Settings

Configure Flowguard to match your preferences and workflow.

Accessing Settings

1. Click Settings in the Flowguard sidebar menu
2. The settings page opens with available options
3. Make your changes
4. Click Save Settings to apply

Settings Overview

Flowguard settings are organized into tabs:

• General - Display and behavior options
• Execution - Configure how flows are executed (local or remote)
• Testing - Test mode configuration
• Features - Enable/disable optional features like monitoring
• Notifications - Configure email alerts and notifications

Additional tabs may be added in future versions.

General Settings

Display

Default Focus Mode

What it does: Controls whether the Flow Editor opens in Focus Mode by default.

Options:

• Enabled - Editor hides WordPress UI elements automatically
• Disabled - Editor shows normal WordPress admin UI

Focus Mode Benefits:

• More screen space for the editor
• Fewer distractions while building flows
• Cleaner, more focused interface
• Better for smaller screens

When Enabled:

• WordPress admin bar is hidden in the editor
• Flowguard sidebar is minimized
• Maximum space for step list and preview
• Can exit focus mode manually if needed

When Disabled:

• Standard WordPress admin interface
• Full sidebar visible
• Admin bar present
• More familiar for WordPress users

Recommended:

• Enable if you build flows frequently
• Enable for better focus and productivity
• Disable if you prefer the full WordPress interface
• Disable if you switch between Flowguard and other admin pages often

Example Use Case: If you spend a lot of time in the Flow Editor building complex flows, enable Focus Mode to maximize your workspace and minimize distractions.

Execution Settings

Execution Mode

What it does: Controls where and how Flowguard executes your test flows.

Options:

• Remote API - Uses an external API server (default)
• Local API - Runs the API on your own server

Why Use Local Execution?

Privacy Benefits:

• All test data stays on your server
• No external connections required
• Full control over data flow

Performance Benefits:

• Lower latency for flow executions
• No network delays to external services
• Better for high-frequency testing

Cost Benefits:

• No dependency on external services
• No usage-based fees
• Complete control over resources

Remote API Configuration

When using Remote API mode, you can configure:

Remote API URL:

• The URL of the external Flowguard API service
• Leave empty to use the default service
• Custom URL for self-hosted remote instances

Use Cases:

• Standard setup for most users
• No server management required
• Automatic updates and maintenance
• Shared infrastructure

Local API Configuration

When using Local API mode, you need to configure:

API Directory Path:

• Full path to the Flowguard API directory on your server
• Example: /var/www/flowguard-api
• Must be readable by WordPress

Port:

• Port number for the local API server
• Default: 3000
• Must not conflict with other services

Host:

• Hostname for the local API server
• Default: localhost
• Should remain localhost for security

Important: The local server must be started manually. Flowguard will not start or stop the server automatically.

System Requirements Check

When Local API mode is selected, Flowguard automatically checks:

✓ Node.js - Version 18.0.0 or higher installed ✓ npm - Package manager installed ✓ API Directory - Exists and is accessible ✓ package.json - Valid configuration file ✓ Dependencies - All npm packages installed (express, playwright, axios, dotenv) ✓ Playwright Browsers - Browser binaries installed ✓ Server Health - Local server is running and responding

Status Indicators:

• ✓ Green - Requirement met
• ✗ Red - Requirement not met
• ⚠ Orange - Warning or outdated version

Actions:

• Click "Check Requirements" to refresh status
• Expand items to see detailed help
• Copy installation commands directly

Setting Up Local Execution

For detailed setup instructions, see the Local Execution Setup Guide.

Quick Start:

1. Install Node.js on your server
2. Copy the API directory to a suitable location
3. Run npm install in the API directory
4. Run npx playwright install to download browsers
5. Start the server with npm start or using PM2/systemd
6. Configure WordPress plugin with the path and port
7. Check requirements - all should be green
8. Start running flows locally!

