AT-Float Bar — FAQ & Troubleshooting

Setting up for the first time? Start with the AT-Float Bar User Guide. Don't have a licence yet? Get AT-Float Bar.

Table of Contents

1. Buying & Licensing
2. Licence & Update Troubleshooting
3. Installation & Setup
4. WhatsApp Button
5. Display & Position
6. Mobile & Tablet
7. Dark Mode
8. Icons & Colours
9. Animations & Effects
10. Conflicts & Compatibility
11. Performance, SEO & Privacy
12. Settings & Data
13. Getting Support

1. Buying & Licensing #

What do I get when I buy AT-Float Bar? #

A licence key, the plugin download, automatic updates and ticket support for your licence's updates window. The number of sites per licence and the length of the updates window are shown on the product page.

Does the bar stop working when my licence or updates window ends? #

No. All features keep working permanently. When the updates window ends you simply stop receiving new versions and support until you renew. The plugin never disables itself or your bar.

AT-Float Bar used to be free. I'm using the old free version — what now? #

Your existing copy keeps working, but it won't receive updates, fixes or support. To get them, buy a licence, then upload the new version over the old one (Replace current with uploaded). Your existing bar settings are kept.

Where do I find my licence key? #

Sign in at store.altechmind.com → My Account → Licenses. Your key appears there once your order is completed, with Reveal and Copy buttons. Sign-in uses a one-time code sent to your email — no password needed.

My order is paid but no licence appears. #

Licences are issued when the order status becomes Completed. This is usually immediate. If it hasn't appeared after a few minutes, open a ticket with your order number.

How many sites can I use one licence on? #

As many as your licence allows (shown on your licence card as Sites, e.g. 1 / 1). www.example.com and example.com count as the same site. Staging copies count as a separate site — deactivate them when you're done testing.

How do I move my licence to a new site or domain? #

On the old site, go to Float Bar → Licence and click Deactivate. Then activate the same key on the new site. If the old site is gone or inaccessible, open a ticket and we'll release the seat.

Can I get a refund? #

Refunds are handled under our Refund & Cancellation Policy. A refunded licence is deactivated.

Do I get a GST invoice? #

Yes. Add your GSTIN at checkout (optional field) and it will appear on your invoice.

2. Licence & Update Troubleshooting #

"Could not reach the licence server. Please try again." #

Your server couldn't connect to store.altechmind.com. Common causes:

• Your host or firewall blocks outgoing HTTPS requests. Ask your host to allow outbound connections to store.altechmind.com on port 443.
• A security plugin blocks external HTTP requests (check settings for "block external requests" or WP_HTTP_BLOCK_EXTERNAL in wp-config.php).
• A temporary network issue — wait a few minutes and try again.

Your bar keeps working meanwhile. The Licence tab may show Unreachable; it keeps your last known status until the store can be reached again.

"The response could not be verified" or "Security check failed on the response" #

The plugin received a reply it could not confirm came from our store, so it refused it (by design). This is usually caused by a proxy, firewall, or security/caching layer that alters requests or responses. Also check that your server's clock is correct — a badly wrong server time can cause this. Try again; if it persists, open a ticket and mention your host.

"Site activation limit reached for this license." #

All of your licence's sites are in use. Deactivate the licence on a site you no longer use (Float Bar → Licence → Deactivate), then activate again. If you can't access the old site, open a ticket.

"The store rejected this licence" / status shows Invalid or Expired #

Check the key was copied completely (use the Copy button on your licence card). If it's correct, the licence may have been revoked, suspended or refunded — your licence card on the store shows its status. Open a ticket if it looks wrong.

My licence is Active but no update appears. #

1. Check the Licence tab shows Active — not Active · updates expired.
2. Click Re-validate, then go to Dashboard → Updates and click Check again.
3. Compare your installed version with the latest on the product page changelog — you may already be up to date.
4. If you're on version 1.3.0, install 1.3.1 manually once (it fixes update delivery). Download it from your Licenses page.

The update failed with "failed its integrity check" #

Every update is checksum-verified before installing. This message means the downloaded file didn't match, so the update was cancelled and nothing was changed on your site. Usually a network glitch or a proxy altering the download — try again. If it repeats, open a ticket.

The update says "not available for your licence right now" #

The store didn't confirm your entitlement at install time — typically because the updates window has ended, or the site was deactivated. Check the Licence tab, click Re-validate, and try again.

The Download button in my store account gives an error #

Download links are short-lived for security. If the Licenses page has been open for a while, refresh it and click Download again.

3. Installation & Setup #

The bar is not showing on my website after activation. What should I check? #

The bar does not depend on the licence — it shows even without one. Work through this checklist in order:

1. Go to Float Bar → Visibility tab and confirm the Global Switch is turned on.
2. Confirm at least one button is enabled on the Contact, Social, or Custom tabs, with its number/URL filled in. The bar does not render if zero buttons are active.
3. Check that the current page is not listed in the Excluded Pages field.
4. Check that Hide on mobile or Hide on desktop is not hiding it on your current device.
5. Hard-refresh your browser (Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac).
6. If you use a caching plugin (WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, W3 Total Cache, etc.) or a CDN, clear the cache after saving settings.

