Quick Start

Get FCHub Stream running in 5 minutes. Well, 10 if you've never set up API credentials before.

Install plugin. Add API credentials. Configure upload settings. Test with a video. That's it.

If you've set up API tokens before, this is boring. If you haven't, it's slightly less boring. Either way, video uploads work when you're done. I've timed it. 5 minutes if you know what you're doing. 10-15 if you don't. Still faster than media library.

Before You Start

What You Need

FluentCommunity installed and running (this plugin is useless without it - I built it for FluentCommunity, not generic WordPress)
A streaming provider account — Pick one: Cloudflare Stream OR Bunny.net (both work, pick one, don't overthink it)
API credentials from whichever provider you chose (yes, you need to get these yourself - I can't do that for you)
5-15 minutes of patience (depending on your API comfort level - if you've never set up API tokens, add 5 minutes)

Don't have a streaming provider yet? Pause here. Get one first:

Once you have API credentials in hand, come back. I'll wait. (Not literally. But the instructions will still be here.)

Install the Plugin

Download the latest fchub-stream.zip from GitHub Releases. Free. Open source. GPLv2.

Standard WordPress plugin installation:

Go to WordPress Admin → Plugins → Add New
Click Upload Plugin
Choose the ZIP file you downloaded
Click Install Now
Click Activate

WordPress plugin installation screen showing FCHub Stream upload

Once activated, you'll see FCHub Stream appear in your WordPress admin sidebar. If you don't, check for errors:

WordPress debug log (wp-content/debug.log) - Look for PHP errors or warnings
Browser console (F12 → Console tab) - Check for JavaScript errors
Plugin activation errors - WordPress may show errors during activation

Common issues: PHP version too old, missing dependencies, or plugin conflicts.

Requirements: PHP 8.3+ and WordPress 6.7+. I code modern plugins, not relics from 2015. If your server is still on PHP 7.x, upgrade. This is a feature, not a bug. WordPress 6.7+ because I use features that didn't exist in 6.0. Revolutionary? No. Functional? Yes.

What happens after activation:

Plugin creates database tables for video metadata (I don't ask permission, I just do it)
Admin settings page becomes available (that's where you're going next)
REST API endpoints register (for uploads and status checks)
Portal integration hooks activate (this is how videos appear in FluentCommunity)

You won't see any changes on the frontend yet. Configuration comes next. That's where the magic happens. Or where you paste API keys. Same thing.

Open Settings & Choose Provider

Navigate to FCHub Stream → Settings in your WordPress admin. It's in the sidebar. You'll find it.

You'll see three configuration sections:

Cloudflare Stream — Configure Cloudflare Stream credentials
Bunny.net Stream — Configure Bunny.net Stream credentials
Upload Settings — File size limits, formats, permissions (configure later, or now, your call)

Pick a provider: You need to configure at least one (Cloudflare OR Bunny.net). You can configure both, but only one can be active at a time. Here's how to decide:

Cloudflare Stream

Good if: You're already using Cloudflare, want global CDN by default, value webhook reliability

Pricing: $5/1000 min stored, $1/1000 min delivered

Bunny.net Stream

Good if: You want cheaper pricing, simpler setup, or aren't using Cloudflare

Pricing: $0.01/GB stored, $0.005/GB delivered (high-volume)

Can't decide? Start with Cloudflare. It's slightly more expensive but much smoother experience. I use Cloudflare. It works. Switch later if you change your mind. The plugin stores configuration for both providers separately. I built it that way.

Getting API credentials:

Cloudflare Stream setup guide → - Shows exactly where to find Account ID, API Token, and Customer Subdomain
Bunny.net Stream setup guide → - Shows exactly where to find API Key, Library ID, and Hostname

Once you have credentials, click the Configure button for your chosen provider. That's next.

Add API Credentials

Click the Configure button for your chosen provider (Cloudflare or Bunny.net). This opens the configuration form where you paste credentials. Have them ready. I can't get them for you. That's your job. Provider dashboards are confusing. I know. But you need to do this.

The process: Paste credentials → Click Save & Test → Click Enable → Done. Everything works. That's it.

