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Connect AI Assistants to Your WordPress Site Using MCP

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) lets you connect AI assistants like Claude Desktop directly to your WordPress sites. This enables AI-powered site management, allowing you to read, analyze, and manage your WordPress content using natural language conversations with your AI assistant.


In this documentation, we will explore:



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This feature is available in Sandbox plans and above. View Pricing here.


What is MCP?


Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a secure connection protocol that enables AI assistants to interact with your WordPress site. Think of it as giving your AI assistant read and management access to your website content through a secure, token-based connection.


Why Use MCP?


  • AI-Powered Content Management: Use natural language to ask your AI about site content, posts, and structure
  • Intelligent Site Analysis: Let AI analyze your WordPress content and provide insights
  • Streamlined Workflows: Manage your site through conversational commands with your AI assistant
  • Secure Access: Token-based authentication ensures only your AI assistant can access your site


Who Should Use This Feature?


  • Content Creators: Get AI assistance in managing and analyzing your WordPress content
  • Developers: Use AI to quickly understand site structure and content
  • Site Owners: Leverage AI for insights about your WordPress site without manual browsing


How to Enable MCP


Follow these simple steps to enable MCP for your InstaWP site:


Step 1: Navigate to your Sites page in the InstaWP dashboard.





Step 2: Click on the Site name to navigate to the Site Details page and click on MCP Option in Sidebar.



Step 3: In the MCP configuration panel, toggle the Enable MCP switch to ON.



Step 4: Once enabled, InstaWP will automatically:

  • Install the MCP WordPress plugin on your site
  • Generate a secure 64-character authentication token
  • Create your unique connection URL



Step 5: Copy the MCP Connection URL by clicking the copy button next to it.


Field

Description

MCP Connection URL

Your unique, secure URL that connects Claude Desktop to your WordPress site. Keep this URL private as it contains your authentication token.


Security Note: Your MCP connection URL contains a secure authentication token. Do not share this URL publicly. Anyone with this URL can access your site through AI assistants.


How to Connect Claude Desktop


After enabling MCP in InstaWP, you need to configure Claude Desktop to connect to your WordPress site.


Prerequisites


  • Claude Desktop application installed on your computer (Download Claude Desktop)
  • MCP enabled on your InstaWP site (completed in the previous section)
  • Your MCP connection URL copied to clipboard


Configuration Steps


Step 1: Open the Claude Desktop application on your computer.


Step 2: Go to Settings in Claude Desktop. You can usually find this in:

  • Mac: Claude Desktop menu > Settings (or press Cmd+,)
  • Windows: File menu > Settings (or press Ctrl+,)


Step 3: In Settings, navigate to the Connectors section (or "Integrations" depending on your Claude Desktop version).



Step 4: Click the "Add Custom Connector" or "Add New Connection" button.


Step 5: In the connector configuration dialog:

  • Name: Enter a descriptive name for your site (e.g., "My WordPress Site" or "Client Project Site")
  • Connection URL: Paste the MCP connection URL you copied from InstaWP

Step 6: Click "Add" to establish the connection.


Step 7: Claude Desktop will test the connection and confirm if it's successful.


✅ Connection Successful! You should see your WordPress site listed in Claude Desktop's connectors. The status should show as "Connected" or "Active".


Verifying the Connection


To verify that Claude Desktop is properly connected to your WordPress site:


Step 1: Start a new conversation in Claude Desktop.


Step 2: Ask Claude a simple question about your site, such as:

  • "Can you access my WordPress site?"
  • "What posts are on my website?"
  • "Tell me about my site structure"


Claude should be able to access your site information and respond with details about your WordPress content.


How to Connect Claude Code


Claude Code is the command-line interface (CLI) version of Claude, designed for developers who prefer working in the terminal. You can connect Claude Code to your InstaWP site using a simple terminal command.


Prerequisites


  • Claude Code CLI installed on your computer (Learn about Claude Code)
  • MCP enabled on your InstaWP site (completed in the "How to Enable MCP" section)
  • Your MCP connection URL copied from InstaWP dashboard


Configuration Steps


Step 1: Open your terminal or command prompt.


Step 2: Run the following command to add your InstaWP site as an MCP connection:


claude mcp add --transport http mymcp <mcp_url>


Replace <mcp_url> with your actual MCP connection URL copied from the InstaWP dashboard.


Example:

claude mcp add --transport http mymcp https://yoursite.instawp.io/insta-mcp?t=your-auth-token-here


Step 3: Claude Code will validate the connection and confirm it was added successfully.


✅ MCP Connection Added! Your WordPress site is now connected to Claude Code. You can start using Claude in your terminal to interact with your WordPress content.


Using Claude Code with Your Site


Once connected, you can use Claude Code in your terminal to interact with your WordPress site:


Start a conversation:

claude


Example queries:

  • "Show me the latest posts from my WordPress site"
  • "Analyze my site structure"
  • "What plugins are installed on my site?"


Managing Connections


List all MCP connections:

claude mcp list


Remove a connection:

claude mcp remove mymcp


Note: The connection name "mymcp" in the command is a label you choose to identify this connection. You can use any name that helps you remember which site it connects to (e.g., "production-site", "client-blog", etc.).


