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Managed Site Overview ​

Once your site is connected to the live site, you can manage it by installing new plugins or themes, creating staging environments, scanning for vulnerabilities, and using tools like the file manager, InstaWP DB editor, and viewing debug logs.

In this documentation, we will explore:

Let’s get started 🚀

How to View Managed Site Options ​

Go to the Manage page and click on the managed site to handle it.

| The "Manage" section lets users view and manage their managed sites.

Sign in to your InstaWP account and go to Manage. Now, click on your managed site to enter its dashboard.

It'll take you to the managed site dashboard.

The Manage Table has been upgraded to provide a more detailed and user-friendly experience. Along with the existing features, it now includes the following enhancements:

FeatureDescription
Favicon and Site TitleEach WordPress site in the table displays its favicon and title, making it easier to identify your sites at a glance.
Advanced StatusShow the site's current plan. The fire icon glows when the site has an advanced plan, and it’s dark when the site has a basic plan.
Last Security UpdateQuickly check the last time a vulnerability scan was conducted for each site. This ensures you stay informed about your site's security status.
Last Performance CheckSee the most recent performance scan date and time, giving you insights into your site's speed and responsiveness.
StatusCheck whether the site is connected or not with the InstaWP Connect plugin.
Last ActivityView the date and time of the last scheduled update in the table. This helps you keep track of site maintenance and updates.

How to Handle a Managed Site ​

InstaWP allows you to handle your managed live sites by configuring the following options:

Dashboard ​

You can view your managed website’s Uptime, Performance, Vulnerabilities, WordPress and PHP versions, and space used, along with basic information such as an active theme, published posts, and pages with users added. You can also choose the Global Auto Updates and Auto Update Core from the Dashboard.

Global Auto Updates

This is a permission switch, not an "update everything" button. Turning it on only allows WordPress' built-in automatic updater to run on your site — it does not schedule anything, does not update anything by itself, and does not change which plugins or themes are set to auto-update. Think of it as the main switch that has to be on before any of the other auto-update settings can take effect.

Turning it off disables WordPress' automatic updater site-wide, so nothing updates on its own until you turn it back on. It also hides Auto Update Core below it, since that setting has no effect while the updater is off.

To actually choose what gets updated automatically, use:

  • Auto Update Core (below) — for the WordPress core software.
  • The auto-update switches on the Plugins and Themes tabs — per plugin and per theme.
  • Scheduled Updates — if you'd rather updates ran at a time you pick, with a snapshot taken first.

Auto Update Core

This controls how the WordPress core software updates itself. Pick one of:

OptionWhat it does
YesAuto-update core to every new release, including major versions (e.g. 6.7 → 6.8).
MinorAuto-install minor and security releases only (e.g. 6.7.1 → 6.7.2). Major versions wait for you. This is WordPress' default and the safest choice for production sites.
NoNever auto-update core. You update it manually from the dashboard or from Scheduled Updates.

Both settings are written to your site's wp-config.php, so they apply to the live site itself — not just to InstaWP. If you'd rather control exactly when updates happen (and take a snapshot first), leave these off and use Scheduled Updates instead.

Auto Updates are available on every plan

Global Auto Updates, Auto Update Core, and the per-plugin and per-theme auto-update switches work on all plans, including basic — there is nothing to upgrade for. Only Scheduled Updates requires an advanced plan.

Scheduled Updates ​

You can start or stop scheduled updates from the dashboard. Click on Scheduled Updates and choose how and what update you want to schedule with your preference.

Scheduled Updates is an advanced-plan feature — on a basic-plan site the option is locked. (This is the only part of the update tooling that's plan-gated; the auto-update settings above are available on every plan.)

Plugins ​

You can install plugins by entering their slugs or .zip URLs that can be available from the WordPress plugins directory. Start with clicking Install Plugin button.

A dialogue box will appear. Enter pluslug or zip file and click Install.

👉 We currently support the following test plugins and themes, which will work. Other plugins and themes can also be integrated, though they are not tested.⚙️Plugins: WooCommerce, Bricks Builder, ACF & Elementor.⚙️Themes (Customizer Settings): Astra, Hello Elementor, Twenty Twenty-Four, Twenty Twenty-Three, Twenty Twenty-Two, Twenty Twenty-One & Twenty-Twenty.

Once you've installed your preferred plugins on your managed site, you may sort them by name, available updates, and active/inactive state. Each plugin also has its own auto-update switch here — that's where you choose which plugins update themselves, independently of the Global Auto Updates switch (which only permits the updater to run).

Themes ​

You can install themes by entering their slugs or .zip URLs that can be available from the WordPress themes directory. Click on Install Themes button.

Now, enter the theme slug or the zip file and click Install.

Once you've installed your preferred themes on your managed site, you may sort them by name, available updates, and active/inactive state. As with plugins, each theme has its own auto-update switch here.

Reports ​

Generate, check, and track site reports from the dashboard. You can also schedule reports where you’ll get an email option to send the scheduled report of the managed site.

Manage Users ​

InstaWP allows you to add and manage any WordPress site users, assign their roles, sort them, and grant temporary login access to your managed site.

To add a new user:

Enter the username and email of the WordPress user, first and last names, and password, with their assigned role for your managed site. then, click Create User button.

To manage a user:

You can manage your WordPress users by performing the following actions:

ActionsDescription
Edit in Admin PanelEdit and update users' contact information, profile pic, and other details easily from the WordPress admin panel.
Copy Temp Login URLGive temporary login link access to your managed site WP admin panel. Valid for 6 hours.
Set as Magic Login UserUser can automatically log in to the WordPress admin panel from the Magic Login button

You can also sort the WordPress users you've added based on their creation time or name.

Additionally, you'll get an option to choose and set your admin users as Magic Login User. Click the vertical ellipsis of the admin user you want to be the magic login user. Now, click Set as Magic Login User.

Staging Sites ​

You can view and manage your staging sites created from your managed site. Edit them or reserve them to prevent expiration and ensure continuous availability. For more information on how to create staging, refer to this document document.

Uptime ​

Check your website's uptime and SSL data from this option. You can customize settings from the settings button on the Uptime dashboard.

Vulnerability Scanner ​

You can scan your managed site, which checks the vulnerabilities against Core, installed plugins, and themes.

Performance Scanner ​

Automate Performance Scan by toggling on or click on the Scan Now button to accomplish an instant performance check.

Activity Log ​

View logs and get instant alerts for any type of change on your site. Set alerts according to your priority and channel to get instant alerts for any change.

Config Manager ​

You can manage wp-config settings from here. You have to enable the setting from the Connect plugin of your website to get this feature.

Disconnect ​

You can disconnect from your live site anytime after connecting to it. Click on the Disconnect button.

A pop up will appear for your confirmation. Click Disconnect from the pop up window.

How to Perform Bulk Actions ​

InstaWP allows you to perform bulk actions such as updating or removing plugins and themes installed on your managed sites, including its connect plugin and the twentytwentyfour theme.

| The user cannot select inactive sites for bulk actions, the sites need to be manged to the live site.

Let's use the demonstration below to update a theme on selected sites.

Select the connected sites and click on the Bulk Edit button.

Update themes from the Actions section according to your prefernce.

Let's use the demonstration below to remove a theme on selected sites. Click on the vertical ellipsis and click on the Delete Themes button.

| 💡 Did you know - You can manage any WordPress site connected to InstaWP, including sites hosted on external hosting providers. Learn how to connect a site.

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