Getting started

This guide takes you from a fresh install to a working live demo on your site.

Requirements

Requirement	Minimum
WordPress	6.0+ (multisite, subdirectory install)
PHP	7.4+
Activation	Network-activated

Important: TryDemo only runs on subdirectory multisite networks (SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL must be false in wp-config.php). On a single-site install, a subdomain network, or any other configuration, the plugin stays dormant and its menus won’t appear. See Troubleshooting if the Demo menu is missing.

Installation

1. Upload the trydemo folder to wp-content/plugins/ (or install the ZIP via Network Admin → Plugins → Add New).
2. Network Activate the plugin from Network Admin → Plugins.
3. On activation, TryDemo:
   • creates its two network-wide database tables ({prefix}tdemo_users and {prefix}tdemo_demos), and
   • schedules the hourly cleanup cron job (tdemo_purge_event).
4. Go to Network Admin → Demo to start configuring.

Quick start

1. Build a template site

Create a normal site on your network (Network Admin → Sites → Add New) and set it up exactly how you want visitors to experience your product:

• Install and configure your plugin or theme.
• Add demo content — posts, pages, products, sample data.
• Confirm everything looks right when you visit the site directly.

This template site is the blueprint TryDemo clones for every visitor. Note its blog ID (visible in the site’s URL in Network Admin, e.g. site-info.php?id=2) — you’ll reference it as source_id.

Your network’s main site is the default template if you don’t specify a source_id.

2. Review your settings

Open Network Admin → Demo → Settings and check the essentials:

• General — demo lifetime, what happens when a demo expires, and the role demo users get. See General settings.
• Notifications — the welcome email visitors receive with their login. See Notifications.

The defaults work out of the box: demos last 30 minutes and are deleted on expiry, with users logged in as an Editor.

3. Add a Try Demo button to a page

Drop a demo request form onto any front-end page using a block, shortcode, or widget. The simplest option is the shortcode:

[trydemo_try source_id="2" title="Try it now"]

Replace 2 with your template site’s blog ID. See Displaying demo buttons for every option and attribute.

4. Test the flow end-to-end

1. Visit the page and submit the form with a test email address you can access.
2. Check that the activation email arrives.
3. Follow the link — TryDemo clones your template, creates your sandbox, and logs you in.
4. Confirm you land in a working copy of your product.
5. Optionally, watch the sandbox get cleaned up after it expires (or delete it manually from Network Admin → Demo → Demos).

What’s next

• Displaying demo buttons — all the ways to place demo forms.
• The demo lifecycle — understand creation, expiration, and purging.
• Restrictions — lock down what demo users can touch.
• Toolbar — add a countdown and “Buy Now” bar to every demo.