Home / How it works

Connecting your store takes two minutes

You don't install anything and you don't touch your store. Recurra only needs read permission to see your subscriptions, and you can take it away whenever you like.

Current status

Recurra is under construction. This guide describes how pilot stores will connect. Manual connection with keys works with any WooCommerce store today; one-click connection is what we're building to make it even simpler.

Before you start

  • A store running WooCommerce with the WooCommerce Subscriptions plugin active.
  • Administrator access to your WordPress.
  • Permalinks set to anything other than “Plain” (Settings › Permalinks). The WooCommerce API requires it.
  • Your store on HTTPS (the padlock in the address bar). That's standard, and what WooCommerce recommends.

Option A · under construction

One-click connection

You enter your store's address and click “Connect”. WooCommerce shows a screen asking for read-only permission. You approve and you're done: no keys to copy and paste.

It uses WooCommerce's official application authorization system, the same one other tools use.

Option B · available today

Connect with keys

You create a read-only API key in your WordPress and give it to Recurra. It's six steps, each one below.

It's the one we'll use with the first pilot stores.

Option B: create your read-only key, step by step

01

Open the API settings

WooCommerce›Settings›Advanced›REST API

Click Add key. In older versions of WooCommerce the path is Settings › API › Keys/Apps.

02

Give it a name you'll recognize

In Description, type “Recurra”. That way you'll know what the key is if you ever want to revoke it.

03

Choose the user

Select your administrator user. The key inherits that user's permissions, and if you delete the user the key stops working.

04

Permissions: read only

Under Permissions, choose Read. With that permission, Recurra can see your data but can't change anything.

05

Generate the key and copy it

Click Generate API key. WooCommerce shows two codes: the consumer key (starts with ck_) and the consumer secret (starts with cs_). Copy them now: the secret is never shown again.

06

Paste them into Recurra's connection form

During the pilot I'll give you a personal connection link. Don't send me the keys by email or chat: paste them only into that form.

What Recurra can and can't see

With read-only permission

  • Can see: subscriptions and their status, renewal dates, amounts, plans, renewal orders, and basic customer details.
  • Can't see: card numbers (WooCommerce doesn't expose them), passwords, or anything in your WordPress dashboard.
  • Can't do: change subscriptions, charge, cancel, or write anything to your store.

How to revoke access

At any time, go to WooCommerce › Settings › Advanced › REST API and click Revoke on the “Recurra” key. It stops working instantly.

What happens after you connect

  1. First read. Recurra reviews your subscription history. For small stores that takes a few minutes.
  2. Four questions. We ask whether you have payment retries turned on, which gateway you use, whether customers can pause, and whether you offer an annual plan. The API doesn't give us that data, and asking means we never have to guess.
  3. Your first report. It arrives the following Monday: a short email and a report page with the problems costing you the most and what to do.

If something doesn't work

SymptomUsual cause
404 error when connectingPermalinks set to “Plain”. Change them under Settings › Permalinks and save.
401 error or key rejectedKey copied incorrectly, or created with a user without the right permissions. Generate a new one.
501 error or blockedA hosting firewall (such as ModSecurity) or a security plugin is blocking the API. Ask your host to allow it.
No subscriptions showing upWooCommerce Subscriptions isn't active, or the store doesn't have any subscriptions yet.

Want to try it with your store?

I'm looking for the first pilot stores. I'll write to you personally so we can connect it together.