Set up MCPress

Overview#

MCPress connects AI apps such as Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini CLI, Cursor and VS Code to your WordPress site using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Once connected, you ask the AI in plain words and it reads or changes your site for you: writing posts, updating pages, editing Elementor layouts and uploading media.

The AI signs in as your WordPress user through OAuth. There are no API keys or passwords to copy, and the AI can only do what your account is allowed to do.

Requirements#

Install the plugin#

1. Get the plugin from our free download page. You receive a file called mcpress-free.x.x.x.zip. Do not unzip it.
2. In WordPress, go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
3. Choose the zip file, click Install Now, then Activate.
4. Open MCPress in the left admin menu. You may see an opt-in screen for security updates; choose Allow & Continue or Skip. The free plugin works either way.
5. On the MCPress dashboard, check that everything under Site checks is green.

Your MCP address#

Every site has its own MCP address. It is shown at the top of the MCPress dashboard with a Copy button and always looks like this:

https://yoursite.com/wp-json/mcpress/v1/mcp

Replace yoursite.com with your own domain. You paste this address into your AI app in the next step. You never need a client ID, client secret or API key: MCPress registers each app automatically when you connect.

Claude (claude.ai and the desktop app)#

1. Open Claude and go to Settings > Connectors.
2. Click Add custom connector.
3. Enter a name such as My WordPress and paste your MCP address. Leave OAuth Client ID and OAuth Client Secret empty. Click Add.
4. Click Connect. A WordPress window opens: log in if asked, check the permissions and press Allow.
5. Start a new chat. If Claude does not use your site, open the tools menu in the message box and switch on My WordPress.

Claude Code#

Run this in your terminal, using your own MCP address:

claude mcp add --transport http wordpress https://yoursite.com/wp-json/mcpress/v1/mcp

1. Start Claude Code with claude.
2. Type /mcp, choose wordpress and select Authenticate.
3. Your browser opens WordPress. Log in and press Allow.

ChatGPT#

1. Open Settings > Apps & Connectors > Advanced settings and switch on Developer mode.
2. Back in Apps & Connectors, click Create.
3. Give it a name, paste your MCP address and set Authentication to OAuth. Click Create.
4. Log in to WordPress and press Allow.
5. In a new chat, click +, choose Developer mode and select your connector. ChatGPT asks you to confirm each change before it is made.

Gemini CLI#

The Gemini app in the browser cannot add custom MCP servers, so use Gemini CLI.

1. Install Gemini CLI, run gemini once and sign in with your Google account.
2. Open ~/.gemini/settings.json and add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "httpUrl": "https://yoursite.com/wp-json/mcpress/v1/mcp"
    }
  }
}

3. Start gemini again and run /mcp auth wordpress.
4. Log in to WordPress in the browser window and press Allow.

Cursor#

1. Open Cursor Settings > Tools & MCP and click New MCP server. This opens mcp.json.
2. Add the server and save the file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "url": "https://yoursite.com/wp-json/mcpress/v1/mcp"
    }
  }
}

3. Back in Tools & MCP, click Connect next to wordpress, log in and press Allow.
4. Use the chat in Agent mode.

VS Code (GitHub Copilot)#

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Cmd+Shift+P on Mac) and run MCP: Add Server.
2. Choose HTTP, paste your MCP address, name it wordpress and choose Global.
3. Accept the sign-in prompt, log in to WordPress and press Allow.
4. Open Copilot Chat, switch to Agent mode and check that the wordpress tools are enabled.

Or add it to settings.json / .vscode/mcp.json by hand:

{
  "servers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://yoursite.com/wp-json/mcpress/v1/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Windsurf#

1. Open Windsurf Settings > Cascade > MCP servers and choose View raw config.
2. Add the server and save:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "serverUrl": "https://yoursite.com/wp-json/mcpress/v1/mcp"
    }
  }
}

3. Refresh the MCP list, sign in to WordPress and press Allow.

Other apps#

Any app that supports remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP with OAuth 2.1 works with MCPress. In the app:

• Server URL: your MCP address.
• Transport: HTTP / Streamable HTTP (not stdio, not SSE).
• Authentication: OAuth. Leave client ID and secret empty; MCPress supports dynamic client registration.

