MainWP WP CLI Commands - MainWP Documentation

MainWP includes WP-CLI integration for managing your MainWP Dashboard and configuring MainWP Child connection authentication from the command line. This enables automation, scripting, and advanced management workflows.

What You’ll Learn

Available WP-CLI commands for site management
How to sync, update, and manage sites via command line
How to configure MainWP Child password authentication for a WordPress user
Example automation scripts

Prerequisites

MainWP Dashboard v4.1.3 or later
WP-CLI installed on your MainWP Dashboard server for wp mainwp commands
WP-CLI available on the server hosting the child site for wp mainwp-child commands
MainWP Child activated on the child site
Child sites connected to your MainWP Dashboard for Dashboard-side management commands

For more information about WP-CLI, visit the official WP-CLI documentation.

Sites
Site
Updates
MainWP Child

Sites Management

Commands for managing multiple child sites simultaneously.

List All Sites

wp mainwp sites --all-sites

Displays every child site in your MainWP installation.

Count All Sites

wp mainwp sites --all-sites-count

Returns the total number of child sites.

Connected Sites

wp mainwp sites --connected-sites

Lists only child sites with active connections.

Connected Sites Count

wp mainwp sites --connected-sites-count

Returns count of actively connected child sites.

Disconnected Sites

wp mainwp sites --disconnected-sites

Lists child sites that are currently disconnected.

Disconnected Sites Count

wp mainwp sites --disconnected-sites-count

Returns count of disconnected child sites.

Sync All Sites

wp mainwp sites --sync-sites

Synchronizes data across all child sites.

Check All Sites

wp mainwp sites --check-sites

Verifies the status of all child sites.

Single Site Operations

Commands for managing individual child sites. Replace <id> with the site ID.

Site Information

wp mainwp site --site <id>

Retrieves comprehensive data for a specific child site.

wp mainwp site --site-info <id>

Returns: site name, URL, WordPress version, PHP version, MainWP Child plugin version, PHP memory limit, MySQL version, active theme, and server IP address.

Plugins

wp mainwp site --site-installed-plugins <id>
wp mainwp site --site-installed-plugins-count <id>
wp mainwp site --site-active-plugins <id>
wp mainwp site --site-active-plugins-count <id>
wp mainwp site --site-inactive-plugins <id>
wp mainwp site --site-inactive-plugins-count <id>
wp mainwp site --site-abandoned-plugins <id>
wp mainwp site --site-abandoned-plugins-count <id>

Themes

wp mainwp site --site-installed-themes <id>
wp mainwp site --site-installed-themes-count <id>
wp mainwp site --site-active-themes <id>
wp mainwp site --site-inactive-themes <id>
wp mainwp site --site-inactive-themes-count <id>
wp mainwp site --site-abandoned-themes <id>
wp mainwp site --site-abandoned-themes-count <id>

Updates & Status

wp mainwp site --site-available-updates <id>
wp mainwp site --site-available-updates-count <id>
wp mainwp site --site-http-status <id>
wp mainwp site --site-health-score <id>
wp mainwp site --site-security-issues <id>

Site Management

Add a new site:

wp mainwp site --add-site --site-url=http://site.com --name=sitename --admin=adminuser --uniqueid=xxxxx

The CLI add-site command supports --uniqueid but does not accept an administrator password flag. Use this command when the child site requires Unique Security ID. If the child site requires Password Authentication, add the site through MainWP Dashboard or REST API with adminpassword.

Sync, reconnect, disconnect, or remove:

wp mainwp site --sync-site <id>
wp mainwp site --reconnect-site <id>
wp mainwp site --disconnect-site <id>
wp mainwp site --remove-site <id>

Apply Updates

wp mainwp site --site-update-wordpress <id>
wp mainwp site --site-update-plugins <id>
wp mainwp site --site-update-themes <id>
wp mainwp site --site-update-translations <id>

Update a specific item:

wp mainwp site --site-update-item <id> --type=<plugin|theme> --slug=<slug>

Plugin & Theme Control

Manage plugins:

wp mainwp site --site-manage-plugin <id> --action=<activate|deactivate|delete> --plugin=<plugin-slug>

Manage themes:

wp mainwp site --site-manage-theme <id> --action=<activate|deactivate|delete> --theme=<theme-slug>

Check HTTP Status

wp mainwp site --check-site-http-status <id>

Verifies HTTP status of a child site.

Updates Management

Commands for controlling plugin and theme updates across sites.

View Available Updates

wp mainwp updates --available-updates

Shows all pending updates across all child sites.

