> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mainwp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# MainWP Control

> Use the MainWP Control CLI to script and automate MainWP Dashboard operations from the command line.

<Note>
  This page is a high-level overview. For installation steps, command reference,
  workflow examples, releases, and the latest updates, use the official
  [mainwp/mainwp-control](https://github.com/mainwp/mainwp-control) repository.
</Note>

<Card title="Open the GitHub Repository" icon="github" href="https://github.com/mainwp/mainwp-control">
  View the README, releases, issue tracker, and the latest usage examples.
</Card>

MainWP Control is the command-line interface for MainWP Dashboard. It lets you
work with your Dashboard from a terminal so you can inspect sites, check
updates, run abilities, and automate routine tasks in scripts, cron jobs, and
CI/CD pipelines.

Unlike the [MainWP MCP Server](/api-reference/abilities-api/mcp-server), which
is designed for AI assistants and MCP clients, MainWP Control is designed for
direct command-line use. Both tools use the
[Abilities API](/api-reference/abilities-api/overview) and follow the same
safety model for protected actions.

## What You'll Learn

* What MainWP Control is
* When to use it instead of the MCP Server
* Basic requirements and a simple starting point
* Where to find the authoritative documentation

## Prerequisites

* Node.js 20 or later
* MainWP Dashboard 6 or later
* A WordPress user account with permission to perform the actions you need
* A WordPress Application Password for that user

***

## Common Use Cases

* Run scheduled maintenance or reporting tasks from cron
* Use MainWP operations inside CI/CD pipelines and deployment scripts
* Query your Dashboard and return JSON output for other tools
* Run bulk or batch-friendly workflows from the command line

## How MainWP Control Works

MainWP Control connects to your MainWP Dashboard and exposes its available
operations through the `mainwpcontrol` command. In practice, that means you can
sign in once, discover the abilities your Dashboard makes available, and then
run those abilities directly from the terminal.

This is useful when you want a repeatable workflow instead of a browser-based
process. For example, you can script routine checks, pass JSON output to other
tools, and build scheduled jobs around the same Dashboard actions you already
use in MainWP.

***

## Typical Workflow

MainWP Control installs as the `mainwpcontrol` command. A common starting flow
is:

```bash theme={null}
npm install -g @mainwp/control
mainwpcontrol login
mainwpcontrol abilities list
```

After you connect to your Dashboard, you can inspect the abilities your
Dashboard exposes and run the ones you need. The upstream README documents the
latest login options, command groups, flags, and examples.

MainWP Control also supports multi-dashboard workflows through profiles, which
helps when you manage separate staging and production Dashboards. Output can be
returned as JSON, making it practical for shell scripts, monitoring, and CI/CD
jobs.

## MainWP Control vs MCP Server

Use MainWP Control when you want:

* A CLI for scripts, scheduled jobs, and shell-based automation
* Structured command output, including JSON, for pipelines and monitoring
* Explicit commands instead of natural-language prompts

Use the [MainWP MCP Server](/api-reference/abilities-api/mcp-server) when you
want:

* Claude, Cursor, OpenAI Codex, VS Code Copilot, or another MCP client to call
  MainWP tools
* Conversational access to MainWP through an AI assistant

## Safety Model

MainWP Control uses the same MainWP ability model as the MCP Server. Read-only
operations can be run directly, while protected or destructive actions are
designed to require an explicit preview-and-confirm flow. This makes the CLI a
better fit for automation than ad hoc browser actions, because you can build
repeatable workflows around clear command behavior.

***

## Related Resources

* [MainWP Control on GitHub](https://github.com/mainwp/mainwp-control)
* [Abilities API Overview](/api-reference/abilities-api/overview)
* [MainWP MCP Server](/api-reference/abilities-api/mcp-server)
* [Application Passwords](/api-reference/rest-api/application-passwords)