Connect Claude to WordPress via MCP

Use AI to create and manage WordPress content through natural language.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Managing a website often means clicking through admin panels, formatting posts by hand, and repeating the same tasks over and over. What if you could just tell an AI assistant what you want and have it handle the WordPress work for you?

In this project, you will connect Claude to a local WordPress site using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). You'll set up the connection in both Claude Desktop and VS Code, then create and manage blog posts entirely through natural language.

What You'll Build

A fully connected AI-powered WordPress development environment where Claude can read, write, and manage your WordPress site directly from both Claude Desktop and VS Code.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

  • A local WordPress site with the official MCP Adapter plugin active and ready for AI connections.
  • Claude Desktop configured to create posts, retrieve site info, and manage content through natural language.
  • VS Code with the Claude Code extension connected to the same WordPress MCP server for AI-assisted development workflows.
  • Secret Mission: Use Claude to build and publish a custom "About Me" page without touching the WordPress editor directly.

Are there any prerequisites?

No prior experience with WordPress, MCP, or Claude is required. This guide includes full setup instructions for every tool you need, starting from scratch.

Install Node.js and VS Code

Connecting Claude to WordPress requires a few foundational tools. Each one plays a specific role in the AI-powered workflow you're about to build.

Node.js powers the local WordPress environment you'll create in the next step. VS Code is the code editor where you'll connect Claude Code to your site. Claude Desktop is the AI app that talks to WordPress through natural language.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Install Node.js and verify it's working.
  • Install VS Code.
  • Install Claude Desktop and sign in with your Anthropic account.
Install Node.js

Node.js is a JavaScript runtime that lets you run JavaScript outside a web browser. Your local WordPress site depends on it to start and serve pages.

  • Press Cmd+Space (macOS) or the Windows key (Windows) to open your search bar.
  • Type Terminal (macOS) or Command Prompt (Windows) and press Enter to open it.
  • Check if Node.js is already installed by running this command:
node --version

✔️ I see a version number

Nice, Node.js is ready. Now confirm npm (Node's package manager) is also available by running:

npm --version

If you see a version number, you're all set. Move on to the next substep.

ⓧ Command not found

  • Open your browser and go to nodejs.org.
  • Click the LTS download button (this gives you the stable, recommended version).
  • Run the downloaded installer and accept the default settings at each prompt.
  • Once the installer finishes, close your terminal completely and reopen it.
  • Verify the install by running:
node --version
  • Then confirm npm is available by running:
npm --version

You should see version numbers for both commands. If so, Node.js is ready.

Still seeing command not found?

Make sure you closed and reopened your terminal after installing. The terminal needs to reload its PATH to find the new node binary.

On Windows, try searching for and opening PowerShell instead of Command Prompt.

Help me troubleshoot my Node.js installation.

Install VS Code

VS Code is the code editor where you'll later connect Claude Code to your WordPress site. It gives you a terminal and file editor in one window.

  • Open your browser and go to code.visualstudio.com.
  • Click the download button for your operating system (macOS or Windows).
  • Run the downloaded installer and follow the prompts to complete installation.
  • Press Cmd+Space (macOS) or the Windows key (Windows) to open your search bar.
  • Type Visual Studio Code and press Enter to open it.

You should see the VS Code welcome screen with a dark editor and sidebar. If it opens, you're good to go.

Already have VS Code?

If VS Code is already installed on your machine, skip the download and just open it. Any recent version will work for this project.

Install Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop is the standalone AI app from Anthropic. You'll configure it to connect directly to your WordPress site through MCP (Model Context Protocol).

  • Open your browser and go to claude.ai/download.
  • Click the download button for your operating system (macOS or Windows).
  • Run the downloaded installer and follow the prompts to complete installation.
  • Press Cmd+Space (macOS) or the Windows key (Windows) to open your search bar.
  • Type Claude and press Enter to open Claude Desktop.
  • Sign in with your Anthropic account when prompted. If you don't have one, create a free account using your email.

After signing in, you should see the Claude chat interface with a text input at the bottom.

Do I need a paid plan?

Claude Desktop works with all plan types, including the free tier. You can complete the Claude Desktop portions of this project without paying.

The Claude Code extension for VS Code (set up in a later step) requires a Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise subscription, or pay-as-you-go billing.

Claude Desktop not opening?

On macOS, you may need to allow the app in System Settings > Privacy & Security if you see a security warning.

On Windows, try right-clicking the installer and selecting Run as administrator if the install fails.

Help me troubleshoot opening Claude Desktop.

All three tools are installed and ready. Next up, you'll use Node.js to spin up a local WordPress site in seconds.

Set Up a Local WordPress Site

Your tools are installed and ready to go. Now it's time to get a WordPress site running on your machine so Claude has something to connect to.

