https:\/\/github.com\/brokensmile2103\/init-chat-engine<\/a><\/p>\n\nKey Features:<\/strong><\/p>\n\nFrontend Experience:<\/strong>\n- Built with 100% REST API and Vanilla JS\n- No jQuery, no bloat \u2013 blazing fast\n- Fully embeddable via [init_chatbox]<\/code> shortcode\n- Guest messaging support (optional)\n- Smart polling system (adaptive 3.5\u201310s based on activity, up to 20s when the chatbox is scrolled out of view)\n- Browser notifications when new messages arrive\n- Scroll-up to load history, scroll-down to auto-scroll\n- Optimistic sending & \"new message\" jump button\n- Clean UI with customizable themes\n- Template override supported (chatbox.php<\/code>)<\/p>\n\nAdministrative Control:<\/strong>\n- Complete Settings Panel<\/strong> - Basic, Security, and Advanced configurations\n- Message Management<\/strong> - Search, view, delete messages with pagination\n- User Moderation<\/strong> - Ban\/unban users by IP or user ID with expiration\n- Rate Limiting<\/strong> - Prevent spam with configurable message limits\n- Word Filtering<\/strong> - Block messages containing prohibited words\n- Statistics Dashboard<\/strong> - View chat activity, user engagement, and trends\n- Cleanup Tools<\/strong> - Automatic and manual cleanup of old messages\n- Custom CSS Support<\/strong> - Full styling customization options<\/p>\n\nSecurity & Moderation:<\/strong>\n- IP-based and user-based banning system\n- Configurable rate limiting (messages per minute)\n- Word filtering with custom blocked word lists\n- Message moderation queue (optional)\n- Automatic cleanup of old messages and expired bans\n- Admin override capabilities<\/p>\n\nMultilingual Ready:<\/strong>\n- Translation-ready with full .pot<\/code> file included\n- Vietnamese translation included\n- Easy to translate to any language<\/p>\n\nPerfect for community-based sites, forums, fanpages, manga readers, SaaS dashboards, customer support, or any interactive chat widget.<\/p>\n\n
Shortcode Attributes<\/h3>\n\n
Shortcode [init_chatbox]<\/code> supports the following attributes:<\/p>\n\n\nheight<\/code> - Set chat height (e.g., height=\"400px\"<\/code>)<\/li>\nwidth<\/code> - Set chat width (e.g., width=\"100%\"<\/code>)<\/li>\ntheme<\/code> - Apply custom theme (e.g., theme=\"dark\"<\/code>)<\/li>\nshow_avatars<\/code> - Override avatar setting (true<\/code>\/false<\/code>)<\/li>\nshow_timestamps<\/code> - Override timestamp setting (true<\/code>\/false<\/code>)<\/li>\ntitle<\/code> - Add custom chat title<\/li>\nclass<\/code> - Add custom CSS classes<\/li>\nid<\/code> - Set custom container ID<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nExample: [init_chatbox height=\"500px\" title=\"Community Chat\" theme=\"modern\"]<\/code><\/p>\n\nFilters for Developers<\/h3>\n\n
This plugin provides filters and actions to allow developers to extend word filtering, message processing, and chat behavior without modifying core files.<\/p>\n\n
init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_word_filter_strategy<\/code><\/strong>
\nModify word filtering strategy (substring<\/code>, word<\/code>, regex<\/code>).
\nApplies to:<\/strong> Message validation
\nParams:<\/strong> string $strategy<\/code>, array $settings<\/code>, string $message<\/code><\/p>\n\ninit_plugin_suite_chat_engine_blocked_words<\/code><\/strong>
\nModify the blocked-words list before validation.
\nApplies to:<\/strong> Message validation
\nParams:<\/strong> array $blocked_words<\/code>, array $settings<\/code>, string $message<\/code><\/p>\n\ninit_plugin_suite_chat_engine_bypass_filter<\/code><\/strong>
\nBypass filtering under custom conditions (VIP, internal users, etc.).
\nApplies to:<\/strong> Message validation
\nParams:<\/strong> bool $bypass<\/code>, string $message<\/code>, WP_User|null $user<\/code>, array $settings<\/code><\/p>\n\ninit_plugin_suite_chat_engine_word_block_hit<\/code><\/strong> (action)<\/em>
\nTriggered when a word filter rule blocks a message.
