Having trouble getting off the ground with Jetpack? We’re here to help.
- What do I need in order to run Jetpack?
- How do I install Jetpack?
- I completed the setup process, and I see the screen with the list of features. Now what?
- I’d like more information about how each of the features works. Where I can I find that?
- I don’t want to use all the features. Can I turn some of them off?
- Okay, Jetpack is just broken! Any troubleshooting advice?
- I need more help! What should I do?
What do I need in order to run Jetpack?
Here are the system requirements for Jetpack:
- The latest version of WordPress. If you’re running version 2.7 or later, you should get a prompt in your WordPress Dashboard asking you to upgrade. Click the link and follow the prompts to update to the latest version. If you’re using an even older version, or would prefer to update manually, you can download the latest version of WordPress from the WordPress.org downloads page.
- A web host that uses PHP 5. Jetpack follows the WordPress host requirements.
- A WordPress.com account. Sign up for one here.
- A publicly accessible web site that does not require authentication.
- XML-RPC enabled and publicly accessible.
- Legacy WordPress.com/Automattic plugins should be disabled before installing Jetpack (ex. WordPress.com Stats, After the Deadline, Custom CSS).
How do I install Jetpack?
The easiest way to install Jetpack is from within WordPress itself. Log in to your site and head to your Dashboard, click on the Plugins tab in the left panel, then click ‘Add New.’ If you search for ‘Jetpack,’ you’ll find the latest version and be able to install it by clicking the ‘Install Now’ link.
(Don’t see a Plugins menu in your dashboard? Then your site is probably on WordPress.com and you don’t need Jetpack–its features are already bundled into your site!)
If you are using a Multisite install, note that Jetpack must be connected individually for each site in the network. Any admin for that site can forge the connection. It does not have to be a different local user or a different WordPress.com user for each site.
I completed the setup process, and I see the screen with the list of features. Now what?
After successfully connecting to your WordPress.com account, most Jetpack features are automatically activated. Since each works differently, you can click on the ‘Learn More’ buttons for specific instructions on using each one. If the module is not activated yet, it will be greyed out, and a blue ‘Activate’ button will allow you to activate the module
Clicking ‘Learn More’ will also cause a ‘Deactivate’ button to appear for that feature, so you can turn off any features you aren’t ready to use yet.
I’d like more information about how each of the features works. Where I can I find that?
You can read about features on the support pages we have for each of them:
- Beautiful Math: Mark up your posts with the LaTeX markup language, perfect for complex mathematical equations and other über-geekery.
- Carousel: Transform your standard image galleries into an immersize full-screen experience.
- Comments: Give your readers the ability to comment using their WordPress.com, Twitter, or Facebook accounts.
- Contact Form: Insert a contact form anywhere on your site.
- Custom CSS: Customize your site’s look without modifying your theme.
- Enhanced Distribution: Share your public posts and comments to search engines and other services in real-time.
- Gravatar Hovercards: Show a pop-up business card of your users’ Gravatar profiles in comments.
- Infinite Scroll – Learn how to add infinite scroll support to your theme.
- JSON API – Allow applications to securely access your content through the cloud.
- Likes – Likes are a way for people to show their appreciation for content you have written. It’s also a way for you to show the world how popular your content has become.
- Mobile Push Notifications – Get notified of new comments on your Apple device.
- Mobile Theme: Optimize your site for mobile devices.
- Photon – Accelerate your site by loading images from the WordPress.com CDN.
- Post by Email – Post by Email is a way of publishing posts on your blog by email. Any email client can be used to send the email, allowing you to publish quickly and easily from devices such as cell phones.
- Publicize – Publicize makes it easy to share your site’s posts on several social media networks automatically when you publish a new post.
- Sharing: Share your content on Facebook, Twitter, and more with a few simple clicks.
- Shortcode Embeds: Embed content from YouTube, Vimeo, SlideShare, and more into your site, no coding necessary.
- WP.me Shortlinks: Enable WP.me-powered shortlinks for all of your Posts and Pages for easier sharing.
- Spelling and Grammar: Improve your spelling, style, and grammar with the After the Deadline proofreading service.
- WordPress.com Stats: Monitor your stats with clear, concise reports and no additional load on your server.
- Subscriptions: Allow users to subscribe to your posts and comments to receive notifications via email.
- Tiled Galleries: Display your image galleries in three new styles: a rectangular mosaic, a square mosaic, and a circular grid.
- Toolbar Notifications – Get notified of activity on your sit, right from the toolbar.
- Extra Sidebar Widgets: Add images, Twitter streams, and your site’s RSS links to your sidebar.
I don’t want to use all the features. Can I turn some of them off?
Sure! You can deactivate any feature you don’t feel like using, and reactivate it at any time.
To turn specific features off, head to the main Jetpack page in your dashboard. In the box explaining the feature you’d like to turn off, click the ‘Learn More’ button. A ‘Deactivate’ button will appear. Click that button and that feature will be completely deactivated.
I need more help! What should I do?
If you’re having trouble with Jetpack or one of its components, there are a few steps you can take on your own to try and diagnose the problem.
