WSMaker Wiki & Field Manual
Core Concepts, Personal Branding & Architecture
What is WordPress? (And Why Owning Your Platform Wins)
WordPress is the world’s most widely adopted open-source content management system, powering more than 43% of all websites on the internet. Unlike closed proprietary cloud platforms (like Kajabi, Teachable, or Eventbrite), WordPress gives you 100% full ownership over your brand, your domain, and your customer database.
When you host on your own WordPress site, no third-party platform can arbitrarily change their transaction fees, lock you out of student email lists, or force you into expensive monthly subscription tiers. Your website is your digital real estate—permanent, extensible, and completely under your control.
What is a CRM? (And Why Instructors Cannot Rely on Excel)
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. In the context of workshops and academies, a CRM is not just a list of names—it is an operational command center that tracks every attendee’s lifecycle from their first visit to event day check-in.
Managing 12 workshop participants across WhatsApp chats, unverified bank wire screenshots, and Excel rows leads to lost balances, overbooked seats, and hours of manual verification. A dedicated CRM automatically correlates who paid the deposit, who chose cash on-site, who needs a special dietary meal, and who attended previous tours for automated loyalty discounts.
Organizing a Personal Brand (From Teaching to Scaling)
As a photographer, master craftsman, or specialized consultant, your Personal Brand is your most valuable revenue engine. Students book your workshops because they trust your specific vision, teaching style, and mentorship.
When you direct your social media followers to third-party marketplaces (like Eventbrite or Udemy), those platforms cross-promote competitor courses to your audience and take 15% to 50% of your earnings. With WSMaker on your own domain, your brand stays front and center, with zero external brand dilution.
Tools at Your Disposal (The Unified Creator Suite)
WSMaker replaces a dozen fragmented tools with one cohesive dashboard:
- Direct Payment Engine: Native Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Bank Wire & Cash on-site.
- In-Browser Graphic Studio: Instant 1:1, 9:16, and 16:9 social promotional banners.
- Live Virtual Classrooms: Integrated Jitsi Meet HD streaming without Zoom license fees.
- Field Logistics Dispatch: Automated T-15 email briefing digest and smartphone QR pass scanner.
- Passwordless Student Hub: Instant 1-click tokenized Magic Link access.
Online Courses vs. Live Virtual Classrooms vs. In-Person Workshops
Modern creators and academies rarely rely on a single teaching format. To build a thriving educational ecosystem, you must understand the distinct operational and educational roles of the three main formats supported natively by WSMaker:
🎓 1. Online Courses (On-Demand LMS)
Asynchronous • 100% Scalable
Pre-recorded v
While photography instructors were among the earliest pioneers, WSMaker is a universal event and course management engine engineered for creators, instructors, and academies across diverse disciplines:
Landscape photo tours, studio lighting masterclasses, drone workshops, and video post-production academies. Ceramic and pottery bootcamps, oil painting intensives, calligraphy masterclasses, and woodcraft studios. Pastry masterclasses, artisanal sourdough bootcamps, sommelier wine tastings, and regional food tours. Yoga retreats, breathwork immersion weekends, sound healing workshops, and movement teacher trainings. Public speaking masterclasses, executive leadership retreats, voice training stages, and business growth intensives. Masterclasses in music composition, vocal performance coaching, electronic music synthesis, and mixing stages.
One of the most powerful architectural foundations of WSMaker is the relationship between Categories (Thematic Clusters) and Events (Actionable Instances). Understanding how these two entities interact is essential for structuring a clean, highly profitable educational catalog.
A Category represents a broader discipline, skill level, or topic theme (e.g. “Landscape Photography”, “Studio Lighting & Portrait”, “Street & Documentary”, “Post-Production Masterclass”). It acts as a permanent umbrella that groups your offerings.
An Event is a specific, time-bound execution of a workshop with concrete dates, limited seat capacity, ticket pricing, an assigned instructor, a venue/map location, and a live attendee roster (e.g. “Dolomites Autumn Tour — Oct 15-18, 2026 • 8 Seats Max • €650”).
When students open your interactive Calendar ( You can run the same beloved workshop format across multiple seasonal editions (Spring Edition, Autumn Edition, Weekend Fast-Track) under the same unified Category, accumulating social proof and consistent SEO authority. Each Category can feature a distinct color-coded badge across event cards, interactive calendars, and social posters, allowing visitors to visually categorize your schedule in milliseconds. In your Stage CRM, you can easily filter attendees who took part in a specific Category (e.g. “Students who attended Landscape Workshops in 2025”) to send them targeted early-bird announcements for advanced expeditions!Who is WSMaker Built For? (Across Industries)
Categories vs. Events: The Architectural Link Between Them
🏷️ What is a Category?
