Connecting Claude to WordPress with MCP: A Setup Guide

Claude WordPress MCP lets you control your site from an AI assistant chat window instead of the admin dashboard. You connect once, and then Claude reads and edits your WordPress content directly.

This guide will cover three ways to set that connection up, WPVibe, MCP Express, & Novamira. Each one has a different setup, use cases, and level of understanding. We cover the complete setup of each method, from installing it to the successful connection in your AI assistant.

Pick the right method that matches your site, follow the steps, and you’ll have a working WordPress MCP setup in a few minutes.

Quick Answer

Three plugins connect Claude to WordPress using MCP. WPVibe signs in by email, MCP Express uses a WordPress application password with per-action control, and Novamira runs on OAuth with full PHP and file access for staging sites.

What a Claude WordPress MCP Connector Does

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It’s an open standard that lets an AI assistant communicate to an outside tool through a defined set of actions. The tool exposes what it can do, and the assistant calls those actions when it needs them.

In a Claude WordPress MCP setup, your site exists behind an MCP server. Claude doesn’t guess at your content. It calls the specific actions the server exposes, like listing posts or creating a post, and your site responds.

A connector is how Claude reaches that server. You add it once in Claude’s settings, authorize it, and it stays available across your chats. Claude discovers what the connector can do after it connects, then works within those limits.

If you want to see what the connection looks like in daily use, our WordPress MCP plugin guide covers publishing and post management. For a complete understanding of what else connects to WordPress, see our guide on WordPress AI tools.

Before You Connect Claude to WordPress

You need admin access to your WordPress site, all three methods require installing a plugin from inside the WP admin dashboard. So a subscriber or author account won’t work.

Decide which site you’re connecting to first. A Claude WordPress MCP connection gives an AI client real write access to your content and, in Novamira’s case, access to PHP execution and server files. Novamira states directly in its settings that it’s built for development and staging environments only. Keep backups either way.

Three methods for splitting on authentication. WPVibe sign in with your email. MCP Express uses a WordPress application password tied to a specific user, and Novamira uses OAuth, which sends you back to the WP admin dashboard to approve the connection between Claude and WordPress. 

You can also manage WooCommerce store products and more by using MCP.

WordPress MCP Setup with WPVibe

WPVibe signs you in by email, so your WordPress password never enters the chat.

Step 1: Install the WPVibe plugin

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New Plugin and search for WPVibe. Install and activate it. Manual upload from the plugin page works too. 

Step 2: Open your AI client

Open the client you’re connecting to. This guide uses Claude, but the same steps apply to any MCP-compatible client. 

Step 3: Open connector settings

In Claude, open Settings > Connectors. This is where outside tools are added.

Step 4: Add WPVibe as a custom connector

Click Add, then Add the custom connector. A dialog opens for the connection details.

Step 5: Enter the WPVibe server URL

Name the connector, then paste in the WPVibe server URL and save.

Step 6: Sign in to WPVibe

WPVibe asks for your email after the connector is added. This is what keeps your WordPress password out of the chat.

Step 7: Enter your verification code

WPVibe emails a six-digit code. The code sits in the subject line, so you can read it without opening the message.

Step 8: Connect your WordPress site

Ask your AI client to connect the site using its URL. WPVibe returns a one-click authorization link in the chat.

Step 9: Approve the connection in wp-admin

Open the link, log into your WordPress admin, and approve the connection. Ask Claude to verify, and it confirms the site is connected and reports what it can access.

Menus and hours are changing often? See WordPress MCP for restaurants.

Claude WordPress MCP Setup with MCP Express

MCP Express authenticates with a WordPress application password, so your real login stays private. You build the server on their side and choose which actions Claude can run.

Step 1: Generate an application password

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Users > Profile and scroll to Application Passwords. Name it something you’ll recognize, then click Add Application Password. Copy it right away, WordPress shows it once.

For a live site, create a separate editor account and generate the password there. The connection then does only what an editor can do.