You need three things from Cloudflare:

1. Account ID and Customer Subdomain (required)

Go to Cloudflare Dashboard
Click Stream in sidebar
Account ID and Customer subdomain are displayed at the top of the page
Copy these. Paste into Cloudflare Account ID and Customer Subdomain fields.
Don't save yet...

Cloudflare Stream dashboard showing Account ID location

2. API Token (required)

In Cloudflare dashboard, go to My Profile → API Tokens
Click Create Token
Use template: Edit Cloudflare Stream
Required permissions: Account.Cloudflare Stream:Edit, Account.Cloudflare Stream:Read
Click Continue to summary → Create Token
Copy the token (Cloudflare shows it once)
Paste into Cloudflare API Token field
Don't save yet

Save your API token somewhere safe. Cloudflare only shows it once. If you lose it, generate a new one.

Activate webhook then Save

Check the Enable Cloudflare Stream switch
This activates Cloudflare as your active streaming provider

You need three things from Bunny.net:

1. Account API Key (required)

Go to Bunny.net Dashboard
Click your profile → Account Settings
Go to API section
Copy your Account API Key
Paste into Account API Key field

2. Library ID (required)

In Bunny dashboard, go to Stream
If you don't have a library yet, click Add Stream Library and create one
Open your Stream library
Library ID is shown on the library page (it's a number like 12345)
Copy it. Paste into Library ID field.

3. Hostname (required)

Still on your Stream library page
Find the Hostname field
Usually looks like video.bunnycdn.com or your custom domain
Copy it. Paste into Hostname field.

If you set up a custom domain for your Stream library, use that instead of video.bunnycdn.com. Otherwise, use the default hostname.

Enable the provider:

Check the Enable Bunny.net Stream checkbox
This activates Bunny as your active streaming provider

Test Your Connection

After saving, click Test Connection button. I built this test. It's useful. Use it.

This verifies:

API credentials are valid (I check if they work)
Plugin can reach provider's API (network connectivity test)
Account has necessary permissions (I make sure you can actually upload)

Connection test result showing success with green checkmark

If test passes: You'll see a green success message. Congrats. You did it. Move to next step.

If test fails: Check for:

Typos in Account ID / API Key / Library ID (copy-paste errors are common - I've done it)
Wrong permissions on API token (provider dashboards are confusing - I know)
Firewall blocking outbound HTTPS requests (server config issue, not my problem)
Copy-paste added extra spaces (happens more than you'd think - I've seen it)

Configure Upload Settings

Now that provider credentials are saved, configure upload limits and permissions. This is where you decide how much chaos to allow.

Go to Upload Settings tab in FCHub Stream admin. It's a tab. You'll find it.

Settings page showing file size slider and format checkboxes

Test Video Upload

Time to make sure it works. Upload a test video. This is the moment of truth. Or the moment you realize you pasted the wrong API key. Either way.

Go to your FluentCommunity (frontend - yes, the actual site, not admin)
Create a new post (like normal, nothing fancy)
Look for the video upload button (should appear in post editor - I inject it there)
Click it or drag & drop a video file (desktop users get drag & drop, mobile users get button - that's how browsers work)
Wait for upload to complete (progress bar shows status - I built this, it's accurate)
Wait for encoding (streaming provider processes video - I don't control this, they do)
Video player appears automatically

What Should Happen

Upload phase (10 seconds - 5 minutes):

Progress bar shows upload percentage
Video uploads directly to streaming provider
WordPress server isn't involved (no PHP upload limits hit)

Processing phase (1-5 minutes):

Streaming provider transcodes video
Multiple resolutions generated (4K, 1080p, 720p, 480p, etc.)
Status updates every 30 seconds (or your polling interval)
"Processing..." indicator shows during this

Ready phase:

Video player appears in post
Users can watch video
Adaptive streaming works (quality adjusts to connection)

If It Works

Congratulations. You're done. Video uploads work. Move on with your life. I'm proud of you. Seriously. You did it.

