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MainWP Dashboard includes a dedicated Application Passwords screen under API Access so you can manage credentials without leaving the Dashboard navigation.
Application Passwords are WordPress-level credentials and are separate from MainWP API keys. They can be revoked without changing your login password.

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What You’ll Learn

  • Where Application Passwords are managed in MainWP Dashboard
  • How to create and securely store a new password
  • How to use the Connect an AI tool panel
  • How to review usage and revoke credentials
  • When to use Application Passwords vs API keys

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Prerequisites

  • MainWP Dashboard administrator access
  • A WordPress user account that should own the credential
  • HTTPS enabled on your Dashboard domain

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Create an Application Password

1

Open Application Passwords

Go to Dashboard > API Access > Application Passwords.
2

Create a new credential

Click Create Application Password, enter a descriptive Application Password Name (for example, Claude Desktop, Zapier, or Internal Script), then click Create. The credential belongs to your current WordPress user.
3

Copy the generated password

Copy it immediately and store it in your password manager or secret store.
The full password is shown only once.
4

Test authentication

Use the WordPress username with the Application Password in HTTP Basic authentication.

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Connect an AI Tool

In MainWP Dashboard 6.3, the Application Password Created dialog includes a Connect an AI tool panel. Select Claude Code, Cursor, or VS Code, then click that tab’s Copy button. The panel requires Node.js 20.19 or later on the computer running your AI tool. It configures the MainWP MCP server; it does not install or launch the AI client. Save the password before clicking Done. Claude Code’s command contains the password and can remain in shell history; Cursor’s configuration contains it too. Keep these values out of shared repositories. The VS Code snippet uses a password input instead of placing the secret in the file. When the Application Passwords table is empty and the welcome notice is visible, the same panel appears there with the URL and username prefilled. Claude Code and Cursor use YOUR-APPLICATION-PASSWORD until you create a credential. The success dialog supplies the actual new password; the notice cannot retrieve an existing one. For other clients, use Connect Your AI Client.

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Create Credentials from the Guided AI Pages

You can also create a password without leaving MainWP > AI > MainWP MCP or MainWP > AI > MainWP Control. In Credentials, click Create Application Password. The name is prefilled for that tool and can be changed before creation. On the MCP page, the new password replaces the placeholder in the Connect configuration while that page remains open. Copy it before leaving or reloading the page. The Control page provides separate installation and login commands; it does not embed your password in those commands.

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View and Revoke Passwords

In Dashboard > API Access > Application Passwords, you can review existing entries, including metadata such as creation time and last use details.
  • Revoke individual credentials that are no longer needed.
  • Revoke all credentials for incident response or full rotation.
  • Recreate passwords per integration to keep access scoped and auditable.

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API Keys vs Application Passwords

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Security Recommendations

  • Create a separate credential per tool or integration.
  • Revoke unused credentials regularly.
  • Avoid sharing one credential across multiple systems.
  • Use a dedicated API user for production automations.