# FAQ

Answers to questions merchants and agencies ask when launching with **StoreCrafted Site Visibility Manager for WooCommerce**.

## Why are my settings not changing the live site?

The allowlist only applies when WooCommerce Site Visibility is set to **Coming soon**. If the site is **Live**, settings save but do not gate the front end.

Check **WooCommerce → Settings → Site visibility**, then confirm the status panel on **WooCommerce → Settings → Site Visibility Manager**.

## Should I use “Apply to store pages only”?

For the common “homepage + blog public, shop closed” launch:

1. Use **Coming soon** for the **entire site** (**Apply to store pages only** off).
2. Open sections with this plugin.

**Store pages only** already leaves non-store URLs public, so blog presets are largely unnecessary in that mode.

## Do child pages open when I allowlist a parent?

No. Only the exact selected page IDs are public. Select each child page you want open.

## Does the private share link still work?

Yes. WooCommerce’s private share link and users with `manage_woocommerce` continue to bypass Coming Soon as usual.

## Does this hide products from the REST API?

No. The plugin focuses on the Coming Soon **template path**. REST API and Store API visibility are unchanged.

## Is this a maintenance-mode or Coming Soon page builder?

No. You keep Woo’s **Page: Coming soon** template in the Site Editor. This plugin only decides which front-end requests stay public while Coming Soon is on.

It is also **not** a general WordPress maintenance plugin for sites without WooCommerce.

## Does this work with the WordPress MCP Adapter?

Yes, optionally. The plugin registers WordPress Abilities for allowlist status and settings. Install [MCP Adapter](https://wordpress.org/plugins/mcp-adapter/) only if you want MCP clients to call those abilities.

MCP Adapter is **not** required for the React settings tab. Abilities still require `manage_woocommerce`.

See [Developers: Abilities API](https://storecrafted.com/document/site-visibility-manager-for-woocommerce/developers/#abilities-api).

## Can shop managers still browse the store?

Yes. Users who can manage WooCommerce see the full site while Coming Soon is on, consistent with WooCommerce core behaviour.

## What about feeds, search, and author archives?

Those surfaces are **never** opened by the allowlist evaluator. Visitors hitting feeds, search, attachments, author archives, or date archives still see Coming Soon (unless Woo already excluded the request).

## Next steps

- [Getting started](https://storecrafted.com/document/site-visibility-manager-for-woocommerce/getting-started/)
- [Configuration](https://storecrafted.com/document/site-visibility-manager-for-woocommerce/configuration/)
- [Developers](https://storecrafted.com/document/site-visibility-manager-for-woocommerce/developers/)
- [Documentation hub](https://storecrafted.com/docs-category/site-visibility-manager-for-woocommerce/)