Step 2: Create an MCP server

Sign up at MCP Express and open your dashboard. The free tier is enough to follow along and needs no card. Create a new server with a name and short description.

Step 3: Add the WordPress tool

Go to Add a Tool, search for WordPress, and select it.

Step 4: Enter your connection details

Fill in your site address as the base URL, the username tied to the application password, and the application password itself. Not your normal login password. 

Step 5: Choose which actions to allow

This step decides what Claude can do on your site. Enable all six for full publishing and management:

• List Posts
• Get Post by Slug
• Create Post
• Update Post
• Publish Post
• Delete Post

Leave Publish Post and Delete Post off if you want only drafts. Please name the tool clearly so the AI understands its purpose, and then create it.

Step 6: Connect your AI client

In Claude, open Settings > Connectors, click Add, then Add Custom Connector. Set the URL to your MCP Express gateway endpoint. Claude redirects you to MCP Express for OAuth login, where you grant access and pick the server you built. 

MCP Express has a detailed OAuth walkthrough if you get stuck here. Once connected, you can reach your site from any device where you’re signed in to Claude.

Listing properties instead of posts? See WordPress MCP for real estate.

Novamira WordPress MCP Setup

Novamira grants the widest access of the three: PHP execution, WP-CLI, database queries, and file edits. The plugin states it’s for development and staging environments only. Keep backups.

Step 1: Download the plugin

Download the zip from the Novamira download page.

Step 2: Install it in WordPress

Upload the zip through Plugins > Add Plugin > Upload Plugin and activate. A Novamira item appears in your sidebar.

Step 3: Enable AI abilities

Open Novamira > Configuration and turn on AI abilities for the site. Read the security note before saving, since this is what permits PHP execution and filesystem operations.

Step 4: Choose your AI client

Select Claude.ai from the client list. Novamira also supports Claude Code, Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, GitHub Copilot, and others.

Step 5: Choose your authentication method

Pick OAuth. The application password isn’t available for Claude.ai, since Claude.ai requires OAuth. If your host runs a firewall in front of WordPress, read the warning on this screen. Some hosts classify the OAuth request as bot traffic and block it before WordPress receives it.

Step 6: Add the connector to Claude

Click Add the connector to Claude.ai. A new tab opens with the connector name and URL already filled in. Change the server name first if you want a different label.

Step 7: Confirm the connector

Claude flags that the connector came from an external link, so check the URL matches your own domain before adding it. The OAuth client ID and secret fields are optional.

Step 8: Connect

Click Connect on the connector page.

Step 9: Authorize in wp-admin

Claude sends you back to WordPress to authorize. The grant covers PHP and WP-CLI execution, reading, writing and deleting server files, changing content and settings, temporary administrator access, and REST-visible abilities from compatible plugins. Confirm the redirect destination reads claude.ai, then authorize.

Step 10: Set tool permissions

Back in Claude, set access for each tool group. Read-only tools cover Discover Abilities and Get Ability Info. Write and delete covers for Execute Ability. Given the access level here, keep the write tools on and need approval rather than allow.

How to Add a Custom Connector in Claude

All three methods pass through the same screen in Claude, so it’s important to know on its own. Open Settings > Connectors, click Add, then Add custom connector.

Two fields matter. The name is what shows in your connector list, so pick something you’ll recognize when you have several sites connected. The URL is the HTTPS address where the MCP server accepts requests, and each tool gives you a different one.

The OAuth client ID and secret fields under advanced settings are optional. Leave them blank unless your setup specifically calls for them.

Note: Claude shows a warning when a connector comes from an external link rather than one you typed yourself. Check the URL points at your domain before you add it. That warning is the main safeguard in a Claude WordPress MCP setup, since a connector grants real access to your site once authorized.

Which WordPress MCP Plugin Should You Pick

The three differ on how they authenticate and how much of your site they reach. That’s the decision, not features.

