IPTV Channels List

Welcome to the comprehensive documentation for IPTV Channels List. This guide is designed to provide you with everything you need to know, from basic installation to advanced server-side optimizations.

Quick Start

1. Install the plugin
2. Activate your license
3. Add TMDB API Key
4. Configure IPTV Server
5. Select Categories
6. Start Sync
7. Use Elementor Widgets

1. Introduction

IPTV Channels List is a premium WordPress solution for IPTV resellers and content aggregators. Unlike simple M3U players, this plugin imports IPTV content as native WordPress Custom Posts, allowing you to fully leverage WordPress SEO, caching systems, Elementor design tools, and advanced filtering plugins.

By converting IPTV streams into native WordPress content, you unlock powerful features such as:

• Categories & Tags — Organize your content professionally.
• Internal Linking — Improve SEO by linking related movies and series.
• Advanced Search — Use any WordPress search/filter plugin.
• Elementor Integration — Build modern IPTV layouts visually.
• Caching Compatibility — Scale massive IPTV databases efficiently.

2. Installation Guide

Automatic Installation

1. Download the .zip package from your Softhub Store account.
2. Navigate to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
3. Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
4. Select the iptv-channels-list.zip file.
5. Click Install Now.
6. After installation, click Activate Plugin.

Important: Do not extract the ZIP file before uploading.

Manual Installation (FTP)

1. Extract the .zip package on your computer.
2. Upload the iptv-channels-list folder into: /wp-content/plugins/
3. Login to WordPress Admin.
4. Navigate to Plugins.
5. Click Activate under IPTV Channels List.

3. License Activation & Verification

After activation, a new sidebar menu called IPTV Channels List will appear.

Activation Steps

Fill in the following information carefully:

• License Key — Available in your Softhub Store dashboard.
• Email Address — The same email used during purchase.
• Full Name — Your registered billing name.

Click:

Activate System Now

The plugin will securely validate your license and unlock all premium functionality.

License System Behavior

• Domain Locking: One license per domain.
• Encrypted Verification: The plugin periodically validates the license securely.
• Migration Support: Deactivate the license before moving domains.

4. ⚠️ Pre-Import Gold Rules (Read Carefully)

Before syncing IPTV content, follow these critical rules:

1. Configure TMDB BEFORE First Sync

If you sync before adding your TMDB API key, imported content will not include posters or metadata.

You would need to:

• Delete all imported data
• Flush cache
• Re-import everything again

2. Test Large Imports on Staging

If your IPTV provider contains:

• 30,000+
• 50,000+
• 100,000+ items

Test imports on a staging environment first.

3. Ensure Proper PHP Limits

Recommended server limits:

4. Whitelist Your Server IP

Some IPTV providers block unknown IPs.

Ensure your hosting server IP is whitelisted by your IPTV provider.

5. IPTV Server Configuration

Navigate to:

IPTV Channels List → Settings

Required Fields

Server URL

Example:

http://iptv-provider.com:8080

Username & Password

Provided by your IPTV source provider.

Auto-Sync Frequency

Choose how often the plugin automatically refreshes content:

• Hourly
• Twice Daily
• Daily
• Weekly

Recommended: Daily

Connection Test

When saving settings, the plugin automatically tests the connection.

If the request fails:

• Verify credentials
• Verify server URL
• Verify provider IP whitelist

6. Partial Import System (Highly Recommended)

The plugin supports selective importing to reduce:

• Database size
• CPU load
• Sync time

Steps

1. Open the Partial Import tab.
2. Click:

Fetch Categories from Server

3. The plugin loads:
   • Movies
   • Series
   • Live TV categories
4. Select only the categories you actually need.
5. Click:

Save Selection

Why Partial Import Matters

Importing unnecessary categories can:

• Slow WordPress dramatically
• Increase hosting costs
• Cause PHP timeout issues

7. TMDB API Integration

The plugin integrates with The Movie Database (TMDB API v3) to automatically enrich imported content.

Metadata Retrieved

• High-resolution posters
• Ratings
• Plot summaries
• Release dates
• Backdrops
• Genres

Getting Your API Key

1. Visit: https://www.themoviedb.org/
2. Create an account.
3. Navigate to: Settings → API
4. Request an API Key (v3).
5. Copy the key into the plugin settings.

Why TMDB Matters

Without TMDB:

• IPTV content looks raw
• No posters
• No metadata
• Lower user engagement

With TMDB:

• Professional Netflix-style appearance
• Better SEO
• Better Elementor layouts

8. Synchronization System

Manual Sync

Click the:

Sync Now

button in the plugin header.

Sync Workflow

The plugin processes content in batches:

1. Movies
2. Series
3. Live TV

This prevents:

• PHP timeouts
• Server crashes
• Memory exhaustion

Batch Processing

Typical batch size:

• 50–100 items/request

9. Automatic Synchronization (Cron)

The plugin supports automatic synchronization using WordPress Cron.

Available Intervals

• Hourly
• Twice Daily
• Daily
• Weekly

Important Note

WordPress Cron only runs when your website receives traffic.

For reliable synchronization, use a real server-side Cron Job.

10. Server-Side Cron Job Setup (Advanced)

For enterprise IPTV websites, configure a real Cron Job.

Recommended Cron Interval

Every 15 minutes.

Cron Command

wget -q -O - http://yourdomain.com/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron >/dev/null 2>&1

Benefits

• Reliable automation
• Better large-scale syncing
• Lower timeout probability
• Stable performance

11. Elementor Widgets

The plugin includes dedicated Elementor widgets.

