User Guide | WP Maintenance Manager

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Before You Start

What is SSH & WP-CLI? How to Get Your Key

Before registering an SSH profile in Step 1, you need to prepare an SSH key file. If this is your first time, start here.

SSH is a secure protocol for connecting to your server over the internet. It allows WP Maintenance Manager to run updates and database backups directly on the server — without installing any plugin on your WordPress site.
WP-CLI is a command-line tool for managing WordPress. Most major hosting providers (SiteGround, Bluehost, AWS Bitnami, etc.) include it by default, so you usually don't need to install anything.

How Public & Private Keys Work

SSH uses a key pair instead of a password.

Private key (your key) — A file stored on your computer. Treat it like a bank card: never share it with anyone.
Public key (the lock on the server) — Data registered on your server. It only opens with your matching private key.

Only when both the key and the lock are in place can you securely connect to your server.

How to Generate Your SSH Key — By Host

In Site Tools, go to Devs → SSH Keys Manager.
Enter a name and click Create to generate the key pair.
Click Actions → Private Key, copy the text, and save it as a file on your computer (e.g. ~/.ssh/siteground.pem).
Enter that file path in the Private Key Path field in Step 1.

SiteGround uses port 18765 instead of the default 22. Enter 18765 in the SSH Port field.

In the portal, go to Websites → Manage → Files & Access.
Under the SSH section, toggle Shell Access to ON.
Click Manage SSH Keys, then generate a new key or register one you already have.
Download the private key file and save it to a safe folder on your computer (e.g. ~/.ssh/).
Enter that file path in the Private Key Path field in Step 1.

If the connection test reports "WP-CLI not found" (GUI-only fix)

Some shared hosting environments (Bluehost, GoDaddy, and similar shared cPanel hosts) don't expose WP-CLI on the non-interactive shell that this app uses, even when WP-CLI is installed. In that case the easiest fix is to drop your own copy of WP-CLI into your home directory using the host's File Manager in cPanel. No terminal commands are required.

Step 1: Download the WP-CLI executable

From your computer's browser, visit the official wp-cli.phar download URL.
wp-cli.phar will be saved to your Downloads folder automatically (a blank page or no visible response is normal).
Rename the downloaded file from wp-cli.phar to wp (drop the .phar extension).

Step 2: Open File Manager and create a folder

In your hosting control panel (cPanel or equivalent), open File Manager.
Navigate to your home directory (typically /home/username/).
Create a new folder named bin (lowercase).

Step 3: Upload wp and grant execute permission

Open the bin folder you just created.
Drag and drop the wp file from your computer into File Manager to upload it.
Right-click the uploaded wp file and choose Change Permissions (or "Permissions").
Set permissions to 755 (or check all "Execute" boxes), then save.

Step 4: Enter the absolute path in the app's "WP-CLI Path" field

Use this format:

/home/(your-username)/bin/wp

Example: if your username is user1234, enter /home/user1234/bin/wp

Run the connection test again — a green success indicator means you're done.

To upgrade WP-CLI later, just download a fresh wp-cli.phar, rename it to wp, and overwrite the file in the same folder. Because the file lives inside your home directory, it doesn't affect anyone else on the server.

Use the .pem key pair that was downloaded when you created your instance — no additional steps needed.
Move the .pem file to a safe folder (e.g. ~/.ssh/) and enter that path in the Private Key Path field in Step 1.
On Mac/Linux, set the correct permissions: chmod 600 ~/.ssh/your-key.pem

If you use a Lightsail instance, WP-CLI is included with Bitnami images. The default SSH user is typically bitnami.

How to Enter the Private Key Path & Set Up the .ssh Folder

Move your downloaded key file into the .ssh folder on your computer, then enter that path in the app. Because .ssh is a hidden folder, follow the steps below to find or create it.

🍎 Mac

First, check whether the .ssh folder already exists:

Open Finder and navigate to your home folder via Go → Home.
Press Command + Shift + . to reveal hidden files and folders.
If you see a .ssh folder, move your key file there.

