> ## 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.

# Understanding the "MainWP Child Plugin is activated but not connected" Notice

> This notice appears when the MainWP Child plugin is active but not connected to your Dashboard. Either add the site as new or reconnect an existing site from MainWP > Sites > Manage Sites.

This notice appears in the WordPress admin area when the MainWP Child plugin is installed and activated but not connected to any MainWP Dashboard.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/mainwp/ZezLcvKnTQaPggvh/images/faq/child-activated-not-connected.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=ZezLcvKnTQaPggvh&q=85&s=aa2bd89b46c637513f7ad912de9f4a04" alt="MainWP Child plugin not connected notice displayed in WordPress admin" width="1507" height="281" data-path="images/faq/child-activated-not-connected.png" />

## What You'll Learn

* Why this notice appears
* How to connect a new site to your Dashboard
* How to reconnect a disconnected site
* When to deactivate the plugin

## Prerequisites

* MainWP Child plugin installed on the site showing the notice
* MainWP Dashboard installed on a separate WordPress site
* Admin access to both sites

***

## Why This Notice Appears

The notice displays in two situations:

| Situation         | Description                                                                                                                 |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| New installation  | You activated MainWP Child but haven't added the site to your Dashboard yet                                                 |
| Disconnected site | The site was previously connected but lost its connection (after plugin deactivation, site migration, or Dashboard changes) |

The plugin is designed to communicate with a MainWP Dashboard. Until connected, it displays this reminder to complete the setup.

***

## Connect a New Site

If you just installed MainWP Child and need to add this site to your Dashboard:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Log in to your Dashboard">
    Access your MainWP Dashboard WordPress site.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate to Add New Site">
    Go to **MainWP > Sites > Add New**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter site details">
    Enter the child site URL and administrator credentials.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete connection">
    Click **Add Site**. The Dashboard connects to the child site and the notice disappears.
  </Step>
</Steps>

For detailed instructions, see [Get Started with MainWP](/getting-started/get-started-with-mainwp).

***

## Reconnect a Disconnected Site

If the site was previously connected but became disconnected:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Log in to your Dashboard">
    Access your MainWP Dashboard WordPress site.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate to Manage Sites">
    Go to **MainWP > Sites > Manage Sites**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the site">
    Locate the disconnected site in the list. It may show a connection error indicator.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Reconnect the site">
    Click **Reconnect** from the site's action menu and follow the prompts.
  </Step>
</Steps>

If the site no longer appears in your Dashboard, you may need to add it as a new site.

***

## Deactivate if Not Needed

If you don't plan to connect this site to a MainWP Dashboard, deactivate the plugin to remove the notice:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Plugins">
    In the child site's WordPress admin, go to **Plugins > Installed Plugins**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deactivate MainWP Child">
    Find **MainWP Child** and click **Deactivate**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The notice disappears once the plugin is deactivated.

***

## Common Causes of Disconnection

| Cause                                  | Solution                                   |
| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Plugin was deactivated and reactivated | Reconnect from Dashboard                   |
| Site migrated to new domain            | Update site URL in Dashboard and reconnect |
| Dashboard migrated or reinstalled      | Add site again or use Force Reconnect      |
| Security ID changed                    | Re-enter the Security ID when reconnecting |

***

## Self-Check Checklist

* [ ] Identified whether this is a new installation or disconnected site
* [ ] Connected or reconnected the site from your Dashboard
* [ ] Notice no longer appears on the child site
* [ ] Site syncs successfully with Dashboard

***

## Related Resources

* [Get Started with MainWP](/getting-started/get-started-with-mainwp) - Add your first child site
* [Force Reconnection](/troubleshooting/how-can-i-force-my-mainwp-dashboard-to-reestablish-connection-with-child-sites) - Reconnect all sites at once
* [Troubleshoot Connection Problems](/troubleshooting/potential-issues) - Resolve connection issues