📍 What is an Event?
The 4 Strategic Benefits of the Category ↔ Event Nexus:
[ws_calendar]) or Map ([ws_map]), categories provide 1-click pill filters. A prospective student looking for portrait masterclasses doesn’t need to scroll past 20 landscape expeditions to find what they want.
Field Guide & Technical Step-by-Step
1. Fast Setup & Installation in 15 Minutes
WSMaker is engineered to eliminate the bloated configuration cycles common to traditional e-commerce platforms. Unlike legacy systems that require WooCommerce, cart pages, multiple payment gateways, and separate calendar plugins, WSMaker operates as a 100% standalone, unified operating system.
The entire setup process takes less than a quarter of an hour. The plugin automatically generates necessary database tables, initializes Vue 3 single-page applications, and creates the default student login and checkout endpoints upon activation.
Scenario: You run an independent photography academy and want to start accepting credit card bookings for an upcoming landscape tour today.
Execution: You download workshop-suite.zip, upload it via the WordPress admin panel, connect your existing Stripe account with your Publishable and Secret API keys, choose Euro (€) as the primary currency, and set your automated email sender name. In 12 minutes, you are ready to publish your first public event with interactive maps, date pickers, and instant checkout.
Detailed Installation Checklist:
workshop-suite.zip file and click Activate.https://yourdomain.com/wp-json/ws/v1/stripe-webhook) for instant automatic payment reconciliation.2. In-Person Workshops, Photo Tours & Masterclasses
Managing in-person field workshops requires vastly different tools than selling physical products or digital downloads. Organizers must handle strict participant caps, multi-day itineraries, precise GPS meeting points, weather briefings, and automated waitlists to prevent overbooking.
WSMaker provides a dedicated Event Logistics Engine built specifically for on-location instructors. Every workshop post type includes custom fields for daily schedules, gear requirements, lodging details, and automatic geocoding.
- Fixed Seat Limit: Exactly 8 seats (strictly capped due to 4×4 super-jeep passenger limits).
- Free Global Geocoding: Entering “Landmannalaugar, Iceland” automatically plots an interactive drop-pin on the world map without requiring expensive Google Maps API billing.
- Visual Day-by-Day Itinerary:
• Day 1: 09:00 Meetup at Reykjavik Central → Sunset shoot at Haifoss Waterfall.
• Day 2: Sunrise over volcanic craters → Thermal river session.
• Day 3: Glacier highlands trekking → Night astrophotography.
• Day 4: Group photo critique → Return to hotel. - Automated Waitlist Protocol: Once 8 participants register, the registration button automatically transforms into “Join Priority Waitlist”. If Participant #4 cancels, the CRM automatically generates a 24-hour priority booking link for the next candidate on the waitlist.
Step-by-Step Workshop Creation:
8). Toggle “Enable Waitlist” and set whether registrations close automatically 48 hours prior to kickoff.3. Deposits, Balances & Cash on-site Payments
High-ticket workshops (ranging from €300 to €3,000+) rarely convert well when organizers demand 100% immediate payment months in advance. Practical event management requires split payments: a Deposit to reserve the seat and a Remaining Balance settled closer to the date, online or physically at the venue.
You set the Total Workshop Price at €750 and the Seat Deposit at €200.
- Channel 1: Instant Card Deposit (Stripe / Apple Pay / Google Pay): The student pays €200 instantly. The seat is locked, and the CRM badges the attendee as “Deposit Paid — €550 Balance Pending”.
- Channel 2: Direct Bank Wire Transfer: The student selects Bank Wire at checkout. The system sends an email with your IBAN and a unique booking reference. In your CRM, their status is “Pending Wire Verification”. Once the wire clears in your bank account, 1 click confirms the seat.
- Channel 3: Cash on-site (Cash at the venue door): The student pays the €200 deposit online and opts to settle the €550 balance in Cash on the first morning of the workshop. On event day, when the student hands over the cash, the instructor clicks “Settle Balance (Cash)” on their smartphone, immediately generating the final PDF receipt.
Automated Balance Collection:
WSMaker includes an automated background cron that calculates remaining balances and sends customized balance payment reminder emails (e.g. 30 days and 15 days before the event) with a pre-authenticated 1-click checkout link.
4. Digital Video Masterclasses & LMS Course Builder
WSMaker bridges physical events with digital e-learning. You can publish standalone video masterclasses or link digital courses directly to your physical events (e.g. giving attendees a pre-trip photography basics course before they arrive on-site).
You create a structured course consisting of 6 modules and 24 lessons.
- Video Hosting Flexibility: Embed private Vimeo Pro videos, unlisted YouTube links, or self-hosted secure MP4 files.
