=== Plugixa FAQ ===
Contributors: zakaria04, freemius
Tags: faq, accordion, questions, schema, seo
Requires at least: 6.5
Tested up to: 7.1
Requires PHP: 8.0
Stable tag: 1.0.1
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

A modern FAQ plugin with a React admin, accordion layouts, categories, live search, and FAQPage structured data for SEO.

== Description ==

❓ Build clear, search-friendly FAQ pages with **Plugixa FAQ** - a complete FAQ manager with a fast React admin, a customizable accordion, category filters, live search and FAQPage structured data.

📚 Read the [**Documentation**](https://www.plugixa.com/documentation/plugixa-faq)
🌐 Visit the official website [**Plugixa**](https://www.plugixa.com/)
✉️ Questions or support requests: [**Contact us**](https://www.plugixa.com/contact)

[__Documentation__](https://www.plugixa.com/documentation/plugixa-faq) | [__Contact__](https://www.plugixa.com/contact) | [__Support Forum__](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/plugixa-faq/) | [__Upgrade to Pro!__](https://www.plugixa.com/plugins/plugixa-faq#pricing)

Publish a proper FAQ in **3 simple steps**:

1. Add your questions and answers, and group them into categories
2. Pick a layout and save it as a reusable **View**
3. Drop in the `[plugixa_faq]` shortcode or the FAQ block, and publish

Every FAQ list can output **schema.org FAQPage** structured data as JSON-LD, so Google can read your questions and answers for rich results.

### Ready FAQ Layouts

Pick a layout, save it as a View, and reuse it anywhere - no design skills needed.

✅ **Accordion** - the classic expand-and-collapse FAQ, with a choice of icons and animations
✅ **Accordion Dark** - a ready-made dark View for dark-themed sites
✅ **Timeline** (Pro) - questions laid out along a vertical timeline
✅ **Horizontal** (Pro) - questions and answers in a side-by-side layout

Every layout supports a polished **dark mode**, switchable per shortcode or following the visitor's system setting.

= Key Features of Plugixa FAQ =

* Fast, Material UI-based admin for FAQs, categories, Views and settings
* Unlimited FAQs and categories, with drag-and-drop ordering
* Nested (child) FAQs for follow-up questions
* Category colours, descriptions and four filter styles - tabs, pills, dropdown and sidebar
* Live search across questions and answers, with highlighted matches
* Pagination with numbered pages, a Load More button or infinite scroll
* Expand all / collapse all, open the first answer, or allow several answers open at once
* Unlimited saved Views and saved shortcodes, with a visual shortcode builder and live preview
* Visual view editor - colours, typography, spacing, icons, animations, pagination and dark mode
* A shareable page for every FAQ with clean URLs, like `/faq/category/question/`
* Social share buttons for Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and WhatsApp
* schema.org FAQPage JSON-LD for Google rich results
* Show WordPress posts, pages or media items in the same FAQ layouts
* FAQ block for Gutenberg, an Elementor widget and a classic sidebar widget
* Dashboard with FAQ statistics and category distribution, plus per-FAQ view counts
* Import and export FAQs as CSV or JSON
* Font picker with locally-served fonts - no font CDN
* WPML and Polylang support
* REST API (`plugixa-faq/v1`), action/filter hooks and template overrides

= Plugixa FAQ Pro Features =

* AI FAQ Generator - draft questions and answers from a topic, a web page or a PDF/Word document
* Timeline and Horizontal layouts
* "Was this helpful?" feedback widget with feedback analytics on the dashboard
* Frontend question submission with `[plugixa_faq_form]` and optional Cloudflare Turnstile captcha
* Custom fields - add your own fields to FAQs and the submission form
* PDF export of your FAQs
* WooCommerce integration - an FAQ tab on product pages and products as an FAQ content source
* One-click demo content to explore the plugin quickly

[Upgrade to Plugixa FAQ Pro](https://www.plugixa.com/plugins/plugixa-faq#pricing)

= 🔍 FAQ Schema for Google Rich Results =

Turn on schema for any FAQ list and the plugin outputs schema.org FAQPage JSON-LD with every visible question and answer, so the page is eligible for FAQ rich results. Each FAQ also gets its own page with a proper title and canonical URL.

= 🗂️ Categories, Search and Pagination =

Group FAQs into colour-coded categories with descriptions, and let visitors switch between them with tabs, pills, a dropdown or a sidebar. Add a live search box, and split long FAQs into numbered pages, a Load More button or infinite scroll - all without reloading the page.

= 🎨 Customize Visually with Saved Views =

A View is a reusable display design: layout, colours, typography, spacing, icons, animations, category style and pagination colours, for light and dark mode. Save as many as you like, then reference one from any shortcode or from the block - change the View and every placement updates.

= 🔗 Shareable FAQ Permalinks =

Every FAQ can have its own page and a permalink button inside the answer, so your support team can link straight to one answer. Optional share buttons send it to Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn or WhatsApp.