If the .ssh folder does not exist, create it:

Using Finder: With hidden files visible, right-click inside your home folder → New Folder → name it .ssh
Using Terminal: Run mkdir ~/.ssh

Move your key file into .ssh, then enter ~/.ssh/your-key-file.pem in the Private Key Path field.

🪟 Windows

First, check whether the .ssh folder already exists:

Open File Explorer. In the top menu, go to View → check "Hidden items" (Windows 11: View → Show → Hidden items).
Type %USERPROFILE% in the address bar and press Enter.
If you see a .ssh folder, move your key file there.

If the .ssh folder does not exist, create it:

Using File Explorer: Right-click inside %USERPROFILE% → New → Folder → name it .ssh
Using PowerShell: Run mkdir $HOME\.ssh

Move your key file into .ssh, then enter C:\Users\YourName\.ssh\your-key-file.pem in the Private Key Path field.

01

Step 1 — Recommended

Register an SSH Profile

Register your SSH connection details as a "profile." When adding a site, simply select a profile to complete the SSH setup. Updating a profile automatically applies to all linked sites.
Once filled in, use the Test Connection button to verify the settings before saving — this lets you catch misconfigurations before they become hard-to-diagnose errors.

⚙ Settings → SSH Profile Manager

Field	Description	Type
Profile Name	A recognizable label for this profile (e.g. `Xserver Production`)	Required
SSH Host	Your server's hostname — check your hosting control panel (e.g. `sv12345.xserver.jp`)	Required
SSH User	Your SSH login username — usually the same as your FTP username on shared hosting	Required
SSH Port	Usually `22`. Xserver uses `10022`	Required
Private Key Path	Path to your SSH private key file (e.g. `~/.ssh/id_rsa`)	Recommended
SSH Passphrase	Only required if your private key is protected by a passphrase. Leave blank if no passphrase is set	Optional
WP-CLI Path	Leave blank for most servers. Only specify if WP-CLI is installed at a custom path	Optional

Recommended: key-based authentication. More secure and more reliable than password auth. Register your SSH public key in your hosting control panel before connecting.

Test Connection

After filling in the fields, click Test Connection to verify the SSH connection instantly — before saving or adding any sites. Any misconfiguration is caught here with a clear, specific error message.

1 Enter the SSH host, user, and key path, then click Test Connection
2 On success: a green ✅ Connection successful banner appears with the verified host and port
3 On failure: a red banner shows the error type and technical detail — follow the message to fix the setting

Common errors and fixes:

Authentication failed → Check username, private key path, and passphrase
Passphrase required → Enter the passphrase in the SSH Passphrase field and retry
Cannot resolve hostname → Check for typos in the SSH Host field
Connection timed out → Verify the port number or check your firewall settings

Multiple sites on the same server? Create the profile once — the host, user, and key are shared. When adding each site you only need to change the WordPress installation path.

02

Step 2 — Recommended

Configure Notifications

Get an email when maintenance finishes — or an immediate alert if something goes wrong. You can skip this step and use the app without notifications, but setting it up is highly recommended.

⚙ Settings → Notification Settings

Field	Description	Type
SMTP Host	Your outgoing mail server address (e.g. `smtp.gmail.com`)	Required
Port	Usually `587` (STARTTLS)	Required
SMTP Username	Usually the same as your email address	Required
SMTP Password	For Gmail, you must use an App Password — your regular Gmail password will not work	Required
From Address	Can be the same as your SMTP username	Required
To Address	Where reports and alerts will be delivered	Required
Notification Timing	Choose from 4 notification modes: ① Errors immediately + summary (default & recommended) ② Errors only (immediate) ③ Summary only ④ No notifications	Optional

Using Gmail? Go to Google Account → Security → enable 2-Step Verification, then generate an App Password and enter it in the password field. Your normal Gmail password will be rejected.

