Claude is one of the most capable AI assistants available today, and with MCP (Model Context Protocol) support built in, it can connect directly to your WordPress site and take real actions — creating posts, updating pages, managing Elementor layouts, and more. This guide walks you through connecting Claude to WordPress using MCPWP.
What You’ll Need
- A WordPress site with MCPWP installed
- Claude Desktop or Claude Code (both support MCP)
- Admin access to generate an API key
Step 1: Install MCPWP on Your WordPress Site
Start by installing the MCPWP plugin on your WordPress site. You can download it from mcpwp.net/download or install it directly from the WordPress plugin directory.
Once activated, navigate to Settings > MCPWP in your WordPress admin panel. You’ll see the plugin dashboard with your MCP endpoint URL — it looks like https://yoursite.com/wp-json/site-pilot-ai/v1/mcp. Copy this URL; you’ll need it shortly.
Step 2: Generate an API Key
In the MCPWP settings panel, click Generate API Key. Choose the permission scope that fits your use case:
- Admin — full access to all WordPress operations
- Editor — create and update content, no settings changes
- Designer — Elementor and media only, no content publishing
- Author — create drafts only
Copy the generated key immediately — it won’t be shown again. Store it securely in a password manager.
Step 3: Configure Claude Desktop
Open your Claude Desktop configuration file. On macOS it lives at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. On Windows, find it at %APPDATA%Claudeclaude_desktop_config.json.
Add an entry under mcpServers pointing to your MCPWP endpoint, with your API key in the authentication configuration. Save the file and restart Claude Desktop.
Step 4: Configure Claude Code (Alternative)
If you’re using Claude Code (the CLI tool), you can add the MCP server via your project’s .mcp.json file or your global Claude Code settings. MCPWP supports direct HTTP MCP connections, so you can configure Claude Code to call the MCPWP endpoint directly with the API key in the X-API-Key header.
Step 5: Test the Connection
Once configured, open a new Claude conversation and type: “List the recent posts on my WordPress site.” Claude will invoke the wp_list_posts MCP tool and return a structured list of your posts. If you see your posts listed, the connection is working.
From here, you can ask Claude to:
- “Create a new draft post titled ‘Summer Sale Announcement'”
- “Update the hero section on the homepage using Elementor”
- “Run an SEO audit on all published pages”
- “List pages that are missing meta descriptions”
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If Claude can’t connect, double-check that the MCPWP endpoint URL is correct and accessible from outside your server. Make sure your API key has the right scope for the operations you’re requesting. If you’re on a local development environment, you’ll need to expose it with a tool like ngrok or use Claude Code locally.
Ready to Connect?
Connecting Claude to WordPress opens up a new way of managing your site — through conversation rather than clicks. MCPWP handles the bridge securely and reliably.
Download MCPWP and get connected today. The free tier includes everything you need for a single site.