Troubleshooting KanbanWP

Fixes for common KanbanWP problems: login messages on embedded boards, file permissions, a blocked REST API, and access denied messages in the admin.

Start with the symptom you see. Each entry explains what the plugin is actually doing, so you can fix the cause and not just the effect.

An embedded board says “Please log in to view this board”

The [kanbanwp_board] shortcode and the board block check who is looking at the page. A visitor sees the board if one of these is true:

  1. They are logged in and have at least view access to that board.
  2. Allow public links is on in General settings, and the page URL carries a valid kwp_token for that board.

Otherwise, a logged-out visitor sees “Please log in to view this board”, with a login link. A logged-in user who is not on the board sees “You do not have access to this board” instead.

Fixes

  • Ask visitors to log in, and add them to the board as a member, viewer or client. See Permissions and roles.
  • For read-only sharing, turn on Allow public links, create a token for the board, and share the link that includes kwp_token. See Public links.
  • If logged-in members still see the login message, a page cache may be serving a stored copy made for logged-out visitors. Exclude that page from caching, and test in a private window after clearing the cache.
  • “Board not found” or “missing board ID” means the id in the shortcode is wrong or the board was deleted.

“You do not have permission to access this page” in the admin

The KanbanWP menu, the board screen and Settings all require the kanbanwp_manage capability. The plugin gives it to the Administrator role when it is activated. Editors, authors and other roles do not have it, so they cannot open those admin screens.

Fixes

  • Log in as an Administrator.
  • To let another role in, grant it the capability with a role-management tool, or with WP-CLI: wp cap add editor kanbanwp_manage. Anyone with this capability can open Settings and act as admin on every board.
  • If an Administrator is blocked, deactivate and reactivate KanbanWP. Activation re-adds the capability to the Administrator role.
  • If you deleted the plugin with Delete data on uninstall enabled, the capability was removed on purpose. See Advanced settings.

For board-level limits, such as a viewer who cannot edit, see Permissions and roles.

The board will not load, or changes do not save

The board screens talk to the REST API with a nonce. If the API is blocked, the board shows errors, stays empty or reverts changes.

Check it first. Open https://your-site.com/wp-json/kanbanwp/v1/boards while logged out. A JSON reply with code kanbanwp_unauthorized and status 401 is healthy: the route is reachable and wants a login. An HTML page, a 404 or a 403 from a firewall means something is in the way. Try ?rest_route=/kanbanwp/v1/boards as an alternative if pretty permalinks are the problem.

Likely causes

  • A security or firewall plugin, or a server rule, that blocks REST requests from logged-in users or non-core namespaces.
  • A cache or CDN rule that stores /wp-json/ responses or strips the X-WP-Nonce header.
  • Permalinks that need re-saving under Settings → Permalinks.

More detail is on Known incompatible themes and plugins.

Files or styles are missing, or you see PHP warnings about reading files

If the board shows unstyled or never finishes loading, the web server may not be able to read the plugin’s files. On most hosts, directories should be mode 755 and files 644, owned by the user that runs the web server. Fix it over SFTP, your host’s file manager or SSH. Do not use 777.

Still stuck

Gather the details described in Sending diagnostic info to support and write to us via Contact us.

Last updated October 13, 2026