Skip to content

Troubleshooting

This page covers common issues and solutions when installing or using Forum Fortress.

Before changing settings, note the forum URL, platform and plugin version, the approximate time of the problem, and the exact error text. If the portal shows a Decision Reference, copy that too. These details make support much faster.

Installation Issues

Connection Test Fails

Symptoms: - Plugin reports "connection failed" or similar - Timeouts during setup - HTTP error codes in plugin logs

Solutions:

  1. Check outbound HTTPS access
  2. Ensure your server can make HTTPS requests to *.ffapi.net on port 443

  3. Test with: curl -v https://api.ffapi.net/health from your server

  4. Firewall and security software

  5. Allow outbound connections to *.ffapi.net
  6. Check hosting firewall, WAF, and security policies

  7. Ask the host to test or allow the egress rule rather than weakening security controls on a live site

  8. DNS resolution

  9. Verify your server can resolve api.ffapi.net

  10. Test with: nslookup api.ffapi.net or dig api.ffapi.net

  11. Proxy and reverse proxy

  12. Configure proxy settings if your server uses one

  13. Check if hosting provider requires specific egress configuration

  14. Rate limiting

  15. Some hosts aggressively rate-limit outbound connections
  16. Contact hosting support if you see HTTP 429 errors

Plugin Installation Fails

XenForo: - Ensure you have super administrator access - Check the XenForo is version 2.x - Verify the ZIP file isn't corrupted (re-download if needed)

phpBB: - Follow phpBB’s extension install flow: unzip into ext/, then enable in Customise → Manage extensions (see phpBB install guide) - Confirm files were extracted to the correct ext/ directory path and folder layout was preserved (ext/forumfortress/protect/...) - Ensure you have ACP administrator access

Invision Community: - Confirm you have administrator access - Check Invision version compatibility - Ensure the upload completed successfully

Runtime Issues

Plugin Lost Connection After Reinstall

Symptoms: - Forum Fortress plugin shows connection or authentication errors - You reinstalled the forum software or the plugin files - Bootstrap no longer returns an API key

Solution - portal “Reset key” window (registered sites):

  1. Sign in to the portal with the same email used for your site.
  2. On the Overview dashboard, scroll to Reinstalling your forum? at the bottom of the page.
  3. Click Reset key. The card will show: Accepting a new plugin install until … (10-minute window).
  4. Within those 10 minutes, enable the plugin on your forum and let it connect (or run bootstrap from the plugin admin screen).
  5. The plugin receives a fresh API key for your domain. Complete plugin registration in your forum admin if prompted.

Important: - The reset window lasts 10 minutes from when you click the button. - Only one active window per site; open it immediately before reconnecting the plugin. - You must be signed into the portal for the site you are reconnecting. - Sites that have not completed portal registration cannot use this flow - finish registration first, or contact support.

If the window expires: - Return to the portal Overview and click Reset key again to open a new 10-minute window.

Forum Not Appearing in Portal

Causes: - Forum not connected to your portal account - Using different email address for portal vs forum connection - Connection process was incomplete

Solutions:

  1. Verify account email
  2. Ensure you're logged into the portal with the same email used during forum setup

  3. Check the forum's Forum Fortress settings for the connected email

  4. Re-connect the forum

  5. In the forum's Forum Fortress settings, look for "Connect to portal" or similar
  6. Follow the connection flow again

  7. Check for confirmation messages

  8. Check forum URL

  9. Ensure the forum URL in settings matches what visitors actually use
  10. Include or exclude www as appropriate
  11. Use HTTPS if that's how users access your forum

Protection Not Working

Symptoms: - Obvious spam getting through - No activity showing in portal - Plugin appears inactive

Troubleshooting:

  1. Verify plugin is enabled
  2. Check that Forum Fortress is active in your forum's plugin/extension list

  3. Look for Forum Fortress settings or configuration options

  4. Check connection status

  5. Run connection test from plugin settings

  6. Look for error messages or warnings in plugin interface

  7. Review protection settings

  8. Confirm protection is enabled for the actions you want covered

  9. Check if forum is in a testing or disabled state

  10. Monitor for recent activity

  11. Visit portal Overview to see if any checks are being performed
  12. Even allowed actions should show some activity

Moderation Queue Issues

Symptoms: - Moderation actions not syncing - Moderation actions not taking effect - Duplicate items appearing

Solutions:

