Description
StatusDot helps you show whether you’re Open, Busy, Closed, or temporarily Idle — using a simple dot indicator that updates automatically.
Configure a weekly schedule (supports HH:MM), optionally enable Busy mode, or override everything with Force Closed or Open 24/7. You can also start an Idle override (“Back in…”) timer when you’re away.
StatusDot can show status text + a live countdown, for example:
Open now — Closes in 04:52:14
Updates are handled via lightweight AJAX polling, so visitors see changes without a full page refresh.
Place it anywhere using the shortcode. Multiple instances per page are supported.
Features
- Weekly opening hours (HH:MM, including minutes)
- Overnight hours supported (set the close time earlier than the open time)
- Optional break windows during Weekly Schedule and Open 24/7
- Optional pre-break warnings before scheduled breaks
- Status modes:
- Use Opening Hours (Weekly Schedule)
- Force Closed
- Open 24/7
- Manual Busy mode (orange status)
- Idle override (“Back in…”) with start/stop and countdown
- Display options:
- Toggle status text (Open/Busy/Closed)
- Toggle countdown label + time per state (Closes in / Opens in / Back in)
- Separator selection (-, —, |, •)
- Optional light text (white) output for dark backgrounds
- Live countdowns to the next opening, closing, break end, or idle return
- AJAX-based live updates (configurable refresh interval)
- Unlimited shortcodes per page
- Works with major page builders (Gutenberg, Elementor, etc.)
- Lightweight and dependency-free
Shortcode
Basic usage:
[statusdot]
Optional attributes:
[statusdot id=”header” refresh=”20″]
id– Optional unique identifier (useful for targeting with custom CSS). Default: headerrefresh– Refresh interval in seconds (default: 20)
Screenshots
Frontend example showing Open / Busy / Closed with live countdown 
Frontend Idle override example with “Back in” countdown 
Frontend break status example with live return countdown 
Main settings page with weekly schedule, breaks, and display options 
Dark-background frontend output with light text enabled
Installation
- Upload the
statusdotfolder to/wp-content/plugins/ - Activate the plugin via Plugins Installed Plugins
- Go to Settings StatusDot
- Configure your opening hours and display options
- Add the shortcode anywhere on your site
FAQ
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Can I use the shortcode multiple times on one page?
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Yes. You can use the shortcode unlimited times. Each instance updates independently.
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Can I override the schedule?
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Yes. Use Force Closed, Open 24/7, Busy mode, or the Idle override timer.
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Does it work with page builders?
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Yes. StatusDot works with Gutenberg, Elementor, and other builders.
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Does it affect performance?
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StatusDot is lightweight and only makes a small AJAX request at the interval you set.
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Are additional features available?
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An optional extended version of the plugin includes advanced scheduling and customization features.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“StatusDot” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “StatusDot” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
2.3.0
- Added: Live preview is now available in the settings page.
- Improved: Settings-page descriptions are cleaner and now use tooltips in more places.
- Improved: Uninstall handling and deactivation cleanup are more reliable.
- Fixed: Start Idle and Stop Idle no longer trigger a full settings save.
- Improved: Status output refreshes more reliably after display-option changes.
- Improved: Custom separator handling is safer and more consistent in output.
- Improved: Refreshed the WordPress.org screenshots/readme visuals.
2.2.0
- New: Added overnight opening hours, so a closing time earlier than the opening time now continues into the next day.
- New: Added optional scheduled break windows for Weekly Schedule and Open 24/7, including support for multiple break slots per day.
- New: Added optional pre-break warnings with configurable minutes-before, content display, and rotation behavior.
- New: Added an optional light text (white) setting for shortcode text and countdown output on dark backgrounds.
- Improved: Live status updates now handle opening, closing, break, and idle countdown boundaries more smoothly without a full page refresh.
- Improved: The admin live state handling now refreshes Busy / Break / Idle states more reliably, and Idle override can no longer be started while the schedule is closed.
- Meta: Refreshed the WordPress.org screenshots/readme visuals for the 2.2.0 release.
2.1.0
- New: Added display options for status text and countdown labels/times.
- New: Added separator selection (-, —, |, •) for the shortcode output.
- New: Added Idle override (“Back in…”) with start/stop and countdown support.
- Improved: Weekly schedules now support HH:MM values, including minutes.
- Improved: Settings changes now refresh more immediately after saving.
- Improved: General admin UI polish and WordPress.org compliance updates.
2.0.0
- Added Freemius integration for the optional upgrade path.
- Improved: Code quality, performance, and WordPress.org compatibility.