= 📰 Use Posts, Pages and Media as FAQs =

Not everything lives in the FAQ manager. Point a shortcode at WordPress posts, pages or media items and they render in the same accordion, with optional author, date, category and Read More link.

= 🌍 Multilingual and Translation Ready =

Plugixa FAQ works with WPML and Polylang, keeps translations of a question grouped together in the admin, and ships translation-ready strings throughout.

= 🧩 Works With Gutenberg, Elementor and Page Builders =

Use the FAQ block in Gutenberg, the bundled Elementor widget, the classic sidebar widget, or the shortcode in any builder, page, post or widget area.

### 👨‍💻 Author

[**Plugixa FAQ**](https://www.plugixa.com/plugins/plugixa-faq) is developed by [**Plugixa**](https://www.plugixa.com/), building focused, well-documented WordPress plugins with an emphasis on performance, clean code and structured data.

### 🛟 Documentation & Support

Plugixa FAQ is built to be usable without a manual, but it is documented in full.

👉 Read the [Documentation](https://www.plugixa.com/documentation/plugixa-faq) - installation, shortcode reference, Views, multilingual setup and developer hooks
👉 Ask on the [WordPress.org support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/plugixa-faq/)
👉 Or [contact us directly](https://www.plugixa.com/contact)
👉 Browse more plugins at [plugixa.com](https://www.plugixa.com/)

= Shortcode Usage =

Display FAQs:
`[plugixa_faq]`

With options (the design is configured via saved Views in the admin):
`[plugixa_faq view="accordion-dark" category="shipping,returns" search="true"]`

A shortcode saved in the shortcode builder:
`[plugixa_faq id="3"]`

== Installation ==

= MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS =

* WordPress 6.5 or greater
* PHP version 8.0 or greater
* MySQL version 5.7 or greater (or MariaDB 10.3 or greater)

= AUTOMATIC INSTALLATION (EASIEST WAY) =

1. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Add New
2. Search for "Plugixa FAQ"
3. Click Install Now, then Activate
4. Open "Plugixa FAQ" in the admin menu and add your first FAQ

= MANUAL INSTALLATION =

1. Download the plugin ZIP
2. Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin, choose the ZIP and click Install Now
   (or upload the `plugixa-faq` folder to `/wp-content/plugins/` over FTP)
3. Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu
4. Open "Plugixa FAQ" in the admin menu to add your FAQs
5. Use the `[plugixa_faq]` shortcode or the FAQ block to display them

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Q. How do I add an FAQ? =

After activating the plugin, open Plugixa FAQ in the WordPress admin menu, go to FAQs and click "Add FAQ". Write the question, format the answer in the rich text editor, pick a category and publish.

= Q. How do I display FAQs on my site? =

Use the `[plugixa_faq]` shortcode, the FAQ block, the Elementor widget or the sidebar widget on any page, post or widget area.

= Q. What is a View? =

A View is a saved, reusable display design - layout, colours, typography, spacing, icons and animations. Reference it from a shortcode or the block, and editing the View updates every placement at once.

= Q. Does it output FAQ structured data for SEO? =

Yes. Schema is on by default for the shortcode and outputs schema.org FAQPage JSON-LD with the questions and answers on the page, so search engines can read it for rich results. You can switch it off per shortcode with `schema="false"`.

= Q. Is it compatible with page builders? =

Yes. The shortcode and block work with Gutenberg and major page builders, and an Elementor widget is included.

= Q. Can I show only some FAQs? =

Yes. Filter by one or more category slugs with `category="shipping,returns"`, pick exact FAQs with `ids="1,2,3"`, cap the number with `limit="5"`, and sort with `orderby` and `order`. Or build the shortcode visually in the shortcode builder and use `[plugixa_faq id="3"]`.

= Q. Does it support translations? =

Yes. Plugixa FAQ is compatible with WPML and Polylang, and every string is translation-ready.

= Q. Does it slow down my site? =

No. FAQ queries are served through the WordPress object cache, and the fonts used by the font picker are bundled with the plugin and served from your own server rather than a font CDN.

= Q. What is the difference between the free and Pro versions? =

The free plugin is a complete FAQ manager - the accordion layout, Views, categories, live search, pagination, permalinks, CSV/JSON import and export, and FAQPage structured data. Pro adds the AI FAQ Generator, the Timeline and Horizontal layouts, the feedback widget, frontend question submission, custom fields, PDF export, WooCommerce integration and demo content. See the [Pro features](https://www.plugixa.com/plugins/plugixa-faq#pricing).

= Q. Where can I find the documentation? =

Full documentation - installation, shortcode reference, Views, multilingual setup and developer hooks - is at https://www.plugixa.com/documentation/plugixa-faq

== External services ==

This plugin connects to the third-party services listed below. Apart from Freemius, every connection is optional: it is made only when a site administrator turns the relevant feature on.