- Lesson Attachments: Attach PDF lighting diagrams and RAW exercise files directly to individual lessons.
- Student-Instructor Q&A: Students post questions directly under each video lesson. You receive admin notifications and reply in-page.
- Verifiable QR Diploma: When progress reaches 100%, the system automatically generates a branded PDF Certificate of Completion with a verifiable QR code.
Clean Player Architecture:
The Vue 3 player tracks lesson completion automatically in local storage and database sync. Students can resume playback on mobile or desktop exactly where they left off, without distracting sidebar clutter.
5. In-Page Live Streaming Classrooms with Jitsi Meet
Running live online webinars or group mentoring sessions traditionally requires paying to /month per host for Zoom Pro, plus sending external links that take students away from your website.
WSMaker integrates Jitsi Meet WebRTC technology natively inside your WordPress pages. The video stream is embedded directly within the secure student portal, protected from unauthorized sharing.
You schedule a 90-minute live portfolio critique on Thursday evening. Only enrolled students can access the room. When they log in via Magic Link, the video classroom loads seamlessly with HD video, crystal-clear audio, desktop screen sharing, text chat, and virtual hand-raising—with zero third-party software installation required.
6. Passwordless Magic Link Authentication
Traditional WordPress membership sites frustrate users with forgotten passwords, password reset loops, and robotic captcha verifications. For non-technical workshop attendees, complex logins are the #1 source of friction and support tickets.
WSMaker implements Cryptographic Passwordless Magic Links. When a student registers, they never need to create or memorize a password.
- The student visits your site and enters their email into the “Student Portal” box.
- An encrypted, time-limited cryptographic token is generated and delivered to their inbox in seconds.
- Clicking the link instantly logs them into their personal hub across all devices, granting immediate access to their workshop tickets, itineraries, video lessons, and invoices.
7. Stage CRM, Attendee Management & PDF Pass Vouchers
The built-in Stage CRM gives instructors a clear, real-time command center over their attendee rosters. You can view all confirmed participants, filter by financial status, export rosters to CSV for flight/hotel bookings, and issue QR-coded entry passes.
Each attendee receives a branded PDF Pass Voucher with a unique QR code. On the morning of the workshop, the organizer scans the QR code using any smartphone camera. The system verifies the attendee’s identity, checks if their balance is settled, and marks them as “Checked-In” in real time.
8. Automated T-15 Pre-Trip Logistics Briefing Digest
Two weeks before an event, instructors are typically inundated with repetitive emails: “What lens should I bring?”, “Where exactly are we meeting?”, “Is there parking?”.
The T-15 Automated Digest fires automatically exactly 15 days before the event start date, compiling all vital logistical details into a beautiful, personalized briefing email for every registered attendee.
- Exact GPS Coordinates & Directions: Interactive Google Maps and Apple Maps navigation links.
- Recommended Gear Checklist: Specific camera lenses, sturdy tripods, ND filters, and thermal clothing requirements.
- Financial Summary: Clear statement showing whether the balance is fully paid, payable online, or due in cash upon arrival.
- Emergency Instructor Contact: Direct mobile telephone contact for travel-day emergencies.
9. In-Browser Poster Studio (Instagram 1:1, 9:16 & Facebook Banners)
Promoting a new workshop date across social media used to require either paying a graphic designer or spending hours wrestling with Photoshop layers and Canva subscriptions. WSMaker features a built-in HTML5 Canvas Graphic Engine that automatically turns your workshop details into stunning, pixel-perfect promotional posters in seconds.
Scenario: You just published a “Street Photography in Naples” masterclass on your website. You need promotional graphics right now for Instagram Stories, your Instagram Feed, and a Facebook Event.
Execution: You click “Open Poster Studio”. In 30 seconds, you select a visual style preset, adjust the photo darkening filter, and download 3 crystal-clear, high-resolution PNG files with all dates, pricing, and your instructor branding already aligned!
The 3 Multi-Format Presets Generated in 1 Click:
Perfect for Instagram Main Feed, Facebook Posts, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp Broadcast channels.
Optimized for Instagram Stories, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and WhatsApp Status updates.
Ideal for Facebook Event banners, Twitter/X summary cards, and newsletter headers.
Automated Dynamic Graphic Layers:
The Poster Studio doesn’t just place text on a photo—it intelligently composes a professional graphic layout:
- Smart Gradient Contrast Overlays: Applies a subtle, customizable dark vignette so white typography remains razor-sharp and legible over light or complex backgrounds.
- Dynamic Seat Badges: Option to display real-time availability badges (e.g. “Only 3 Seats Left” or “Early Bird Price”).
