Articles on: Product Roadmap

Setup Wizard Guide

The Product Roadmap plugin includes a comprehensive setup wizard to help you get started quickly. This guide explains each step of the wizard and how to customize your roadmap.

Accessing the Setup Wizard

There are three ways to access the setup wizard:

Automatic Redirect: After activating the plugin for the first time, you'll be automatically redirected to the wizard
Welcome Notice: Click "Run Setup Wizard" in the admin notice that appears on roadmap pages
Admin Menu: Navigate to Roadmap → Setup Wizard at any time

Wizard Steps

Step 1: Product Configuration

Configure your product name and customize item labels to match your terminology.

Fields:

Product Name: The name of your product or project (e.g., "My App", "WordPress Plugin")
This appears in menu titles and page headings
Used as the default roadmap page title

Item Labels: Customize what you call roadmap items
Singular: How you refer to one item (e.g., "Feature", "Task", "Story", "Ticket")
Plural: How you refer to multiple items (e.g., "Features", "Tasks", "Stories", "Tickets")
These labels appear throughout the interface

Pro Tip: Choose labels that resonate with your users. Software teams might use "Features", while agencies might prefer "Deliverables".

Step 2: Basic Settings

Configure how users can interact with your roadmap.

Options:

Enable Voting: Allow users to vote on roadmap items
Helps prioritize development based on user demand
Shows vote counts on each item

Guest Voting: Allow non-logged-in users to vote
Tracks votes by IP address for guests
Prevents duplicate voting from same IP

Enable Comments: Allow users to comment on roadmap items
Facilitates discussion and feedback
Uses WordPress native comment system

Step 3: Import Demo Content

Optionally import sample roadmap items to see how everything works.

Demo Content Includes:

11 sample roadmap items
Items distributed across all 5 status types:
Planned (3 items)
In Progress (3 items)
Completed (2 items)
Under Review (2 items)
On Hold (2 items)
4 categories: Features, Improvements, Bug Fixes, Infrastructure
Various priority levels and vote counts
Sample comments on popular items

Should You Import Demo Content?

✅ Yes if you want to see how the roadmap looks with content
✅ Yes if you're testing or demonstrating the plugin
❌ No if you're ready to add your real roadmap items immediately

Step 4: Finish

The wizard completes by:

Creating a roadmap page with the [roadmap product="main"] shortcode
Saving all your configuration
Providing quick links to:

View your roadmap page
Edit the roadmap page
Add your first real item
Access advanced settings

What Happens Behind the Scenes

Page Creation

Creates a new page titled "{Your Product} Roadmap"
Adds the [roadmap product="main"] shortcode automatically
Sets page status to published
Prevents duplicate pages if run multiple times

Data Storage

All settings are stored as WordPress options:

roadmap_product_name
roadmap_item_singular_label
roadmap_item_plural_label
roadmap_enable_voting
roadmap_allow_guest_voting
roadmap_enable_comments
roadmap_wizard_completed
roadmap_demo_imported
roadmap_page_id

Taxonomy Setup

Creates default product term "main" (free version limitation)
Ensures all status terms exist
Sets up categories if demo content is imported

Re-running the Wizard

You can access the wizard again at any time:

Go to Roadmap → Setup Wizard
If already completed, you'll see a "Start Over" button
Starting over will:

Reset wizard completion flag
Allow you to reconfigure settings
NOT delete existing roadmap items
NOT create duplicate pages

Customizing After Setup

After completing the wizard, you can:

Change Settings

Go to Roadmap → Settings for advanced options
Modify voting, comments, and display settings
Configure items per page and other options

Manage Taxonomies

Categories: Add/edit at Roadmap → Categories
Statuses: Managed automatically (planned, in-progress, completed, on-hold, under-review)
Products: Limited to one in free version

Customize the Roadmap Page

Edit the created page
Add content before/after the shortcode
Change the page template if needed
Modify shortcode parameters:

   [roadmap product="main" sort="votes" template="board"]

Troubleshooting

Wizard Not Appearing

Clear browser cache
Deactivate and reactivate the plugin
Check for JavaScript errors in console

Demo Content Not Importing

Ensure you're logged in as administrator
Check PHP error logs
Verify database write permissions

Page Not Created

Check if a page with the shortcode already exists
Verify you have permission to create pages
Look for the page in trash

Settings Not Saving

Ensure proper file permissions
Check for plugin conflicts
Verify database connection

Pro Version Differences

In the Pro version, the wizard includes:

Multiple product configuration
Advanced template selection
Custom branding options
Email notification setup
Import/export settings

Developer Notes

Hooks Available

// Before wizard step processing
do_action('roadmap_before_wizard_step_{step_number}');

// After wizard step processing
do_action('roadmap_after_wizard_step_{step_number}');

// After wizard completion
do_action('roadmap_wizard_completed');

Customizing Wizard Steps

// Add custom step
add_filter('roadmap_wizard_steps', function($steps) {
    $steps[] = [
        'title' => 'Custom Step',
        'callback' => 'my_custom_step_callback'
    ];
    return $steps;
});

Next Steps

After completing the wizard:

Add Real Content: Start adding your actual roadmap items
Customize Statuses: Set appropriate statuses for your workflow
Engage Users: Announce the roadmap to your users
Monitor Feedback: Track votes and comments to guide development
Keep Updated: Regularly update item statuses to maintain trust

Updated on: 25/09/2025

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