The following is a list of plugins that are known to cause issues in some configurations:


Cache Plugins


All cache plugins should be used with caution and with the knowledge that they will have to be configured in order to not cause major problems. Keep in mind that when a cache plugin performs incorrectly it will cause issues with MemberMouse. This is a result of the nature of caching itself, which takes a snapshot of pages and other resources the first time they're loaded, and then on future requests pulls them from the cache instead of retrieving them from the server. This works great for static pages and resources, but if a page delivers any dynamic content, you'll end up delivering an incorrect experience to your customers.


If you're going to use a cache plugin make sure you configure it such that:


  • MemberMouse core pages are not cached. This includes both client and server side caching
  • URLs containing wp-content/plugins/membermouse are not cached
  • Pages with GET parameters (i.e. x=y at the end of the URL) aren't cached
  • Minify of CSS and JavaScript, and deferral of JavaScript, are disabled
  • Pages that use MemberMouse SmartTags are not cached. If you're using SmartTags in a widget that appears on multiple pages, you'll need to exclude all of these pages from being cached.

 
Please see our article on Configuring Caching on Your Server for more information.


Here are some cache plugins to use with caution:


  • W3 Total Cache

  • WP Super Cache

  • WP Rocket

  • SG Optimizer (used with SiteGround hosting) - When certain settings are selected, these can keep visitors on your site from entering data on the checkout page. This may be accompanied by login page "frozen" on Sending, though members will in fact be logged in if they navigate to another page.

    Here are the settings that should be disabled:

    1. SG Optimizer > Frontend Optimizations - "Minify JavaScript Files" and "Combine JavaScript Files" should be disabled.

    2. SG Optimizer > SuperCacher Controls - Dynamic Caching should be disabled.



Broken Link Plugins


There are several plugins that are designed to comb through your site and locate broken links, or links that take users to pages that are no longer active. While not only placing a lot of strain on your WordPress database and slow down your site, these plugins can cause your SmartTags to not function properly.  You will likely see an error like the one listed below:


<a href="Invalid SmartTag Configuration: The 'type' attribute 'footPassword' is invalid for SmartTag MM_CorePage_Link." class="mm-forgot-password">Forgot Password</a>


And your SmartTags will not function. If you have this issue on your site, try deactivating:

  • Broken Link Checker

We understand that Google suggests checking for broken links on your site. A safer (and less taxing) alternative is a site like brokenlinkcheck.com, which is not a plugin, and will provide the same results.



Security Plugins


Security plugins often include options which will cause malfunctions in other plugins, including MemberMouse. Some options which usually create problems are:


  • Disabling PHP execution in the WordPress plugin directory
  • Login security features, such as Two-Factor Authentication
  • Anti-spam features that block spam form submissions


Most security plugins contain one or more of these features, so care should be exercised when enabling plugin options. The list below highlights some security plugins that ship with these options enabled by default:


  • All In One WP Security and Firewall - This plugin includes security features that break the login process in certain hosting environments when MemberMouse is installed. When the issue manifests, login is impossible, even using the default WordPress login page, and the security plugin must be disabled by renaming the plugin folder in order to regain access to the site.

  • SiteGround Security - The Lock and Protect System Folders feature prevents execution of PHP scripts in the plugin folder. This breaks many important MemberMouse features, including checkout and recurring billing.