- Scan-to-Book QR Code: Renders a crisp QR Code directly in the corner of the poster, allowing prospective students to scan it with their phone camera to open your registration page instantly.
- Branded Typography & Academy Logo: Overlays your custom school logo, instructor avatar, and website URL automatically.
10. Custom CSS Override Editor (Light Mode & Dark Mode)
WSMaker inherits your active WordPress theme’s base typography, but gives you complete freedom to override colors, spacing, and buttons. An integrated Custom CSS Editor in the settings panel allows you to customize styles safely without touching plugin core files.
Practical CSS Snippets:
11. 1-Click Migration from Tutor LMS & LearnDash
Migrating an established academy from older LMS plugins used to require manual re-entry of dozens of courses and hundreds of video lessons. The built-in WS Migrator tool automates the entire database conversion in under 60 seconds.
- Converts all course structures, modules, topics, and video URLs.
- Preserves all student enrollments and lesson progress percentages.
- Zero Learning Interruption: Existing students continue accessing their courses immediately using Magic Link!
12. Shortcodes & Page Builder Integration
WSMaker is built with universal WordPress compatibility. You can insert any Vue 3 interactive component into Elementor, Gutenberg, Divi, Bricks, or YOOTheme using clean native shortcodes.
| Shortcode | Description | Parameters |
|---|---|---|
| [ws_calendar] | Interactive Vue 3 calendar with category and date filtering. | view="month|list" |
| [ws_map] | Global OpenStreetMap showing all geocoded workshop pins. | height="500px" |
| [ws_courses] | Digital Video Masterclasses grid showcase. | columns="3" limit="6" |
| [ws_student_hub] | Student personal portal (tickets, course progress & invoices). | None (Protected by Magic Link) |
13. Optional WooCommerce Integration (When & How to Connect)
By default, WSMaker is 100% standalone and does not require WooCommerce. However, if your website already runs a WooCommerce store to sell physical merchandise (such as fine art photo prints, books, or camera accessories) or requires localized multi-currency gateways (like PayPal Plus, Klarna, or Satispay), WSMaker includes an Optional Native WooCommerce Bridge.
Scenario: You already have a WooCommerce store selling preset packs and photography books. You want workshop tickets to flow through your existing WooCommerce cart so customers can buy a book and a workshop seat in the same single transaction.
Execution: You enable the WooCommerce Bridge. WSMaker automatically links your workshop to a WooCommerce product. When the customer completes the checkout, WooCommerce processes the payment, and WSMaker instantly triggers seat enrollment, generates the QR entry pass, and emails the Magic Link access token!
How to Configure the WooCommerce Bridge:
Enable WooCommerce Bridge.Processing or Completed, the student is automatically added to the Workshop Stage CRM, their seat is reserved, and their QR ticket voucher is generated.Field Troubleshooting Guide
Quick solutions to the most common operational, financial, and technical challenges encountered by instructors and organizers.
Emails Falling into Spam or Not Delivered
Symptom: Students report not receiving automated booking confirmation emails or T-15 pre-trip briefing digests.
By default, WordPress uses the server’s unauthenticated PHP mail() function, which email providers (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud) heavily penalize as spam.
• Install a dedicated SMTP plugin (such as FluentSMTP or Post SMTP).
• Connect an authenticated transactional email service (SendGrid, Postmark, Amazon SES, or Google Workspace SMTP).
• Verify that your domain DNS records include valid SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
Stripe Payment Successful but Booking Remains “Pending”
Symptom: The customer’s credit card was charged in Stripe, but the student does not automatically appear as “Confirmed” in the Stage CRM.
Stripe needs to notify your WordPress site asynchronously via Webhooks when a checkout session succeeds.
• Go to your Stripe Dashboard → Developers → Webhooks.
• Add an endpoint:
https://yourdomain.com/wp-json/ws/v1/stripe-webhook.
• Select events to listen to:
checkout.session.completed and payment_intent.succeeded.
• Copy the Signing Secret (
whsec_...) into WSMaker → Settings → Payment.
Student Says They Cannot Access Their Portal
Symptom: A registered participant cannot find their login token or entered a typo in their email address.
Jitsi Meet Live Room Microphone or Camera Blocked
Symptom: The live video stream loads, but the student’s webcam or microphone displays as “Permission Denied”.
Remote Workshop Location Not Found by Auto-Geocoding
Symptom: An off-grid mountain pass or isolated coastal cove does not have a formal street address.
63.9822, -19.0588). The interactive map will drop the pin exactly at the viewpoint.
Student Hub Showing Outdated Data (Caching Plugins)
Symptom: A student completes a lesson or books a seat, but the page displays an older cached version.
Need Further Assistance?
Explore our comprehensive FAQs or start organizing your next workshop with the Free license.