WordPress Product Roadmap Pro - User Guide

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Getting Started
• Analytics Dashboard
• Multi-Product Management
• Advanced Filtering
• Import & Export
• Drag & Drop Management
• Timeline View
• Pro Settings
• Troubleshooting

Introduction

Product Roadmap Pro adds powerful features to help you manage multiple product roadmaps, analyze user engagement, and make data-driven decisions about your product direction.

What's Included in Pro

Analytics & Insights

• View voting trends and patterns
• Track user engagement metrics
• Monitor popular items and recent activity
• Visualize data with interactive charts

Multi-Product Support

• Manage separate roadmaps for different products
• Filter admin view by product
• Display product-specific roadmaps on frontend
• Per-product analytics

Import & Export

• Export roadmap data to CSV
• Import items in bulk from CSV
• Filter exports by product, status, or date

Drag & Drop

• Move items between statuses by dragging
• Reorder items within columns
• Works in manage mode on frontend

Advanced Filtering

• Filter by multiple criteria at once
• Save filter presets for quick access
• Filter by priority, assignee, date range, progress

Timeline View

• Interactive timeline visualization
• Switch between day, week, month, quarter, year views
• Visual progress bars
• Dependency tracking

Getting Started

Installation

1. Install Free Version First

• The Pro addon requires the free Product Roadmap plugin
• Install and activate the free plugin from WordPress.org

2. Install Pro Addon

• Upload roadmap-pro-addon.zip via Plugins > Add New > Upload
• Click Install Now and Activate

3. Activate Your License

• Go to Roadmap > Settings > License tab
• Enter your license key
• Click Activate License
• You'll see "Active" status when successful

First Steps

After activation, you'll have access to:

• Roadmap > Analytics - View detailed analytics
• Roadmap > Settings - Configure pro features
• Product column in admin item list
• Product filter dropdown in admin
• Analytics tab on frontend roadmap

Analytics Dashboard

Access analytics at Roadmap > Analytics in WordPress admin.

Overview Cards

Four metric cards show at-a-glance stats:

Total Items

• Shows total number of roadmap items
• All statuses included

Total Votes

• Sum of all votes across all items
• Reflects overall user engagement

Total Comments

• All comments on roadmap items
• Indicates discussion activity

Active Users

• Unique users who have voted
• Measures community size

Analytics Charts

Status Distribution (Doughnut Chart)

• Shows how many items are in each status
• Click legend to toggle status visibility
• Useful for tracking workflow balance

Votes Over Time (Line Chart)

• Daily vote counts for selected period
• Watch for trends and spikes
• Indicates engagement patterns

Popular Items Table

Lists top 10 items by vote count with:

• Item title (clickable link)
• Vote count
• Comment count

Use this to identify high-demand features.

Recent Activity Table

Shows last 20 activities including:

• Activity type (vote, comment, status change)
• Item number
• Date/time

Monitor real-time engagement.

Filtering Analytics

Product Filter

• Select specific product or "All Products"
• Analytics update to show only that product

Period Filter

• 7 days - Last week's data
• 30 days - Last month (default)
• 90 days - Last quarter
• 1 year - Annual trends

Refresh Button

• Reload latest data
• Updates all charts and tables

Export Button

• Download current analytics view as CSV
• Includes all visible data

Multi-Product Management

Manage separate roadmaps for different products like Mobile App, Web Platform, API, etc.

Backend: Admin Product Management

Product Column

• New "Product" column in Roadmap Items list
• Shows which product(s) each item belongs to

Product Filter Dropdown

• Filter admin list by product
• Located above item list
• Shows "All Products" or select specific one

Assigning Products to Items

• Edit any roadmap item
• Find "Product" taxonomy box (right sidebar)
• Select one or more products
• Save item

Frontend: Displaying Product Roadmaps

Single Product Roadmap

[roadmap product="mobile-app"]

Shows only items tagged with "mobile-app" product.

Multiple Products

[roadmap product="mobile-app,web-platform"]

Shows items from both products (comma-separated).

Product-Specific Analytics

On the frontend roadmap, an Analytics tab appears showing:

• Total items for that product
• Total votes
• Total comments
• Completion rate percentage

Creating Products

Products are managed as a taxonomy:

1. Go to Roadmap > Products (taxonomy menu)
2. Click Add New Product
3. Enter:

• Name: Display name (e.g., "Mobile App")
• Slug: URL-friendly version (e.g., "mobile-app")
• Description: Optional description

Products appear in:

• Admin filter dropdown
• Item edit screen
• Shortcode product parameter

Advanced Filtering

The Pro addon adds powerful filtering options beyond the free version.

