requires 30 days

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Display Options

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Text Display

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Template Variables

• {price}: The price of the product
• {days}: Number of days tracked
• {date}: Date of the price change

Badge Display

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Badge Styles

• Default: Standard rectangular badge
• Rounded: Rounded corners
• Circle: Circular badge
• Banner: Full-width banner style

Color Options

• Background Color
• Text Color
• Border Color
• Hover Effects

Badge Content

• Customizable text template
• Icon support (optional)
• Animation effects

Graph Display

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Chart Types

• Line Chart: Shows price trends over time

Chart Features

• Interactive tooltips

Modal Settings

• Trigger: Click on badge/text or automatic

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Admin Interface

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Dashboard Overview

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The admin interface provides:

• Quick statistics summary
• Recent price changes
• System health status
• Quick action buttons

Statistics Tab

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Database Statistics

• Total products tracked
• Total price records
• Average prices per product
• Storage space used

Price Analytics

• Most volatile products
• Biggest price drops
• Price change frequency
• Seasonal patterns

Data Management Tab

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Export Data

• Formats: CSV, JSON
• Options:
• Date range selection
• Product selection
• Include/exclude fields

Import Data

• Supported Formats: CSV, JSON
• Validation: Automatic data validation
• Conflict Resolution: Skip, Update, or Replace

Clear Data

• Clear all price history
• Clear by date range
• Clear by product
• Warning: Action cannot be undone

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Shortcodes

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Basic Price History Shortcode

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[price_history]

With Parameters

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[price_history product_id="123" format="badge" days="30"]

Parameters

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• product_id: Specific product ID (default: current product)
• format: text, badge, or graph (default: plugin setting)

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Troubleshooting

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Common Issues

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Price History Not Showing

1. Check if tracking is enabled

• Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Products → Price History
• Ensure “Enable Price Tracking” is ON

1. Verify display settings

• Check display format is selected
• Verify display position is configured
• Ensure display conditions are met

1. Clear cache

• Clear WordPress cache
• Clear browser cache
• Clear any CDN cache

Database Errors

1. Check table creation

• Deactivate and reactivate plugin
• Check error logs for database errors

1. Verify permissions

• Ensure WordPress has CREATE TABLE permissions
• Check database user privileges

Performance Issues

1. Optimize settings

• Reduce tracking period if not needed
• Enable statistics caching
• Limit number of displayed records

1. Database optimization

• Run cleanup to remove old records
• Optimize database tables
• Consider increasing PHP memory limit

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FAQ

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General Questions

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Q: Does the plugin work with variable products?
A: Yes, each variation can be tracked separately when enabled in settings.

Q: How often are prices tracked?
A: Prices are tracked in real-time when they change, and a daily cron job ensures accuracy.

Q: Can I import historical price data?
A: Yes, use the Data Management tab to import CSV or JSON files with historical prices.

Q: Does it work with multi-currency plugins?
A: The plugin tracks prices in the store’s base currency. Multi-currency display depends on your currency plugin.

Compliance Questions

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Q: Is this compliant with EU Omnibus Directive?
A: Yes, when Omnibus mode is enabled, it displays the lowest price in the last 30 days as required.

Q: Can I customize the compliance period?
A: Yes, though EU law requires 30 days, you can adjust this for other regions.

Q: What happens if I have no price history?
A: The plugin won’t display anything until sufficient price history is collected.

Technical Questions

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Q: Will this slow down my site?
A: No, the plugin uses optimized queries and caching to minimize performance impact.

Q: How much database space does it use?
A: Approximately 100 bytes per price record. A store with 1000 products tracking daily would use about 3MB per month.

Q: Can I use it with page builders?
A: Yes, use the shortcode in any page builder that supports shortcodes.

Q: Is the data GDPR compliant?
A: Yes, only product pricing data is tracked, no personal information is collected.

Troubleshooting Questions

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Q: Why isn’t price history showing?
A: Check that tracking is enabled, display settings are configured, and the product has price history.

Q: How do I reset all data?
A: Use the Clear Data option in Data Management tab (warning: irreversible).

Q: Where are the log files?
A: Logs are stored in WooCommerce logs directory, viewable at WooCommerce → Status → Logs.