Simply Popups makes it easy to add professional modal popups to your WordPress website using the Block Editor. Whether you’re installing the free Lite version or the premium Pro version, this guide will walk you through the complete installation and activation process. You’ll be ready to create your first popup in just a few minutes.

Installing Simply Popups Lite (Free Version)

The Lite version is available directly from the WordPress.org plugin repository.

Step 1: Search for the Plugin

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins → Add New.
3. In the search box (top right), type Simply Popups.
4. Look for Simply Popups by Strategy11 in the search results.

Search for “Simply Popups” in the WordPress plugin directory.

Step 2: Install the Plugin

1. Click the Install Now button on the Simply Popups plugin card.
2. Wait for the installation to complete (usually takes a few seconds).
3. The button will change to Activate.

Step 3: Activate the Plugin

1. Click the Activate button.
2. You’ll be redirected to your Plugins page.
3. Simply Popups is now active and ready to use!

Simply Popups is successfully activated and ready to use.

Installing Simply Popups Pro

The Pro version must be installed manually since it’s not available in the WordPress.org repository.

Before You Start

Step 1: Download the Pro Plugin

1. Log in to your Simply Popups account.
2. Navigate to Downloads or My Account → Downloads.
3. Find Simply Popups Pro in your downloads list.
4. Click Download to save the ZIP file to your computer.

Step 2: Upload to WordPress

1. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New.
2. Click the Upload Plugin button at the top of the page.
3. Click Choose File and select the simply-popups-pro.zip file from your computer.
4. Click Install Now.

Upload the Simply Popups Pro ZIP file through the WordPress plugin installer.

Step 3: Activate the Plugin

1. After installation completes, click Activate Plugin.
2. You’ll see a notice prompting you to activate your license.

Activating Your Pro License

License activation enables automatic updates and unlocks Pro-exclusive features.

Step 1: Get Your License Key

1. Log in to your Simply Popups account.
2. Go to Licenses or My Account → Licenses.
3. Find your Simply Popups Pro license.
4. Click Show Key or Copy to copy the license key to your clipboard.

Step 2: Enter License in WordPress

1. In WordPress admin, look for Simply Popups in the left sidebar menu.
2. Click Simply Popups to open the settings page.
3. Navigate to the License tab.
4. Paste your license key into the License Key field.
5. Click Activate License.

Enter and activate your Pro license key in the Simply Popups settings.

Step 3: Verify Activation

After clicking Activate License, you should see:

• A success message: “License activated successfully”
• License status shows as Active (green indicator)
• Your license expiration date

Your site will now receive automatic updates for Simply Popups Pro, and all Pro features are unlocked.

System Requirements

Before installing Simply Popups, ensure your site meets these requirements:

Minimum Requirements

• WordPress: Version 6.0 or higher
• PHP: Version 7.0 or higher
• Block Editor: Gutenberg must be enabled (default in WordPress 5.0+)
• HTTPS: Recommended for license activation

Recommended Requirements

• WordPress: Latest stable version
• PHP: Version 7.4 or higher
• Memory: At least 128MB PHP memory limit
• Modern Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge (latest versions)

Check Your PHP Version

To verify your PHP version:

1. Go to Tools → Site Health in WordPress admin.
2. Click the Info tab.
3. Expand Server to see your PHP version.

If your PHP version is below 7.0, contact your hosting provider to upgrade.

Installation for Multisite

Simply Popups works on WordPress Multisite installations.

Network Activation (All Sites)

1. Log in as a Network Administrator.
2. Go to Network Admin → Plugins → Add New.
3. Install Simply Popups using the steps above.
4. Click Network Activate to enable it on all sites.

Individual Site Activation

1. Install the plugin at the network level.
2. Go to Network Admin → Sites.
3. Select a site and go to its Plugins page.
4. Activate Simply Popups for that specific site only.

Troubleshooting Installation

Plugin Won’t Install

Error: “The package could not be installed”

• Verify the ZIP file isn’t corrupted (re-download if needed)
• Check file size – should be several MB
• Ensure you’re uploading the plugin ZIP, not a folder

Error: “Destination folder already exists”

• A previous version may be partially installed
• Delete the existing plugin folder via FTP
• Or rename it: /wp-content/plugins/simply-popups/ to /simply-popups-old/

Error: “WordPress could not create a directory”

• Check file permissions on /wp-content/plugins/
• Should be 755 or 775 (contact your host)
• Verify disk space isn’t full

Plugin Won’t Activate

White Screen After Activation

• PHP error is likely occurring
• Access your site via FTP
• Rename the plugin folder to deactivate it
• Check your error logs or enable WP_DEBUG

Error: “Plugin requires WordPress X.X or higher”

• Update WordPress to the latest version
• Or use an older version of Simply Popups compatible with your WordPress version

Conflicts with Other Plugins

• Deactivate all other plugins
• Activate Simply Popups
• Reactivate other plugins one by one to identify conflicts

License Activation Troubleshooting

License Key Won’t Activate

Error: “Invalid license key”

• Copy the entire key (no extra spaces)
• Verify you’re using the correct product key (Pro, not another product)
• Check that your license hasn’t been refunded or cancelled

Error: “License key has expired”

• Renew your license in your account dashboard
• Expired licenses still allow the plugin to work, but won’t receive updates

Error: “License limit reached”

• You’ve activated on the maximum number of sites
• Deactivate on an unused site first
• Or upgrade to a plan with more activations

Error: “Could not connect to license server”

• Check your site’s internet connectivity
• Verify your host allows outbound HTTPS connections
• Temporarily disable firewall or security plugins
• Ask your host to whitelist the license server domain

License Shows as Inactive

If your license was active but now shows inactive:

1. Check expiration date – License may have expired
2. Verify site URL – Domain change requires reactivation
3. Check account status – Subscription may have been cancelled
4. Reactivate – Simply reenter and activate your key

License Warning with Formidable Forms

If you have Formidable Forms Lite and Simply Popups Lite both installed, you may see a license compatibility warning.

Why This Happens

Both plugins share similar modal functionality. The warning alerts you that using two Lite versions together may cause confusion, but everything still works correctly.

How to Remove the Warning

Choose one of these options:

1. Upgrade to Simply Popups Pro – Removes the warning
2. Upgrade to Formidable Forms Pro – Removes the warning
3. Ignore the warning – Both plugins continue working normally

Next Steps After Installation

Once Simply Popups is installed and activated:

1. Create Your First Popup

Start with a simple popup to learn the basics.

→ Creating Your First Popup

2. Explore the Block Editor

Learn how to use Simply Popups in Gutenberg.

→ Using Simply Popups in Gutenberg

3. Choose Your Trigger

Decide how visitors will see your popup.

→ Popup Trigger Types

4. Learn Pro Features (Pro Users)

Discover exit intent, delayed triggers, and more.

→ Simply Popups Pro Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need both Lite and Pro installed?

No. Simply Popups Pro includes all Lite features and can run standalone. If you have Pro, you can safely deactivate or uninstall the Lite version.

Can I upgrade from Lite to Pro without losing my popups?

Yes! All your existing popups will work exactly the same after installing Pro. Pro adds new features but doesn’t change anything you’ve already created.

Will Simply Popups slow down my website?

Simply Popups is lightweight and only loads scripts on pages where popups are used. Performance impact is minimal and shouldn’t be noticeable on most sites.