Security Considerations

Local Mode:

• Server only accessible from localhost by default
• No external network access required
• Data never leaves your server

Best Practices:

• Keep localhost binding (don't expose to internet)
• Use SSH tunneling if remote access needed
• Run server under dedicated user account
• Monitor server logs regularly
• Keep Node.js and packages updated

Troubleshooting Execution Issues

"Failed to connect to local API server"

• Verify the server is running: curl http://localhost:3000/health
• Check the port number matches in settings and server
• Review server logs for errors
• Ensure no firewall blocking localhost connections

"Server returned error status"

• Check server logs for detailed error messages
• Verify sufficient system resources (memory, disk)
• Ensure Playwright browsers are installed
• Try restarting the server

Requirements Not Met

• Click on each failed requirement for specific help
• Use the copy button to get installation commands
• Check system PATH includes Node.js and npm
• Verify file permissions on API directory

Features Settings

Website Monitoring

What it does: Enables continuous monitoring of your website's health and availability.

Enable Monitoring:

• Toggle On - Activates automatic health checks
• Toggle Off - Disables all monitoring functionality

When Enabled:

• Flowguard performs regular health checks on your website
• Status is tracked in the Monitoring dashboard
• Downtime and errors are detected automatically
• Historical data is collected for analysis

When Disabled:

• No health checks are performed
• Monitoring tab is hidden from navigation
• Scheduled checks are stopped
• Historical data is preserved

Check Interval: Configure how often Flowguard checks your site when monitoring is enabled.

Available Intervals:

• Every minute - Most responsive, 1,440 checks/day
• Every 3 minutes - High priority, 480 checks/day
• Every 5 minutes - Recommended for most sites, 288 checks/day
• Every 10 minutes - Balanced monitoring, 144 checks/day
• Every 15 minutes - Regular checks, 96 checks/day
• Every 30 minutes - Resource-conscious, 48 checks/day
• Every 60 minutes - Light monitoring, 24 checks/day

Recommended: Start with the default 5-minute interval. This provides timely detection of issues while being resource-efficient.

What Gets Checked:

• HTTP response status codes
• Server response time
• Availability (up/down status)
• Error detection (5xx, 4xx errors)

For detailed information about monitoring features, see the Monitoring Guide.

PDF Reports

What it does: Enables the PDF Reports feature for generating professional monitoring reports.

Enable Reports:

• Toggle On - Activates the Reports functionality
• Toggle Off - Disables report generation and hides Reports tab

When Enabled:

• Create report templates with custom branding
• Schedule automated report generation and delivery
• Generate on-demand PDF reports from monitoring data
• Access report history and re-download past reports

When Disabled:

• Reports tab is hidden from navigation
• Report generation is disabled
• Scheduled reports will not run
• Report history is preserved

Requirements:

• Monitoring must be enabled for reports to have data
• Composer dependencies must be installed (composer install)
• Write permissions on wp-content/uploads/ directory

Note: Reports pull data from the Monitoring feature. Enable and run monitoring first to collect data before generating reports.

For detailed information about the Reports feature, see the PDF Reports Guide.

Notifications Settings

Flowguard provides two types of email notifications to keep you informed about your website's health and test results.

Flow Failure Alerts

What it does: Sends email notifications when scheduled or automated flows fail.

Enable Flow Failure Alerts:

• Toggle On - Receive emails when flows fail
• Toggle Off - No emails sent for failed flows

When Enabled:

• Receive instant email when a flow test fails
• Get detailed error information
• See which steps failed and why

Alert Email: The email address where flow failure alerts are sent.

Configuration:

• Enter any valid email address
• Leave empty to use WordPress admin email
• Can be different from monitoring alerts email

Email Content: Flow failure alerts include:

• Subject: "[Site Name] Flow Test Failed: Flow Name"
• Flow name that failed
• Site name and URL
• Timestamp of failure
• Detailed error message
• List of failed steps with individual errors
• Execution duration
• Direct link to view flow in WordPress

Example Alert:

Subject: [Your Site] Flow Test Failed: Login Form Test

Hello,

A Flowguard test has failed on your website.