Ignored Updates (Global)

wp mainwp updates --ignored-plugins-updates
wp mainwp updates --ignored-themes-updates

Lists globally ignored plugin or theme updates.

Ignored Updates (Per Site)

wp mainwp updates --site-ignored-plugins-updates <id>
wp mainwp updates --site-ignored-themes-updates <id>

Lists ignored updates for a specific child site.

Ignore Updates Globally

wp mainwp updates --ignore-updates --type=<plugin|theme> --slug=<slug> --name=<name>

Globally ignores an update across all sites.

Ignore Updates on Specific Site

wp mainwp updates --ignore-update <id> --type=<plugin|theme> --slug=<slug> --name=<name>

Ignores a specific update on one child site.

Unignore Updates Globally

wp mainwp updates --unignore-updates --type=<plugin|theme> --slug=<slug> --name=<name>

Reverses a global update ignore.

Unignore Updates on Specific Site

wp mainwp updates --unignore-update <id> --type=<plugin|theme> --slug=<slug> --name=<name>

Reverses a site-specific update ignore.

MainWP Child Connection Authentication

Run these commands from the child site’s WordPress installation. The settings subcommand changes whether a specific WordPress user requires password authentication during the initial MainWP connection.The settings subcommand does not display current settings. Running wp mainwp-child settings without its required option returns an invalid arguments error.

Disable Password Authentication

wp mainwp-child settings --disable-pwd-auth <username> 1

Replace <username> with an existing WordPress username.

Configure a Unique Security ID at WordPress Admin > Settings > MainWP Child > Settings before disabling password authentication. The CLI command changes only the selected user’s password-authentication setting; it does not generate a Unique Security ID.

Enable Password Authentication

wp mainwp-child settings --disable-pwd-auth <username> 0

The username is required. A final value of 1 disables password authentication, while 0 enables it. Omitting the final value defaults to disabling password authentication, so use an explicit value in scripts.

Example Workflows

Daily Sync Script

Create a script to sync all sites and check for updates:

#!/bin/bash
# daily-mainwp-sync.sh

# Sync all sites
wp mainwp sites --sync-sites

# Check for updates
wp mainwp updates --available-updates

# Check site status
wp mainwp sites --check-sites

Get Site Overview

# Get all connected sites
wp mainwp sites --connected-sites

# For each site, get available updates
wp mainwp site --site-available-updates 1
wp mainwp site --site-available-updates 2

Replace site IDs with your actual child site IDs. You can find site IDs by running wp mainwp sites --all-sites.

Self-Check Checklist

WP-CLI installed on the MainWP Dashboard server
MainWP Dashboard v4.1.3 or later
Test basic command: wp mainwp sites --all-sites
Site IDs identified for site-specific commands
WP-CLI available on the server hosting the child site before using wp mainwp-child
Unique Security ID configured before disabling password authentication

SureTriggers Automation - Visual workflow automation
REST API Overview - API-based automation

​What You’ll Learn

​Prerequisites

​Sites Management

​List All Sites

​Count All Sites

​Connected Sites

​Connected Sites Count

​Disconnected Sites

​Disconnected Sites Count

​Sync All Sites

​Check All Sites

​Single Site Operations

​Site Information

​Plugins

​Themes

​Updates & Status

​Site Management

​Apply Updates

​Plugin & Theme Control

​Check HTTP Status

​Updates Management

​View Available Updates

​Ignored Updates (Global)

​Ignored Updates (Per Site)

​Ignore Updates Globally

​Ignore Updates on Specific Site

​Unignore Updates Globally

​Unignore Updates on Specific Site

​MainWP Child Connection Authentication

​Disable Password Authentication

​Enable Password Authentication

​Example Workflows

​Daily Sync Script

​Get Site Overview

​Self-Check Checklist

​Related Resources

What You’ll Learn

Prerequisites

Sites Management

List All Sites

Count All Sites

Connected Sites

Connected Sites Count

Disconnected Sites

Disconnected Sites Count

Sync All Sites

Check All Sites

Single Site Operations

Site Information

Plugins

Themes

Updates & Status

Site Management

Apply Updates

Plugin & Theme Control

Check HTTP Status

Updates Management

View Available Updates

Ignored Updates (Global)

Ignored Updates (Per Site)

Ignore Updates Globally

Ignore Updates on Specific Site

Unignore Updates Globally

Unignore Updates on Specific Site

MainWP Child Connection Authentication

Disable Password Authentication

Enable Password Authentication

Example Workflows

Daily Sync Script

Get Site Overview

Self-Check Checklist

Related Resources