Install and activate Drecha Forms Pro

Understand the Free and Pro relationship

Drecha Forms Pro is a separate add-on. It requires the active Drecha Forms Free core and uses the same forms, entries, renderer, and database records. Do not remove Free after installing Pro.

The current Pro release adds the shipped integration and external API services. A license is for one production website, is paid once, and has no mandatory renewal. The purchased version may be used permanently on its licensed website.

Install Pro beside Free

1. Confirm that Drecha Forms is installed and active under Plugins > Installed Plugins.
2. Download drecha-forms-pro.zip from the authorized Drecha order or customer download page.
3. Open Plugins > Add New Plugin and select Upload Plugin.
4. Choose drecha-forms-pro.zip and select Install Now.
5. Select Activate Plugin when installation finishes.

WordPress reads the Pro dependency header, and Pro also checks for the Free runtime during activation. If Free is missing, Pro deactivates itself and shows a dependency message instead of creating a separate data model.

Verify the dependency

1. Open Plugins > Installed Plugins.
2. Confirm that Drecha Forms and Drecha Forms Pro are both active.
3. Open Drecha Forms and confirm that the existing forms and entries are unchanged.
4. Confirm that Drecha Forms > License is now available to an Administrator.

Activate the license

1. Copy the Drecha Forms Pro license key from the authorized order or customer portal.
2. In WordPress, open Drecha Forms > License.
3. Paste the key into License key.
4. Select Activate license.
5. Wait for the page to return and read the status message.

The active screen shows Status: Active and License active. Pro services and private update authorization are then available for this website.

Verify the installation safely

1. Open Drecha Forms > Integrations and confirm that Pro connection and automation controls are available.
2. Open an existing form and confirm that its fields, status, entries, and Free settings are unchanged.
3. Submit a small test form and confirm that the entry is stored before testing any optional integration.
4. Configure and test one integration at a time. Pro jobs run only after local entry persistence.

Troubleshoot Pro activation

Pro says the Free core is missing

Install and activate Drecha Forms first. Both plugins must remain active. Do not rename the installed Free plugin directory from its standard drecha-forms slug.

The License menu is missing

Confirm that Pro is active and sign in as an Administrator with manage_options permission. If activation failed, WordPress may have returned Pro to an inactive state.

The license key is rejected

Copy the complete key without surrounding spaces. Confirm that it belongs to Drecha Forms Pro and that its production activation is not already assigned to another website. Deactivate the old website in WordPress or the customer portal before a migration.

WordPress cannot contact the license service

Confirm that the server can make outbound HTTPS requests to drecha.com and that a firewall or security plugin is not blocking them. A first activation needs a successful response. After a valid paid activation, a temporary license API outage does not interrupt ordinary form submissions and the last-known-good paid entitlement remains available.

Pro is deactivated later

Free forms, entries, uploads, and settings remain available. Saved premium configuration stays in the database and can resume when Pro and a valid entitlement are active again.