Your first requests#

Talk to the AI the way you would brief a colleague. Name the page or post, say what to change and whether to publish. Some examples:

Posts, pages and media#

With the free plan the AI can work with:

• Posts and pages: list, search, read, create, edit, schedule, publish and move to trash.
• Products and custom post types: the same actions for any public content type, for example WooCommerce products.
• Media: upload images and files from a public link, and use them in your content.
• Categories, tags and custom taxonomies: list and create terms and assign them.

Store-wide WooCommerce tools such as bulk price changes, orders and coupons are part of MCPress Pro.

Elementor pages#

MCPress reads Elementor layouts widget by widget, so the AI can change one heading, button or image without touching the rest of the page. It works with Elementor free and Pro.

• Small changes: “Change the hero heading on the Home page to …” The AI edits only that widget.
• Bigger changes: “Add a FAQ section with five questions before the footer.” The AI saves the new layout.
• Undo: Elementor keeps a revision of every save, so you can roll back in Elementor > History > Revisions.

Features and read-only mode#

Open MCPress > Features to choose exactly what AI apps may do.

• Read-only mode: the AI can look at everything but cannot change anything. A safe way to try MCPress or to let an app answer questions about your site.
• Per-feature switches: turn individual areas on or off, such as media uploads or Elementor editing.
• Pro features start switched off. Nothing new happens on your site until you choose to turn a feature on.

Activate your license#

1. After you buy, your license key arrives by email. You can also find it in your account.
2. In WordPress, open MCPress > Dashboard.
3. Paste the key in License key and click Activate license.
4. Open MCPress > Features and switch on the Pro features you want.

Moving to another site? Deactivate the license under MCPress > Account on the old site, then activate it on the new one.

Pro features#

Compare plans on the pricing page.

Activity log and undo#

With Pro, MCPress keeps an activity log of every change an AI app makes: what changed, when, and by which app. Open it from the MCPress menu in WordPress and click Undo next to an entry to restore the previous version. You can also ask the AI: “Show me what you changed today” or “Undo your last change.”

Approval mode#

Turn on Approval mode under MCPress > Features and changes wait in a queue instead of going live. Review each one from the MCPress menu and approve or reject it. This is useful for client sites or when several people use AI on the same site.

Security and permissions#

• Your permissions, nothing more. The AI acts as the WordPress user who pressed Allow. An Editor's AI cannot install plugins, because an Editor cannot.
• OAuth 2.1 with PKCE. No passwords are shared with the AI app. Access tokens are stored hashed and expire after one hour; the app refreshes them automatically.
• Your content stays on your site. MCPress connects your site and your AI app directly. Your posts, pages and customer data are never sent to us.
• Confirmations. MCPress tells AI apps to check with you before publishing, deleting or changing site settings, and most apps ask before they act.

Disconnect an app#

1. Open the MCPress dashboard in WordPress.
2. Find the app in the list of connected apps and click Disconnect. Its access stops immediately.
3. Optionally remove the connector inside the AI app as well. You can also deactivate MCPress to stop all AI access at once.

Update MCPress#

Updates appear under Dashboard > Updates like any other plugin. Pro updates are delivered automatically while your license is active.

To update by hand, download the new zip, go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin, choose the file and click Replace current with uploaded.

Uninstall#

Deactivate MCPress under Plugins to stop all AI access at once; your settings are kept. Deleting the plugin removes MCPress itself. Your posts, pages and media are never deleted.

Troubleshooting#

FAQ#

Get help#

When you write, include your MCPress and WordPress versions, which AI app you use, and a screenshot of the MCPress dashboard. Never send your license key or passwords.