Configuring WordPress with the EmpowerLocal Plugin

Step 1: Login to the EmpowerLocal Dashboard

• Start by logging in to the EmpowerLocal dashboard using your credentials.

Step 2: Select Publication

• Once logged in, toggle to the appropriate publication in the top left corner to choose the publication you'd like to set up.

Step 3: Navigate to Ad Configuration

• Once the correct publication is selected, navigate to the Ad Configuration tab.

Step 4: Download the Plugin

• Click the Download Now button on Step 1 to download the plugin, or use this link to download the plugin directly. Ensure the file remains in its zipped format.

Step 5: Activate the Plugin

• After the installation is complete, click Activate Plugin to enable it on your WordPress site.

Step 6: Configure API Key

• Go to EmpowerLocal > Setup in the WordPress admin sidebar.
• To obtain your API key, access the EmpowerLocal dashboard and navigate to the Ad Configuration tab on the left side. Copy the API key from Step 2 there.
• Back in WordPress, paste this API key into the designated field and click Save Key.

Step 6: Install Premium Ad Network

• A new section labeled Premium Ad Network should appear on the right side.
• Click the Install button located under this section.

Step 7: Access Premium Ad Network Settings

• After the installation, click the Settings button under the Premium Ad Network.

Step 8: Configure Ad Settings

• Set the following configurations:
  • Manage your own ads.txt file:
    
    • If you already have an ads.txt file, select Yes and you’ll need to copy/paste the ads.txt data from the EmpowerLocal dashboard into your file. Be sure not to overwrite any existing entries that are already there.
    • If not, select No to use the default file provided by the plugin.
    • NOTE: If you are only implementing the Local Savings Unit, you can skip this step as the Local Savings Unit does not require ads.txt.
  • Show Local Stories Player at the end of articles: Select Yes only if you are implementing the Local Stories Player. Otherwise, select No.
  • Show Local Savings Unit at the end of articles: Select Yes to activate this feature; select No if not using it.
  • Show Local Action Unit: Choose Yes to enable; otherwise, select No.
  • If implementing the Local Action Unit, configure to Display after 2 paragraphs and set the Minimum paragraph size to 100 characters.

Step 9: Save Changes

• Click Save Changes to apply your configurations.

Step 10: Finalize Installation

• Scroll down below the Save Changes button, and click the Go Live button in Step 2 to finalize the setup.

Step 11: Verify on Your Site

• Visit an article on your site to confirm that the ads are displaying correctly. Note that the Local Savings Unit might not appear in every article as it does not display 100% of the time. If your site utilizes caching, you may need to clear your cache to see the ad units render correctly.
• SEE HERE for a visual guide of each ad unit’s recommended location within a typical article page. 
• Expand Ad Placement Options: The Local Stories Player and Local Savings Unit can be placed on any page across your site, including your home page, section pages and even event pages. We encourage you to leverage these units to maximize monetization of additional pageviews in these areas. The Local Action Unit, however, is designed exclusively for use within articles.
• Implementation Using Shortcodes: These ad units can be implemented easily using the shortcodes provided at the very bottom of the EmpowerLocal WordPress settings page. This feature allows for straightforward integration and flexibility in placing these units exactly where you need them on your site.

Final Step: Please notify us!

• Once you have completed these steps and activated the ad units, please notify us so we can check from our side. It's normal not to see all of your ad units immediately; we may need to perform some tuning on the EmpowerLocal side once the ad units are live to ensure they are running as intended.

This guide should help you successfully integrate EmpowerLocal with your WordPress site, ensuring that your ad placements and configurations are correctly set up for optimal performance.