Getting started

This guide takes you from nothing to your first diff. You need a WordPress site you administer and a scanner to connect it to.

1. Get a scanner

Pick one:

• Hosted: subscriptions at app.wpdiff.com are coming soon.
• Self-hosted: run the scanner on your own server with Docker. Follow Self-hosting the scanner, then come back here. You will have a URL and an API token.

2. Install the plugin

The plugin is not yet in the WordPress plugin directory. Build it from the repository:

git clone https://github.com/WildPress/wpdiff.com
cd wpdiff.com/plugin/wpdiff
npm install && npm run build

Copy the plugin/wpdiff folder into wp-content/plugins/ on your site, then activate WP Diff from the Plugins screen.

3. Connect the plugin to the scanner

Go to WP Diff → Settings in wp-admin and fill in:

Setting	Value
Backend URL	Your scanner URL, for example https://scanner.example.com
API token	The WPDIFF_TOKEN value the scanner was started with
Max pages per scan	0 for no limit, or a cap for large sites

Save, then open the WP Diff admin page. If the connection is working you will see the scan button rather than a connection warning.

4. Run your first scan

Press Run scan now. The plugin builds the list of published pages and posts from your WordPress content and sends it to the scanner, which screenshots every URL in Chromium and stores the set as a snapshot. The timeline shows the scan in progress and updates when it finishes.

A first scan only creates a baseline. There is nothing to compare yet.

5. See your first diff

Run another scan after your site has changed, or after you deploy something. The timeline picks the two latest snapshots automatically and shows how many pages changed. Press View diff on any changed page to see the baseline and current screenshots side by side with the changed regions outlined in red.

To compare a different pair, use the Baseline and Compare buttons on any two timeline cards.

Requirements

• WordPress 6.4 or newer, PHP 8.0 or newer
• A scanner the WordPress server can reach over HTTP or HTTPS
• The scanner must be able to reach your site’s public pages