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Troubleshooting Ship Restrict

Quick solutions to common Ship Restrict problems - fix restrictions not working, city matching issues, license problems and more

Last updated: 8/30/2025

Having issues with Ship Restrict? This guide helps you solve common problems quickly.

Quick Fixes for Common Issues

Before diving into details, try these quick fixes that solve 90% of problems:

  1. Clear your cache - Both browser and WordPress cache
  2. Check your spelling - City names must match exactly
  3. Save your changes - Make sure you clicked "Update" or "Save"
  4. Test as a customer - Use incognito mode to test checkout

Restrictions Not Working

Problem: Customer can still buy restricted products

Quick Check: Is the product in the right category or tagged correctly?

Solutions:

  1. Verify the rule is active

    • Go to WooCommerce → Ship Restrict
    • Check your rules are listed
    • Make sure logic is correct (Block vs Allow)

  2. Check product assignment

    • Edit the product
    • Verify category/tags match your rule
    • Or check individual product restrictions

  3. Clear all caches

    • WordPress cache (if using cache plugin)
    • Browser cache (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R)
    • WooCommerce cache (Status → Tools → Clear transients)

  4. Test the right address

    • Use exact state abbreviations (CA not California)
    • City names must match customer input
    • ZIP codes must be exact 5 digits

Problem: Wrong products are being restricted

Common Causes:

  • Product is in unexpected category
  • Product has conflicting tags
  • Individual restriction overrides rules

How to Fix:

  1. Edit the product
  2. Check all categories and tags
  3. Look for individual restrictions in Shipping tab
  4. Remove conflicting settings

City Restrictions Not Working

Problem: Cities aren't being blocked

Most Common Issue: Name mismatch

Customer types: "St. Louis" Your restriction: "Saint Louis" Result: No match!

Solution: Add both versions:

  • St. Louis, MO
  • Saint Louis, MO

Other common variations:

  • Fort/Ft. Worth
  • Mount/Mt. Vernon
  • North/N. Las Vegas

Problem: City restriction affects entire state

Check: Did you select a state without adding a city?

Fix:

  • For city-only: Select state AND enter city name
  • For state-wide: Select state, leave city blank

ZIP Code Issues

Problem: ZIP codes not blocking properly

Common Cause: Customer enters ZIP+4 (90210-1234)

Your restriction: 90210 Customer enters: 90210-1234 Result: No match!

Solutions:

  1. Ask customers for 5-digit ZIP only
  2. Add both versions (90210 and 90210-1234)
  3. Use a message: "Please enter 5-digit ZIP code"

Problem: Too many ZIP codes to manage

Solution: Consider using city or state restrictions instead

Better approach:

  • Instead of 50 ZIP codes in Chicago
  • Just restrict "Chicago, IL"

License Problems

Can't activate Pro license

"Invalid License Key" error:

  • Copy/paste directly from email (no typing)
  • Check you bought Ship Restrict (not another product)
  • Make sure no extra spaces before/after key

"License Already in Use" error:

  • Deactivate on other site first
  • Or purchase additional license
  • Contact support if unsure

"Connection Failed" error:

  • Your server may block external connections
  • Contact your host to whitelist keyforge.dev
  • Try again in a few minutes

License shows expired but you paid

  1. Check your email for renewal confirmation
  2. Try re-entering the license key
  3. Contact support with your order number

Performance Problems

Slow checkout with restrictions

For large catalogs:

  • Use categories/tags instead of individual restrictions
  • Upgrade to Pro for better caching
  • Reduce number of active rules

Quick fixes:

  1. Combine similar rules
  2. Delete unused rules
  3. Use broader restrictions (state vs cities)

Getting timeout errors

Increase PHP limits: Contact your host to increase:

  • Memory limit to 256MB
  • Execution time to 60 seconds

Messages and Display Issues

Error message not showing to customers

Check:

  1. Go to Ship Restrict settings
  2. Scroll to "Error Message" section
  3. Make sure message is set
  4. Use {product} to show product name

Default message: "The {product} cannot currently be shipped to your location."

Message appears but product stays in cart

This is a theme compatibility issue:

  • Try with default WooCommerce theme
  • If it works, contact theme developer
  • Or contact Ship Restrict support

Testing Your Setup

How to properly test restrictions

Don't test as admin! Admin view can be different.

Proper testing:

  1. Open incognito/private browser window
  2. Add restricted product to cart
  3. Go to checkout
  4. Enter restricted address
  5. See restriction message

Test addresses to use

California Test: John Doe 123 Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90001

New York Test: Jane Smith 456 Broadway New York, NY 10001

Texas Test: Bob Johnson 789 Congress Ave Austin, TX 78701

Common Setup Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using wrong logic

"Block from" means: Don't ship TO these places "Allow only" means: ONLY ship to these places

Example confusion:

  • Want to ship only to California
  • Used "Block from" + selected California
  • Result: Can't ship to California!
  • Fix: Use "Allow only" instead

Mistake 2: Overlapping rules

Having multiple rules that conflict:

  • Category rule: Block California
  • Product rule: Allow California
  • Product rule wins!

Remember: More specific always wins

  1. Variation (most specific)
  2. Product
  3. Category
  4. Tag (least specific)

Mistake 3: Not testing thoroughly

Always test:

  • Each restricted location
  • Each product type
  • Different customer scenarios
  • Mobile and desktop checkout

Cache Issues

Changes not appearing

Clear everything in this order:

  1. Ship Restrict cache

    • Update any product (triggers cache clear)

  2. WordPress cache

    • Go to Settings → Permalinks
    • Click Save (even without changes)

  3. Browser cache

    • Hard refresh: Ctrl+Shift+R (PC) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)

  4. CDN cache (if using CloudFlare, etc.)

    • Purge cache in CDN dashboard

Getting Help

Before contacting support

  1. Check plugin version - Update to latest
  2. Test with default theme - Rule out theme issues
  3. Disable other plugins - Check for conflicts
  4. Clear all caches - Often solves issues

Information to provide

When emailing support, include:

  • Your Ship Restrict version
  • WooCommerce version
  • What you expected to happen
  • What actually happened
  • Screenshots if possible

Contact Support

Free version: WordPress.org forums Pro version: support@shiprestrict.com

Pro support includes:

  • 4-8 hour response time
  • Direct developer help
  • Priority resolution

Emergency Fixes

Everything stopped working!

Safe recovery steps:

  1. Deactivate Ship Restrict plugin
  2. Clear all caches
  3. Reactivate plugin
  4. Re-enter license (if Pro)
  5. Test with one simple rule

Can't access admin after changes

Via FTP/File Manager:

  1. Navigate to /wp-content/plugins/
  2. Rename "ship-restrict" folder to "ship-restrict-disabled"
  3. Access admin and fix settings
  4. Rename folder back

Database cleanup

If you need to start fresh:

  1. Deactivate plugin
  2. Delete plugin
  3. Reinstall plugin
  4. Settings will be reset

Note: This removes ALL settings and rules!

Still need help? Contact our support team. Pro users get priority support with faster response times. We're here to help you succeed!

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