=== Shrikant Article Engagement – Likes, Guest Comments & Social Sharing ===
Contributors: shrikantgaur
Tags: article engagement, likes, guest comments, social share, mobile sticky
Requires at least: 6.5
Tested up to: 7.0
Requires PHP: 8.1
Stable tag: 1.0.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Lightweight 1-click likes, email-optional guest comments, and social sharing bar for WordPress articles.

== Description ==

Shrikant Article Engagement is a lightweight WordPress plugin designed to improve reader engagement on news, magazine, blog, and content websites.

* **Live Demo (Browser)**: [Try on WordPress Playground](https://playground.wordpress.net/?plugin=shrikant-article-engagement) (Auto-installs & runs instantly in your browser)
* **Live Demo (Sandbox)**: [Test Drive on TasteWP](https://tastewp.com/new?pre_install_plugin=shrikant-article-engagement) (1-click auto-installs on a free sandbox admin site)

The plugin improves the native WordPress content experience by providing:

* Highly visible article engagement controls (Like, Comment, Share)
* Native WordPress comments integration with guest commenting support
* Flexible email requirements for guest comments (Required, Optional, or Disabled)
* Article Like button with instant counter updates
* Lightweight sharing via WhatsApp, Facebook, X (Twitter), Telegram, Copy Link, and Web Share API
* Scroll-to-comments action with reduced-motion support
* Optional floating comment button and mobile sticky engagement bar
* Built-in lightweight anti-spam protection (Honeypot, Submission Time Protection, Rate Limiting, Duplicate Protection)
* Full compatibility with native WordPress comment moderation

== Installation ==

1. Upload the `shrikant-article-engagement` directory to `/wp-content/plugins/`.
2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress.
3. Configure settings under 'Article Engagement' in the WordPress admin dashboard.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does this replace native WordPress comments? =
No. The plugin extends native WordPress comments without modifying database tables or replacing theme architecture.

= Does this load external tracking scripts or social SDKs? =
No. All sharing links are clean, privacy-friendly direct URLs. No third-party tracking scripts are loaded.

== External Services ==

This plugin provides optional social sharing buttons that allow visitors to share the current article URL and title to third-party social platforms upon user click. No automated background connections or external tracking scripts are loaded.

The following third-party web services are used when a visitor clicks to share an article:

* **WhatsApp Web / App (`https://api.whatsapp.com/send`)**: Used to share the article title and URL to WhatsApp when the user clicks the WhatsApp share button.
  * Terms of Service: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service
  * Privacy Policy: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy

* **Facebook Sharer (`https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php`)**: Used to open the Facebook share dialog with the article URL when the user clicks the Facebook share button.
  * Terms of Service: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms
  * Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy

* **X / Twitter Share Intent (`https://x.com/intent/tweet`)**: Used to compose a tweet with the article title and URL when the user clicks the X share button.
  * Terms of Service: https://x.com/en/tos
  * Privacy Policy: https://x.com/en/privacy

* **Telegram Share (`https://t.me/share/url`)**: Used to share the article URL and title to Telegram when the user clicks the Telegram share button.
  * Terms of Service: https://telegram.org/tos
  * Privacy Policy: https://telegram.org/privacy

== Screenshots ==

1. Admin Settings Dashboard
2. Article Comments Settings
3. Article Engagement Settings
4. Appearance Settings & Consolidated Spam Protection
5. Interactive: Live Preview Modal
6. Frontend Article Engagement Bar
7. Frontend Article Engagement Comments section

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial public release on WordPress.org.