Recommended mode: The default "Errors immediately + summary" is ideal. You get an instant alert if anything goes wrong, and a single digest email when everything completes successfully.

03

Step 3 — Required

Register a WordPress Site

Add the WordPress site you want to maintain. You'll need your WordPress admin credentials and the SSH profile you created in STEP 1.

Click the "＋ Add Site" button in the toolbar

Basic Info

Field	Description	Type
Site Name	A label for this site — shown in logs and reports (e.g. `Acme Corp Website`)	Required
Site URL	The homepage URL (e.g. `https://example.com`)	Required
WP Admin URL	Usually the site URL with `/wp-admin` appended	Required
WP Admin Username	Your WordPress login username (must have administrator role)	Required
WP Admin Password	Your WordPress login password	Required

SSH / Server Info

Field	Description	Type
SSH Profile	Select the profile you created in STEP 1. SSH connection details (host, user, key, WP-CLI path) are loaded from the profile automatically, and updating the profile applies to all linked sites	Recommended
WordPress Install Path	The server path to the WordPress installation directory (e.g. `/home/xs123456/example.com/public_html`). When SSH credentials are configured, you can use the "Auto-detect" button to fill it in automatically.	Required

Options

Field	Description	Type
Screenshot Comparison	Automatically captures before/after screenshots and detects visual differences	Optional
Excluded Plugins	Plugins to skip during auto-updates. Click the "📡 Fetch from Server" button to display installed plugins as checkboxes — just check the ones to exclude. Manual entry (comma-separated slugs) is also available	Optional

About Screenshot Comparison: When enabled, the app automatically checks whether the site's appearance has changed after updates. However, sites with carousels or dynamic content are prone to false positives — we recommend leaving this off for those sites.

Using premium plugins? Plugins like WooCommerce extensions or ACF Pro that use their own update servers should be added to the Excluded Plugins list. Use the "📡 Fetch from Server" button to select them from a checkbox list — no need to look up slugs manually.

04

Step 4 — Required

Run Maintenance

You're all set. Click "Run Maintenance" and the app will automatically perform: DB backup → core update → plugin updates → theme updates → translation updates.

Click the "⚡ Run Maintenance" button in the toolbar

1 Confirm your site(s) are listed in the site table (all registered sites will be included in the run)
2 Click "⚡ Run Maintenance". When the confirmation dialog appears, select "Run"
3 Real-time logs will stream in the console. Depending on the number of sites, this may take a few to several minutes
4 When finished, each site shows a result status (Success / Warning / Error). If notifications are configured, you'll receive an email as well

Site list after completion (status display)

For your first run, we recommend starting with a single site. Verify everything looks good before adding the rest of your sites.

Keep the browser tab open during the run. Closing the tab won't stop the process, but real-time log streaming will pause. You can check the final result via email notification.

The 4 steps above cover everything you need for basic maintenance. The features below can make your workflow even more powerful.

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Log History

Browse all past maintenance runs in one place. Click any log entry to see which plugin versions changed, download the DB backup, or review screenshots. Logs are kept for up to 365 days.

Click the "📋 Log History" button in the toolbar

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Report Settings STD / BIZ Plan

Generate client-ready maintenance reports with one click. Set your company name, logo, and accent color to produce branded PDF or HTML reports. Report preview and editing is free on all plans.

⚙ Settings → Report Settings

Field	Description
Agency Name & Contact	Company name, address, phone, email, and website
Logo Image	Displayed in the report header. PNG / JPG recommended
Accent Color	Brand color used for headings and borders
Opening Message	Optional introductory text inserted at the top of each report

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Settings Backup

Export all your site configurations, notification settings, and SSH profiles to a single file. When switching computers or recovering from a reset, just import the file and all your settings are instantly restored.

⚙ Settings → Settings Backup

Back up regularly. Once you've built up a library of sites, keeping a backup file in a safe location gives you peace of mind.