I activated the plugin but the admin menu "Float Bar" does not appear. #

1. Deactivate and reactivate the plugin from the Plugins page.
2. Confirm your WordPress user account has the Administrator role — the menu is only visible to users with the manage_options capability.
3. On WordPress Multisite, activate the plugin for the individual site, not just network-wide.

After upgrading, the admin settings page looks unstyled. #

Your browser is serving an old cached stylesheet. Hard-refresh the admin page (Ctrl+Shift+R / Cmd+Shift+R). If that doesn't help, clear your browser cache and any caching plugin's cache.

Does the plugin work with page builders like Elementor, Divi, or WPBakery? #

Yes. The floating bar is output in the page footer (wp_footer) and is completely independent of page builder content. It works with all major page builders and themes.

4. WhatsApp Button #

What format should I enter the WhatsApp number in? #

Enter the number in full international format using digits only — no plus sign, spaces, dashes or brackets.

• India (+91 98765 43210) → 919876543210
• USA (+1 212 555 0100) → 12125550100
• UK (+44 7700 900123) → 447700900123

The plugin strips non-digit characters when saving, but entering the correct format avoids confusion.

The WhatsApp button opens the web browser instead of the WhatsApp app on my phone. #

This happens when the WhatsApp app is not installed on the device, or the number format is incorrect. Verify the number format (see above). If the app is installed and the format is correct, the phone should open the app directly.

On desktop, can the button open the WhatsApp desktop app instead of the web version? #

Not currently. On non-touch devices the plugin opens web.whatsapp.com by design, because the WhatsApp desktop app does not reliably handle links on all systems. A setting for this is on our roadmap.

The pre-filled WhatsApp message is not appearing when the chat opens. #

Pre-filled messages work on WhatsApp for Android and iPhone (recent versions) and on web.whatsapp.com. They may not work on very old app versions. The plugin encodes the message automatically; if it still fails, try a shorter message without unusual symbols.

The WhatsApp pulse animation is not showing. #

The pulse ring only appears in Float Right, Float Left and Bottom Row positions — it's automatically hidden in Edge Panel and Mobile Bottom Bar modes. If you're using a floating position, confirm Pulse Ring Animation is enabled in the WhatsApp section, and that "reduce motion" is not turned on in your OS or browser accessibility settings.

5. Display & Position #

What is the difference between Float Right and Edge Panel Right? #

Float Right shows rounded buttons stacked vertically, floating with a gap from the right edge, with a soft shadow.

Edge Panel Right shows a frosted-glass sidebar flush against the right edge — no gap. Icons use each button's brand colour against a light or dark panel surface.

Use Float for a classic contact-button look; use Edge Panel for a more minimal, integrated look.

The bar overlaps my sticky header, footer or cookie banner. #

The bar uses a high stacking order (z-index: 99999) so it stays above most page content. If it covers a cookie notice or chat widget, either move it with Appearance → Offset & Effects → Bottom Offset, or lower its z-index in Appearance → Customize → Additional CSS:

#afb-wrap { z-index: 9000; }

The bar is visible in the WordPress admin pages too. #

AT-Float Bar only renders on the public frontend. If you see a floating bar in the admin area, it comes from a different plugin or your theme.

How do I hide the bar on my homepage only? #

Find your homepage's page ID (edit the page — the ID is in the URL: ?post=123), then enter it in Visibility → Excluded Pages. This works when your homepage is a static page (Settings → Reading → "A static page").

6. Mobile & Tablet #

What exactly does the "Mobile & Tablet Override" toggle do? #

On screens 768 px wide or less (phones and most tablets in portrait), it shows a full-width app-style bottom bar instead of your desktop position. Your desktop layout is unaffected on larger screens — two layouts for two screen sizes, controlled by one toggle.

The mobile bottom bar is covering content at the bottom of my pages. #

Add bottom padding to your page body in Appearance → Customize → Additional CSS:

@media (max-width: 768px) {
    body { padding-bottom: 80px; }
}

Adjust to your button size (Small ≈ 65 px, Medium ≈ 75 px, Large ≈ 85 px).

How many buttons should I use in the mobile bottom bar? #

3 to 5. At 6 or more, icons get too narrow and labels are cut off on standard phones. For most businesses: WhatsApp, Phone, and 1–2 key social or custom links.

Can the mobile bottom bar show only on phones, not tablets? #

Not yet — the breakpoint is fixed at 768 px, so some tablets in portrait mode also get the bottom bar. A configurable breakpoint is on our roadmap.

7. Dark Mode #

I set Dark Mode to Auto but the panel shows light on my dark website. #

Auto follows the visitor's operating system or browser preference, not your website's colours. If you want the panel to always match a dark website, choose Always Dark.

Does Dark Mode affect the floating buttons? #

No. Floating buttons keep their individual colours. Dark mode only changes the Edge Panel and Mobile Bottom Bar surfaces, plus tooltip colours.

The frosted glass effect is not showing on the Edge Panel. #

The blur effect needs browser support for backdrop-filter. Where it's unsupported (e.g. some older Firefox versions), the panel shows a solid colour instead — expected, and still fully readable.

