IoT Data Widget

FAQ

Where’s the human-readable source for the minified JavaScript?

blocks/iot-widget/build/index.js (the Gutenberg block editor script) is a compiled bundle. Its full, human-readable source is included in this plugin’s ZIP at blocks/iot-widget/src/ — build it yourself with npm install && npm run build (standard @wordpress/scripts toolchain, see package.json).

What’s included in Pro?

Free (no time limit, no license, unlimited connections): Home Assistant, push mode, Generic REST data sources; Card/Status list/Gauge display styles; the setup wizard, shortcode, Gutenberg block, and diagnostics page.

What shortcode examples are there?

Card (single value): [iotdw_widget connection="Home" entity="sensor.living_room_temperature"]

Status list (several entities at once): [iotdw_widget connection="Home" style="list" entities="sensor.temperature,sensor.humidity,sensor.battery"]

Gauge (numeric value with a min/max range): [iotdw_widget connection="Home" style="gauge" entity="sensor.tank_level" min="0" max="100"]

Generic REST (entity is a JSONPath into the JSON response): [iotdw_widget connection="Weather API" entity="current_weather.temperature"]

Entities with a non-numeric state (a relay’s on/off, a presence sensor’s home/away…) show their real value (“ON”, “true”) in Card and Status list styles.

I don’t want to use the setup wizard — can I skip it?

Yes, every wizard screen has a “Skip the wizard, I’ll configure manually” link that takes you straight to the regular Connections page, where everything works exactly as it did before the wizard existed. Nothing about manual configuration changed or was removed.

Can I run the setup wizard again after my first connection?

Yes — click “Run the setup wizard again” on the Connections page. It always creates a brand-new connection through the same guided steps; it never edits or overwrites one you already have.

Why didn’t activating the plugin open the setup wizard?

If you activated several plugins at once (the “bulk actions” checkbox list on the Plugins screen), the wizard intentionally doesn’t open — a redirect in the middle of a bulk action would be disruptive. Open it anytime from IoT Data Widget → Setup Wizard in the admin menu.

How do I get a Home Assistant Long-Lived Access Token?

In Home Assistant, click your username in the bottom-left corner to open your profile, scroll to Security, then Long-Lived Access Tokens → Create Token. Copy it immediately — Home Assistant only shows it once.

Home Assistant doesn’t let you limit what a token can do — it inherits the full permissions of whichever account created it, and it never expires until you revoke it. We recommend creating a separate, non-administrator account in Home Assistant just for this token. If your WordPress site is on external/shared hosting, also consider push mode instead — it never stores a Home Assistant token at all.

How are my device credentials protected?

Credentials you enter (Home Assistant tokens, MQTT broker passwords, Shelly Cloud keys) are encrypted before being stored in your WordPress database, using a key derived from your site’s own configuration. This protects them if the database itself leaks — a backup, a database dump, a SQL injection in an unrelated plugin on the same install, or a staging clone. It does not protect against someone who has already fully compromised your server, since the encryption key lives on that same server.

If you ever uninstall the plugin, we recommend also revoking the Home Assistant token (and rotating any MQTT/Shelly Cloud credentials) from the device/service side.

Push mode sidesteps this entirely: the plugin never stores any credentials to your devices, because your device sends data to the plugin instead of the other way around.

Does this work with any REST API, or only Home Assistant?

Both. The Generic REST connector (free) works with any API that returns JSON over HTTP(S), authenticated or not.

Does the plugin send my data anywhere else?

No. The values shown in your widgets never leave your own WordPress installation to any third party — the plugin only connects to the URL you configure in each connection. See “External services” below for the small number of exceptions.

What happens if a connection or entity is misconfigured?

The widget fails gracefully: site visitors simply see nothing where the widget would be, while logged-in administrators see a clear error message in its place.

Will this hit my Home Assistant instance on every page view?

No — responses are cached for 60 seconds by default (not configurable per widget in this version), so repeated page views within that window are served from cache.

Something isn’t working — what’s the fastest way to get help?

Go to IoT Data Widget → Diagnostics and click “Copy diagnostic report”, then paste it into your support email or ticket. Tokens, keys and passwords are never included in the report.

What languages does the plugin come with?

English by default. Additional languages are provided via translate.wordpress.org — any string not yet translated falls back to English.

What’s the plugin’s privacy policy?

No telemetry beyond the opt-in Freemius diagnostics (see “External services” below); the plugin author never sees your data or connection details. Credentials are encrypted at rest. Fetched values are cached temporarily (WP Transients, 60s default), not logged or retained beyond that. Uninstalling leaves your data in place unless you check “Remove all plugin data” under Settings first. If the external API/instance you connect to processes personal data, your site’s own privacy policy should disclose that connection.