Copying text from Claude, pasting it into WordPress, fixing the formatting, uploading the images and then doing it all again for the next page gets old fast. The better way is to connect Claude to WordPress directly, so you can say “write this post and save it as a draft” or “change the price on my Pricing page” and the AI does the work on your site.
This guide shows you how to do that in about two minutes, without code and without API keys. It covers Claude on the web, the Claude desktop app and Claude Code.
What is a WordPress MCP server?
Claude talks to outside tools through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard for connecting AI apps to other software. A WordPress MCP server is the piece that sits on your site and tells Claude what it is allowed to do there: list posts, edit a page, upload an image, change an Elementor widget and so on.
WordPress does not ship with an MCP server, so you add one with a WordPress MCP plugin. There are a few ways to set this up:
- A plugin that runs the MCP server inside WordPress (like MCPress). You paste one address into Claude and sign in. Nothing to install on your computer.
- A separate MCP server you run yourself, usually a Node or Python program on your computer that calls the WordPress REST API with an application password. Flexible, but you have to install, configure and update it.
- A hosted MCP service run by a third party in front of your site.
For most site owners the first option is the easiest, because the server lives where your content already is and works with every Claude app. That is the setup this guide uses.
Before you start
- WordPress 5.6 or newer and PHP 7.4 or newer.
- HTTPS. Claude only connects to sites with a valid SSL certificate.
- Permalinks set to anything except Plain. Post name is a good choice (Settings > Permalinks).
- A reachable REST API. Some security plugins and firewalls block
/wp-json/. Allow it for MCPress. - A Claude plan with custom connectors, or Claude Code. Custom connectors are on Claude’s paid plans; on Team and Enterprise an owner may need to add the connector first.
How to connect Claude to WordPress in 3 steps
Step 1: Install the MCP plugin
- Download MCPress from the free download page. You get a zip file. Do not unzip it.
- In WordPress, go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin, choose the zip, click Install Now and then Activate.
- Open MCPress in the admin menu and check that everything under Site checks is green.
Step 2: Copy your MCP address
Your site’s MCP address is shown at the top of the MCPress dashboard with a Copy button. It always looks like this, with your own domain:
https://yoursite.com/wp-json/mcpress/v1/mcpStep 3: Add it to your Claude app
The last step depends on which Claude app you use. Pick the section below that matches yours.
Connect Claude Desktop to WordPress (and claude.ai)
Claude on the web, the desktop app and the mobile app all use the same Connectors screen, so these steps work for all three.
- Open Claude and go to Settings > Connectors.
- Click Add custom connector.
- Enter a name such as My WordPress and paste your MCP address. Leave OAuth Client ID and OAuth Client Secret empty. Click Add.
- Click Connect. A WordPress window opens. Log in if asked, check the permissions and press Allow.
- Start a new chat. If Claude does not use your site, open the tools menu in the message box and switch on My WordPress.
That is it. There is no config file to edit and no need to restart the app.
Claude custom connector for WordPress: OAuth, no API key
Many WordPress MCP tutorials ask you to create an application password, encode it and paste it into a JSON file. That works, but the password never expires, it sits in plain text on your computer and it is easy to leak.
A Claude custom connector uses OAuth instead. When you press Connect, Claude sends you to your own WordPress login. You sign in and press Allow, and Claude receives a short-lived access token. With MCPress that means:
- No passwords or API keys to copy. You never paste a secret into Claude.
- OAuth 2.1 with PKCE. Access tokens are stored hashed and expire after one hour; Claude refreshes them automatically.
- No client ID or secret. MCPress registers each app automatically the first time it connects.
- 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.
- Disconnect any time. Click Disconnect next to the app on the MCPress dashboard and its access stops at once.
Tip: if you do not want the AI to have administrator rights, create a separate WordPress user with the Editor role and press Allow while logged in as that user.
Claude Code WordPress MCP setup
If you work in the terminal, Claude Code connects to the same MCP address. Run this command with your own domain:
claude mcp add --transport http wordpress https://yoursite.com/wp-json/mcpress/v1/mcp- Start Claude Code with
claude. - Type
/mcp, choose wordpress and select Authenticate. - Your browser opens WordPress. Log in and press Allow.
Because the server uses HTTP transport and OAuth, you do not need Node, npx or mcp-remote on your machine, and there is no base64 header to build. Claude Code is handy when you want to work on your theme’s code and your site’s content in the same session.
What to ask once you are connected
Talk to Claude the way you would brief a colleague: name the page or post, say what to change and whether to publish. A few prompts to try first:
- “List my last 10 posts with their status.”
- “Write a 600-word post about monsoon skin care and save it as a draft.”
- “On the About page, change the phone number to 98100 22222.”
- “On the Home page, change the hero heading to ‘Fresh coffee, slow mornings’.” (Elementor pages are edited widget by widget, so the rest of the page stays as it is.)
- “Upload this image from the link, add alt text and set it as the featured image of my latest post.”
- “Create a category called Recipes and move these three posts into it.”
New posts and pages are saved as drafts unless you ask Claude to publish. Want to look around before letting the AI change anything? Turn on read-only mode under MCPress > Features.
Troubleshooting common connection problems
- Claude says it could not connect. Fix anything red under Site checks (HTTPS and permalinks are the usual causes), then remove the connector in Claude and add it again.
- Claude asks for a client ID or secret. Leave both fields empty.
- 401 or “unauthorized” error. The sign-in expired or was revoked. Disconnect, connect again and press Allow.
- 404 on the MCP address. Go to Settings > Permalinks and click Save Changes once without changing anything.
- The REST API is blocked. Allow
/wp-json/mcpress/and/wp-json/oauth/in your security plugin or hosting firewall. - Cloudflare shows a challenge page. AI apps cannot solve challenges. Add a WAF rule that skips the challenge for paths starting with
/wp-json/mcpress. - Changes do not show on the site. Clear your caching plugin and CDN. For Elementor pages, also try Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS.
FAQ
Do I need to know code to connect Claude to WordPress?
No. You install a plugin, paste one address into Claude and press Allow.
Is a WordPress MCP plugin safe?
The AI can only do what your WordPress account can do. Use read-only mode to explore, keep backups, and with MCPress Pro use approval mode (changes wait for you) and the activity log with one-click undo.
Does MCPress send my content to anyone?
No. Claude talks to your website directly. Your posts, pages and customer data are never sent to MCPress.
Does it include a Claude subscription?
No. You use your own Claude account. MCPress is the bridge between Claude and your site.
Does it work with Elementor?
Yes, with Elementor free and Pro. The free plan edits the body of your pages; header and footer templates need MCPress Pro.
Get started
MCPress is free for one site, with no card needed. Download MCPress, follow the three steps above and ask Claude for your first change. For every setting in detail, see the documentation, and if you get stuck, contact support.