  1. Clear browser cache
  2. Log out of the portal, clear browser cache, log back in

  3. Try an incognito/private browsing window

  4. Check forum integration

  5. Verify the forum's moderation system is working normally

  6. Test the relevant moderation action directly in the forum admin panel

  7. Review item details

  8. Check if items have specific requirements or restrictions

  9. Look for any error messages in the portal interface

  10. Contact support

  11. If items remain stuck, use portal Contact with specific examples
  12. Include timestamps and affected usernames or content

Common Error Messages

HTTP 403 Forbidden

Cause: Permission or authentication issue

Solutions: - Check if your hosting provider blocks certain outbound requests - Verify Forum Fortress settings have correct forum URL - Re-connect forum to portal if authentication expired

HTTP 429 Too Many Requests

Cause: Rate limiting by hosting provider or security software

Solutions: - Contact hosting support about outbound rate limits - Check WAF and security software settings - Verify you're not making duplicate concurrent requests

HTTP 500 Server Error

Cause: Server-side configuration issue

Solutions: - Check forum error logs for detailed messages - Verify PHP version and required extensions are installed - Ensure adequate server resources (memory, CPU) - Contact hosting support with the exact error and time if the forum log does not identify the cause

SSL/TLS Errors

Cause: HTTPS connection problems

Solutions: - Verify your server has up-to-date SSL/TLS libraries - Check if hosting provider blocks certain SSL protocols - Ensure system time is correct (SSL certificates are time-sensitive)

Performance Issues

Slow Forum Response

Symptoms: - Forum loading slowly after installing Forum Fortress - Timeouts during registration or posting

Solutions:

  1. Check server resources
  2. Monitor CPU and memory usage during peak times

  3. Ensure adequate hosting resources for your forum size

  4. Review hosting configuration

  5. Check if hosting provider has specific performance settings

  6. Look into caching configuration

  7. Optimize settings

  8. Consider adjusting Forum Fortress sensitivity settings
  9. Review which actions are being checked most frequently

High Resource Usage

Cause: Resource-intensive operations

Solutions: - Monitor server resources before and after plugin installation - Contact hosting support if you notice significant resource increases - Consider upgrading hosting plan if current resources are insufficient

Platform-Specific Issues

XenForo Issues

Add-on Options Missing: - Confirm add-on is fully installed and enabled - Check if you need to rebuild caches - Look for XenForo version compatibility issues

Moderation Integration: - Review XenForo moderation settings - Check if other add-ons conflict with Forum Fortress - Verify user permissions for moderation features

phpBB Issues

Extension Not Listed: - Verify correct extraction path in ext/ directory - Ensure all files were extracted with correct permissions - Enable the extension in Customise → Manage extensions after upload - Check phpBB error logs for specific messages

Update, reinstall, or remove: - Update: disable in Manage extensions, delete ext/forumfortress/protect/, upload the new package to ext/, enable again (install guide) - Reinstall: disable, delete files (and extension data for a clean slate), then repeat install steps (install guide) - Remove completely: disable, delete extension data, delete files (install guide)

Hooks Not Working: - Confirm phpBB version compatibility - Check if template modifications are required - Review extension configuration settings

Invision Community Issues

Upload Problems: - Ensure application upload completed successfully - Check file permissions in Invision directory - Verify Invision version compatibility

Integration Issues: - Review Invision hook system for conflicts - Check application settings and configuration - Verify administrator permissions

Getting Help

When contacting support, include:

  • Forum URL (the public URL visitors use)
  • Forum platform and version (e.g., "XenForo 2.2.13")
  • Plugin/extension version (from plugin settings or file info)
  • Specific error messages (exact text, screenshots if helpful)
  • When the issue started (approximate date/time)
  • What you were trying to do when the problem occurred
  • Browser and device (if portal-related)

Portal Contact

Use Contact in the portal for fastest response: portal.forumfortress.com

Before Contacting Support

  1. Try basic troubleshooting
  2. Connection test
  3. Clear browser cache

  4. Check obvious configuration issues

  5. Check service status

  6. Visit forumfortress.com for any service notices

  7. Try the public checker: check.forumfortress.com

  8. Gather information

  9. Note exact error messages
  10. Document steps to reproduce the issue

  11. Check if issue affects all users or just specific cases

  12. Test in safe environment

  13. If possible, test with a staging/development copy of your forum
  14. Try disabling other plugins/extensions temporarily
  15. Test with default forum theme if applicable

The more specific information you can provide, the faster we can help resolve your issue.