Installing, updating and removing Permo
Permo installs like any other WordPress plugin and needs no account or setup to start. This page covers what your site needs, how to install and update Permo, and what happens to its data when you switch it off or remove it.
What your site needs
Section titled “What your site needs”- WordPress 6.9 or later and PHP 8.1 or later.
- A single site. Permo 1.0 doesn’t run on a WordPress multisite network.
- An administrator account. Only users who can manage the site’s options see Permo.
- The PHP extension cURL. Permo uses it to time how fast your server answers. Almost every hosting provider has it switched on.
- Requests to your own site. Permo measures your pages by requesting them from your own server, and it continues longer checks the same way. A firewall or a security plugin that blocks these requests slows checks down (see below).
- For PageSpeed tests: a free Google API key, and a server that can reach Google. See Creating a PageSpeed API key.
Install Permo
Section titled “Install Permo”From the plugin directory: In WordPress, open Plugins → Add New Plugin, search for Permo, then select Install Now and Activate.
From a ZIP file: Open Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin, choose the file, then select Install Now and Activate Plugin.
After activation, Permo appears in the menu as Performance Monitor and measures your homepage once. Getting started explains the next steps.
Updates
Section titled “Updates”Permo updates like any plugin, from Dashboard → Updates or the plugin list. When a new version changes how Permo stores its data, it updates its database tables on its own. While that runs, its screens say Permo cannot use its data until the database update finishes. Your checks and settings stay.
Deactivate
Section titled “Deactivate”Deactivating stops all automatic checks. Your checks and settings stay, and Permo notes when it was switched off and on again, so the gap in your data has an explanation. When you activate Permo again, checks continue on the schedule you set.
Delete
Section titled “Delete”Deleting Permo under Plugins removes what it stored, depending on one setting in Performance Monitor → Settings, tab Data:
- Keep data when Permo is deleted off (the default): all checks, settings and the API key are removed.
- On: they stay in the database, so a later reinstall continues where you left off.
Either way, Permo removes its scheduled tasks and temporary data.
When something doesn’t work
Section titled “When something doesn’t work”| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| Permo does not support WordPress multisite in version 1.0. | The site is part of a multisite network. Permo 1.0 can’t be activated there. |
| This server cannot measure response times (cURL is missing). | The PHP extension cURL is switched off. Your hosting provider can switch it on. |
| Continued by cron after the self-call did not arrive. | A request from your site to itself was blocked, often by a security plugin, a firewall or password protection. The check still finished, but later. Allowing requests from the server to itself fixes it. |
| Permo could not update its database tables. It will try again on the next visit. | The update after a new version didn’t finish. Permo tries again; if the message stays, the database user may lack the right to change tables. |