Why Does the Knowledge Base Say It Is Temporarily Unavailable?

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base may display a temporarily unavailable message when the plugin cannot confirm an active licence.

This usually happens because:

• The Monthly or Yearly subscription is inactive
• The licence details have been removed
• The purchase email or product key is incorrect
• The website cannot contact the SoftwareRoad licence service
• A temporary server or hosting error interrupted the licence check

Your knowledge base articles, categories and settings are not normally deleted when this message appears.

Once the licence is active and the website can verify it, the public WordPress knowledge base should become available again.

Check the Licence screen

Start by opening:

Knowledge Base > Licence

Review the current licence status and any message shown on the page.

The screen may indicate that the licence is:

• Active
• Inactive
• Expired
• Not recognised
• Not entered
• Unable to be checked

The exact message can help identify whether the issue is with the subscription, saved details or connection to the licence service.

Confirm the purchase email

The purchase email must match the address used when buying SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base.

Check your:

• Purchase confirmation
• Subscription email
• Product key email
• Payment receipt

Enter the exact email address shown in those messages.

Do not assume it is the same as the WordPress administrator email.

For example:

WordPress administrator:

[email protected]

Purchase email:

[email protected]

In this case, the Licence screen must use:

[email protected]

Confirm the product key

The product key must be entered exactly as supplied.

A key may look similar to:

SRKB-ABCD-EFGH-JKLM

Check that:

• The full key has been copied
• All hyphens are present
• No characters are missing
• No extra spaces are present
• The key belongs to SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base

Copying the key from the original email is normally more reliable than typing it manually.

Remove accidental spaces

Spaces before or after the purchase email or product key can stop the licence from being recognised.

Delete the contents of both fields and paste them again carefully.

Incorrect:

SRKB-ABCD-EFGH-JKLM

Correct:

SRKB-ABCD-EFGH-JKLM

You can paste the details into a plain text editor first to remove hidden formatting.

Check the subscription is active

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base is available with Monthly and Yearly subscriptions.

The public knowledge base may become unavailable when the subscription is:

• Cancelled
• Expired
• Unpaid
• Refunded
• Suspended
• Affected by a failed renewal

Check the latest payment or subscription confirmation.

Monthly licence

A Monthly licence remains active while the monthly subscription continues successfully.

It may become inactive if:

• A payment fails
• The payment card expires
• The subscription is cancelled
• The renewal is refunded
• The payment provider cannot collect the renewal

Update the payment details where required, then return to WordPress and reactivate the licence.

Yearly licence

A Yearly licence remains active until the end of the current annual subscription period.

If the yearly renewal fails or the subscription expires, the knowledge base may become unavailable after the paid period ends.

Confirm the current renewal date and subscription status.

Reactivate the licence

To reactivate SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base:

1. Open Knowledge Base > Licence.
2. Enter the purchase email.
3. Enter the product key.
4. Remove any accidental spaces.
5. Select Activate Licence.
6. Wait for the result.
7. Confirm the status shows Active.
8. Clear the public website cache.
9. Open the knowledge base while signed out.

An active licence should allow the shortcode, articles, categories and other public knowledge base features to load again.

Removed licence details

The temporarily unavailable message can appear when the saved licence details have been removed.

This may happen after:

• Selecting Remove Licence
• Restoring an older backup
• Moving the website
• Reinstalling plugin settings
• Database cleanup
• Copying a staging site over the live site

Re-enter the original purchase email and product key.

Removing the saved licence does not normally delete the knowledge base content.

The licence worked previously

If the licence was working before, think about what recently changed.

Possible causes include:

• Subscription renewal failed
• Website moved to another domain
• Hosting provider changed
• Security plugin settings changed
• Firewall rules changed
• WordPress was restored from backup
• Licence details were removed
• A staging site was copied over the live website
• The website can no longer make external HTTPS requests

Checking recent changes often identifies the cause quickly.

Check the website address

The licence is checked against the current WordPress website.

