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WordPress Status Dashboard

I am sure that if you have more than one WordPress install then you have probably wanted some kind of a WordPress status dashboard. I know I have. The other day I had the great fortune of stumbling across a fantastic tool from Justin Scheetz and Dave Sabol aptly called WordPress Status Dashboard.

WordPress Status Dashboard?

WordPress Status Dashboard gives you the ability to see the status of all of your WordPress installations in one place. The simple dashboard lets you see which of your WordPress sites are up-to-date and running the most recent versions of WordPress and installed plugins. The video below gives you a general overview of how it all works.
[iframe http://www.youtube.com/embed/gDaIH70FW9I?rel=0 550 443]

Setting Up WordPress Status Dashboard

The installation and setup is a simple five step process that takes just a few minutes to complete. It is also documented very clearly in the documentation included in the WordPress Status Dashboard download. Before I setup WordPress Status Dashboard I created a subdomain where I could later install the files, something like dashboard.domain.com.

Create the Database – WordPress Status Dashboard requires a MySQL database. I set mine up in quickly on Dreamhost. This requires a bit of technical knowledge but if you’re unsure how to do this I am sure that your hosting provider should be able to help you.
Import the SQL File — The WordPress Status Dashboard developers included an SQL file with all of the proper table structure for the database you created in step one. Login into your phpMyAdmin control panel and import the file. Again, your hosting provider should be able to help you if your unsure how to do this.
Edit the “config.php” File – You will need to locate the “/includes/config.php” file and edit the information. You’ll need to add the database name, user and password that you just created for the SQL database in step two. You will then need to create an administrator’s username and password. These are the credentials that you will use to log into the web based dashboard. Note: Since I use Dreamhost, I had to change the database host from “localhost” to the full host name, e.g. “mysql.dashboard.domain.com”.
Enter a Security Key — You will need to enter a secret security key that you will use to connect your WordPress sites to the WordPress Status Dashboard (more on this later). This will prevent any other WP Status Dashboard user from entering your clients’ websites into their dashboard.
Upload the Files – Upload the entire directory to a location of your choice. As I said above, I created a subdomain such as “dashboard.domain.com” where I installed my WordPress Status Dashboard.

WordPress Status Dashboard Screenshot (click to enlarge)

Connecting Your WordPress Sites

In order for WordPress Status Dashboard to connect with your WordPress sites you will need to install theWordPress Status Dashboard plugin on each of those sites. This free plugin can be found in the WordPress plugin directory by searching for “WP Status Dashboard” in the plugins panel of your WordPress control panel.

WordPress Status Dashboard Plugin Screenshot (click to enlarge)

After you have installed the plugin, all you need to do is add your security key in the plugin settings. Go back your WordPress Status Dashboard and click the “Add Client” button in the top right. Fill in the details and you have completed the setup.

WordPress Status Dashboard Add Client (click to enlarge)