Getting Started

After your WP Warden account is created, follow these steps to log in and take a first look at the dashboard.

1. Open the WP Warden dashboard URL

   Navigate to your WP Warden dashboard URL in a browser — the link you were given (or bookmarked) when your account was created.
2. Enter your email and password

   Use the credentials provided when your account was created. If 2FA is enabled, you will be prompted for a code after entering your password.
3. Explore the dashboard

   After login you land on the main dashboard. The left sidebar holds all navigation sections. The top bar shows live alert badges and your account menu.
4. Choose a dashboard mode

   The dashboard opens in Command Center mode — a single-pane view organized into interactive zones (alerts, health, uptime, and more). Click the ⚡ Widgets button in the top-right to choose which zones are shown; your choice is remembered automatically.

Screenshot: WP Warden login screen

The login form with email, password, and optional 2FA code field.

Adding a site creates a monitored entry in WP Warden. Once added, you install the WP Warden Watchdog plugin on that site so it can start sending data.

1. Go to Sites

   Click Sites in the left sidebar to open the site list page.
2. Click “+ Add Site”

   The Add Site dialog opens. Enter the site URL (e.g. https://yourclientsite.com) — the only required field. You can optionally add a friendly name (e.g. “PaxAgent Website”) to make the site easier to identify in the list.
3. Copy the generated API key

   Saving closes the dialog and adds the site to your list. To get the API key, open the site’s detail page and find the API Sync Key card — click to reveal and copy it. You will need it when configuring the WordPress plugin.
4. Install the WP Warden Watchdog plugin

   Follow the next guide (Install WP Warden Watchdog) to connect the site. Within minutes the site will appear as Healthy.

Screenshot: Add Site dialog

The Add Site dialog showing the site URL and optional site name fields.

The WP Warden Watchdog WordPress plugin is the bridge between your WordPress site and WP Warden. It sends health data, receives commands, and keeps everything in sync.

1. Download the plugin

   Download the WP Warden Watchdog plugin ZIP file from the repository or package provided to you by your WP Warden account contact.
2. Upload to WordPress

   Log into the WordPress admin of the target site. Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin. Choose the ZIP file and click Install Now.
3. Activate the plugin

   After installation, click Activate Plugin. The plugin is now active but not yet configured.
4. Open WP Warden Watchdog Settings

   Go to Settings → WP Warden in the WordPress admin menu — the plugin’s settings page is listed under its short name, “WP Warden”, not “WP Warden Watchdog”.
5. Enter the Backend URL

   Paste your WP Warden account URL — the same URL you use to log into your WP Warden dashboard — into the Backend URL field.
6. Enter the Site API Key

   Paste the API key you copied when adding the site in WP Warden. This key uniquely identifies this WordPress site.
7. Save Settings

   Click Save WP Warden Settings. To verify the connection immediately, use the Test Connection button next to it — this sends a one-time authenticated check to WP Warden. The site’s real heartbeat is sent the next time WordPress runs its scheduled cron events (every few minutes), after which the site status in WP Warden updates to Healthy.

Screenshot: WP Warden settings page in WordPress admin

The Settings → WP Warden page showing Backend URL and API Key fields, plus the Test Connection button.

Create a client profile to associate WordPress sites with a contact, generate reports, and enable a white-label client portal.

1. Go to Clients

   Click Clients in the left sidebar.
2. Click “+ New Client”

   The New Client form opens.
3. Fill in the client details

   Enter the client’s full name, email, phone number, company name, and address. The Notes field is internal-only — your clients never see it.
4. Add tags (optional)

   Tags like “Retainer”, “Enterprise”, or “eCommerce” help you organize and filter the client list. You can create new tags directly in this step.
5. Save the client

   Click Save. The client now appears in the client list. Next, assign their sites (see below).

Screenshot: New Client form

The client creation form showing name, email, company, tags, and notes fields.

Linking sites to a client allows you to generate per-client reports and gives the client access to those sites via their portal.

1. Open the client’s detail page

   From the Clients list, click the client’s name or the View button.
2. Click “Assign Sites”

   This opens a multi-select modal listing all sites you have added to WP Warden.
3. Select the sites that belong to this client

   Check all the sites you want to associate. Each site can belong to only one client at a time — if a site is already assigned elsewhere, WP Warden will ask you to confirm before reassigning it to this client.
4. Confirm

   Click Save. The assigned sites now appear on the client detail page and will be included in any reports generated for this client.

Screenshot: Assign Sites modal

The site selection modal showing checkboxes next to each available site.

Add colleagues to your WP Warden account with role-based access. Administrators have full access; Managers handle day-to-day work; Viewers see only the client portal they are linked to.

1. Go to Settings → Users tab

   Open Settings in the sidebar and click the Users tab. This tab is visible only to Administrators.
2. Click “+ Add Team Member”

   The new user form opens.
3. Enter their name and email

   Use the email address they will log in with.
4. Choose a role

   • Administrator — full access to all settings, data, and users
   • Manager — manage sites, clients, reports, backups; cannot change tenant settings or manage users
   • Viewer — read-only portal access; logs in and is redirected to a linked client’s white-label portal
5. For Viewer role: link to a client (optional)

   If you chose Viewer, a Linked Client dropdown appears. Select the client whose portal this user should access on login.
6. Save and share the temporary password

   Click Save. WP Warden does not send an email — it creates the account immediately and shows a one-time temporary password on screen. Copy this password and share it with the new team member yourself; they will use it with their email to log in, and can change it afterward.

Screenshot: Invite User form in Settings → Users tab

The form showing name, email, role selector, and the Linked Client dropdown (visible when Viewer is selected).