---
title: Do I need to activate anything on the server for the plugin to work?
description: "Normally not, the plugin is really \"plug and play\". If you encounter a problem (e.g. welcome message not displaying), it may be that certain server configurations are restricted, such as the [short_open_tag](https://www.smartsearchwp.com/en/docs/welcome-messages-are-not-displayed/) parameter."
url: "https://www.smartsearchwp.com/en/docs/do-i-need-to-activate-anything-on-the-server-for-the-plugin-to-work/"
updated: "2026-09-26"
category: Technical
---

# Do I need to activate anything on the server for the plugin to work?

Normally not, the plugin is really "plug and play". If you encounter a problem (e.g. welcome message not displaying), it may be that certain server configurations are restricted, such as the [short_open_tag](https://www.smartsearchwp.com/en/docs/welcome-messages-are-not-displayed/) parameter.