8. Icons & Colours #

The icons on the floating buttons are invisible — I only see the coloured circle. #

This was a bug in versions before 1.2.0. Update to the latest version from your store account and it's fixed.

Can I use my own custom SVG icon for a button? #

Not in the current version. The two custom buttons offer 6 preset icons: Map/Location, Info, Link, Star, Heart, Bell. Custom icon upload is on our roadmap.

I entered a hex colour but the button isn't changing colour. #

Make sure the code includes # and is a valid 6-character hex colour (e.g. #FF5733), or use the visual picker. Click Save Settings, then hard-refresh the frontend (and clear any page cache).

9. Animations & Effects #

The entrance animation is not playing. #

• Confirm Entrance animation is enabled in Appearance → Offset & Effects.
• It plays once per page load — refresh to see it again.
• If "reduce motion" is enabled in your OS or browser, animations are turned off out of respect for that setting.
• Some JavaScript-delaying optimisation plugins postpone it. Test with the optimisation temporarily off.

Can I disable the animation for specific buttons only? #

No — the animation setting applies to all buttons.

The tooltip is not appearing on hover. #

Check Tooltip labels is enabled in Appearance → Offset & Effects. Tooltips are intentionally hidden on touch devices (no hover) and in Mobile Bottom Bar mode (labels already show under each icon).

10. Conflicts & Compatibility #

I click "Save Settings" but nothing happens. #

This is almost always a JavaScript conflict or a blocked admin request:

1. Open your browser console (F12 → Console) and look for errors.
2. Deactivate other plugins one at a time to find the conflict.
3. Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme (e.g. Twenty Twenty-Four).
4. Check your server/firewall isn't blocking POST requests to admin-ajax.php.

I use WP Rocket / LiteSpeed Cache. Do I need to configure anything? #

Clear the cache after saving Float Bar settings. If Save Settings stops working after enabling JavaScript minify/combine, exclude at-float-bar from those options.

I use a security plugin (Wordfence, Solid Security, etc.). Saving or activating fails. #

Check the firewall log for blocked requests containing action=afb_save (saving) or action=atm_lic_action (Licence tab buttons) and allow them. If activation fails with "Could not reach the licence server", make sure outgoing requests to store.altechmind.com are allowed.

Does AT-Float Bar conflict with other floating button plugins? #

Not technically — it uses its own unique IDs and afb-* class names. But two floating bars at once is poor for visitors, so we recommend using one.

Is AT-Float Bar compatible with WPML or Polylang? #

The plugin interface is translation-ready. However, settings such as button labels and the pre-filled WhatsApp message are stored once, so they can't differ per language yet. Multi-language settings are on our roadmap.

11. Performance, SEO & Privacy #

Will the plugin slow down my website? #

No. It loads one small CSS file (about 4 KB compressed) and one small JS file (under 2 KB compressed), only on pages where the bar is active. No external requests from visitors' browsers, no fonts, no tracking. Licence checks run on your server in the background (about once a day) and never on page loads.

Does the plugin affect Core Web Vitals (CLS, LCP, INP)? #

The bar is added at the end of the page and uses fixed positioning, so it doesn't shift your layout (CLS) or delay your main content (LCP). Its script is tiny, so interaction responsiveness (INP) impact is negligible.

Does the floating bar affect SEO? #

No negative impact. It uses semantic, accessible HTML, and its links are ordinary links to your WhatsApp and social profiles.

Does the plugin track visitors or send any data? #

Visitors: no tracking, no cookies, no analytics, no third-party requests.

Licensing: your server contacts store.altechmind.com only to activate, re-validate, deactivate and check for updates. It sends your licence key, the product identifier, your site URL, a timestamp and one-time value, and the plugin version and environment type (e.g. production or staging). No personal data, users or content are sent. Full details: User Guide → Privacy.

12. Settings & Data #

Where are the plugin settings stored? #

Bar settings are stored in one WordPress option, afb_settings; your licence in afb_license. No custom database tables are created.

If I deactivate the plugin, will my settings be lost? #

No. Deactivating keeps your settings and licence. Reactivate and everything is as you left it.

If I delete the plugin, will my settings be removed? #

Yes — deleting removes the bar settings, stored licence, update cache and daily licence check. Deleting does not release your licence seat on the store, so click Deactivate on the Licence tab first if you want to use the licence elsewhere.

Can I export and import my settings to another site? #

There's no built-in import/export yet. A developer can copy the afb_settings option with WP-CLI:

wp option get afb_settings --format=json          # on the source site
wp option update afb_settings '<json>' --format=json  # on the destination site

Don't copy afb_license — activate your key on the new site instead. Import/export is on our roadmap.

13. Getting Support #

Support is included during your licence's updates window.

• Open a support ticket — sign in to your store account; you can pick your licence and attach screenshots.
• WhatsApp
• Email: support@altechmind.com

Please include your WordPress version, PHP version, plugin version, site URL, the exact error message shown on the Licence tab (if any), and any browser console errors.

Questions before buying? Contact us.