\nApplies to:<\/strong> Message validation
\nParams:<\/strong> string $blocked_word<\/code>, string $message<\/code>, string $strategy<\/code><\/p>\n\ninit_plugin_suite_chat_engine_enrich_message_row<\/code><\/strong>
\nExtend chat message data (add flags, metadata, user info, etc.).
\nApplies to:<\/strong> Backend DB \u2192 JSON output
\nParams:<\/strong> array $message_row<\/code>, WP_User|null $user<\/code><\/p>\n\nLicense<\/h3>\n\n
This plugin is licensed under the GPLv2 or later.
\nYou are free to use, modify, and distribute it under the same license.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n- Upload the plugin to the
\/wp-content\/plugins\/<\/code> directory.<\/li>\n- Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress.<\/li>\n
- Configure settings under
Settings \u2192 Chat Engine<\/code>.<\/li>\n- Add the
[init_chatbox]<\/code> shortcode anywhere you want the chatbox to appear.<\/li>\n- Optional: Visit
Chat Engine \u2192 Management<\/code> to moderate messages and users.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nCan guests send messages?<\/h3><\/dt>\nYes, if enabled in the plugin settings under Basic Settings. Guests will be asked to enter a display name before sending messages.<\/p><\/dd>\n
How do I moderate messages and users?<\/h3><\/dt>\nGo to Chat Engine \u2192 Management<\/code> to view recent messages, ban\/unban users, and see chat statistics. You can search messages, delete inappropriate content, and ban users by IP or user account.<\/p><\/dd>\nDoes it support real-time messaging?<\/h3><\/dt>\nThis plugin uses REST API with smart polling (3.5-10 second intervals) for broad compatibility. No WebSocket setup required, works on any hosting.<\/p><\/dd>\n
How many messages are stored?<\/h3><\/dt>\nConfigurable in settings (default: 1000 messages). Old messages are automatically deleted when the limit is reached. You can also set up automatic cleanup based on age.<\/p><\/dd>\n
Can I customize the chat appearance?<\/h3><\/dt>\nYes, multiple ways:\n- Use the Custom CSS field in Advanced Settings\n- Override the template by placing chatbox.php<\/code> in your theme's init-chat-engine\/<\/code> folder\n- Use shortcode attributes for basic styling\n- Disable plugin CSS entirely and use your own<\/p><\/dd>\nHow does the ban system work?<\/h3><\/dt>\nAdministrators can ban users by IP address or user account from the Management panel. Bans can be temporary (with expiration date) or permanent. Banned users see a clear message explaining their restriction.<\/p><\/dd>\n
Can I limit message frequency?<\/h3><\/dt>\nYes, use the Rate Limiting setting to control how many messages users can send per minute (1-100 messages). This helps prevent spam and abuse.<\/p><\/dd>\n
Is it translation-ready?<\/h3><\/dt>\nYes, the plugin is fully translation-ready with Vietnamese translation included. All text strings use proper WordPress internationalization functions.<\/p><\/dd>\n
How do I backup chat data?<\/h3><\/dt>\nChat messages are stored in your WordPress database in the wp_init_chatbox_msgs<\/code> table. Use any WordPress backup plugin or database backup tool.<\/p><\/dd>\n\n<\/dl>\n\n\n1.3.6 \u2013 August 1, 2026<\/h4>\n\n\n- Enhancement: relative timestamps (\"x minutes...\") now also cover weeks, months, and years for older messages \u2014 previously capped at \"x days\"<\/li>\n
- Change: dropped the \"ago\" suffix from relative timestamps to keep the UI compact (e.g. \"2 hours\" instead of \"2 hours ago\"), matching the convention used by most modern social apps. Translators: the
minutes_ago<\/code> \/ hours_ago<\/code> \/ days_ago<\/code> JS i18n strings were renamed to unit_minutes<\/code> \/ unit_hours<\/code> \/ unit_days<\/code> \/ unit_weeks<\/code> \/ unit_months<\/code> \/ unit_years<\/code> \u2014 please update custom translations accordingly<\/li>\n- Performance: polling now also accounts for whether the chatbox is actually scrolled into view (via
IntersectionObserver<\/code>), not just whether the browser tab itself is focused\/visible. If the chatbox is off-screen elsewhere on a long page, polling backs off further (up to 20s) and resumes instantly once it's back in view<\/li>\n- No changes to database schema or REST API response shape<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
1.3.5 \u2013 August 1, 2026<\/h4>\n\n\n- Fix: timestamps (\"x minutes ago\") could get stuck on \"now\" indefinitely (or show hours-old immediately after posting) on any site whose timezone setting differs from UTC. Caused by
