Application Passwords

Fresh

Source: MainWP Application Passwords

WordPress-level credentials for HTTP Basic authentication, used by MCP Server and Abilities API.

Prerequisites

• MainWP Dashboard administrator access
• WordPress user account
• HTTPS enabled on Dashboard domain

Create Application Password

1. Navigate to Dashboard > API Access > Application Passwords
2. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., Claude Desktop, Zapier, Internal Script)
3. Copy the generated password immediately

One-Time Display

The full password is shown only once. Copy it before closing the dialog.

Test Authentication

curl -u "USERNAME:APPLICATION_PASSWORD" \
  "https://your-dashboard.com/wp-json/wp-abilities/v1/abilities"

Comparison with API Keys

Feature	Application Passwords	API Keys
Auth method	HTTP Basic	Bearer Token
Used by	MCP Server, Abilities API	REST API v2
Scope	WordPress-level	MainWP-specific
Rotation	Create new, revoke old	Same

Security Best Practices

• Create separate credentials per tool
• Revoke unused passwords regularly
• Never share across systems
• Use dedicated API users for production