Using MCP with Your Site


Once connected, you can use Claude Desktop to interact with your WordPress site through natural language conversations.


What Can You Do with MCP?


Here are some examples of how you can use MCP with Claude Desktop:


Content Management


  • View Posts: "Show me my latest 5 blog posts"
  • Analyze Content: "Analyze the tone and style of my recent posts"
  • Search Content: "Find all posts mentioning 'WordPress' in my site"


Site Analysis


  • Site Overview: "Give me an overview of my WordPress site structure"
  • Content Insights: "What are the most common topics in my blog?"
  • SEO Review: "Review my post titles for SEO best practices"


Content Operations


  • Draft Review: "Review this draft post and suggest improvements"
  • Content Planning: "Based on my existing content, suggest 5 new blog post ideas"


Best Practices


  • Be Specific: The more specific your questions, the better Claude can help you
  • Start Simple: Begin with basic queries to understand what Claude can access
  • Iterate: If Claude doesn't understand, rephrase your question
  • Security: Remember that Claude has the access level you've granted through MCP


Note: The specific capabilities available through MCP depend on the MCP plugin's API endpoints and permissions. Features may be expanded in future updates.


How to Disable MCP


If you want to disable MCP and disconnect AI access to your site:


Step 1: Go to your Sites page and click the ellipsis button next to your site.


Step 2: Select MCP from the menu.


Step 3: Toggle the Enable MCP switch to OFF.




Step 4: InstaWP will automatically:

  • Deactivate the MCP WordPress plugin
  • Remove the plugin from your site
  • Invalidate your connection token



🔒 Security: Once disabled, the previous connection URL will no longer work. Claude Desktop will lose access to your site immediately. If you enable MCP again, a new connection URL with a different token will be generated.


Step 5: (Optional) Remove the connector from your AI assistant:


For Claude Desktop:

  • Go to Settings > Connectors
  • Find your WordPress site connector
  • Click "Remove" or "Delete"


For Claude Code:

  • Run: claude mcp remove mymcp


Troubleshooting


Connection Issues


Problem: Claude Desktop shows "Connection Failed" or cannot connect to my site.


Solutions:

  • Verify that MCP is enabled in your InstaWP dashboard
  • Ensure you copied the complete connection URL, including the token parameter
  • Check that your site is active and not suspended
  • Try regenerating the connection by disabling and re-enabling MCP



Problem: Claude Desktop says it cannot access my site content.


Solutions:

  • Verify the connection status in Claude Desktop Settings > Connectors
  • Make sure your site is accessible (not in maintenance mode)
  • Try reconnecting by removing and re-adding the connector in Claude Desktop
  • Check that the MCP plugin is active on your WordPress site



Problem: Claude Code shows an error when adding the MCP connection.


Solutions:

  • Verify you copied the complete connection URL with the authentication token
  • Check that Claude Code CLI is properly installed and up to date
  • Ensure the URL is properly quoted if it contains special characters
  • Try the command with the full URL in quotes: claude mcp add --transport http mymcp "https://..."



Access Level Issues


Problem: Claude Desktop has limited access or cannot perform certain actions.


Solution:

  • MCP access is determined by the WordPress plugin's API endpoints
  • Some actions may require additional WordPress permissions
  • Check the plugin documentation for supported operations



Token or URL Issues


Problem: My connection URL doesn't work after some time.


Solutions:

  • Connection URLs are invalidated when you disable MCP
  • If you suspect the token is compromised, disable and re-enable MCP to generate a new token
  • Do not share your connection URL publicly



FAQs


Can I connect multiple AI assistants to the same site?


Currently, each site has one connection URL. The same URL can be used in multiple Claude Desktop installations, but be aware that this shares the same access token.



Does enabling MCP affect my site's performance?


No, MCP installs a lightweight WordPress plugin that only responds when accessed through the MCP protocol. It does not impact your regular site visitors or site performance.



Can I use MCP with non-InstaWP WordPress sites?


MCP is currently designed specifically for InstaWP sites. The feature requires InstaWP's infrastructure to install and configure the MCP plugin automatically.



What data can Claude Desktop access through MCP?


Claude Desktop can access content exposed through the MCP plugin's REST API endpoints, which typically includes posts, pages, and site structure information. It cannot access sensitive data like user passwords or payment information.



Will my MCP connection work if I migrate my site?


If you migrate your site to a different hosting provider or domain, you will need to disable and re-enable MCP to generate a new connection URL for the new location.



Is there a limit to how many requests Claude can make to my site?


There are no specific rate limits mentioned for MCP connections, but excessive API requests may be subject to standard WordPress API rate limiting or InstaWP's fair use policies.



Can I restrict what Claude Desktop can do with my site?


Access permissions are controlled by the MCP WordPress plugin. For security, the plugin is designed to provide read access and limited management capabilities, not full administrator access.



Can I use both Claude Desktop and Claude Code with the same site?


Yes! You can connect the same InstaWP site to both Claude Desktop and Claude Code using the same MCP connection URL. Both will have the same level of access to your WordPress content.



💡 Did you know - You can also access your site files using SFTP/SSH for manual file management. Learn about SFTP/SSH.





Updated on: 14/11/2025

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