MainWP User Interface
FreshSource: MainWP UI Documentation
Sidebar Navigation
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Operations | Dashboard summary and widgets |
| Sites | Manage connected Child Sites |
| Clients | Client management and profiles |
| Costs | Track and manage costs |
| Insights | Activity logs and trends |
| Add-ons | Extension management |
| API Access | API key and Application Passwords management |
| Settings | Dashboard configuration |
| Info | System, cron, logs, event monitor, privacy |
| Support | AI assistance, tours, video guides, contact |
Header Elements
- Sync - Synchronize all connected sites (red badge when >24h stale)
- Add - Add websites, clients, costs, posts, pages, plugins, themes, users
- Layout - Save or load widget layouts
- Page Settings - Configure current page
- Quick Site Shortcuts - Sidebar with quick access to child sites
- Theme Switcher - Light/Dark mode toggle
- User Menu - Settings, Tools, System Info, Help, WP Admin
Widgetized Pages
Key Widgets
- Update Overview - Cards for total, WP core, plugin, theme, translation updates + abandoned items
- Connection Status - Child site status and recent sync activity
- Network Activity - Changes made inside and outside MainWP with filtering
- Recent Posts/Pages - Latest 5 posts/pages with bulk actions (publish, edit, trash, delete)
- Site Hardening - Security recommendation counts per site
- Plugins/Themes - Per-site listing with activate, deactivate, delete actions
Widget Customization
- Reorder - Drag and drop widgets
- Resize - Grab lower-right corner and drag
- Save/Load Layouts - Use Layout button in header
- Enable/Disable - Via Page Settings checkbox list
Tables (DataTables)
- Actions Menu - Far right column of most tables
- Sorting - Click any column header
- Column Order - Drag and drop columns (persistent)
- Bulk Actions - Top-left dropdown, select items, click Apply
- Filter - Top-right filters (by tags with AND/OR, status, clients)
- Pagination - Navigate through large data sets
Select Sites Metabox
Determines which child sites an action affects. Selection methods:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| By Site | Select individual sites |
| By Tag | Select all sites with specific tags |
| By Client | Select all sites for specific clients |
| All/None | Quick select/deselect buttons |
| Filter | Type site name to search |
Disconnected Sites
Disconnected sites appear disabled in the metabox since the Dashboard cannot reach them.
Individual Site Mode
Access by clicking a site name in Manage Sites table. Tabs include:
- Overview - Site-specific information and actions
- Settings - Modify Child Site settings
- Updates - Manage available updates
- Backups - Manage backups (when enabled)
- Site Hardening - View security issues
Common Use Cases
| Scenario | Solution |
|---|---|
| Check which sites need updates | View Update Overview widget |
| Update plugins on specific client sites | Select Sites > By Client, then plugin updates |
| Find a specific site quickly | Sites Filter or Quick Site Shortcuts |
| Focus on one site | Click site name for Individual Site Mode |
| Reduce dashboard clutter | Page Settings > disable unneeded widgets |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Widgets broken after upgrade | Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R) or clear cache |
| Cannot select site in metabox | Site is disconnected - reconnect first |
| Customizations reset | Check browser local storage permissions |
| Page Settings button missing | Some pages have fixed layouts |