Open:

Settings > General

Confirm that:

• WordPress Address is correct
• Site Address is correct
• Both use HTTPS where available
• The live domain is being used
• www and non-www settings are consistent

Problems can appear after changing between:

• HTTP and HTTPS
• www and non-www
• Staging and live domains
• Temporary and permanent domains
• Old and new hosting accounts

After moving the website

If the knowledge base became unavailable after a migration:

1. Check the WordPress and Site addresses.
2. Open Knowledge Base > Licence.
3. Remove outdated saved details if necessary.
4. Re-enter the purchase email and product key.
5. Activate the licence on the current live domain.
6. Clear all caches.
7. Test the public knowledge base.

Also check whether the licence remains connected to an old staging or development website.

Staging websites

A staging copy may contain licence information copied from the live site.

This can cause confusion if both websites try to use the same saved activation details.

Use the licence on the intended live website.

Remove or deactivate the copied licence details on staging where appropriate.

Check whether the website can contact SoftwareRoad

Licence verification requires the WordPress website to make a secure outgoing request to SoftwareRoad.

The request may fail because of:

• Hosting firewall
• Security plugin
• DNS problem
• SSL certificate problem
• Outgoing HTTP requests being disabled
• Temporary server connection failure
• Network timeout
• Licence service temporarily unavailable

If the subscription is active and the details are correct, connection problems are the next thing to check.

Use WordPress Site Health

Open:

Tools > Site Health

Review warnings involving:

• HTTPS
• REST API
• Loopback requests
• Outgoing HTTP requests
• DNS
• Server communication
• WordPress updates

A wider connection problem can also prevent licence verification.

Test other external WordPress services

Check whether WordPress can:

• Download plugin updates
• Connect to WordPress.org
• Retrieve update information
• Use normal external API requests

If several external services fail, the problem is likely with the website hosting or firewall rather than the SoftwareRoad licence itself.

Check security plugin settings

A security plugin may block outgoing requests or treat the licence check as suspicious.

Review settings relating to:

• External HTTP requests
• Firewall rules
• REST API restrictions
• Country blocking
• Request filtering
• Domain allow lists
• Bot protection

Do not permanently disable website security.

Temporarily test the relevant setting, then add a suitable exception if it is confirmed as the cause.

Check the hosting firewall

Some hosting providers block outgoing connections at server level.

Contact your host and ask whether WordPress can make outgoing HTTPS requests to the SoftwareRoad licence service.

Tell them that a WordPress plugin licence check is failing.

You do not need to give the hosting provider your full product key.

Check DNS

The website server must be able to resolve the SoftwareRoad domain.

A DNS problem may cause:

• Connection timeout
• Host not found error
• Temporary unavailable message
• Failed licence check

If WordPress cannot reach other external domains either, contact the hosting provider.

Check SSL and HTTPS

The website server must support current HTTPS connections.

Problems can occur with:

• Outdated PHP or cURL
• Missing CA certificates
• Invalid server SSL configuration
• Very old operating systems
• HTTPS inspection or proxy rules

Ask the hosting provider to check outgoing SSL connections if the licence request fails despite correct details.

Temporary SoftwareRoad server error

A short-term server or network problem can occasionally interrupt the licence check.

If the subscription is active and the details are correct:

1. Wait a short while.
2. Refresh the Licence screen.
3. Try activating again.
4. Avoid repeatedly pressing the button in quick succession.

A temporary connection error does not necessarily mean the product key is invalid.

Cached licence status

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base can cache the active licence result for a limited period to avoid unnecessary repeated requests.

A previously inactive result may remain visible briefly after:

• Renewing a subscription
• Fixing payment details
• Reactivating the licence
• Correcting the purchase email
• Restoring server communication

Open the Licence screen and run the activation check again where available.

Clear the public page cache

Even after the Licence screen shows Active, visitors may still see the temporarily unavailable message if the page is cached.

Clear:

• WordPress page cache
• Object cache
• Hosting cache
• Server cache
• CDN cache
• Browser cache

Then open the knowledge base in a private browser window.