created_at_iso<\/code> being computed from a local-time string without converting to true GMT first \u2014 now uses get_gmt_from_date()<\/code> for a correct absolute timestamp. Only affects the new client-side timestamp feature below; does not affect message content, delivery, or ordering<\/li>\n- Performance: removed a redundant DB query that ran on every single poll request to refresh message timestamps (previously fetched + recomputed 50 rows every 3.5\u201310s per connected client)<\/li>\n
- Performance: relative timestamps (\"x minutes ago\") are now computed client-side and refreshed locally every 60s, no extra network round-trip<\/li>\n
- Performance: throttled the
last_activity<\/code> stat write so it's persisted at most once per minute instead of on every poll request, reducing DB write load on busy sites<\/li>\n- Performance: polling now pauses entirely (instead of just backing off) after 10 minutes of inactivity on a hidden\/unfocused tab, and resumes instantly on focus<\/li>\n
- Performance: replaced the single-column
idx_is_deleted<\/code> index with a composite (is_deleted, id)<\/code> index on the messages table \u2014 the composite index already covers every query the old one did, so keeping both only added write overhead. Existing sites are migrated automatically (old index dropped, new one added); new installs get the new index directly<\/li>\n- Performance: added object caching (
wp_cache_*<\/code>) to GET \/messages<\/code> \u2014 polling requests with no new messages now skip the database entirely, and initial page loads share a single cached query across all visitors instead of querying per visitor. Effectiveness depends on your host providing a persistent object cache (see FAQ)<\/li>\n- Fix:
TRUNCATE<\/code>-based \"delete all messages\" and the automatic daily cleanup cron did not invalidate any cache before this release, so admin-side stats\/message list and (now) the frontend cache could show stale data after those actions. Both now invalidate all related caches<\/li>\n- Fix: the REST
\/admin\/moderate<\/code> delete action did not invalidate any cache before this release<\/li>\n- Tuned adaptive polling range to 3.5\u201310s (previously 2\u201312s) to match documented behavior and reduce request volume<\/li>\n
- No changes to REST API response shape used by third-party integrations, except the internal
updated_messages<\/code> field (undocumented, poll-only) has been removed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n1.3.4 \u2013 April 7, 2026<\/h4>\n\n\n- Fixed bulk delete and single message delete not working due to stale object cache<\/li>\n
- Added
init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_clear_message_cache()<\/code> to properly invalidate message list, total count, and stats cache after every delete action<\/li>\n- Fixed nonce variable conflict between single action handler and cleanup handler that could cause cleanup verification to fail silently<\/li>\n
- Added Screen Options support for configurable messages per page (default: 20, range: 5\u2013200)<\/li>\n
- Per-page preference is saved per user via user meta \u2014 does not affect other admins<\/li>\n
- Replaced WordPress screen option API with direct POST handler for reliable save behavior<\/li>\n
- No changes to database schema, REST API, or existing chat flow<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
1.3.3 \u2013 March 30, 2026<\/h4>\n\n\n- Added expand\/collapse support for pinned message content in banner<\/li>\n
- Allows viewing full pinned message without jumping to original message<\/li>\n
- Stores full message content via
dataset<\/code> to avoid additional queries or requests<\/li>\n- Updated pinned banner to use absolute positioning to eliminate layout shift (CLS)<\/li>\n
- Ensures stable layout when banner appears or updates<\/li>\n
- Refined animation and interaction for smoother realtime UX<\/li>\n
- No changes to API, database, or existing chat flow<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
1.3.2 \u2013 March 30, 2026<\/h4>\n\n\n- Introduced Pin Message feature for chat moderation (admin only)<\/li>\n
- Allows pinning a single message to the top of the chat box (auto-replaces previous pin)<\/li>\n
- Added hover-based Pin\/Unpin button on messages for admins with dynamic state handling<\/li>\n
- Implemented pinned message banner with jump-to-message and highlight animation<\/li>\n
- Added REST endpoints: POST \/pin and DELETE \/pin (nonce-verified, admin only)<\/li>\n