Available Filters

Priority Filter

• Filter by: critical, high, medium, low
• Parameter: priority="high"

Date Range Filter

• Filter by target date range
• Parameters: date_from="2024-01-01" date_to="2024-12-31"

Assignee Filter

• Show items assigned to specific user
• Parameter: assignee="5" (user ID)

Progress Filter

• Filter by completion percentage
• Parameters: min_progress="50" max_progress="100"

Multiple Products

• Comma-separated product slugs
• Parameter: product="mobile,web"

Dependencies Filter

• Show items with/without dependencies
• Parameter: has_dependencies="true"

Combining Filters

[roadmap product="mobile-app" status="in-progress" priority="high"]

Shows only high-priority, in-progress items for mobile app.

Sorting Options

Sort by Priority

• Parameter: orderby="priority"
• Orders: critical > high > medium > low

Sort by Votes

• Parameter: orderby="votes"
• Shows most-voted items first

Sort by Target Date

• Parameter: orderby="target_date"
• Chronological order

Sort by Progress

• Parameter: orderby="progress"
• Shows by completion percentage

Add order="desc" to reverse any sort.

Filter Presets (Backend Only)

Save frequently-used filters:

1. Filter items in admin
2. API endpoint saves your filter combination
3. Quick-apply saved filters later

Import & Export

Access at Roadmap > Settings > Import/Export tab.

Exporting Data

Step 1: Choose What to Export

• Product: Select specific product or "All Products"
• Status: Filter by status or export all
• Date Range: Optional date filters

Step 2: Export

• Click Export to CSV
• File downloads automatically
• Filename: roadmap-export-YYYY-MM-DD.csv

CSV Contains:

• ID, Title, Description
• Status, Category, Priority
• Target Date
• Votes, Comments
• Progress percentage
• Assignee name

Use Cases:

• Backup your data
• Analyze in spreadsheet
• Share with stakeholders
• Generate reports

Importing Data

Step 1: Prepare CSV File

Required column: Title

Optional columns:

• Description - Item content
• Status - Status name
• Category - Category name
• Priority - critical/high/medium/low
• Target Date - YYYY-MM-DD format
• Product - Product slug

Step 2: Upload and Configure

1. Click Choose File and select your CSV
2. Set Default Product - used if Product column is empty
3. Choose import mode:

• Create new items - Only add new items
• Update existing - Modify items with matching IDs

Step 3: Import

• Click Import CSV
• Review success message
• Check imported items in admin list

Tips:

• Download sample CSV for correct format
• Maximum file size: 5MB
• All text should be UTF-8 encoded
• Dates must be YYYY-MM-DD format

Drag & Drop Management

Reorganize items visually by dragging them between status columns.

Enabling Drag & Drop

In Admin:

Drag & drop works automatically in the Roadmap Items list when viewing board layout.

On Frontend:

Enable management mode in shortcode:

[roadmap mode="manage"]

Only users with edit_posts permission can drag items.

How to Use

1. Click and hold an item card
2. Drag to another status column
3. Drop in desired position
4. Item status updates automatically
5. Position saves to database

Visual Feedback:

• Item becomes semi-transparent while dragging
• Drop zones highlight when hovering
• Smooth animation on drop

What Gets Updated:

• Item status changes to new column
• Menu order updates based on position
• Analytics track the move

Settings

Configure drag & drop at Roadmap > Settings > Pro Features:

• Enable Drag & Drop: Toggle on/off globally
• Enabled by default

Technical Note

Drag & drop uses:

• Sortable.js library for smooth interactions
• REST API endpoint /roadmap/v1/items/reorder
• WordPress nonce for security

Timeline View

Visualize your roadmap on an interactive timeline/Gantt chart.

