> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mainwp-docs-openapi-6-1-5-fixes.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Wordfence

> The Wordfence Extension combines the power of your MainWP Dashboard with the Wordfence Security plugin. It allows you to scan child sites for security issues, monitor live traffic, and manage Wordfence settings across your network from the MainWP Dashboard.

## What You'll Learn

* Installing the Wordfence extension and plugin on child sites
* Configuring global and per-site Wordfence settings
* Scanning child sites for security issues
* Monitoring live traffic across your network

***

<div id="addon-data" style={{display: 'none'}} data-title="Wordfence" data-purchase-url="https://mainwp.com/extension/wordfence/" data-pricing-tier="pro" data-bundle="MainWP Pro" data-addon-type="integration" data-version="5.1.2" data-developer="MainWP" data-changelog-url="https://mainwp.com/changelog/mainwp-wordfence-extension/" data-integrates-with="Wordfence" data-owned-by="Defiant, Inc." data-privacy-url="https://www.wordfence.com/privacy-policy/" />

<Info>
  **Integration Add-on** - This add-on extends MainWP to work with Wordfence. Wordfence Security must be installed and activated on each child site you want to manage.
</Info>

Installing the MainWP Wordfence Extension requires two steps:

* Install and activate the add-on on your MainWP Dashboard site.
* Install and activate Wordfence Security on your child sites.

### 1. Installing the Add-on

The MainWP Wordfence Extension is a WordPress plugin. Follow these steps on your MainWP Dashboard site, not on a child site:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to WP Admin > Plugins > Add Plugin" />

  <Step title="Click Upload Plugin" />

  <Step title="Click Choose File" />

  <Step title="Select mainwp-wordfence-extension.zip and click Install Now" />

  <Step title="Click Activate Plugin after installation" />

  <Step title="Go to MainWP > Add-ons > Manage Add-ons" />

  <Step title="Locate Wordfence Integration and click Enable" />
</Steps>

The add-on is now ready for use. Alternatively, upload the extracted `mainwp-wordfence-extension` directory to `wp-content/plugins` on the MainWP Dashboard site, then activate and enable it.

### 2. Installing Wordfence Security

Install and activate Wordfence Security on each child site that you want to manage through the extension.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to WP Admin > Plugins > Add Plugin on the child site" />

  <Step title="Search for Wordfence" />

  <Step title="Locate Wordfence Security and click Install Now" />

  <Step title="Click Activate Plugin" />

  <Step title="Sync the child site with your MainWP Dashboard" />
</Steps>

The MainWP Wordfence Extension can now detect and manage Wordfence Security on that child site.

## Wordfence Settings

### Global Settings

Go to **MainWP > Add-ons > Security > Wordfence**. The extension provides these network-level tabs:

* Wordfence Overview
* Options
* Live Traffic
* Blocking
* Firewall
* Scan
* Diagnostics

Use the settings tabs to define network defaults. Saving a network settings section synchronizes that section to child sites that are not using individual overrides. Sites with **Override general settings** enabled keep their individual settings.

If you install Wordfence Security on additional child sites, sync them and re-save each relevant network settings tab to apply the defaults.

### Individual Site Settings

The extension also provides per-site Wordfence settings.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to MainWP > Sites > Manage Sites" />

  <Step title="Select the child site and open Wordfence in the site navigation" />

  <Step title="Open the Wordfence Options tab" />

  <Step title="Enable Override general settings" />

  <Step title="Configure the Wordfence Options, Live traffic, Blocking, Firewall, Scan, or Diagnostics tabs" />

  <Step title="Click Save Settings" />
</Steps>

## Wordfence Dashboard

Go to **MainWP > Add-ons > Security > Wordfence** and open the **Wordfence Overview** tab. The sites table shows child sites where Wordfence Security is installed, including plugin status, version, visibility, last scan, and update availability.

* If the plugin is inactive, the **Activate Plugin** action appears in the site row.
* If an update is available, the **Update Plugin** action appears in the site row.

### Available Actions

The row action menu includes **Overview**, **Edit**, **Open Wordfence**, and **Hide Plugin** or **Unhide Plugin**. For active installations, it also includes **Scan Site**, **Live Traffic**, **Blocking**, and **Scan Results**. **Update Plugin** appears when an update is available.

#### Important Notes

If you know that you have the plugin installed on a child site, but the child site doesn't appear in the list, try to re-sync your sites.

## How to Scan Child Sites With the MainWP Wordfence Extension

The Wordfence extension enables you to trigger the scanning process on child sites directly from your dashboard. To do this,

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to MainWP > Add-ons > Security > Wordfence" />

  <Step title="On Wordfence Overview, locate the site and click Scan Site in its row action menu">
    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/mainwp-docs-openapi-6-1-5-fixes/F_-OnP7qx3CGrvWd/images/add-ons/wordfence-scan-site-action.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=F_-OnP7qx3CGrvWd&q=85&s=83ffb5d89e9a393fc09629bfe3ac366f" alt="Screenshot highlighting the Scan Site action in the Wordfence extension" width="1719" height="550" data-path="images/add-ons/wordfence-scan-site-action.png" />
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Monitor Child Sites Live Traffic

To monitor live traffic for one child site from your MainWP Dashboard:

* Open the **Wordfence Overview** tab.
* Locate the child site and click **Live Traffic** in its row action menu.
* The extension opens the live traffic view for that site.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/mainwp-docs-openapi-6-1-5-fixes/G5x3KdeCLBBQwkzj/images/add-ons/21f0fedceb53.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=G5x3KdeCLBBQwkzj&q=85&s=6333b636d7f377c7fead9b5d0f1ba415" alt="Screenshot of Live Traffic view showing requests to a child site" width="1719" height="550" data-path="images/add-ons/21f0fedceb53.png" />

If live traffic is disabled, open the network-level **Live Traffic** tab, set **Enable live traffic logging** to **All Traffic**, and click **Save Settings**. If the site uses individual overrides, configure the same option from the site's **Wordfence > Live traffic** tab instead.

## Monitor Network Live Traffic

Open the **Live Traffic** tab on the Wordfence page to view traffic from active child sites in one place.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/mainwp-docs-openapi-6-1-5-fixes/G5x3KdeCLBBQwkzj/images/add-ons/08fa187ac3f6.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=G5x3KdeCLBBQwkzj&q=85&s=116f951499aee8450db27b82ef3c8a02" alt="Screenshot of Network Live Traffic showing combined traffic from all child sites" width="1720" height="200" data-path="images/add-ons/08fa187ac3f6.png" />

***

## Related Resources

* [Security Add-ons](/add-ons/security) - Browse all security tools
* [Vulnerability Checker Extension](/add-ons/security/vulnerability-checker-extension) - Scan for known vulnerabilities
* [Sucuri Extension](/add-ons/security/sucuri-extension) - Alternative security integration