Connect a site automatically using wp-admin credentials

For sites where you have a wp-admin password handy, the automatic flow is the fastest way to connect: you give us credentials once, we log in on your behalf, upload and activate the plugin, read back the pairing token, and complete the handshake. Takes under 30 seconds.

Start the pairing

1. In Manage GPL, click Add site and stay on the default Automatic tab.
2. Enter the site URL, your WP admin username, and your WP admin password.
3. Click Install & connect →.

What Manage GPL does

Behind the scenes:

1. Logs in via POST /wp-login.php with your credentials.
2. Uploads the connector plugin ZIP.
3. Activates the plugin.
4. Reads the pairing token from the plugin's settings page.
5. Confirms the pairing, receiving the HMAC secret.
6. Your credentials are never logged or stored — they live in memory for the duration of the request only.

When the automatic flow can't be used

We detect several conditions and fall back to a helpful error instead of trying to force through:

• HTTP-only sites (not HTTPS): we reject automatic pairing outright — transmitting credentials over HTTP is a no-go.
• Two-factor authentication on wp-admin: the login page demands a code after password entry; we can't supply one.
• CAPTCHA or reCAPTCHA on wp-login: can't be bypassed from server-to-server.
• REST API disabled: the final pairing step requires the WP REST API to be reachable.
• HTTP basic auth in front of wp-login: the credential prompt is before WordPress, so the credentials you gave us don't apply.

If any of those apply, the form shows a specific error and recommends the manual flow, which works in every situation.

Credentials hygiene

Even though we don't store the credentials, a paranoid workflow is: create a temporary admin user on your WordPress site, use those credentials to pair, then delete the temporary user. The connector doesn't need that account to stick around — the HMAC secret is what keeps the connection alive.

After it connects

The site appears in your sites list, inventory is pulled automatically, and you can start running updates. From here the experience is identical to a manually-paired site.