WPVibe is the shortest path. No application password to generate, no server to build, and approval happens in one click from wp-admin.

MCP Express gives you the tightest control over what Claude can touch. You toggle six post actions individually, so a draft-only setup takes one switch. It’s also the only method here that doesn’t need a plugin on your site.

Novamira sits at the other end. Full PHP and filesystem access is the point of it, and the plugin says plainly that it belongs on development and staging sites. If you’re pointing a Claude WordPress MCP connection at production, this isn’t the one.

ChatGPT connects to WordPress over MCP as well, and the setup follows the same pattern: add a custom connector, authenticate, and approve the site. Also, you can follow these ChatGPT workflows for WordPress for that setup.

Key Takeaways

• Three plugins connect Claude to WordPress through MCP: WPVibe, MCP Express, and Novamira. They differ mainly in how they authenticate and what they can access.
• WPVibe has a simple setup. Install the plugin, sign in with your email, and approve the connection in wp-admin. No application password is required.
• MCP Express does not require a plugin on your WordPress site. It uses a WordPress application password and lets you control six post actions individually, including a draft-only setup.
• Novamira uses OAuth and provides access to PHP, WP-CLI, and server files. The plugin recommends using it only in development and staging environments.
• Custom connectors are available on all Claude plans, including the free plan, which supports one custom connector.

Conclusion

Three plugins, three ways in. WPVibe takes the least setup and keeps your WordPress password out of the chat. MCP Express skips the plugin entirely and gives you switch-level control over what Claude can do to your posts. Novamira opens PHP, WP-CLI, and the filesystem, which is why it belongs on staging rather than production. Pick based on how much access you’re comfortable handing over, not on which one sounds fastest.

None of these three cover every setup. Custom post types, membership data, booking systems, and internal tools often need a server built around how your site actually works.

If you want to build your own MCP server or integrate one with your existing site, contact our team, and they will handle it.

FAQs

What is an MCP server?

An MCP server is a program that exposes a set of actions an AI client can call. It sits between the client and a service, defines what actions exist, and runs them on request. For WordPress, those actions cover things like listing posts or creating one.

What is Claude MCP?

Claude MCP is Claude’s support for the Model Context Protocol. A custom connector is a remote MCP server that Claude reaches over HTTPS. You add it once in settings, and it stays available across chats.

How do I connect Claude to WordPress?

Install one of the three plugins above, add its server URL as a custom connector in Claude, then authenticate. WPVibe uses an email code, MCP Express uses a WordPress application password, and Novamira uses OAuth approved from wp-admin.

What’s the difference between MCP and the WordPress REST API?

The REST API is the set of endpoints WordPress exposes for reading and writing site data. MCP is the protocol that the AI client uses. An MCP server for WordPress calls the REST API underneath, so MCP is the layer Claude talks to and REST is what touches your site.

Is connecting Claude to WordPress safe?

That depends on how you set up authentication and how much access you grant. Use an editor-level application password instead of admin where the method allows it. Keep writing actions on approval rather than allowing them. Novamira grants PHP and file access, and its settings state it’s for development and staging only. Keep backups with any method.

Do I need coding skills to set up WordPress MCP?

No. All three run through plugin installs, settings screens, and browser sign-in. There’s no code to write.

Which plugin should I pick: MCP Express, WPVibe, or Novamira?

WPVibe for the easiest setup. Novamira is when you need full access to PHP, WP-CLI, and files on a development or staging site. MCP Express when you want per-action control and the option to connect other tools, like GitHub, alongside WordPress on the same server.

How do I test if my WordPress MCP server is working?

Ask Claude to verify the connection or pull something read-only, like your recent posts. Real content coming back means it works. If it fails, check that your server is reachable over the public internet, since Claude connects from Anthropic’s cloud rather than your machine.

Does WordPress MCP work with the free Claude plan?

Yes. Custom connectors are available on free, Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans, with free users limited to one custom connector. One connector is enough for a single site on one of these methods.