Clear the exact knowledge base pages

Purge the cache for:

Main knowledge base page
Category pages
Article pages
Any page containing:
[srkb_knowledge_base]
Some caching systems save each URL separately.
Clearing only the homepage may not refresh article or category pages.

Check the main shortcode page

The main knowledge base page should contain:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

Open:

Knowledge Base > Settings > General

Confirm that the correct published page is selected as the Knowledge Base Page.

If the licence is active but the wrong page is selected, the knowledge base may still appear broken or unavailable.

Check the plugin is activated

Open:

Plugins > Installed Plugins

Confirm that SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base is active.

If the plugin is disabled, WordPress cannot display the shortcode or knowledge base templates normally.

Activate it and check the Licence screen again.

Check for an incomplete plugin update

If the message appeared immediately after an update:

1. Clear all caches.
2. Check the installed plugin version.
3. Check the WordPress error log.
4. Reinstall a clean copy of the same plugin version if necessary.
5. Reactivate the licence.

Do not remove plugin content or settings without a backup.

Check PHP errors

A PHP error may interrupt the licence check or public knowledge base output.

Review:

• WordPress debug log
• Hosting error log
• PHP error log
• Server error log

Note the exact time when you opened the Licence screen or public knowledge base.

This makes the matching error easier to find.

Check the browser console

If the Licence screen works but the public page still behaves incorrectly, open the browser developer tools.

Look for:

• JavaScript errors
• Failed AJAX requests
• 403 errors
• 500 errors
• Blocked scripts
• Cached unavailable responses

The unavailable message itself is usually licence-related, but another browser error can affect how the page updates.

The message appears on the shortcode page only

Check:

• Active licence
• Correct main Knowledge Base Page
• Correct shortcode spelling
• Public page cache
• Page-builder cache
• Whether the page is published

The shortcode must be:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

Use a normal Shortcode block.

The message appears on articles and categories

This usually confirms that the licence protection is affecting the whole public knowledge base rather than only one WordPress page.

Check the Licence screen first.

Then clear caches for:

• Articles
• Categories
• Main knowledge base page

REST API returns a licence error

The SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base REST API routes also require an active licence.

An inactive licence can return a 403 response with the error code:

srkb_license_required

This may affect advanced integrations using:

/wp-json/wp/v2/srkb_article

or:

/wp-json/wp/v2/srkb_category

Reactivate the licence before testing the REST API again.

Search stops working

Live search requires the public knowledge base to be available.

When the licence is inactive:

• Search may not load normally
• Search results may fail
• Search Analytics may stop recording
• Compact search may become unavailable

Reactivate the licence and clear cached knowledge base pages.

Analytics stops updating

Article views, search totals and Helpful Voting may stop updating while the licence is inactive or the public knowledge base is unavailable.

Existing analytics are not normally deleted.

Once the licence is active again, test each feature while signed out.

Articles and settings are still present

An inactive licence does not normally delete:

• Knowledge base articles
• Categories
• Excerpts
• Featured images
• Icons
• Homepage settings
• Design settings
• Analytics totals
• SEO settings

Do not recreate the knowledge base simply because the unavailable message appears.

Fix the licence or connection problem first.

Do not delete and reinstall immediately

Deleting the plugin is rarely the first solution.

Start with:

• Licence status
• Purchase email
• Product key
• Subscription status
• Website connection
• Cache

Reinstallation should only be considered if plugin files are damaged.

Always create a backup first.

The subscription is active but the message remains

If the subscription is definitely active:

1. Confirm the purchase email.
2. Copy the full product key again.
3. Remove hidden spaces.
4. Reactivate the licence.
5. Check WordPress Site Health.
6. Review hosting and security restrictions.
7. Clear all public caches.
8. Test in a private browser window.

If the Licence screen still reports inactive or not recognised, contact SoftwareRoad support.

The Licence screen shows Active but visitors see unavailable

This usually points to caching.

Clear:

• Main knowledge base page cache
• Article page cache
• Category page cache
• Server cache
• CDN cache
• Object cache

Also check whether administrators and signed-out visitors receive different cached versions.

Test while signed out.

