=== Maintenance Scheduler ===
Contributors:      webcrome
Donate link:       https://webcrome.com/maintenance-scheduler-pro
Tags:              maintenance mode, maintenance, coming soon, under construction, maintenance page
Requires at least: 6.5
Tested up to:      7.0
Requires PHP:      7.4
Stable tag:        1.0.0
License:           GPLv2 or later
License URI:       https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

The easiest maintenance mode plugin for WordPress — one-click ON/OFF, auto-scheduling, beautiful templates, and a live preview. By Webcrome Software.

== Description ==

**Maintenance Scheduler** is built by [Webcrome Software](https://webcrome.com) — a team dedicated to creating simple, powerful WordPress tools for businesses of all sizes.

Put your website into maintenance mode in one click. Schedule it to turn on and off automatically, choose from beautiful templates, upload your logo, and show your visitors a professional maintenance page — all without writing a single line of code.

Whether you are a blogger doing a quick update, a small business migrating to a new server, a WooCommerce store during a product relaunch, or an agency managing multiple client sites — Maintenance Scheduler makes the job simple.

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= ⚡ Why Webcrome Software? =

At **Webcrome Software** we believe WordPress tools should be easy enough for beginners and powerful enough for developers. Every plugin we build follows three principles:

* **Simple** — you should be able to use it in 30 seconds.
* **Reliable** — it should work correctly every time, without surprises.
* **Professional** — it should make your site look polished, not broken.

Maintenance Scheduler is our flagship maintenance plugin, trusted by site owners who want control without complexity.

🌐 [webcrome.com](https://webcrome.com) &nbsp;|&nbsp; 📧 support@webcrome.com

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= ✅ Free Features =

**One-click maintenance mode**
Turn maintenance on or off instantly from the dashboard. Admins always bypass the maintenance page automatically — you never get locked out.

**Automatic scheduling**
Set a start date and time, and an end date and time. Maintenance turns on and off automatically — powered by WP-Cron and your site's own timezone. No manual action needed.

**4 built-in templates**
Choose from Simple, Dark, Corporate, and Gradient. Each template applies a matching background colour and style in one click. Change templates any time from the Appearance page.

**Logo upload**
Upload your logo directly from the WordPress Media Library. It appears at the top of your maintenance page automatically — no URL required.

**Countdown timer**
When a scheduled end time is set, a live countdown timer shows your visitors exactly how long until you're back. Updates every second.

**Background customisation**
Pick any background colour with the native WordPress colour picker. Or upload a background image — it displays automatically with a dark overlay so your text stays readable.

**Live preview panel**
Preview your maintenance page in desktop and mobile modes before publishing. Admins always see the real site, never the maintenance page.

**Page content editor**
Set your own heading and message. The preview updates live as you type — no save required to see your changes.

**HTTP 503 + Retry-After headers**
The plugin correctly signals search engines that the downtime is temporary, protecting your SEO rankings. Configurable retry time.

**Activity log**
The dashboard shows the last 10 actions — when maintenance was turned on or off, when schedules changed, when appearance was saved. Always know what happened and when.

**First-time setup wizard**
A simple 3-step wizard guides new users through choosing a template, uploading a logo, and writing their maintenance message — right after installation.

**Global status bar**
A live status pill at the top of every plugin page shows whether maintenance is ON or OFF, the next scheduled event, and a quick preview link.

**Translation ready**
Every string is wrapped in `__()` and `_e()` with the correct text domain. Drop a `.po`/`.mo` file into the `languages/` folder and the plugin is translated.

---

= ⭐ Maintenance Scheduler Pro =

Upgrade to **[Maintenance Scheduler Pro](https://webcrome.com/maintenance-scheduler-pro)** for the full feature set. Three simple plans — pay once a year, cancel any time:

| Plan | Sites | Price |
|---|---|---|
| **Personal** | 1 site | $19 / year |
| **Business** | 5 sites | $49 / year |
| **Agency** | Unlimited sites | $99 / year |

**Every plan includes:**

* Unlimited maintenance schedules
* Weekly and monthly recurring schedules
* Visitor analytics and reporting dashboard
* Email notifications when maintenance is toggled
* Visitor email signup capture
* White label — remove all Webcrome Software branding
* WooCommerce maintenance mode
* Page-level maintenance mode (maintain one page, not the whole site)
* Password protected maintenance page
* IP whitelist and country access rules
* Premium templates
* AI message generator
* Import and export settings
* Google Calendar integration
* Team notifications
* Maintenance history and notes
* Automatic plugin updates
* Priority support

[Get Maintenance Scheduler Pro →](https://webcrome.com/maintenance-scheduler-pro) — Personal $19 · Business $49 · Agency $99 per year.

