Guides · First steps

Installation and first setup

From downloading the plugin to the first working startup in WordPress. Follow the steps in order and in 10 minutes you'll have 4Linking ready to work.

8 min read For everyone

01 — Before you start

Requirements

Before installing 4Linking, make sure your environment meets these requirements. They're the usual ones for any modern WordPress plugin.

WordPress

Version 6.0 or higher. Recommended: the latest one.

PHP

Version 7.4 or higher. Recommended: 8.1+ for better performance.

Hosting

Any standard WordPress hosting. It must allow outbound HTTPS connections (to call OpenAI).

OpenAI key

Required for the AI modules. You can get one at platform.openai.com. If you're only going to use the linking core (Free), it isn't essential.

Polylang (optional)

Only needed if you're going to use the multilingual translation module.

BYOK model (Bring Your Own Key) 4Linking never charges you for AI usage. You connect your OpenAI account and pay OpenAI directly only for what you consume. The plugin's invoice is the annual license; everything else goes separately.

02 — Download

How to get the plugin

There are two ways to get 4Linking, depending on the plan you're going to use:

Option 1 · Free version

WordPress.org repository

If you're going to use the free version, you can download it directly from the official WordPress plugin directory. No registration needed.

Go to the repository

Option 2 · Paid plans

Buy at 4linking.com

If you're going to use Starter, Pro or Agency, get the plan on our site. You'll receive an email with the ZIP download link and your license key.

See plans

Both paths end at the same point: you have a .zip file ready to upload to WordPress. In the WP.org case, you can also install it directly from the plugin search in wp-admin without downloading anything.

03 — Installation

Install the plugin in WordPress

You've got the ZIP downloaded (or you've located the plugin in the directory). Let's install it in your WordPress:

Go into wp-admin Access your WordPress admin panel with your administrator account.
Go to Plugins → Add new In the side menu, click "Plugins" and then "Add new". You'll reach the plugin installation screen.
Upload the ZIP or search the directory Click "Upload plugin" at the top, select the downloaded ZIP file and click "Install now". If you're using the Free version, you can also search "4Linking" in the search field and click "Install" directly.
Activate the plugin After installation, click "Activate plugin". The plugin becomes active on your site. A new 4Linking entry will appear in the wp-admin side menu.

If your ZIP is over 2 MB and won't upload Some hosts limit the maximum upload size. Ask your host to raise upload_max_filesize to 32 MB, or use FTP to manually unzip the plugin into /wp-content/plugins/ and activate it from the Plugins screen.

04 — First startup

The plugin's first startup

When you activate the plugin for the first time, 4Linking greets you with an onboarding screen that guides you through the critical configuration: the OpenAI key and a brief introduction to the available modules.

You don't have to configure all the modules at once. The only essential thing before you start working with AI is the OpenAI key. You can adjust the rest whenever you need to.

If you're only going to use the linking core Rules, pillar pages and exclusions work without OpenAI. If your initial goal is just to set up an Internal linking architecture, you can skip the OpenAI configuration and go straight to creating your first pillar page.

05 — OpenAI

Set up your OpenAI key

The OpenAI key connects the plugin with your account and lets you use the generation, embeddings, translation and image modules. You only enter it once.

How to get your key

If you don't have an OpenAI key yet:

Create an account at platform.openai.com if you don't have one already.
Add a payment method (credit card) to your profile. OpenAI requires prepaid balance or a billing account to generate active keys.
Go to API keys in the side panel.
Click "Create new secret key", give it an identifying name (for example, "4Linking") and copy the generated key. The key starts with sk-.

OpenAI only shows you the key once Copy it immediately and store it somewhere safe. If you lose it, you'll have to generate a new one. Don't share it with anyone: it has access to your account.

Enter the key in the plugin

With the key in hand:

Go to Settings in 4Linking Inside the 4Linking menu in your wp-admin, click Settings.
Select the "OpenAI" tab You'll see a section dedicated to your OpenAI account configuration.
Paste your key Enter the key (which starts with sk-) in the corresponding field and click "Save".
Verify the connection The plugin contacts OpenAI to confirm the key works. If everything is fine, you'll see a green success message.

OpenAI configuration screen in 4Linking

06 — Verify

Check that everything is fine

Before you start using the plugin, a quick check confirms that the installation is complete:

The "4Linking" menu appears in wp-admin

If you see it in the sidebar, the plugin is active.

The "Rules", "Pillar pages" and "Exclusions" tabs are accessible

It means the plugin's core is loaded correctly.

In Settings → OpenAI, the connection shows as verified

If you've set up the key, a "Connected" status should appear. If you're only going to use the core, ignore this point.

If you have a paid plan, the license is activated

In Settings → License, the expiration date and the associated plan should be visible. If you haven't activated it yet, do so from the License activation guide.

07 — Issues

Common errors during installation

The ZIP won't upload ("The file is too large")

Your host limits the upload size. Ask your host to raise upload_max_filesize to 32 MB, or upload the unzipped plugin via FTP to /wp-content/plugins/ and activate it manually.

"Invalid OpenAI key" on verification

Check that you copied the full key (starts with sk-) with no spaces. If it still fails, verify that your OpenAI account has an active payment method: keys don't work without billing enabled.

Intermittent "OpenAI connection error"

Some hosts block outbound connections to external APIs. Ask your host to allow HTTPS connections to api.openai.com, or try temporarily disabling security plugins like Wordfence.

The plugin activates but the menu doesn't appear

It's usually a cache conflict. Clear the site cache (in cache plugins, in the browser and in the CDN if you have one) and reload wp-admin. If it persists, disable other plugins one by one to identify the conflict.

"Error 500" after activating the plugin

It's usually a PHP version problem. Verify that your host is on PHP 7.4 or higher. If you're on PHP 7.0 or 7.2, update it from the hosting panel or ask support to do it.

Next steps