Troubleshoot site connection problems

When you add a website to Watchful, a connection is established between your website and the Watchful platform.

Occasionally, server settings, security software, or incorrect connection details can prevent Watchful from communicating with your website.

This guide explains how to identify and resolve common connection problems.

Troubleshoot the connection

Follow these steps in order, starting with the most common causes of connection problems.

After each step, return to the Sites Dashboard and manually refresh the affected site’s data to check whether the connection has been restored.

1. Check your Watchful Client version

Make sure your website is running the latest version of the Watchful Client for WordPress or Joomla!.

You can find the latest version for your platform in the Watchful Downloads area.

If your installed version is outdated, update the Watchful Client before attempting to reconnect.

2. Verify your Watchful Secret Key

The Watchful Secret Key authenticates communication between your website and Watchful.

If the key configured on your website does not match the key stored in Watchful, the connection will fail.

1. Sign in to your WordPress or Joomla! administrator dashboard.
2. Open the Watchful Client settings.
3. Copy the Secret Key.
4. In Watchful, locate the website in the Sites Dashboard and open its site drawer.
5. Open the Edit Site modal.
6. Confirm that the Secret Key matches exactly.
7. Select Save if you make any changes.

Copy and paste the key rather than entering it manually to avoid typing errors.

3. Verify the website URL

The website URL configured in Watchful must match the URL used by your website.

Check the following:

• HTTPS versus HTTP.
• The presence or absence of www.
• The correct domain name and subdirectory, if applicable.
• Trailing / slashes.
• Any redirects that change the requested URL.

For example, if your website redirects http://example.com to https://www.example.com, use the final HTTPS URL in Watchful.

If your website uses an internationalized domain name containing non-ASCII characters, convert it to its ASCII-compatible (Punycode) form before entering it in Watchful.

4. Check the Word to Check setting

If you have configured the optional Word to Check field in your site settings, temporarily clear it and save your changes.

An incorrect value may cause a monitoring check to fail even when the website is otherwise accessible.

Refresh the site data to determine whether this resolves the problem.

5. Check firewall and security restrictions

Firewalls, security plugins, and hosting providers may block requests from Watchful.

Common sources of blocked connections include:

• Cloudflare or another web application firewall (WAF).
• Hosting provider security rules.
• Server firewalls.
• WordPress security plugins.
• Joomla! security extensions.
• Bot protection and rate limiting.

Review your firewall or security logs to determine whether Watchful requests are being blocked or challenged.

If necessary, allowlist the Watchful IP addresses and user agents.

See Allowlist Watchful IP addresses and user agents for the current connection requirements.

For step-by-step firewall configuration instructions, see How to allowlist IP addresses.

Avoid disabling your entire firewall as a permanent solution. Instead, create narrowly scoped exceptions for the affected requests.

6. Verify server time synchronization

Watchful uses timestamps as part of its connection security.

If your server’s clock is significantly out of sync, timestamp validation may fail.

Contact your hosting provider or server administrator and confirm that the server clock is synchronized using NTP or another reliable time synchronization service.

If you cannot correct the server time, review the timestamp validation setting in the Watchful Client.

Disabling timestamp validation may help resolve certain connection problems, but only use this as a troubleshooting step. Correcting the server clock is the preferred solution because timestamp checks provide an additional security safeguard.

WordPress connection troubleshooting

If the general troubleshooting steps do not resolve the problem, check the following WordPress-specific requirements.

1. Test the Watchful REST API endpoint

Watchful uses a REST API endpoint to communicate with WordPress websites.

Open the following URL in your browser, replacing example.com with your website’s domain: https://example.com/wp-json/watchful/v1/validate

The endpoint should be accessible. When visited without the required authentication information, it is expected to return an error indicating that no verification key was provided.

This response confirms that the request is reaching the Watchful Client.

If you receive a 404 error, a firewall challenge, or another unexpected response, the REST API endpoint may be unavailable or blocked.

2. Verify that the WordPress REST API is working

The WordPress REST API is included in current versions of WordPress and does not require a separate plugin.

You can test it by opening: https://example.com/wp-json

A functioning REST API normally returns a JSON response containing information about the available API endpoints.

If the endpoint is unavailable, investigate the following:

• Security plugins that restrict REST API access.
• Firewall rules that block requests to /wp-json/.
• Server configuration or URL rewriting problems.
• Conflicts with other plugins.

If your website uses Apache, check for custom .htaccess rules that may interfere with REST API requests.

Do not disable URL rewriting entirely, as it may be required for the REST API and other WordPress functionality.

3. Check WordPress security and access plugins

Some plugins restrict REST API requests or block access from unauthenticated visitors.

Review the settings of any security, access management, or REST API restriction plugins installed on your website.

If you use Advanced Access Manager, check its REST API access settings and ensure that the Watchful Client can communicate through the REST API.

Where supported, create an exception for the Watchful endpoint rather than allowing unrestricted access to every endpoint.

4. Check maintenance and coming-soon restrictions

Maintenance mode and coming-soon plugins can sometimes interfere with automated requests.

If your website uses one of these plugins, verify that it does not block Watchful or the WordPress REST API.

Temporarily adjust the relevant access restrictions and test the connection again.

Joomla! connection troubleshooting

If your Joomla! website cannot connect to Watchful, check the following Joomla!-specific requirements.

1. Test the Watchful component endpoint

Watchful communicates with Joomla! through the Watchful component.

Open the following URL in your browser, replacing example.com with your website’s domain: https://example.com/index.php?option=com_watchfulli&format=json&tmpl=component

When accessed without the required authentication information, the endpoint should return an error indicating that no verification key was provided.

If the endpoint returns a 404 error, a firewall challenge, or another unexpected response, verify that the Watchful component is installed, enabled, and accessible.

2. Check Joomla! security extensions

Joomla! security extensions may block requests to the Watchful component.

If you use Admin Tools, RSFirewall, OSE Anti-Hacker, or similar software, check whether the Watchful component is being restricted.

The component identifier is: com_watchfulli

If necessary, configure an exception that allows trusted Watchful requests to access this component.

Avoid disabling your security extension entirely.

3. Check for conflicting extensions

Some Joomla! extensions can interfere with component requests or authentication.

Review your installed extensions for older monitoring tools or access restrictions that may conflict with Watchful.

Legacy extensions known to have caused conflicts include:

• Example Watchful App.
• jmonitoring-slave.
• Certain configurations of Joomlatools DOCman or EXTman.

If any of these extensions are installed, check whether they are affecting the Watchful connection.

Do not uninstall extensions without first confirming that they are responsible for the problem.

Still having connection problems?

If Watchful cannot connect after completing these steps, contact Watchful support.

To help diagnose the problem, include:

• The URL of the affected website.
• Whether the website uses WordPress or Joomla!.
• The error message displayed in Watchful.
• The results of the relevant REST API or component endpoint test.
• Any relevant firewall or security log entries.
• The troubleshooting steps you have already completed.

Do not include your Watchful Secret Key or other passwords in your support request.

These details will help the Watchful support team identify the cause of the connection failure and recommend the appropriate solution.