Help Center & Knowledge Base Script - Commercial Edition — Version 2.0

Help Center & Knowledge Base Script - Commercial Edition — Version 2.0

A complete, high-performance, and modern Help Center, Knowledge Base, and Community Ticketing Platform custom-built in **PHP (PDO) + MySQL**. Designed as a ready-to-sell standalone web script with an **automated Web Installer** (no manual SQL import required) and a built-in **License Activation System** powered by [SngineVault License Server](https://licence.snginevault.com/).

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## 🌟 Key Features

### 💻 Client Portal (Frontend)
* **Live AJAX Search Bar**: Instant real-time keyword suggestions with highlighting across article titles, content excerpts, tags, and FAQs.
* **Category Collections**: Responsive grid cards with icons, article counts, and descriptions.
* **Knowledge Base Articles**: Rich article views with dynamic breadcrumbs, author profile metadata, reading duration, table of contents, related guides, and helpfulness voting (Yes/No).
* **Dynamic FAQ Accordion**: Instant category filtering, collapsible questions, and deep-linking support.
* **Community Ticketing System (`/ask`)**: Users can submit questions/tickets with optional file attachments, receiving a tracked ticket ID (`TICK-XXXXXX`).
* **Ticket Timeline & Messaging (`/ticket/{ticket_id}`)**: Users and staff can exchange replies; user replies automatically reopen resolved tickets.
* **Dark / Light Mode**: Auto-detects user device preference with a persistent one-click toggle in the header.
* **100% Mobile Responsive**: Tested across desktop, tablet, and smartphone screens.

### 🛡️ Admin Dashboard (`/admin`)
* **Statistical Analytics**: Overview cards showing total articles, categories, FAQs, open tickets, view counts, and search keyword logs.
* **Articles Manager**: Full Quill WYSIWYG editor with headings, tables, code blocks, blockquotes, tags, SEO metadata, and featured image picker.
* **Categories & FAQ Manager**: Quick CRUD operations, icon selection, and sorting order.
* **Ticket / Question Management**: Filter by status (Open, In Progress, Waiting for User, Resolved, Closed), reply directly with email formatting, assign categories, and delete tickets.
* **Interactive Media Library**: Drag-and-drop asset uploader with instant Copy URL, details popup modal, and permanent delete controls.
* **Dynamic Menu Navigation**: Reorder and manage header navigation links dynamically.
* **CMS & Branding Settings**: Full control over website name, logos, hero copy, live chat links, contact info, social links, and SEO tags.
* **License & Updates Manager**: Integrated with `https://licence.snginevault.com/` for license verification, domain locking, and status monitoring.

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## 📋 System Requirements

* **PHP Version**: PHP 8.0 or higher (PHP 8.1 / 8.2 fully supported).
* **MySQL Version**: MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+.
* **Required PHP Extensions**:
* `pdo` & `pdo_mysql`
* `curl` (Required for license activation and verification)
* `openssl`
* `mbstring`
* `fileinfo` or `gd`
* **Web Server**: Apache, LiteSpeed, Nginx, or cPanel / Plesk.
* **Directory Permissions**: `config/` and `uploads/` must be writable by the web server (`chmod 755` or `chmod 777`).

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## 🚀 Easy Installation Guide (Web Wizard)

> **Note**: You do **NOT** need to manually import any `.sql` file via phpMyAdmin. The installer handles all database migrations, table creation, and seed data automatically!

### Step 1: Upload Files
Upload all files and folders to your web server’s document root (e.g. `public_html/` or a subdomain).

### Step 2: Set Folder Permissions
Ensure the following directories are writable:
* `uploads/`
* `config/` (or root directory so the installer can create `config/config.php` and `install.lock`)

### Step 3: Run the Web Installer
1. Open your web browser and visit your site domain (e.g. `https://yourdomain.com/`).
2. The system will automatically redirect you to the **Installation Wizard (`/install.php`)**.
3. **Step 1 (Requirements)**: The installer audits your server compatibility. Click **Continue**.
4. **Step 2 (License Activation)**:
* Enter your **License Key / Purchase Code** generated from [https://licence.snginevault.com/] (https://licence.snginevault.com/).
* Verify your **Product ID** (default: `1`).
* The installer will contact `https://licence.snginevault.com/api/v1/license/activate` and verify your domain.
* *Activation will only proceed if the license is verified.*
5. **Step 3 (Database Setup)**:
* Enter your MySQL Host, Port (`3306`), Database Name, Username, and Password.
* Click **Install Database**. All tables, indexes, and starter content will be imported automatically.
6. **Step 4 (Administrator Account)**:
* Set your Help Center Site Name.
* Enter your Super Admin Username, Email, and Password.
7. **Step 5 (Finished)**:
* The installer locks itself with `install.lock`.
* You can now access your **Admin Dashboard (`/admin/login`)** and your public **Help Center (`/`)**!

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## 🔑 License Verification System

This application includes built-in protection and verifies its license with:
`https://licence.snginevault.com/`

* **API Activation Endpoint**: `/api/v1/license/activate`
* **API Verification Endpoint**: `/api/v1/license/verify`
* **Domain Locking**: Licenses are bound to the client's registered domain and installation ID.
* **Performance Optimization**: Employs a 24-hour verification cache to ensure fast page load speeds.
* **Admin Management**: Administrators can view and update their license key anytime under **Admin Dashboard > CMS Settings > License & Updates** or the **License & Updates** sidebar menu.

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## ⚙️ Web Server Configuration

### Apache / LiteSpeed (.htaccess)
The included `.htaccess` file handles clean URLs out of the box. Ensure `mod_rewrite` is enabled.

### Nginx Configuration
If you are running Nginx, add the following directive inside your `server { ... }` block:

```nginx
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
}

location ~* \.(sql|lock|log)$ {
deny all;
}
```
## 🔒 Security Best Practices

1. Never delete `install.lock` unless you intend to completely reinstall the application.
2. The `uploads/` directory includes an `.htaccess` rule that prevents execution of `.php` scripts inside user uploads.
3. Passwords are encrypted using PHP `password_hash()` with `PASSWORD_DEFAULT`.
4. All forms include CSRF token validation and XSS escaping helpers (`esc_html`, `esc_attr`, `esc_wysiwyg`).

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## 📄 License & Copyright
© 2026. All rights reserved. Powered by SngineVault Licensing Engine.