user guide

Add your first website

Connecting a site means installing the small DashboardWP Connector plugin on it and pairing it with your dashboard. The wizard does most of the work; in the easiest case you only type the site address and your WordPress admin login, and everything else is automatic.

Before you start

You need a live WordPress site and an administrator account on it. That is all. The connector works with any regular WordPress install; it does not matter who hosts it.

Step 1: the site address

Go to Websites and click Add Website. Enter the site address. You can type it with or without https:// or www, the wizard normalizes it and shows you exactly what it will connect to. It also checks that the address responds and looks like WordPress before letting you continue.

Step 2: install the connector

There are two ways to get the connector onto the site. Pick the tab that suits you.

Install for me (automatic)

Enter the WordPress admin username and password for that site. The dashboard logs into wp-admin once, installs and activates the connector plugin, and pairs it, all in one go. Your credentials are used for that single installation and are never stored.

This mode needs a standard WordPress login page. If the site uses two-factor authentication, a captcha, or a custom login URL, the automatic install cannot get through; use the connection key instead.

I’ll use a connection key (manual)

Install the connector yourself:

  1. Download the plugin zip from the wizard and install it on the site (Plugins, Add New, Upload Plugin), then activate it.
  2. In wp-admin, open Settings, DashboardWP. The plugin shows a one-time connection key.
  3. Copy the key and paste it into the wizard, then click Verify Connection.

The key works exactly once: the moment the dashboard pairs with the site, the key is burned and replaced by a private secret. If a key leaks before you use it, just regenerate it on the plugin’s settings page.

Step 3: verification

The wizard now performs the handshake in the background and polls until the site reports back. This usually takes a few seconds. On success you see Site connected! and the dashboard immediately pulls the site’s inventory: plugins, themes, users, core version and site details. A screenshot and favicon of the site are captured for the site card as well.

If the connection fails

  • Automatic install failed: the wizard tells you what went wrong. Sites behind two-factor, captcha or custom login pages need the connection key route.
  • Key not accepted: check that the connector plugin is active and regenerate the key under Settings, DashboardWP. After five wrong attempts the plugin temporarily locks out the requesting address, so wait a moment before retrying.
  • Retrying: adding the same address again replaces the failed attempt, so you can simply run the wizard once more.

How the connection stays secure

After pairing, every request between the dashboard and your site is signed with a private per-site secret (HMAC signatures with timestamps and single-use nonces), so requests cannot be forged or replayed. The secret is stored encrypted on both sides. The connector accepts no unsigned instructions, and you can disconnect a site at any time by deleting it from the dashboard or deactivating the plugin.