---

= 🔒 Privacy =

Maintenance Scheduler does not collect, share, or sell any personal data. No external API calls are made in the free version. All settings are stored locally in your WordPress database.

---

== Installation ==

= Automatic installation (recommended) =

1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel.
2. Go to **Plugins → Add New**.
3. Search for **Maintenance Scheduler**.
4. Click **Install Now**, then click **Activate**.
5. The setup wizard opens automatically — follow the 3 steps to get started.

= Manual installation =

1. Download the plugin ZIP from [wordpress.org/plugins/maintenance-scheduler](https://wordpress.org/plugins/maintenance-scheduler/).
2. Go to **Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin**.
3. Upload the ZIP file and click **Install Now**.
4. Click **Activate Plugin**.

= After activation =

The setup wizard walks you through three steps:

1. **Choose a template** — Simple, Dark, Corporate, or Gradient.
2. **Upload your logo** — optional, skip if you don't have one ready.
3. **Configure your page** — set your heading, message, and turn maintenance on.

You can skip the wizard at any time and configure everything from the **Maintenance** menu in your WordPress admin.

---

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Will admins be locked out during maintenance? =

No. Users with the `manage_options` capability (Administrators) always bypass maintenance mode and can browse the full site normally.

= Can logged-in users see the site during maintenance? =

Yes — by default all logged-in users bypass the maintenance page. A future settings panel will let you control this per user role.

= Does maintenance mode affect my SEO? =

When maintenance is active the plugin sends an HTTP 503 (Service Unavailable) status code and a `Retry-After` header. This tells search engines the downtime is temporary and they should return later — protecting your rankings.

= Does it work with WooCommerce? =

Yes. Maintenance mode applies site-wide, including the shop. Page-level maintenance (e.g. shop-only) is available in Maintenance Scheduler Pro.

= Can I schedule maintenance in advance? =

Yes. Go to **Maintenance → Schedule**, enable the schedule, and set a start and end date/time. Maintenance turns on and off automatically via WP-Cron, using your site's timezone from **Settings → General**.

= Can I preview the page without affecting visitors? =

Yes. Click the **Preview** button on any plugin screen. The preview URL (`?ms_preview=1`) only shows the maintenance page to logged-in admins — visitors continue to see the live site.

= What happens to cron events when I deactivate? =

Scheduled WP-Cron events (`ms_cron_start` and `ms_cron_end`) are cleared on deactivation and deletion. No orphaned events are left behind.

= Is it Multisite compatible? =

Yes. On Multisite, each sub-site has independent settings. The uninstall routine removes data from every sub-site.

= Where can I get help? =

Post in the [WordPress.org support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/maintenance-scheduler/). For Pro support contact us at support@webcrome.com or via [webcrome.com](https://webcrome.com).

---

== Screenshots ==

1. **Dashboard** — live status indicator, one-click ON/OFF toggle, next scheduled maintenance, activity log, and quick actions.
2. **Appearance page** — template picker, logo upload, colour picker, background image, and live desktop/mobile preview panel.
3. **Schedule page** — set start and end date/time; maintenance turns on and off automatically.
4. **Maintenance page** — what your visitors see: logo, heading, description, countdown timer, and status badge.
5. **Setup wizard** — guided 3-step setup shown automatically on first activation.

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== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 — 2026-07-20 =
* Initial release by Webcrome Software.
* One-click maintenance ON/OFF toggle with live status indicator.
* Automatic scheduling via WP-Cron (start and end date/time, site timezone).
* 4 built-in templates: Simple, Dark, Corporate, Gradient.
* Logo upload via WordPress Media Library.
* Background colour picker (native WordPress wp-color-picker).
* Background image upload via WordPress Media Library.
* Countdown timer linked to scheduled end time.
* Live preview panel — desktop and mobile modes.
* HTTP 503 + Retry-After headers for SEO protection.
* Activity log — last 10 plugin actions.
* Global status bar on all plugin pages.
* First-time setup wizard (3 steps).
* Pro plugin architecture — module registry, hooks and filters for extensions.
* PHP 7.4+ compatible.
* Translation ready.
* Multisite compatible uninstall.

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== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.0.0 =
Initial release — no upgrade needed.

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== Privacy Policy ==

Maintenance Scheduler does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data about your visitors.

Data stored locally in your WordPress database:

* **ms_settings** — your plugin configuration (template, colours, text, schedule).
* **ms_activity_log** — last 10 admin actions with timestamps. No visitor data.
* **ms_installed_at** — Unix timestamp of first activation.
* **ms_setup_complete** — flag indicating whether the setup wizard was finished.

All data is permanently removed when the plugin is deleted via the WordPress admin. On Multisite, data is removed from every sub-site on uninstall.

No external APIs are contacted in the free version. No data leaves your server.
