Google Site Kit docs about wp config

  • Resolved Nadav Levi

    (@123nadav)


    1 month ago

    Hello guys, how are you? I was looking at this:

    https://sitekit.withgoogle.com/documentation/using-site-kit/configure-site-kit-wp-config-keys/

    I’ve never used this before, and I’ve been using Site Kit for several years.

    I’ve never adjusted the wp-config.php for Site Kit in my life, and from what I see, this information isn’t that old.

    Should I configure it, or is the default installation fine?

    And by default, if Google Site Kit is already configured (installed for years), what should I do? From what I see on this page, configuring it now could potentially cause damage to the website (this is what you wrote in the documentation).

    The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Plugin Support Adam Dunnage

    (@adamdunnage)

    1 month ago

    Hi @123nadav, thanks for getting in touch with your question about configuring Site Kit wp-config keys. If you have had Site Kit set up for several years and haven’t had any issues relating to your wp-config keys, then I would suggest that no further action is needed on your side.

    If you were to run into any issues where updates to the values for your constants were made and Site Kit no longer is able to decrypt the Site Kit credentials that are stored in the database, then you could follow the guidance in the documentation.

    But as stated above, if you’re not experiencing any issues with this, you don’t need to take any action as your default setup is fine as it is. I hope this helps to answer your question. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

    Thread Starter Nadav Levi

    (@123nadav)

    1 month ago

    Hello @adamdunnage, how are you? Thanks for your response, I appreciate it.

    However, there are a couple of things I need to understand.

    Over the years, there have been quite a few problems with Site Kit, let’s be honest. I have opened at least 8–10 tickets in this support forum over the years and maybe i have a problem i am not aware.

    Now regarding this specific issue: how can I determine whether the keys are causing a problem?

    What exactly should I see if there is a problem with the keys?

    In the documentation:
    https://sitekit.withgoogle.com/documentation/using-site-kit/configure-site-kit-wp-config-keys/

    You don’t actually explain what happens if the keys are not working properly.

    So how can I verify that my keys are working at all?

    Should I expect to see:

    • The Google Site Kit interface not loading?
    • An incorrect Gmail connection in the Site Kit interface?
    • Problems with Google Analytics?
    • Problems with Google Search Console?

    How exactly can I check whether the keys are functioning properly?

    There is a very high chance that all the GOOGLE SITE KIT users could have this problem, and 80% of them would not even know about it, simply because the documentation does not clearly explain what symptoms appear when the keys are not configured correctly.

    Another thing I believe you should consider:
    This information should be mentioned during the Site Kit installation process.

    I believe this requirement is relatively new. I usually explore the documentation of any plugin I install, and I have never noticed this information before.

    Most people who install WordPress plugins do not have a technical background. They simply install a plugin and assume it will work, especially when it is an official Google plugin.

    If the plugin requires manual intervention in code, such as editing wp-config.php, then at the very least there should be a popup or a clear notification during the installation process informing the user that they may need to edit wp-config.php.

    I am quite sure that 90% of users don’t even know the plugin uses security keys.

    So please tell me how I can diagnose whether my keys are working properly, or what errors or symptoms I should expect if the keys are not configured correctly.

    By the way, I have no problem editing wp-config.php.
    I am a programmer and have extensive experience with Cloud infrastructure (GCP, AWS, AZURE ETC), Linux (VMs), and WordPress.

    However, I would appreciate your guidance, since this is your plugin and you know it best.

    Regards,
    Levi

    Plugin Support Adam Dunnage

    (@adamdunnage)

    1 month ago

    @123nadav Thanks for the follow up. I’m happy to address your concerns here and fill in any gaps you have regarding this information.

    Firstly, I’ll start by saying that this isn’t new to Site Kit as the plugin has always done this. The documentation page for this has been live on the site for a long time. If you were to have a problem with these it would be due to them changing and Site Kit would no longer be able to decrypt the credentials that are stored in the database.

    If this were to happen then you would be logged out of Site Kit and be required to log back in. You could also see an authentication error in Site Kit and would be prompted to redo your setup. This can happen as mentioned if your GOOGLESITEKIT_ENCRYPTION_KEY or GOOGLESITEKIT_ENCRYPTION_SALT values have changed since setting up Site Kit.

    The fact that Site Kit is working for you means that your keys are valid. It’s not common that we see users report issues related to this but it can happen if those keys are changed. This could be done manually, via a third-party plugin or even a hosting configuration.

    We are always looking to improve on our documentation so we will certainly look into that to see if we can make any useful additions for our users. We don’t plan to add any mention of this to the setup process as this is something managed by Site Kit in the background and isn’t something that the user needs to configure themselves. Site Kit does not require manual intervention in code in the wp-config.php file as this is all managed by the plugin.

    So to summarize, if Site Kit is working for you as expected, then there’s no concern regarding your wp-config keys. There is no need for any manual intervention with the keys and any such case is rare. I hope the above has helped to address your questions and concerns regarding this. Let me know if I can help with anything else.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

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