IPTV Grid Widget

Features:

• Live search filtering
• AJAX pagination
• Responsive grid layouts
• Custom typography
• Card styling controls

IPTV Tabs Widget

Allows instant switching between:

• Movies
• Series
• Live TV

Supports:

• Active tab customization
• Hover effects
• Typography controls

12. Performance & Scalability

13. Caching & Optimization

For large IPTV databases, we strongly recommend:

Page Cache

Use:

• WP Rocket
• LiteSpeed Cache

Object Cache

Recommended:

• Redis
• Memcached

CDN

Use Cloudflare or BunnyCDN to:

• Speed up poster delivery
• Reduce bandwidth
• Improve global performance

14. Advanced Maintenance Features

Automatic Cache Flushing

When using:

Delete All Imported Data

the plugin automatically triggers:

wp_cache_flush()

This ensures:

• No stale metadata remains
• Clean re-imports
• No duplicate IPTV IDs

Emergency Kill Switch

If a synchronization process becomes stuck:

Click:

Stop Sync

The plugin sends a kill signal and safely terminates all pending batches.

This protects:

• CPU usage
• RAM stability
• Shared hosting environments

15. Troubleshooting & Error Reference

16. Technical Requirements

Supported PHP Versions

• PHP 7.4
• PHP 8.0
• PHP 8.1
• PHP 8.2

Recommended Server Specs

Required PHP Extensions

• cURL
• JSON
• mbstring
• OpenSSL

Required Plugins

• Elementor

17. Security Best Practices

Protect Credentials

Never share:

• IPTV Username
• IPTV Password
• Server URL
• TMDB API Key

Always Use HTTPS

Install SSL certificates to:

• Secure API requests
• Protect login data
• Avoid mixed-content warnings

License Monitoring

Licenses are monitored for:

• Fraudulent usage
• Domain abuse
• Unauthorized redistribution

18. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I import only Movies or only Live TV?

Yes. Use the Partial Import feature to select only the categories you need before starting synchronization.

Why are posters or metadata missing?

This usually happens when:

• TMDB API key was not added before sync
• The stream title could not be matched on TMDB
• TMDB API rate limits were exceeded

We strongly recommend configuring TMDB before the first import.

Can I re-sync metadata after adding TMDB later?

Yes, but for best results:

1. Delete imported content
2. Flush cache
3. Re-run synchronization

This ensures all items receive proper posters and metadata.

Why is synchronization slow?

Large IPTV databases require:

• Higher PHP memory
• Faster CPUs
• SSD/NVMe storage
• Stable internet connection

TMDB metadata fetching also increases sync duration significantly.

Does the plugin support Xtream Codes API?

Yes. The plugin is fully compatible with Xtream Codes style IPTV APIs.

Can I import more than 50,000 items?

Yes, but we strongly recommend:

• VPS or Dedicated Server
• Redis Object Cache
• Real Cron Jobs
• 4+ CPU Cores
• 8GB+ RAM

Does the plugin work with shared hosting?

Small imports may work on shared hosting.

However, large IPTV imports are NOT recommended on low-end shared hosting environments.

Why does the sync stop suddenly?

Possible causes:

• PHP timeout
• Low memory limit
• Hosting restrictions
• Server firewall issues

Check your hosting error logs and increase PHP limits if needed.

Can I stop synchronization manually?

Yes. Use the Stop Sync button to safely terminate the running process.

Does the plugin duplicate content on re-sync?

No. The plugin uses internal IPTV IDs to detect existing items and prevent duplicates.

Can I use Elementor with the plugin?

Yes. The plugin includes dedicated Elementor widgets for:

• IPTV Grid Layouts
• Tabs Navigation
• AJAX Filtering
• Responsive Content Displays

Does the plugin support automatic synchronization?

Yes. You can configure:

• Hourly
• Twice Daily
• Daily
• Weekly synchronization schedules

For best reliability, use a real server-side Cron Job.

Why are some channels or movies missing?

Usually because:

• Their categories were not selected
• The IPTV provider removed them
• The provider API returned incomplete results

Is TMDB API mandatory?

No, but highly recommended.

Without TMDB:

• No posters
• No ratings
• No descriptions
• Less professional layouts

Does the plugin slow down WordPress?

Not if configured correctly.

We strongly recommend:

• Page caching
• Redis Object Cache
• CDN integration
• Partial imports

What happens when I click "Delete All Imported Data"?

The plugin removes:

• Imported IPTV posts
• Metadata
• Internal IPTV mappings
• Cached IPTV references

It also automatically flushes the WordPress Object Cache.

Can I migrate the plugin to another domain?

Yes.

Before migration:

1. Deactivate the license on the old domain
2. Activate it again on the new domain

Is the plugin SEO friendly?

Yes.

Because IPTV content is imported as native WordPress posts, you can use:

• Rank Math
• Yoast SEO
• Internal links
• Schema plugins
• XML sitemaps

Which caching plugins are recommended?

Recommended caching solutions:

• LiteSpeed Cache
• WP Rocket
• Redis Object Cache
• Cloudflare CDN

What should I do before the first large sync?

Recommended checklist:

• Configure TMDB first
• Increase PHP limits
• Disable heavy plugins temporarily
• Take a full backup
• Test on staging if possible

Where can I get support?

You can contact us via:

• Help Center
• Email Support
• Telegram

19. Support Policy

Included Support

✅ Plugin installation help
✅ Activation assistance
✅ IPTV sync troubleshooting
✅ Elementor widget guidance
✅ Plugin-related bug reports

Not Included

❌ IPTV provider support
❌ Third-party theme fixes
❌ Custom development work
❌ Server administration

Official Support Channels

Need help?

• Help Center: https://help.softhubstore.com
• Direct Email: hello@softhubstore.com
• Telegram: https://t.me/neoe3

Softhub Store — Transforming the IPTV industry one plugin at a time.