Shortcode Builder Issues #

The Shortcode Builder (introduced in 8.6.0) is a visual generator that emits a correct, copy-paste-ready shortcode for your active partner, license tier, installed templates, and configured fields. If it isn’t behaving as expected, work through this guide.

I Can’t See the Shortcode Builder Tab #

Symptom: The Shortcode Builder tab is missing from the PetMatchPro admin nav, or appears grayed out.

Cause: The Shortcode Builder requires a Junior or higher license. Free (Basic) users do not see the tab at all.

Fix:

1. Go to PetMatchPro > License Information and confirm your active license tier.
2. If you’re on Basic, upgrade to Junior or Preferred to unlock the builder.
3. If you’ve just upgraded, click Activate License on the License Information page so the new tier is recognized.

Dropdowns Are Empty or Missing Values #

Symptom: A dropdown in the builder (e.g., Sort Field, Method Type) shows no options or is missing values you expected to see.

Causes & Fixes:

1. API key not entered or invalid. Some value lists (e.g., breed, color for AnimalsFirst/RescueGroups) come from cached API responses. Without a valid key, the cache is empty.
2. Filter values cache empty. AnimalsFirst and RescueGroups breed/color values populate only after the cache is refreshed. Go to the Filter Values tab and click Refresh Filter Values (Preferred-tier feature).
3. License-gated values filtered out. The builder hides options your tier can’t use. Premium-only templates or methods only appear for Junior+ users; Preferred-only options appear only for Preferred users.

Generated Shortcode Doesn’t Match What I Selected #

Symptom: You selected several parameters in the builder but the generated shortcode is missing some of them, or includes parameters you didn’t pick.

Cause: PetMatchPro silently strips paid parameters that your license tier cannot use, even if the builder UI exposed them. This is intentional – it prevents publishing a broken shortcode.

Fix:

1. Verify your license tier on the License Information page.
2. Check the Parameters by License Tier reference to see which params each tier supports.
3. If you need a paid parameter, upgrade your license and reopen the builder.

Phase 1 Only Supports [pmp-search] #

The current builder release covers [pmp-search] only. Builders for the other shortcodes are planned for a later phase:

• [pmp-details] — not yet in the builder; hand-write per the [pmp-details] Reference
• [pmp-detail] — hand-write per the [pmp-detail] Reference
• [pmp-option] — hand-write per the [pmp-option] Reference

Builder Shows Stale Values After Changing Partner #

Symptom: You switched the Integration Partner on the General Options tab, but the builder still shows values from the previous partner.

Fix: The builder re-reads values on every page load, so simply close and reopen the Shortcode Builder tab. If values are still wrong, hard-refresh the admin page (Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac) to clear any browser-cached HTML.

Next Steps #

• Shortcode Builder Guide — Full feature walkthrough
• Parameters by License Tier — What each tier unlocks
• [pmp-search] Reference — All search shortcode parameters