The message appears intermittently

An intermittent unavailable message usually suggests a connection or caching problem.

Possible causes include:

• Hosting timeouts
• DNS failures
• Firewall rate limiting
• Temporary licence service interruption
• Different cached versions across CDN locations
• Object cache inconsistency
• Server cluster configuration

Record the time and affected URL when it happens.

This information can help your host or SoftwareRoad support investigate it.

The message appears only on one device

If the knowledge base works elsewhere, the affected device may have:

• Old browser cache
• Cached service worker
• Privacy extension
• Network filtering
• DNS cache
• Corporate firewall

Test:

• Private browsing
• Another browser
• Another network
• Clearing the browser cache

The message appears only to signed-out visitors

Administrators may bypass the public page cache while signed-out visitors receive an old cached unavailable page.

Clear the public or logged-out cache.

Also check CDN edge caching and server caching.

The message appears after restoring a backup

A restored backup may contain:

• Old licence details
• Old inactive status
• Previous website address
• Old cache files
• Staging domain settings

After restoring:

1. Check Settings > General.
2. Confirm the live website address.
3. Open Knowledge Base > Licence.
4. Re-enter and activate the licence.
5. Clear all caches.
6. Test while signed out.

The message appears after cloning the site

A cloned website may still contain the original site’s licence details.

Choose which installation should use the licence.

Remove or update the licence details on the copied site.

Do not assume a cloned activation will continue working on a different domain.

Contact your hosting provider

Contact the host when:

• WordPress cannot make outgoing HTTPS requests
• DNS resolution fails
• cURL or SSL errors appear
• A firewall blocks the licence service
• Server timeouts occur
• Several external WordPress services fail
• The problem began after moving hosts

Provide the exact connection or error message.

Do not send them your full SoftwareRoad product key.

Contact SoftwareRoad support

Contact SoftwareRoad support when:

• The Monthly or Yearly subscription is active
• The purchase email is correct
• The product key is correct
• The website can make outgoing HTTPS requests
• The Licence screen still does not show Active
• The unavailable message continues after clearing cache
• The licence worked before and suddenly stopped

Information to include

Send support:

• Purchase email
• Website address
• SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base version
• WordPress version
• PHP version
• Exact Licence screen message
• Exact public unavailable message
• Whether the licence worked previously
• Whether the website was moved
• Whether the subscription is Monthly or Yearly
• Relevant Site Health or hosting errors
• Whether the problem affects all visitors

Do not publicly share the full product key.

Share the product key safely

Treat the product key as private information.

Do not post it in:

• Public support forums
• Social media
• Screenshots
• Website comments
• Public issue trackers
• Videos
• Documentation articles

When contacting support, follow the secure private process provided.

You can initially identify it as:

Key ending in JKLM

if needed.

After the licence is restored

Once the Licence screen shows Active:

1. Clear all WordPress and server caches.
2. Open the main knowledge base page privately.
3. Open a category.
4. Open an article.
5. Run a search.
6. Test Helpful Voting where enabled.
7. Check Article View Analytics.
8. Check any REST API integration.

This confirms the whole knowledge base is available again.

Temporarily unavailable troubleshooting checklist

Before contacting support, check that:

• SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base is activated
• The Monthly or Yearly subscription is active
• The purchase email matches the order
• The full product key is correct
• No accidental spaces are present
• The Licence screen has been checked
• The licence has been reactivated
• WordPress Address and Site Address are correct
• The website uses the correct live domain
• Staging or old website activations have been considered
• WordPress can make outgoing HTTPS requests
• Site Health has been checked
• Security plugins are not blocking the request
• Hosting firewall and DNS have been checked
• SSL and cURL errors have been reviewed
• Temporary server errors have been ruled out
• WordPress, object, server and CDN caches have been cleared
• The main knowledge base page is published
• The correct Knowledge Base Page is selected
• Testing has been completed while signed out
• The full product key has not been shared publicly

The knowledge base should become available again once SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base can confirm an active Monthly or Yearly licence and any cached unavailable pages have been cleared.