Displaying Timeline

Use the timeline template:

[roadmap template="timeline"]

Or with specific product:

[roadmap product="mobile-app" template="timeline"]

Timeline Features

Time Period Views

• Day View: Hourly breakdown
• Week View: Daily breakdown
• Month View: Daily grid (default)
• Quarter View: Weekly overview
• Year View: Monthly overview

Navigation

• ← Button: Go to previous period
• → Button: Go to next period
• Current date range displayed in header

Visual Elements

• Timeline bars: Colored by status
• Progress bars: Show completion percentage
• Item titles: Display on bars
• Assignee avatars: Show who's responsible
• Date headers: Grid showing time periods

Timeline Controls

Located in header:

View Selector Buttons

• Click Day/Week/Month/Quarter/Year
• Active view highlighted
• Chart redraws automatically

Navigation Arrows

• Previous/Next period buttons
• Date range updates
• New data loads from API

Item Information

Each timeline bar shows:

• Item title
• Progress bar (if enabled in settings)
• Status color (colored background)
• Duration (bar width = time span)
• Position (vertical placement)

Click an item to view details (if configured).

Assignees

When enabled, timeline shows:

• Avatar image next to item title
• Assignee name on hover
• Set assignee in item edit screen

Dependencies

Timeline can show dependencies between items:

• Visual lines connecting dependent items
• Helps identify blocking issues
• Configure in Roadmap > Settings

Timeline Settings

Configure at Roadmap > Settings > Pro Features:

• Enable Timeline View: Toggle on/off
• Show Weekends: Include Sat/Sun in timeline
• Show Dependencies: Draw dependency lines
• Show Progress: Display progress bars
• Show Assignees: Display assignee info

Pro Settings

Access at Roadmap > Settings with additional pro tabs.

Pro Features Tab

Enable Timeline View

• Checkbox to enable/disable timeline template
• Default: Enabled

Enable Drag & Drop

• Checkbox to enable/disable drag functionality
• Default: Enabled

Enable Analytics

• Checkbox to enable/disable analytics tracking
• Default: Enabled

Maximum Products

• Number field (1-100)
• Limits how many products can be created
• Default: 10

Templates Tab

Default Template

• Choose which template shows by default
• Options: Board, Timeline, List, Cards, Minimal

Enable Template Switcher

• Let users switch templates on frontend
• Adds view selector buttons

Cards View Columns

• 2, 3, or 4 columns for cards layout
• Only applies to cards template

Advanced Tab

Cache Settings

Clear Cache Button

• Clears all roadmap-related caches
• Click and confirm to clear
• Success message appears
• Use if data seems stale

Enable Object Caching

• Checkbox to use WordPress object cache
• Improves performance on large roadmaps

Cache Duration

• How long to cache queries (seconds)
• Default: 3600 (1 hour)

License Tab

License Key

• Enter your purchase license key
• Click Activate License
• Status shows: Active, Invalid, or Expired

License Details (when activated):

• License status
• Activation date
• Expiration date
• Allowed domains
• Support access level

Deactivate Button

• Remove license from this site
• Frees activation for another domain

Troubleshooting

Analytics Not Showing Data

Check:

1. Ensure items exist in your roadmap
2. Verify analytics is enabled in Settings > Pro Features
3. Check that you have votes or comments to track
4. Try different time periods (30 days vs 7 days)

Fix:

• Clear cache in Settings > Advanced
• Check browser console for JavaScript errors
• Verify Chart.js is loading (check page source)

Drag & Drop Not Working

Check:

1. Confirm you're logged in with edit permissions
2. Verify drag & drop is enabled in Settings
3. Make sure you're in manage mode: [roadmap mode="manage"]
4. Check that JavaScript is not blocked

Fix:

• Try different browser
• Disable browser extensions
• Check for JavaScript conflicts with other plugins
• View browser console for errors

Timeline Not Displaying

Check:

1. Verify timeline view is enabled in Settings
2. Confirm items have target dates set
3. Check that timeline.js is loading
4. Ensure items fall within current date range

Fix:

• Navigate timeline to different time period
• Set target dates on items
• Clear browser cache
• Check browser console for errors

Import Failing

Common Issues:

File Format

• Must be valid CSV file
• UTF-8 encoding
• Headers in first row

File Size

• Maximum 5MB
• Break large imports into batches

Required Fields

• Title column is mandatory
• Check spelling of column names
• Match status/category names exactly

Fix:

1. Download sample CSV first
2. Copy format exactly
3. Verify data in plain text editor
4. Try importing just 2-3 rows first

Export Not Downloading

Check:

1. Pop-up blocker settings
2. Browser download permissions
3. Available disk space

Fix:

• Allow pop-ups from your site
• Try different browser
• Check PHP error logs

Product Filter Not Working

Check:

1. Items are tagged with products
2. Product taxonomy exists
3. Correct product slug in shortcode

Fix:

