## **🔍 Overview**

When connecting your WordPress site to Search Atlas via the CMS sync toggle, you may encounter a stuck loading circle, a "No WP website found" error, or a generic sync failure. This article walks you through the most common causes and how to resolve them step by step.

## **⚙️ Prerequisites Before You Begin**

The CMS sync feature only works with WordPress sites that have the official Search Atlas WordPress plugin installed and activated. Before troubleshooting, confirm the following:

- The **Search Atlas WordPress plugin** is installed and **active** on your WordPress site.
- The domain you are trying to sync exactly matches the domain registered in your Search Atlas project (including or excluding **www**).
- Your WordPress site is publicly reachable and not in maintenance mode, staging lockdown, or behind a firewall that blocks external API requests.

## **🛠️ Step 1 — Verify the Plugin Is Installed Correctly**

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to **Plugins → Installed Plugins**.
3. Confirm the **Search Atlas** plugin is listed and its status shows **Active**.
4. If the plugin is deactivated, click **Activate** and wait 30 seconds before retrying the sync in Search Atlas.
5. If the plugin is not installed, download it from your Search Atlas account, upload it via **Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin**, and activate it.

## **🔗 Step 2 — Check Your Project Domain Matches**

1. In Search Atlas, navigate to your project settings and note the exact domain listed (e.g., **hoardrescue.com** vs. **www.hoardrescue.com**).
2. Compare this to the domain shown in your WordPress admin under **Settings → General → Site Address (URL)**.
3. If there is a mismatch, update the domain in your Search Atlas project to match WordPress exactly, or adjust the WordPress site URL accordingly.

## **😴 Step 3 — Reactivate a Sleeping Project**

If your Search Atlas project has been inactive for an extended period, it may have been put to sleep automatically. A sleeping project cannot complete a CMS sync and will return a generic error or leave the toggle stuck on loading.

1. Open Search Atlas and go to the **Home** page via the left sidebar.
2. Locate your project and click **Refresh data** to wake it.
3. Wait up to two minutes for the project to fully reload.
4. Return to the CMS sync toggle and try again.

## **🔄 Step 4 — Retry the CMS Sync Toggle**

1. Navigate to your project in Search Atlas.
2. Locate the **Sync to CMS** toggle.
3. If the toggle is stuck on a loading circle, refresh the entire page using your browser (do not just click the toggle again).
4. After the page reloads, click the toggle once and wait up to 60 seconds for the connection to establish.
5. A successful sync will turn the toggle **green** and display a confirmation message.

## **🚫 Common Error Messages and What They Mean**

- **"No WP website found"** — Search Atlas cannot detect the plugin on your domain. Re-check that the plugin is active and the domain matches exactly.
- **Generic sync error / no message shown** — This is often caused by a sleeping project or a temporary server timeout. Follow Step 3 to wake your project, then retry.
- **Toggle spins indefinitely** — A page refresh usually resolves this. If it persists after refreshing and retrying, the issue may require investigation by our team.

## **✅ Quick Checklist**

- Search Atlas plugin installed and **active** in WordPress
- Domain in Search Atlas project **exactly matches** WordPress site URL
- WordPress site is **publicly accessible** (not in maintenance or staging mode)
- Project is **not sleeping** — refresh data if unsure
- Page was **refreshed** before retrying the toggle

## **💬 Still Having Trouble?**

If you have completed all the steps above and the sync toggle is still failing or stuck, our team can investigate your specific domain and project configuration. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type **human teammate** to be connected with a member of our team.