Description
Handoverly solves a problem every WordPress agency and freelancer runs into: the client manual written by hand goes out of date as soon as the site changes, and nobody has time to rewrite it.
The plugin reads your site’s content types, navigation menus, categories and tags, and (when active) Advanced Custom Fields field groups and WooCommerce. It then produces a branded PDF that walks your client through everyday tasks: logging in, editing an existing page, adding new content, managing categories and tags, and updating the menu.
What makes it useful
- Written for this site. Every section names the site and uses its real content, for example “your post ‘5 Tips for Autumn Lawn Care’”, real menu items and real category names.
- A picture for every step. Each step includes an illustration of the matching WordPress screen, such as the block editor, the login page or the menu editor, drawn with the site’s real titles, menu items and admin colours.
- No passwords in the PDF. The manual contains a secure link instead. The client presses a button on that page to see their login details once. The link then stops working, and it expires after 72 hours if unused.
- Easy to keep current. Regenerate it whenever the site changes.
- Self-contained. No external service, account or API key. PDF rendering uses bundled open-source libraries and everything runs on your own server.
How it works
- Go to Tools > Handoverly.
- Check the detected content types, menus and custom fields.
- Enter your branding (agency name, support contact) and the client’s username and password.
- Click Generate Handbook PDF, then Download.
- Send the PDF to your client.
Privacy and security
- The client’s password is encrypted with libsodium using your site’s own secret keys. It is deleted when the link is used, and a daily cleanup deletes it once the link expires even if it was never opened.
- Generated PDFs are stored in a protected folder with random file names and can only be downloaded by administrators from the plugin page. Only the newest handbook is kept.
- Screenshots and illustrations are deleted as soon as the PDF has been built.
- Uninstalling the plugin removes its settings, pending links and stored files.
- The plugin does not contact any external service and does not collect any data.
Third-party libraries
These open-source libraries are bundled in the vendor folder, each with its license file:
- dompdf 3.1.6, LGPL-2.1
- php-font-lib 1.0.2, LGPL-2.1
- php-svg-lib 1.0.2, LGPL-3.0
- masterminds/html5 2.11.0, MIT
- sabberworm/php-css-parser 9.5.0, MIT
- DejaVu fonts (shipped with dompdf), Bitstream Vera and public-domain license (vendor/dompdf/dompdf/lib/fonts/DejaVu-LICENSE.txt)
Installation
- Upload the
handoverlyfolder to/wp-content/plugins/, or install it from the Plugins screen. - Activate the plugin.
- Go to Tools > Handoverly to generate your first manual.
FAQ
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Does it need an API key or an external service?
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No. Everything runs on your own server using WordPress’s own functions and the bundled PDF library. It works offline.
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Is the client’s password stored anywhere in plain text?
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No. It is encrypted, never written into the PDF, and deleted after the link is used or expires.
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Email scanners and chat apps open links automatically to build previews. The button makes sure only a real person uses up the one-time link.
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Can the illustrations be replaced with real screenshots?
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Yes, by another plugin. Two filters let a developer supply real screenshots for each step:
clem_capture_public_screenshots(homepage and login page) andclem_capture_admin_screenshots(editor, categories and menu screens). Each returns a map of step key to PNG file path. Files must be created withCLEM_Storage::new_file_path( 'screenshots', 'png' ), are checked before use, and are deleted after the PDF is built. Theclem_screenshot_statusfilter changes the note shown on the plugin page. -
Does it work with Advanced Custom Fields and WooCommerce?
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Yes. When either is active, the manual gets a section for it automatically.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“Handoverly – Client Editing Manual” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
ContributorsTranslate “Handoverly – Client Editing Manual” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.0
- First release.