GET \/messages<\/code> now includes pinned_message<\/code> for real-time sync across clients<\/li>\n- Pin state cached (5 minutes) with immediate invalidation on update<\/li>\n
- Uses existing database (
init_chatbox_stats<\/code>) \u2014 no schema changes required<\/li>\n- Fully translation-ready via
InitChatEngineData.i18n<\/code><\/li>\n- Fully backwards-compatible and does not affect existing chat flow<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
1.3.1 \u2013 March 26, 2026<\/h4>\n\n\n- Performance optimization: added object caching for frequently called checks<\/li>\n
init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_has_messages()<\/code> now cached (24 hours) to reduce redundant DB queries during render<\/li>\ninit_plugin_suite_chat_engine_check_user_banned()<\/code> now uses 10-minute cache with multi-key strategy (user ID + IP)<\/li>\n- Implemented proper cache invalidation on ban\/unban actions to ensure real-time accuracy<\/li>\n
- Added negative caching to eliminate repeated queries for non-banned users<\/li>\n
- Internal optimization only \u2014 no UI or database changes<\/li>\n
- Improves scalability and reduces database load under high traffic chat environments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
1.3.0 \u2013 March 2, 2026<\/h4>\n\n\n- Introduced new Minimum Account Age Requirement<\/strong> (Security setting)<\/li>\n
- Administrators can now require users to have an account older than X days<\/strong> before participating in chat<\/li>\n
- Rule only applies when guest chatting is disabled<\/strong> (login required mode)<\/li>\n
- Fully integrated across backend and frontend:\n\n
\n- REST
\/send<\/code> endpoint now enforces account age validation via centralized security check<\/li>\n- Shared reusable function
init_plugin_suite_chat_engine_check_account_age_requirement()<\/code> ensures single source of truth<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n- Frontend UI enhancement:\n\n
\n- Chat input is automatically disabled (
pointer-events: none; opacity: 0.6<\/code>) when account is too new<\/li>\n- Context-aware warning message displayed directly under the input area<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n
- No impact on guest mode \u2014 public chats remain unaffected when guests are allowed<\/li>\n
- Backwards-compatible with existing settings and database schema<\/li>\n
- Security-focused enhancement to mitigate spam, clone accounts, and coordinated war activity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
1.2.9 \u2013 February 13, 2026<\/h4>\n\n\n- Overhauled User Ban System<\/strong> with timezone-aware logic and optimized detection flow<\/li>\n
- Fixed timezone inconsistency<\/strong> across ban creation, validation, and display layers\n\n
\ninit_plugin_suite_chat_engine_ban_user()<\/code>: now uses DateTime<\/code> with WordPress timezone for precise expires_at<\/code> calculation<\/li>\ninit_plugin_suite_chat_engine_check_user_banned()<\/code>: replaced NOW()<\/code> (GMT) with current_time('mysql')<\/code> for accurate expiration checks<\/li>\ninit_plugin_suite_chat_engine_render_banned_message()<\/code>: switched to date_i18n()<\/code> to prevent double timezone conversion<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n- Improved ban detection priority<\/strong> \u2014 user accounts are now checked first, IP fallback only when user is not banned\n\n
\n- Prevents trivial IP-based bypass when logged-in users are banned<\/li>\n
- Guest users (no
user_id<\/code>) continue to rely on IP-only detection<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n- Eliminated redundant dual-condition SQL queries (
user_id OR ip_address<\/code>) in favor of sequential checks<\/li>\n- Ban expiration timestamps now remain consistent across creation \u2192 validation \u2192 display (e.g., 48-hour ban created at 8:57 AM expires exactly at 8:57 AM, not 3:56 PM)<\/li>\n
- Enhanced WP_DEBUG logging with detailed timestamp comparisons for admin troubleshooting<\/li>\n
- Fully backwards-compatible with existing ban records and database schema<\/li>\n
- Internal security hardening only; no UI or frontend behavioral changes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
1.2.8 \u2013 November 11, 2025<\/h4>\n\n\n- Hotfix: fixed Load More (history pagination)<\/strong> message order becoming inconsistent\n\n
\n- API (
before_id<\/code>)<\/strong>: changed ORDER BY id<\/code> from ASC \u2192 DESC<\/strong><\/li>\n- Frontend (Load More)<\/strong>: removed
.reverse()<\/code>, now directly