---

Flow: Login Form Test
Site: Your Website
URL: https://yoursite.com
Time: December 27, 2025 10:30 AM

Error:
Element not found: #login-button

Failed Steps:
  - Click Login Button: Element not found

Execution Time: 12 seconds

---

You can view the flow details here:
https://yoursite.com/wp-admin/admin.php?page=flowguard#/flows/123

---
This is an automated message from Flowguard.
You can disable these alerts in Flowguard > Settings > Notifications.

Best Practices:

• Enable for critical flows that run on a schedule
• Use a dedicated alerts email for better organization
• Check spam folder if alerts aren't arriving
• Consider using an SMTP plugin for reliable delivery

For more about scheduled flows, see the Scheduled Flows Guide.

---

Monitoring Alerts

What it does: Sends email notifications when your website experiences downtime.

Enable Monitoring Alerts:

• Toggle On - Activates email notifications
• Toggle Off - No emails sent (monitoring still runs)

When Enabled:

• Receive instant email when your site goes down
• Get notified when site comes back online
• Alerts include error details and timestamps

Alert Email: The email address where monitoring alerts are sent.

Configuration:

• Enter any valid email address
• Can be different from your WordPress admin email
• Multiple addresses not currently supported

Best Practices:

• Use a dedicated alerts email (e.g., alerts@yourdomain.com)
• Ensure the email address is monitored regularly
• Check spam folder if alerts aren't arriving
• Test notifications after setup

Email Content: Alert emails include:

• Clear subject: "Your Site is Down"
• Timestamp of detection
• Error details (HTTP code, error message)
• Direct link to monitoring dashboard

Delivery:

• Emails are sent via WordPress's wp_mail() function
• Delivery depends on your server's email configuration
• Consider using an SMTP plugin for reliable delivery

Throttling: Flowguard prevents notification spam:

• Only one alert sent when site goes down
• No repeated emails during extended outages
• Recovery notification when site comes back up

For complete monitoring documentation, see the Monitoring Guide.

Saving Settings

Save Button

Location: Top right of the settings page

States:

• Save Settings - Normal state, click to save
• Saving... - Saving in progress (button disabled)
• Saved ✓ - Settings saved successfully

Auto-Save

INFO

Auto-save is not currently enabled. You must click "Save Settings" to apply changes.

Confirmation

When settings are saved successfully:

• A success message appears
• The save button briefly shows "Saved ✓"
• Changes take effect immediately

Settings by Category

Workflow Settings

Default Focus Mode

• Category: Display
• Type: Toggle (On/Off)
• Default: Off
• Affects: Flow Editor interface

Website Monitoring

• Category: Features
• Type: Toggle (On/Off)
• Default: On
• Affects: Monitoring functionality and dashboard

Check Interval

• Category: Features
• Type: Dropdown
• Default: 5 minutes
• Options: 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes

Monitoring Alerts

• Category: Notifications
• Type: Toggle (On/Off)
• Default: On
• Affects: Email notification sending

Alert Email

• Category: Notifications
• Type: Text input
• Default: WordPress admin email
• Format: Valid email address

Future Settings

Additional settings may include:

Automatic Backups (Planned)

• Auto-save flow backups
• Version history
• Restore previous versions

Execution Settings (Planned)

• Default timeout for new flows
• Default retry count
• Screenshot quality
• Parallel execution

Flow Notification Settings (Planned)

• Email alerts for failed flows
• Slack integration for flow results
• Webhook notifications for flow events

API Settings (Planned)

• REST API key management
• Rate limiting
• External integrations

Settings Scope

User-Level vs. Site-Level

Current Implementation: Settings are currently site-wide and affect all users with access to Flowguard.

