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The MainWP Early Access extension lets you opt into pre-release versions of both the MainWP Dashboard plugin and the MainWP Child plugin. This allows you to test upcoming features, help evaluate changes before they reach WordPress.org, or prepare workflows for new versions still in development.

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What You’ll Learn

  • How to install and configure the Early Access extension
  • How to enable pre-release updates globally or per-site
  • How to create a GitHub Personal Access Token for higher rate limits
  • How to roll back to stable versions

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Prerequisites

  • Active MainWP license with Early Access extension access
  • Staging or testing environment (pre-release builds should not be used in production)
Early Access builds are best used on staging or testing environments, not production sites.

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Install the Early Access Extension

MainWP Add-ons page showing Early Access extension installation
1

Open the Add-ons page

Go to MainWP Dashboard > Add-ons.
2

Click Install Add-ons

Click the Install Add-ons button.
3

Search for Early Access

Search for “MainWP Early Access” in the add-on list.
4

Install the extension

Select it in the list, then click Install Selected Add-ons.
5

Wait for installation

The page will automatically refresh after installation completes.
6

Activate the license

Click the Activate Add-ons button to activate the license for the newly installed add-on.

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Access Early Access Settings

The extension provides two settings locations:
LocationPath
Global settingsMainWP > Add-ons > Early Access
Per-site settingsMainWP > Sites > Manage Sites > (Select Site) > MainWP Early Access tab

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Global Settings

Early Access global settings page with Dashboard plugin options

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Enable Early Access for MainWP Dashboard

Toggle this option to receive pre-release updates for your Dashboard plugin. When enabled, update checks include GitHub releases marked as prereleases.

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GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT)

If you manage many sites, GitHub rate limits may slow update checks. Adding a PAT increases your limit from 60 requests/hour to 5,000 requests/hour.
1

Open GitHub Developer Settings

Go to GitHub Developer Settings.
2

Navigate to tokens

Click Personal access tokens > Fine-Grained tokens.
3

Generate new token

Click Generate new token.
4

Name the token

Give the token a descriptive name (e.g., “MainWP Early Access”).
5

Set expiration

Select an expiration date. We recommend longer than the default 30 days.
6

Select scopes

Use the default scope (Public repositories, no additional permissions). This provides the minimal required permission level.
7

Generate and copy

Click Generate token and copy the token immediately.
8

Save in MainWP

Paste your PAT into the Early Access settings field and save.
The PAT key is securely encrypted by the Dashboard.

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Roll Back to Latest Stable Release

This reinstalls the current stable version of the MainWP Dashboard plugin from WordPress.org. Use this option if:
  • You no longer want to stay on prerelease builds
  • A prerelease build causes compatibility issues

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Child Site Settings

Early Access Child Site settings with per-site options These settings control Early Access for the MainWP Child plugin on your connected sites.

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Enable Early Access for MainWP Child Plugin

When enabled, all child sites will use the Early Access track unless an individual site overrides this setting.

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Update MainWP Child Plugin on Sites to Pre-Release Version

Runs a bulk update across all eligible sites. A modal window displays progress and site-by-site results.

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Check for Updates

If a new prerelease version is available, this link forces a fresh update check.

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Roll Back Child Plugins on Sites to Latest Stable Release

Reinstalls the stable WordPress.org version of MainWP Child on all eligible sites.

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Per-Site Settings

These controls are available inside each site’s MainWP Early Access tab.

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MainWP Child Early Access

A dropdown lets you choose:
  • Use global setting - Follow the global Early Access configuration
  • Enable - Force Early Access on for this site
  • Disable - Force Early Access off for this site

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Update MainWP Child Plugin on Site to Pre-Release Version

Runs the same action as the global updater but affects only that single site. A Check for updates link refreshes prerelease availability for that site.

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Roll Back Child Plugin on Site to Latest Stable Release

Reverts the site back to the stable MainWP Child plugin from WordPress.org.

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What to Expect During Updates

  • Manual Check for updates links are available on both global and per-site pages
  • If a prerelease child version is available and Early Access is enabled, the Dashboard may display an admin notice with a shortcut to the Early Access settings page
  • When the Early Access extension license is active, plugin row meta will include a Check for updates now link

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Best Practices

  • Test Early Access builds on staging sites before rolling into production
  • Per-site overrides always take priority over global settings
  • If a prerelease update fails, check the site’s connection status and retry from the modal
  • Rollback operations always use the stable version provided by WordPress.org

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Self-Check Checklist

  • Early Access extension installed and activated
  • License activated for the extension
  • Global settings configured for Dashboard and/or Child plugin
  • GitHub PAT added (optional, for higher rate limits)
  • Per-site overrides configured where needed
  • Testing on staging environment (not production)