The free plugin contacts only Freemius. The Pro version can also contact OpenAI or Google Gemini (with your own API key), a web address you enter for AI generation, and Cloudflare Turnstile (with your own keys).

= Freemius =

We use Freemius to handle licensing, software updates, and - only if you opt in - anonymous usage diagnostics. On activation you are shown an opt-in screen; if you skip it, no identifiable data is sent. When you opt in, or when you manage a license or purchase, data such as your site URL, WordPress and PHP versions, active theme/plugins, and the email address used at opt-in may be transmitted. This occurs on activation, plugin updates, and license actions.
Provided by Freemius, Inc. - Terms: https://freemius.com/terms/ - Privacy: https://freemius.com/privacy/

= OpenAI (Pro, optional) =

If an administrator generates FAQs with the AI FAQ Generator and selects OpenAI as the provider, the plugin sends the prompt, the source content chosen for generation, the selected model and your own OpenAI API key to https://api.openai.com. The generated text is returned to your site. No request is made unless you run a generation with OpenAI selected, and the free plugin never contacts this service.
Provided by OpenAI - Terms: https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use - Privacy: https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy

= Google Gemini (Pro, optional) =

If an administrator generates FAQs with the AI FAQ Generator and selects Google Gemini as the provider, the plugin sends the prompt, the source content chosen for generation, the selected model and your own Google AI API key to https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com. The generated text is returned to your site. No request is made unless you run a generation with Gemini selected, and the free plugin never contacts this service.
Provided by Google LLC - Terms: https://policies.google.com/terms - Privacy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

= Web page import for AI generation (Pro, optional) =

If an administrator chooses to generate FAQs from a web address, your server fetches that address so its text can be used as the source for generation. The operator of that site receives your server's IP address and user agent. No request is made unless you enter an address yourself. Uploaded PDF and Word documents are parsed on your own server and are not sent anywhere.

= Cloudflare Turnstile (Pro, optional) =

If you enable the captcha for the frontend FAQ submission form and enter your own Turnstile site and secret keys, the plugin loads the Turnstile widget on that form and verifies each submission with Cloudflare. The visitor's browser loads the widget script from https://challenges.cloudflare.com, and when the visitor submits the form your server sends the Turnstile token, your secret key and the visitor's IP address to Cloudflare to be checked. It is disabled by default; with the captcha switched off, no request is made and the script is not loaded.
Provided by Cloudflare, Inc. - Service: https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/turnstile/ - Terms: https://www.cloudflare.com/website-terms/ - Privacy: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/

== Screenshots ==

1. Plugixa FAQ - a knowledge base with live search and category filters, not a wall of questions
2. Ocean Night - a dark design with its own saved palette, not an inverted light theme
3. Timeline layout (Pro) - for answers that are steps, like a returns process
4. Horizontal cards (Pro) - one answer open with its image, the other questions collapsed beside it
5. Horizontal Modern (Pro) - image-led panels with the open question over its picture
6. Warm Sunset - a clean accordion where every colour, weight and space is a setting
7. Accordion Dark - the free build: accordion, live search, category filters, schema and a page per answer
8. Fully responsive on mobile, with search and filters in reach and thumb-sized rows
9. FAQ Manager - every FAQ with its category, status and view count
10. Visual view editor - colours, typography, spacing, icons and animation with a live preview
11. Shortcode Builder - build a placement visually, save it and reuse it anywhere
12. Custom fields (Pro) - extra data such as a source URL or review date on every answer
13. AI FAQ Generator (Pro) - draft FAQs from a topic, a web page or a document with your own OpenAI or Gemini key
14. Feedback (Pro) - helpful and not-helpful votes with comments on each answer
15. Question submission form (Pro) - visitor questions arrive as drafts, with optional Turnstile protection
16. A Gutenberg block, an Elementor widget, or a shortcode anywhere

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.1 =
* Fixed: the shortcode builder's Live Preview showed questions with empty answers.
* Fixed (Pro): shortcodes created by the demo content importer ignored their settings (dark mode, pagination, items per page, open first, allow multiple, permalinks and more) and fell back to defaults. Already-imported shortcodes are repaired automatically, with no re-import needed.
* Fixed (Pro): the dashboard Feedback Summary card always showed its empty state, and recent negative comments were missing.
* Improved (Pro): the demo content is now a realistic store FAQ (shipping, returns, payments, sizing, privacy, support) with example custom fields.
* Added: an External services section in this readme describing every optional third-party connection.

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release
* React admin panel
* FAQ management with categories
* Accordion, list, and toggle display styles
* FAQ Schema (JSON-LD) support
* Widget for sidebars
* Live search functionality
* Full customization options

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.0.1 =
Fixes empty answers in the shortcode Live Preview, and (Pro) demo shortcodes and the Feedback Summary card.

= 1.0.0 =
Initial release of Plugixa FAQ plugin.