If It Doesn't Work

Something's broken. Check Troubleshooting for common issues:

Upload fails immediately → Check API credentials (probably wrong, I've done it)
Upload stuck at 0% → Browser JavaScript error, check console (F12 → Console tab - I don't control browsers)
Upload completes but stays "processing" forever → Provider issue, check their status page (not my problem, theirs)
Video plays but quality is potato → That's the source video, not the plugin (I can't fix bad source files)

What Now?

Your community can upload videos. They'll go to your streaming provider. They'll process automatically. They'll embed in posts and comments. It works. I built it. It works. That's the point.

Recommended Next Steps

How Uploading Works

Understand the upload process, user experience, and what happens behind the scenes

Advanced Cloudflare Setup

Webhooks, custom domains, analytics, and fine-tuning Cloudflare Stream

Advanced Bunny.net Setup

Collections, custom domains, and optimizing Bunny.net Stream

Manage Your Videos

View uploaded videos, check status, delete old content, monitor storage

Common Post-Setup Questions

People ask these. I answer them. Here's what you need to know:

"Do I need to configure webhooks?"

Not required. Webhooks speed up status updates when videos finish encoding. Without webhooks, plugin polls provider API every 30 seconds (configurable - I set the default, you can change it).

With webhooks: Video ready status updates in <5 seconds (faster, but requires setup) Without webhooks: Video ready status updates in ~30 seconds (slower, but works out of the box)

Most communities don't notice the difference. Set up webhooks if you want instant updates. Otherwise, skip it. I use polling. It works fine.

"Can users upload from mobile?"

Yes. Upload button works on mobile browsers. Drag & drop doesn't (mobile browsers don't support it - I don't control browsers). Users click upload button, select video from camera roll, upload proceeds normally. I tested this. It works.

"What happens if upload fails?"

Video doesn't get added to post. User sees error message. Original post draft is saved (text content preserved - I made sure of this). User can retry upload or post without video.

Common failures (I've seen these):

File too large (exceeds max size - you set this, I just enforce it)
Wrong format (not in allowed formats list - you configure this)
Network timeout (slow connection - not my problem, network's problem)
Provider API down (rare but happens - not my problem, provider's problem)

"Can I change providers later?"

Yes. Old videos stay on old provider (still work). New uploads go to new provider. Mixed setup until you migrate or delete old videos.

Migration process: Currently manual. Re-upload videos to new provider or delete old ones. Automated migration tool doesn't exist yet. Maybe someday. Depends on demand and my motivation levels. Open a GitHub issue if you need it.

"How do I monitor costs?"

Check your streaming provider's dashboard:

Cloudflare: Dashboard → Stream → Usage & Billing
Bunny.net: Dashboard → Billing → Usage Statistics

fchub-stream doesn't track costs. That's your provider's job. I don't control pricing. They do.

"Can I disable video uploads temporarily?"

Yes. Two ways:

Method 1: Disable provider in fchub-stream settings

Go to Stream Configuration
Uncheck "Enable [Provider]"
Save
Upload button disappears from posts/comments (I hide it when provider is disabled)

Method 2: Adjust upload permissions

Go to Upload Settings
Disable "Enable Upload from Portal"
Save
Users can't upload (admins still can in admin panel - I built this for flexibility)

Still Confused?

If these instructions didn't work or something's unclear (it happens, I've been there):

Check system status in fchub-stream admin (shows plugin health, API connectivity - I built this for debugging)
Read troubleshooting guide → Common Issues (I wrote this, it's helpful)
Check browser console for JavaScript errors (F12 → Console tab - I don't control browsers, but errors show there)
Verify FluentCommunity version (just kidding - but seriously, make sure it's installed)
Test with different video file (maybe your test file is corrupted - I've seen it happen)

If nothing helps, open a GitHub issue. Include:

WordPress version (I need this)
FluentCommunity version (I need this too)
fchub-stream version (check admin page)
Streaming provider (Cloudflare or Bunny.net - I support both)
Error messages (exact text - copy-paste it)
Browser console output (F12 → Console - screenshot or copy-paste)

The more details you provide, the faster it gets fixed. Or ignored. Depends on coffee levels that week. I'm honest about this.

Direct support soon... (maybe, depends on demand and my time)