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What You’ll Learn

  • Adding plugins and themes to your favorites list
  • Organizing favorites into groups
  • Assigning and filtering favorites by group
  • Managing and editing saved favorites
  • Installing favorites on child sites
Extension Add-on - This add-on provides standalone functionality within MainWP Dashboard. No third-party plugins required.
The MainWP Favorites Extension allows you to save frequently used plugins and themes for quick and easy installation on your child sites. Instead of manually searching for and uploading plugins or themes each time, you can store your preferred items in your Favorites list and install them whenever needed. Use groups to keep your favorites organized and easier to find.

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Accessing the Favorites Extension

Favorites Extension page showing saved plugins and themes with groups To access the Favorites Extension, navigate to: Dashboard > Add-ons > Favorites Here, you will see two sections:
  • Plugins - A list of your favorite plugins
  • Themes - A list of your favorite themes
Each section includes an Add New button, a Manage Groups button, and a Filter by Group dropdown.

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Adding Plugins and Themes to Favorites

To add a plugin or theme to your favorites list:
1

Click the Add New button.

2

Paste the URL of the ZIP file for the plugin or theme.

  • You can use a WordPress.org URL or a custom URL where your custom plugin/theme is stored. NOTE: The URL must be publicly accessible.
3

(Optional) Define a Name for the item.

  • If left blank, the system will automatically fetch the name from the item’s metadata.
4

Click Save to add it to your favorites.

The process is the same for both plugins and themes.

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Managing Your Favorites List

Once you’ve added items to your Favorites list, use the three-dot menu in each row to manage them:
  • Update Version Info: Re-read the file or URL to refresh the version shown in the list.
  • Edit: Click the pen icon to update the name or URL.
  • Download: Click the download icon to save the ZIP file to your local computer.
  • Delete: Click the trash icon to remove the item from your favorites.

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Organizing Favorites with Groups

Groups help you organize plugin favorites separately from theme favorites. Use the Manage Groups button in each section to create or update groups for that type.
1

Click Manage Groups in the Plugins or Themes section.

2

Enter a Group Name and optional Description.

3

Click Add Group.

To edit a group, click the pen icon, update the fields in the same modal, then click Update Group. To delete a group, click the trash icon and confirm the deletion. Deleting a group does not delete favorites.

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Assigning Favorites to Groups

Use the Groups dropdown in each row to assign one or more groups. Changes save automatically. If no groups exist yet, you will see No groups available.

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Filtering Favorites by Group

Use the Filter by Group dropdown above the list to narrow results. The dropdown supports multi-select, so you can combine groups, or choose All Groups to reset. The Install Favorites list uses the same multi-select filter when groups exist.

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Installing Favorites on Child Sites

You can install your saved favorites directly on your child sites from the Install Plugins and Install Themes pages. Use the Filter by Group dropdown (multi-select) to narrow the list before selecting items. To install a favorite:
1

Navigate to one of the following:

  • Dashboard > Plugins > Install Plugins
  • Dashboard > Themes > Install Themes
2

Click the Install Favorites button.

3

(Optional) Use the Filter by Group dropdown (multi-select) to narrow the list.

4

Select the plugins or themes you want to install.

5

Choose the child sites where you want to install the selected items.

6

Click Complete Installation to start the process.

MainWP will then install the selected items on the chosen sites automatically.