> ## 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.

# What port and User Agent does MainWP use?

> MainWP Dashboard communicates using port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for HTTPS. The User-Agent is Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MainWP/VERSION; +http://mainwp.com) with VERSION changing per release.

MainWP Dashboard communicates with child sites using standard web ports and a specific User-Agent string. This information is essential when configuring firewalls, security plugins, or troubleshooting blocked connections.

## What You'll Learn

* Network ports used by MainWP
* The exact User-Agent string format
* When you need this information

***

## Network Ports

MainWP uses standard HTTP/HTTPS ports for all communication:

| Protocol | Port | Usage                                     |
| -------- | ---- | ----------------------------------------- |
| HTTP     | 80   | Unencrypted connections (not recommended) |
| HTTPS    | 443  | Encrypted connections (recommended)       |

MainWP does not use custom ports. If your child site is accessible via a web browser, MainWP can communicate with it using the same ports.

***

## User-Agent String

MainWP identifies itself with this User-Agent when connecting to child sites:

```
Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MainWP/5.4.0.16; +http://mainwp.com)
```

The version number (`5.4.0.16` in this example) changes with each MainWP Dashboard release. The format remains consistent:

```
Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MainWP/[VERSION]; +http://mainwp.com)
```

***

## When You Need This Information

### Firewall Configuration

If your hosting provider or server firewall blocks unknown traffic, whitelist:

| Setting            | Value                                           |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Ports              | 80, 443                                         |
| User-Agent pattern | `MainWP/*` or `Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MainWP` |

### Security Plugin Rules

Some security plugins (Wordfence, Sucuri, iThemes Security) may block requests from unfamiliar User-Agents. Add MainWP's User-Agent to your allowlist if connections fail.

### Troubleshooting Blocked Connections

If child sites won't connect, check:

1. **Server logs** for blocked requests containing "MainWP" in the User-Agent
2. **Firewall logs** for denied connections on ports 80/443
3. **Security plugin logs** for blocked bot traffic

***

## Self-Check Checklist

* [ ] Ports 80 and 443 are open for outbound connections from Dashboard
* [ ] Ports 80 and 443 are open for inbound connections on child sites
* [ ] MainWP User-Agent is whitelisted in any security plugins
* [ ] No firewall rules blocking MainWP traffic

***

## Related Resources

* [Connection Test Results Status Codes](/troubleshooting/connection-test-results-status-codes) - Interpret connection errors
* [How Secure is the MainWP Plugin](/getting-started/how-secure-is-the-mainwp-plugin) - Security overview