• Edit items and assign products
• Go to Roadmap > Products and verify product exists
• Check product slug matches shortcode exactly (case-sensitive)

License Activation Issues

"Invalid License Key"

• Double-check key for typos
• Copy-paste directly from purchase email
• Ensure no extra spaces

"License Expired"

• Check expiration date in purchase email
• Renew license if needed
• Contact support for grace period

"Activation Limit Reached"

• License used on maximum allowed sites
• Deactivate from unused sites first
• Upgrade license for more activations

Best Practices

Organizing Multiple Products

1. Create Clear Product Names

• Use descriptive names: "Mobile App", "Web Platform"
• Keep slugs simple: "mobile", "web"

2. Assign Items Consistently

• Tag all items with appropriate product
• Use product filter to review each product
• Consider items that span multiple products

3. Use Product-Specific Shortcodes

• Separate pages for each product roadmap
• Example: /mobile-roadmap/ page with [roadmap product="mobile"]

Getting Useful Analytics

1. Set Time Periods Appropriately

• Use 7 days for weekly reviews
• Use 30 days for monthly reports
• Use 90 days for quarterly planning

2. Monitor Popular Items

• Check what users want most
• Prioritize high-vote items
• Look for comment patterns

3. Track Activity Trends

• Watch for engagement spikes
• Identify quiet periods
• Correlate with marketing activities

Efficient Import/Export

For Backups:

• Export "All Products" regularly
• Include all statuses
• Store exports safely
• Date your export files

For Updates:

1. Export current data
2. Edit in spreadsheet software
3. Re-import with "Update existing" checked
4. Review changes carefully

For Migration:

• Export from old system
• Match CSV format exactly
• Test with small batch first
• Import in stages

Effective Drag & Drop Use

1. Keep Status Columns Organized

• Don't overload one status
• Balance items across columns
• Regular status reviews

2. Set Permissions Carefully

• Only editors should drag items
• Consider read-only public view
• Use manage mode selectively

3. Communicate Changes

• Notify users of status moves
• Update item descriptions
• Add comments explaining changes

Advanced Features

Frontend Analytics Tab

When displaying roadmap with product parameter, an Analytics tab appears:

[roadmap product="mobile-app"]

Shows product-specific metrics:

• Total items
• Total votes
• Total comments
• Completion rate

How It Works:

• Tab button added to roadmap interface
• Clicking shows analytics view
• Data loads via REST API
• Updates in real-time

Who Can See:

• All users can view analytics tab
• Respects product visibility settings
• No special permissions needed

Filter Presets (API)

Save frequently-used filter combinations via REST API:

// Save preset
fetch('/wp-json/roadmap/v1/filter-presets', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'X-WP-Nonce': nonce
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    name: 'Q4 Priorities',
    filters: {
      priority: 'high',
      status: 'planned',
      product: 'mobile'
    }
  })
});

Advanced Sorting

Combine sorting with filtering:

[roadmap product="mobile" status="in-progress" orderby="priority" order="desc"]

Available orderby values:

• priority - Custom priority order (critical → high → medium → low)
• votes - Most voted first
• target_date - Chronological
• progress - By completion percentage
• date - By creation date (default)

Cache Management

When to Clear Cache:

• After bulk imports
• If data seems outdated
• After changing settings
• Before important demos

How to Clear:

1. Go to Roadmap > Settings > Advanced
2. Click Clear Cache button
3. Confirm the prompt
4. Wait for success message

Getting Support

Pro license holders receive priority support.

Support Channels

Email Support

• Address: support@wbcomdesigns.com
• Include your license key
• Response within 24 hours

Documentation

• This user guide for usage help
• Developer guide for customization
• Check documentation first

Before Contacting Support

1. Check This Guide

• Review troubleshooting section
• Try suggested fixes

2. Gather Information

• WordPress version
• PHP version
• Free plugin version
• Pro addon version
• Active theme name
• Other active plugins
• Error messages (exact text)

3. Try Safe Mode

• Disable all plugins except Roadmap
• Switch to default theme
• Test if issue persists

Feature Requests

We welcome feedback on pro features:

• Email support with suggestions
• Describe your use case
• Explain expected behavior

Conclusion

Product Roadmap Pro transforms your roadmap into a complete product management system. Use analytics to make data-driven decisions, manage multiple products efficiently, and engage your community effectively.

For any questions or issues, consult this guide first, then reach out to our priority support team.

Updated on: 25/09/2025