Connecting a Child (Client) Site to a Parent

The Child module connects a WordPress site to an agency’s Parent site. Once connected, settings are pulled from the parent on a schedule and applied automatically, keeping your configuration in line with what the agency has approved.

Before you begin: You will need either a Quick Setup string or a JSON configuration file from your agency site. Parent Sync and Child Sync cannot both be active on the same site.

Step 1: Enable the Child Sync Module

  1. Log in to your WordPress admin.
  2. Go to ToggleWP in the admin menu.
  3. Open the Manage tab and enable Child Sync.

A Child Sync tab will appear in the ToggleWP settings.

Step 2: Connect to the Parent Site

Open the Child Sync tab. You will see two connection methods.

Option A — Quick Setup String (recommended)

  1. In the Quick Setup: Paste Configuration String section, paste the string your agency provided.
  2. Click Connect to Parent Site.

The plugin will decode the credentials, save them, and run a connection test automatically. If the test passes, an initial settings sync runs immediately.

Option B — JSON Configuration File

  1. Under Alternative: Import JSON Configuration File, click Choose File and select the JSON file your agency provided.
  2. Click Import Configuration.

The plugin will load the credentials from the file and run a connection test.

Step 3: Verify the Connection

After importing credentials, click Test Connection at any point to confirm your site can reach the parent.

A successful test will:

  • Mark the connection as verified.
  • Unlock the Sync Interval and Enable Automatic Sync controls.
  • Trigger an initial pull of settings from the parent.

If the test fails, check on your agency site that the credentials are correct and have not been revoked on their end. If in doubt delete the child entry and add it again.

Step 4: Configure Sync Settings

Once the connection is verified, you can adjust:

  • Sync Interval — how often the site automatically checks in with the parent. Options are Every Hour, Twice Daily, or Once Daily. Your agency may have pre-set this value.
  • Enable Automatic Sync — turn this on to allow WordPress to pull settings on the chosen schedule.

Syncing Manually

You can sync at any time by clicking Sync Now on the Child Sync tab. This immediately pulls the latest settings from the parent and applies them without waiting for the next scheduled run.

What Happens During a Sync

When a sync runs, the child site:

  1. Sends an authenticated request to the parent site.
  2. Receives the parent’s configuration profile.
  3. Updates module states to match the parent.
  4. Merges module settings, preserving any child-specific values.
  5. Replaces plugin control lists (blocked, hidden, protected, and featured plugins).
  6. Replaces UI cleanup CSS selectors.
  7. Replaces curated plugin suggestions.
  8. Applies any white label branding from the parent.

Certain fields are never overwritten by the parent, including domain restriction settings and the child’s own connection credentials.

Viewing Active White Label Branding

If the parent has configured white label settings, you will see them displayed in the Active White Label section after a successful sync. This shows the plugin name and author as they appear on your site.

Disconnecting from the Parent

To disconnect:

  1. Open the Child Sync tab.
  2. Click Disconnect from Parent.
  3. Confirm the action when prompted.

This clears the stored credentials and notifies the parent to mark the site as disconnected. Settings that were previously synced remain in place and are not reverted.