Official MainWP MCP Server

The MainWP MCP Server connects Claude, Cursor, OpenAI Codex, VS Code Copilot, and other MCP-compatible AI tools to MainWP, the self-hosted dashboard for managing many WordPress sites, so you can ask in plain English:

"Which sites have pending plugin updates?"

"Update WooCommerce everywhere it's behind."

"Which client sites are disconnected right now?"

"Check what we know about this client's sites before you update anything."

It runs on your own computer, next to your AI tool. Nothing new is installed on your Dashboard or your child sites.

Terminal conversation through the MainWP MCP server: asking how many sites am I managing, then updating WooCommerce on every site where it is behind

You stay in control

Changes wait for your approval. By default, deleting a site, plugin, or theme shows you a preview first and runs only after you say yes. On Dashboard 6.3 and later, updates work the same way.
Safe mode blocks those destructive operations outright, with no approval prompt, while you get comfortable.
You choose the tools. Allow and block lists decide which tools your AI can see at all.
Your credentials stay with you. The server signs in with a WordPress Application Password that you can revoke at any time, and it talks only to your Dashboard.

How it all works: Safety & Permissions.

What you can do

Sites: list, sync, check connectivity, add, reconnect, or remove child sites
Updates: see pending core, plugin, theme, and translation updates across the network, and apply them
Plugins and themes: see what is installed, activate, deactivate, or delete
Clients and tags: manage client records, assign sites, and track costs
Knowledge: agency, client, and site notes, skills, and memories your AI reads before it works (Dashboard 6.3 and later)
Guided workflows: network summaries, site reports, security audits, and update plans

Around 70 tools in all, depending on your Dashboard version. See Tools & Resources.

Built for agencies and freelancers who manage many WordPress sites and want AI help with updates, maintenance, and client work.

Requirements

Node.js 20.19 or later on the computer that runs your AI tool
MainWP Dashboard 6.0 or later, reachable over HTTPS (some tools need a newer Dashboard; the Quickstart lists which)
An MCP-compatible AI client

Get started

1. Create an Application Password. In your MainWP Dashboard, go to Users > Profile > Application Passwords, add one named "MainWP MCP Server", and copy it. It is separate from your login password, and you can revoke it at any time. A dedicated administrator account for API access keeps the audit trail clean.

2. Add the server to your AI tool. For Claude Desktop and most other MCP clients:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mainwp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mainwp/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "MAINWP_URL": "https://your-dashboard.com",
        "MAINWP_USER": "admin",
        "MAINWP_APP_PASSWORD": "xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Restart your AI tool and ask "List all my sites". A working setup returns your child sites by name and URL.

Config file locations for each client are in the client setup guide. Every setting is in the Configuration Reference.

Using Claude Code? The plugin installs the server, an agent skill, and ten /mainwp:* workflow commands:

text

/plugin marketplace add mainwp/mainwp-mcp
/plugin install mainwp@mainwp-mcp

Credentials still come from your environment. See Claude Code plugin.

Documentation

Full documentation lives at docs.mainwp.com/mcp-server:

Quickstart, with screenshots, if this is your first MCP server
Client setup for Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code Copilot, OpenAI Codex, and others
Safety & Permissions and Restrict Available Tools
Prompt Cookbook: ready-to-use prompts by task
Configuration Reference, including setup from the chat when no credentials are configured
Tools & Resources, Security Model, and Troubleshooting

Community

Contributing

Bug reports and pull requests are welcome. Please report security issues privately as described in SECURITY.md.

Terminal

npm ci             # install dependencies
npm run dev        # run in watch mode
npm run inspect    # test with MCP Inspector
npm test           # run tests
npm run lint       # check code style
npm run format     # fix formatting

CI runs lint, format check, type check, tests, and build on every pull request. When you change a configuration option, update the docs-site configuration reference in the same change. .agents/skills/mainwp-dashboard is the canonical copy of the agent skill; see docs/plugin.md.

License

GPL-3.0. See LICENSE.