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Requirements

Before installing Visual Portfolio, ensure your server meets these requirements:
Minimum Requirements
  • WordPress 6.2 or higher
  • PHP 7.2 or higher
  • MySQL 5.6 or higher
Tested Compatibility
  • WordPress: Up to version 6.9
  • PHP: 7.2 - 8.3

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Installation Methods

Choose the installation method that works best for you:

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Automatic Installation

The easiest way to install Visual Portfolio is through your WordPress dashboard.
1

Navigate to Plugins

Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Plugins → Add New
2

Search for Plugin

In the search field, type “Visual Portfolio” and press Enter
Look for the plugin by Visual Portfolio Team with the gallery icon.
3

Install

Click the “Install Now” button next to Visual PortfolioWordPress will download and install the plugin automatically.
4

Activate

After installation completes, click “Activate”You’ll be redirected to the Visual Portfolio welcome screen.

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What Happens on Activation

When you activate Visual Portfolio, the plugin automatically:
// Activation hook in class-visual-portfolio.php:171
public function activation_hook() {
    // Show welcome screen on first activation
    set_transient('_visual_portfolio_welcome_screen_activation_redirect', true, 30);
    
    // Flush rewrite rules for portfolio post type
    $this->defer_flush_rewrite_rules();
}
  • Sets up the Portfolio custom post type
  • Registers taxonomies (Categories & Tags)
  • Flushes rewrite rules for clean URLs
  • Shows a welcome screen with setup guidance

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Post-Installation Setup

After installing Visual Portfolio, follow these steps to configure the plugin:

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Welcome Screen

On first activation, you’ll see the Visual Portfolio welcome screen with:
  • Quick start guide
  • Documentation links
  • Pro features overview

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Configure Settings

1

Access Settings

Navigate to Portfolio → Settings (or Visual Portfolio → Settings if portfolio post type is disabled)
2

General Settings

Configure basic options:
  • Register Portfolio Post Type: Enable/disable the custom portfolio post type
  • Portfolio Archive Page: Select a page to use as your portfolio archive
  • Items Per Page: Set default number of items (default: 10)
If you only need photo galleries, you can disable the portfolio post type.
3

Image Settings

Configure image handling:
  • Lazy Loading: Enable for better performance (recommended)
  • Focal Point: Allow setting custom focal points for images
  • Image Sizes: Plugin automatically creates optimized sizes

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File Structure

Understanding the plugin structure helps with customization: 
visual-portfolio/
├── class-visual-portfolio.php   # Main plugin file (version 3.5.2)
├── classes/                      # PHP classes
│   ├── class-assets.php         # Asset management
│   ├── class-gutenberg.php      # Gutenberg integration  
│   ├── class-custom-post-type.php # Portfolio CPT
│   ├── class-templates.php      # Template system
│   └── ...
├── gutenberg/                    # React/Gutenberg blocks
│   ├── block/                   # Main Visual Portfolio block
│   ├── components/              # UI components
│   └── store/                   # State management
├── templates/                    # PHP templates (override in theme)
│   ├── items-list/              # Layout templates
│   │   ├── masonry/
│   │   ├── grid/
│   │   ├── justified/
│   │   └── slider/
│   └── items-list-item/         # Item style templates
├── build/                        # Compiled assets (don't edit)
├── assets/                       # Source files (for development)
├── languages/                    # Translation files
└── readme.txt                    # WordPress.org readme
Never edit files in the build/ directory - they are automatically generated and will be overwritten on updates.

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Verification

Verify your installation is working correctly:

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Check Plugin Status

  1. Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins
  2. Confirm Visual Portfolio shows as Active
  3. Version should display as 3.5.2

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Test Block Editor

1

Create New Post

Create a new post or page in WordPress
2

Add Block

Click the + button and search for “Visual Portfolio”You should see the Visual Portfolio block in the Media category
3

Verify Block Loads

Click the block - it should load without errors
If the block doesn’t appear, try clearing your browser cache and refreshing the page.

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Check Portfolio Post Type

If you enabled the portfolio post type: 
// Portfolio post type registration (classes/class-custom-post-type.php:123)
register_post_type(
    'portfolio',
    array(
        'public' => true,
        'has_archive' => true,
        'show_in_rest' => true, // Gutenberg support
        'supports' => array('title', 'editor', 'thumbnail'),
    )
);
  1. You should see Portfolio in your admin menu
  2. Navigate to Portfolio → Projects to manage portfolio items
  3. Go to Portfolio → Categories to manage portfolio categories

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Troubleshooting

Solution:
  1. Clear your browser cache
  2. Disable browser extensions temporarily
  3. Check for JavaScript errors in browser console (F12)
  4. Try switching to a default WordPress theme (Twenty Twenty-Four)
Cause: Portfolio post type might be disabledSolution:
  1. Go to Visual Portfolio → Settings
  2. Enable “Register Portfolio Post Type”
  3. Save settings
  4. Refresh the page
Diagnosis:
# Check for JavaScript errors
# Open browser console (F12) and look for errors
Solution: Visual Portfolio includes compatibility for major themes:
  • Avada
  • Enfold
  • Blocksy
  • Divi
If issues persist, contact support with your theme name.

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Database Tables

Visual Portfolio uses standard WordPress tables and doesn’t create custom tables:
  • Posts: Portfolio items stored as portfolio post type
  • Postmeta: Gallery settings stored as metadata
  • Terms: Portfolio categories and tags
-- Example: Find all portfolio posts
SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE post_type = 'portfolio';

-- Example: Find Visual Portfolio layouts
SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE post_type = 'vp_lists';

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Update Process

Visual Portfolio follows WordPress standards for updates:

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Automatic Updates (Recommended)

  1. Go to Dashboard → Updates
  2. Check the box next to Visual Portfolio
  3. Click “Update Plugins”

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Version Migration

The plugin handles version migrations automatically: 
// Migration system (classes/class-migration.php)
class Visual_Portfolio_Migration {
    public function maybe_run_migrations() {
        $current_version = get_option('visual_portfolio_version');
        
        if (version_compare($current_version, VISUAL_PORTFOLIO_VERSION, '<')) {
            // Run necessary migrations
        }
    }
}
Always backup your database before major updates (e.g., 2.x to 3.x)

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Uninstallation

To completely remove Visual Portfolio:
1

Deactivate

Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and deactivate Visual Portfolio
2

Delete

Click “Delete” next to Visual Portfolio
This removes plugin files but keeps your portfolio data in the database.
3

Remove Data (Optional)

If you want to remove all plugin data:
-- Remove portfolio posts
DELETE FROM wp_posts WHERE post_type IN ('portfolio', 'vp_lists');

-- Remove portfolio metadata
DELETE FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id NOT IN (SELECT ID FROM wp_posts);

-- Remove portfolio terms
DELETE FROM wp_terms WHERE term_id IN (
  SELECT term_id FROM wp_term_taxonomy 
  WHERE taxonomy IN ('portfolio_category', 'portfolio_tag')
);
Backup your database before running SQL commands!

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Next Steps

Now that Visual Portfolio is installed, you’re ready to create your first gallery!

Quick Start Guide

Create your first portfolio gallery in minutes

Official Documentation

Explore comprehensive documentation

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Getting Help

If you encounter any issues during installation:

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