Managing many WordPress sites across clients can get messy fast. We want uptime alerts that matter, backups we can trust, and reports that clients can read. Modular DS promises a clean, modern dashboard to run all of that in one place.
We took it for a spin to see how it feels from a true first-time user’s perspective. In this post, we walk through the setup, the core features, and where it shines for agencies, freelancers, and DIY site owners.
How to Get the Best Deal on Modular DS
InfluenceWP has an exclusive Modular DS deal.
Exploring the Modular DS Website
The first claim on the site is clear. Manage all your WordPress websites from one space. That promise matches what agencies and site managers need most.
First Impressions and Team Spotlight
We always look for the people behind the product. Modular DS makes that easy. We see the team with names and faces on the About page. That builds trust right away.
It’s great to see that Hector, the founder, is visible and accessible. We have spoken with him on video calls. He is kind, thoughtful, and cares about user feedback. Hector’s passion shines through.
Support and Resources
Modular DS puts support front and center. We noticed:
- Live chat in the bottom right of the app.
- A clear send email option for support requests.
- A helpful knowledge base called Modular Academy with popular articles.
- An affiliate program for those interested in promoting the product.
- A detailed About page that humanizes the team, which fosters trust.
Comparisons for Switchers
If you are switching from another platform, the site includes comparisons to tools like ManageWP and MainWP. These help agencies and solo managers get a feel for how Modular DS stacks up in features and price.
Getting Started with Modular DS
We logged into the Modular DS dashboard and began by checking the basics. The design is clean and modern. It feels quick.
Login and Basic Settings
Right away, we saw a top-right link to talk to Hector. That level of access is rare and welcome. Dark mode is a simple toggle and looks polished. We kept the main site open in another tab for reference.
Team Management
Teams help you group sites, assign staff, and control access.
- Click My Team.
- Name the team, for example, IWP.
- Assign roles or sites later as you add users and websites.
This makes sense for agencies with service tiers or departments. You can group sites by client or by internal team.
User Roles and Permissions (New Feature)
We can invite users and assign roles:
- Owner: Full access and control over account settings, billing, and all sites.
- Admin: Broad access for managing sites, users, and settings.
- Collaborator: Limited to specific teams or specific websites.
- Viewer: Read-only access.
Granular roles let you involve contractors, staff, or clients safely.
Customizing Notifications and White-Labeling
Two areas stood out early in setup. Custom notifications and white-label branding.
Notification Settings
We created a custom notification profile to control who gets what and when. You can:
- Name and save a configuration, like IWP Settings.
- Apply it to specific sites or groups of sites.
- Deliver alerts by email or SMS, for uptime, backups, connections, reports, and vulnerabilities.
Smart use cases:
- Top-tier clients get real-time alerts when a site goes down.
- Mid-tier clients get a short delay, such as 15 minutes.
- Critical events like downtime should always trigger immediate alerts.
White-Labeling the Plugin
Agencies can rebrand the Modular DS plugin that appears in each site’s WordPress admin.
- Set the plugin name, for example, IWP Website Care.
- Add a short description, like We help your website thrive.
- Set the author name and URL.
- Preview how this appears in the Plugins list.
If you manage only your own sites, this is optional. For client work, white-label branding makes your service feel cohesive.
Connecting Google Accounts and Domains
Reporting and branding often need email and analytics integrations. Modular DS handles both.
Custom Domains for Emails
You can add a custom domain to send reports from your own address. The flow:
- Add your domain, for example, influencewp.com.
- Modular DS provides the DNS records you need.
- Add those records where you manage DNS.
- Set the from email once verified.
You can skip this and keep using the Modular DS sending domain if you prefer.
Google Accounts Integration
You can connect Google Analytics and Google Search Console at a global level. This makes it easy to share access across many sites and save time when you connect each one. Click Add Account, authenticate, and enable permissions. This helps facilitate connecting process later when you attach each site.
Adding and Connecting Your First Website
Next, we added a site to the dashboard and tested the connection flow.
Connecting a Website
The process is straightforward:
- Enter the site URL and give it a name.
- Add it to an existing team or create a new one.
- Choose automatic connection with credentials, or a manual connection by installing the plugin.
- We used the plugin method. Install and activate the Modular DS plugin, then authenticate.
Once connected, the site appears in the dashboard with a quick link to open wp-admin. Our white-label settings showed up in the plugin list on the site.
Site Overview and Health Check
The site overview shows tags, the WordPress version, the PHP status, and the Modular DS plugin version. A status area uses icons and colors to indicate key health checks.