Future Plans: User-specific settings may be added, allowing each user to customize:

• Interface preferences
• Default behaviors
• Notification preferences

Best Practices

Review Settings Regularly

Check settings:

• After plugin updates (new options may be available)
• When workflow changes
• If experiencing issues
• When onboarding new team members

Document Custom Settings

If you change settings from defaults:

• Note why you made the change
• Document for team members
• Include in onboarding materials

Test After Changes

After modifying settings:

• Test a simple flow
• Verify behavior is as expected
• Check the Flow Editor interface
• Confirm changes took effect

Troubleshooting

Settings Won't Save

Possible causes:

• Browser blocking the request
• Server error
• Permissions issue
• Network problem

Solutions:

1. Check browser console for errors
2. Verify you have admin permissions
3. Try refreshing the page
4. Check WordPress site health

Settings Reset to Default

Possible causes:

• Database issue
• Plugin reinstalled
• WordPress update
• Data corruption

Solutions:

1. Re-apply your preferred settings
2. Check WordPress database
3. Verify plugin is up to date
4. Contact support if persistent

Changes Don't Take Effect

Possible causes:

• Didn't click Save button
• Browser cache issue
• Settings apply to specific context only

Solutions:

1. Ensure you clicked "Save Settings"
2. Refresh the page
3. Clear browser cache
4. Check if setting affects the area you're testing

Settings Reference

Complete Settings List

General

Setting	Type	Default	Description
Default Focus Mode	Toggle	Off	Open Flow Editor in focus mode by default

Features

Setting	Type	Default	Description
Enable Monitoring	Toggle	On	Activate website health monitoring
Check Interval	Dropdown	5 min	How often to check site health

Notifications

Setting	Type	Default	Description
Enable Flow Failure Alerts	Toggle	On	Send emails when flows fail
Flow Alert Email	Text	Admin email	Where to send flow failure alerts
Enable Monitoring Alerts	Toggle	On	Send emails when site goes down
Monitoring Alert Email	Text	Admin email	Where to send downtime alerts

INFO

More settings will be added in future updates. This table will be expanded as new options become available.

Advanced Configuration

WordPress Filters

Developers can modify settings behavior using WordPress filters:

// Example: Force focus mode for specific users
add_filter('flowguard_default_focus_mode', function($enabled) {
    return current_user_can('administrator') ? true : $enabled;
});

See the Developer Reference for more details.

Database Storage

Settings are stored in the WordPress options table:

• Option name: flowguard_settings
• Format: Serialized array
• Accessible via WordPress options API

Importing/Exporting Settings

INFO

Settings import/export is a planned feature for future versions. This will allow you to:

• Backup your configuration
• Transfer settings between sites
• Share settings with team members
• Reset to known-good configuration :::

Multi-Site Support

INFO

For WordPress Multisite installations:

Currently, settings are per-site. Network-wide settings may be added in the future for:

• Consistent configuration across sites
• Centralized management
• Bulk settings updates :::

Settings API

For Developers

Access settings programmatically:

// Get all settings
$settings = get_option('flowguard_settings', []);

// Get specific setting
$focus_mode = $settings['general']['default_focus_mode'] ?? false;

// Update settings
$settings['general']['default_focus_mode'] = true;
update_option('flowguard_settings', $settings);

See the REST API Documentation for REST endpoints.

Privacy & Security

What Settings Store

Flowguard settings only store:

• Interface preferences
• Default behaviors
• Feature toggles

Settings do not store:

• Flow data (stored separately)
• User credentials
• Personal information
• Sensitive data

Access Control

Settings can only be modified by:

• WordPress administrators
• Users with manage_options capability

Regular users cannot access or change settings.

Version History

Settings are not currently versioned. Future updates may add:

• Setting change history
• Ability to revert changes
• Audit log of modifications

Related Documentation

• Flow Editor - See how Focus Mode affects the editor
• Monitoring Guide - Complete monitoring documentation
• PDF Reports Guide - Learn about generating reports
• WooCommerce Testing - Safe WooCommerce testing
• Developer API - Access settings via REST API
• WordPress Filters - Modify settings behavior

Getting Help

If you have questions about settings:

1. Review this documentation
2. Check the Getting Started Guide
3. Contact support for specific issues

Future Settings

Settings planned for future versions:

Performance

• Max concurrent flows
• Execution priority
• Resource limits

Debugging

• Verbose logging
• Debug mode
• Error reporting level

Integration

• Webhook URLs
• API keys
• Third-party services

Interface

• Theme customization
• Language preferences
• Keyboard shortcuts

Notifications

• Email alerts
• Slack/Discord integration
• Custom webhooks

Stay tuned for updates!