SiteDash feature
Request signing for the SiteDash Client
The SiteDash Client enables secure communications between the dashboard and your site, without requiring SSH or FTP access. Each command includes a SHA-256 hash using a per-site keypair for proof.
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- Built for MODX agencies
Signed commands, not shared passwords
Remote maintenance does not mean handing out manager logins. Your team works in SiteDash; each MODX site only accepts instructions that cryptographically prove they came from your account.
That trust model is established once at installation and enforced on every refresh, upgrade, and maintenance command through the SiteDash Client.
How the key pair works
You create a site in the dashboard and copy its unique Site Key into the SiteDash Client during install. The key identifies which SiteDash account may talk to that MODX installation.
When the client verifies the Site Key, SiteDash generates a public/private key pair. The site stores the public key in its core files; SiteDash keeps the private key. Only your dashboard can sign requests for that site.
Dashboard actions call the client endpoint with the Site Key and a signature header. The client rebuilds the signed payload (request type, parameters, and site identifier) and verifies it with OpenSSL before running anything.
What gets rejected
Requests without a Site Key or signature receive an immediate 401. A wrong Site Key, tampered parameters, or a signature that does not match the stored public key is treated the same way: no refresh, no upgrade, no cache clear.
Current SiteDash Client releases verify signatures with SHA-256; older clients remain compatible with SHA-1 until upgraded. Use HTTPS for your site URL so keys and signed traffic are not exposed on the wire.
This is the same mechanism behind scheduled refreshes, bulk jobs, and one-off maintenance from site management.
Colleagues use SiteDash permissions and MFA, not extra MODX users on every client site. The private key never leaves SiteDash; sites never see it.
Learn more about: Monitoring · Security · Remote management · Request signing · Action Center · All features
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