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Managing SSH keys in the Console

Add your SSH key once in the Console and connect to your sites over SSH and SFTP without a password. Choose which teams or sites each key reaches, and see every key with access to a site.

Written by Nick

SSH keys are available on every plan, including the free Dev Site. They let you log in to your sites over SSH and SFTP without typing a password. Add your public key once in the Console, choose where it goes, and it works on those sites for SSH, SFTP, rsync, and WP-CLI.


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Before you start

You need an SSH key pair on your computer. If you don't have one yet:

  1. Open Terminal on macOS or Linux, or PowerShell on Windows 10 and later.

  2. Run: ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

  3. Press Enter to accept the default location. You can add a passphrase for extra protection.

  4. Show your public key so you can copy it: cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

The file ending in .pub is your public key, which is the one you add to the Console. The other file is your private key. It stays on your computer and you never share it with anyone, including us.

We accept ed25519 keys and RSA keys of 3072 bits or more.


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Add a key

  1. Check the team you want is your current team, using the team switcher.

  2. Open Settings › SSH Keys.


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    Settings, SSH Keys in the Wordify Console with the Add key button


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  3. Click Add key.

  4. In Name, give the key a name you'll recognise, such as "Work laptop".

  5. In Public key, paste your public key. Copy the whole line, starting with ssh-ed25519 or ssh-rsa.


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    The Add SSH key dialog with a name, a pasted public key, and where the key goes


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  6. Under Where it goes, choose:

    • All sites in these teams: every site you can access on those teams, including sites added later.

    • Only these sites: just the sites you pick.


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    Choosing only specific sites for an SSH key


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  7. Click Add key.

Each site shows Syncing while the key is added, then Active when it's ready to use.


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An SSH key showing Active on every site in the team


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Connect with your key

  1. Open the site, then under Hosting select SSH / SFTP.

  2. Note the Host, Port, and Username.

  3. Run: ssh USERNAME@HOST (add -p PORT if the port isn't 22).

You'll land on the server without being asked for a password. SFTP clients such as FileZilla and Cyberduck can use the same key: choose key-based authentication and select your private key file.


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Change or remove a key

  1. Open Settings › SSH Keys.

  2. To change where a key goes, click the pencil icon next to the key, update the teams or sites, and click Save.


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    Changing which sites an SSH key goes to


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  3. To remove a key, click the bin icon, then Delete key. It comes off every site it was on, and anything that signs in with it stops working.


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    Confirming an SSH key deletion


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While it's being removed, the key shows under Being removed with Removal pending on each site, and disappears once every server has confirmed it's gone.


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See who has access to a site

Each site's SSH / SFTP page has an SSH keys with access card listing every key added in the Console by people who can access that site.


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A site's SSH / SFTP page listing the SSH keys with access


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Keys added outside the Console, for example straight into ~/.ssh/authorized_keys, are listed under Added outside Console for reference. We leave them alone, so remove them on the server if you no longer need them.


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Keys follow Console access

  • A key only reaches sites you can access in the Console.

  • If someone is removed from a team or a site, their keys come off those sites automatically.

  • Sites that are suspended, or restricted because of an unpaid invoice, don't carry keys. Keys come back when the site does.

  • Wordify staff helping you in your account can remove a key but can't add one.


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Use your AI assistant

If you use Claude or another AI assistant with the Wordify MCP, it can manage your keys for you. Try asking:

  • "Add my laptop key to example.com"

  • "Show me who can get into this site"

  • "Take my old key off every site"

It can also give you the host, username, and path to connect. Your AI client can ask you before each change, and it never needs your private key.


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Good to know

  • Your SSH and SFTP passwords keep working. Adding a key doesn't turn password logins off.

  • Rotating a site's SSH / SFTP password doesn't remove any keys.

  • Keys belong to you, not the team. Each team member adds their own.


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Troubleshooting

  • Still asked for a password. Check the key shows as Active (not Syncing or Failed) in Settings › SSH Keys, and that you're using the site's username from the SSH / SFTP page, not your Console email.

  • Key rejected when adding it. Only ed25519 keys and RSA keys of 3072 bits or more are accepted. Make sure you pasted the .pub file, on one line.

  • Permission denied (publickey). Your computer is offering a different key. Run ssh -v USERNAME@HOST to see which key is used, or point to the right one with ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 USERNAME@HOST.

  • Using PuTTY on Windows. Copy the key from PuTTYgen's "Public key for pasting into OpenSSH authorized_keys file" box.


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Need help?

Our support team is available 24/7 with a one-hour response time. Reach out from your dashboard.

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