We clicked Critical Errors and opened the WordPress Site Health panel. The tool flagged inactive plugins and noticed the site was set to discourage search engines. Since our website was a test sandbox, that was to be expected.
The panel also highlighted inactive themes and database settings. You can kick off a manual scan if you want fresh data.
Here is a simple way to scan what matters on a single site:
| Item | Status example | Action example |
|---|---|---|
| Indexing | Disabled on sandbox | Leave as is |
| Inactive plugins | Found | Remove unneeded |
| Inactive themes | Found | Remove extras |
| Vulnerabilities | None detected | Recheck weekly |
| PHP version | Up-to-date | Monitor with updates |
Setting Up Backups and Updates
Backups are essential. Modular DS gives clear control with sane defaults.
Backup Configuration
We selected the new backup mode with daily incremental backups. This reduces load and keeps backup sets efficient. We included all files and all database tables. You can exclude if needed.
Scheduling is flexible. Daily backups are a safe baseline. Stagger them so they do not collide with your host’s backups. Retention options include 2 weeks, 30 days, and 45 days. Advanced settings exist for experts, but you can skip those at first.
We scheduled daily incremental backups, with a full backup on Mondays. As a best practice:
- Keep at least two backup sources, such as server backups and Modular DS backups.
- Automate scheduling. Avoid manual backups.
- Test restore on a cadence and include it in your SOPs.
Update Manager
Update management shows available updates for plugins, themes, and core. You can install a plugin from:
- A ZIP file.
- A URL.
- AI discovery, which searches known plugins in the WordPress repository.
The AI option helps you find the right plugin by describing what you need. For example, if you want to improve WooCommerce order sorting, describe that outcome. The tool suggests plugins from the repo. It is for discovery, not code generation.
Monitoring Performance and Generating Reports
Once a site is connected, we expect reliable insights and client-ready reporting. Modular DS covers both.
Performance Metrics
You can connect Google Analytics and Google Search Console to pull data into the dashboard. You can also run PageSpeed tests from the interface and see results in one place. The Tasks button lets you log billable work or maintenance notes. These entries can roll into client reports. There is also a simple Notes area for site-specific context and a one-click login to WordPress admin.
Uptime Monitor Setup
Uptime monitoring is integrated and easy to configure.
- Set the check interval, for example, to 15 minutes.
- Decide how long a site must be unreachable before it is considered down.
- Add keywords that must appear on a page. If they are missing, the system can flag a problem. This is useful to detect broken homepage states, not just server outages.
- Turn on SSL monitoring and pick when to receive expiry reminders. We suggest stacking alerts at 30, 14, 7, and 1 day before expiry.
- Notifications can use the profiles you set earlier. The Activity log shows uptime, downtime, and SSL events in one timeline.
Creating Reports
Reports are flexible and support client branding.
- Choose scheduled reports or a timely one-time report.
- Set name, language, date range, frequency, and send time.
- Add the client’s logo and your own branding to the report.
- Write a welcome message and a final message.
- Choose which sections to include.
Recommended sections to include or exclude:
- Uptime monitor
- Backups status
- Analytics overview
- Search Console metrics
- Additional tasks completed
You can select recipients, customize the email message, set the reply address, and save as a draft before sending.
Managing Multiple Sites
The multi-site view is where Modular DS really shows its value for agencies and people managing many installations.
Multi-Site Dashboard Features
We can switch between list and grid layouts. We can tag sites and filter by tags. There is a search bar for quick lookup. Right-clicking or the three-dot menu gives fast access to common actions like viewing backups, running updates, or jumping to wp-admin.
The Update Manager and the global sections make it easy to work across all sites instead of clicking into each one. We also saw a change log with recent updates in January and December and a public roadmap powered by a Trello board. That level of visibility shows active development and clear priorities.
How It Compares to Other Tools
If you have used ManageWP, MainWP, or WP Umbrella, the layout and core features will feel familiar. The difference comes down to taste, support, and pace of development. The design is clean. The uptime monitor and notification profiles are strong. White-label options are polished. Choose based on team responsiveness, simplicity, features you will use, and the roadmap. From our conversations with Hector, feedback matters, and the team listens.
Final Thoughts
Modular DS delivers a modern, focused dashboard for WordPress management. We connected a site fast, set daily incremental backups, enabled uptime monitoring with SSL alerts, and drafted client-ready reports with branded sections. The app feels quick and the UX is clear. The team is visible and accessible, which builds trust. If you manage WordPress sites for clients or for your own projects, this tool is worth your time.