Managing 30 WordPress sites without wasting your days

Managing a fleet of about thirty WordPress sites quickly becomes a logistical challenge. Between security updates, backups, and performance monitoring, maintenance can easily eat up all your working time. The goal here is to use ManageWP, a solution that lets you centralize all these tasks on a single dashboard, even in its free version.

You can find the tool directly here: ManageWP.com.

Technical functioning of the platform

The principle of this tool is easy to understand. Instead of logging in individually to each admin interface, everything is grouped in one place. To set this up, you just need to create an account on the platform and install a specific plugin on each of your sites.

Once the connection is established, the sites communicate their data directly to the central dashboard. You then have a global view of your fleet’s status without having to constantly switch tabs. It’s a huge time-saver for those managing client projects or a network of personal sites.

Learning how to configure the tool

If you’ve never used a centralized management console, the initial setup might seem intimidating. However, it simply involves adding your sites’ URLs and copying a connection key.

To help you visualize the process, here is a video that clearly shows how to add your sites and manage the first updates:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haovXsse8-U

Also, if you prefer a step-by-step guide with screenshots to take the time to properly configure each option, I recommend checking out this complete tutorial on using ManageWP.

Bulk update management

This is where the tool shows its true value. When a popular plugin like Yoast SEO or Elementor releases an update, deploying it on thirty different sites usually takes a lot of time. With this system, you check the plugin in the global list and launch the update for everyone simultaneously.

The interface shows the progress for each installation in real-time. If an update fails, you see it immediately and can intervene specifically. The system also handles WordPress core and themes with the same simplicity. This ensures all your sites stay secure without repetitive manual work.

What the free version actually offers

Many fleet management tools get expensive as soon as you exceed a few sites. ManageWP offers a different model where basic management is free for an unlimited number of sites.

In this free offer, you get access to one-click updates, a monthly performance check, and a security scan via Sucuri. You also benefit from one monthly backup per site. It’s a solid base for monitoring your fleet. There is also a quick access function that lets you jump to a specific site’s admin without re-entering your credentials.

Practical benefits in use

The main advantage is peace of mind. By opening your dashboard in the morning, you immediately know if a site is offline or if a critical flaw has been detected. You no longer risk forgetting an old site in a corner that hasn’t been updated in six months.

Also, centralization allows you to standardize your way of working. You can clean up spam comments or optimize the databases of all your sites in a few seconds. It’s a much healthier way of working than manual intervention case by case.

Limits and drawbacks to anticipate

However, you must remain vigilant. The main risk is causing a widespread error. If you launch a global update on thirty sites without checking compatibility beforehand, you could end up with several sites down at once. It is therefore recommended to test major updates on a test site before rolling them out everywhere.

Regarding the free version, monthly backup is insufficient for a site that generates a lot of content or sales. For optimal security, daily backups are often necessary, and these are paid as individual add-ons per site. Finally, the interface is entirely in English, which may require a short adaptation period at the beginning.

Conclusion on organization

If you have around thirty sites, using such a tool is no longer an option but a necessity to stay efficient. It allows you to focus on content creation and strategy rather than basic technical management. Testing the solution on a few sites gives you a quick idea of the ergonomics before integrating your entire fleet.