Instead of setting up a traditional server with databases and PHP configurations, you'll use wp-env with the Playground runtime. This spins up a full WordPress site using only Node.js in seconds.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Start a local WordPress site using the Playground runtime.
  • Install the MCP Adapter plugin to expose your site's abilities to AI clients.
  • Create an Application Password for secure authentication.
Start WordPress with wp-env Playground runtime

The wp-env tool creates a local WordPress environment with a single command. The --runtime=playground flag tells it to use WebAssembly instead of Docker, so you don't need anything beyond Node.js.

  • Open the integrated terminal in VS Code by pressing Ctrl+` (macOS and Windows).
  • Move to your Desktop by running this command:
cd ~/Desktop
  • Create your project folder and move into it by running these commands:
mkdir wordpress-mcp
cd wordpress-mcp
  • Start your local WordPress site by running this command:
npx @wordpress/env start --runtime=playground

What does this command do?

npx downloads and runs the @wordpress/env package without installing it globally.

The --runtime=playground flag uses WordPress Playground (a WebAssembly-based runtime) instead of Docker. This means your site runs entirely through Node.js with a lightweight SQLite database.

Why Playground instead of Docker?

Docker requires a separate application download and significant system resources. The Playground runtime achieves the same result for development purposes using only the Node.js you already installed.

For testing MCP connections, SQLite works perfectly. You only need Docker if your project requires MySQL-specific features or WP-CLI commands inside the environment.

The terminal will prompt you to install the @wordpress/env package. Type y and press Enter to confirm.

After a minute or two, you should see a success message confirming WordPress is running at http://localhost:8888.

  • Open your browser and go to http://localhost:8888.
  • You should see a fresh WordPress site with a default theme.
  • Navigate to http://localhost:8888/wp-admin to access the admin dashboard.
  • Log in with username admin and password password.

Site not loading?

  • Make sure the npx @wordpress/env start --runtime=playground command finished without errors. Look for a success message in the terminal.
  • If port 8888 is already in use, stop the other service or restart your computer and try again.
  • If the Playground runtime fails, you can fall back to Docker by running npx @wordpress/env start without the --runtime=playground flag. This requires Docker Desktop to be installed.

Help me troubleshoot my wp-env Playground runtime setup. The site isn't loading at localhost:8888.

Install the MCP Adapter plugin

The MCP Adapter is the official WordPress plugin that bridges the Abilities API with the Model Context Protocol. It exposes your site's capabilities so AI clients like Claude can discover and use them.

What is the MCP Adapter?

The MCP Adapter converts WordPress abilities (like creating posts, managing pages, and retrieving site info) into standardized MCP tools. AI clients connect to your site's MCP endpoint and can discover what actions are available, then execute them.

Without this plugin, Claude would have no way to interact with your WordPress site programmatically.

  • In your WordPress admin dashboard, click Plugins in the left sidebar.
  • Click Add New Plugin at the top of the page.
  • Click Upload Plugin at the top.
  • Click Choose File and select the mcp-adapter.zip file you just downloaded.
  • Click Install Now.
  • Once the installation completes, click Activate Plugin.

You should see a success message confirming the MCP Adapter plugin is active. It now appears in your installed plugins list.

Plugin installation failed?

  • Make sure you downloaded the mcp-adapter.zip file from the Assets section of the release page, not the "Source code" ZIP. The source code ZIP won't install correctly as a plugin.
  • If you see "No valid plugins were found", confirm you're using the v0.5.0 release or later. Earlier versions did not include a ready-to-install plugin ZIP.

Help me fix my MCP Adapter plugin installation in WordPress.

Create an Application Password

Claude needs a way to authenticate with your WordPress site. Application Passwords are a built-in WordPress feature that creates a separate password specifically for external applications, keeping your main login credentials safe.

  • In the WordPress admin sidebar, click Users.
  • Click Profile (or click on the admin username).
  • Scroll down to the Application Passwords section near the bottom of the page.
  • In the New Application Password Name field, type Claude MCP.
  • Click Add New Application Password.

Copy your password immediately

WordPress displays the generated password only once. Copy it now and save it somewhere temporary (a text file or your clipboard). You will need this password in the next step when configuring Claude's connection.

If you lose the password, you'll need to delete the Application Password entry and create a new one.

  • Select the entire generated password and copy it (Cmd+C on macOS or Ctrl+C on Windows).
  • Paste it into a temporary text file or notes app so you don't lose it.

You should see the new Claude MCP entry appear in the Application Passwords list below the form, confirming it was created successfully.

Why Application Passwords instead of your admin password?

Application Passwords are scoped credentials. You can revoke them individually without changing your main login. If you ever want to disconnect Claude from your site, just delete the Application Password entry.

Don't see the Application Passwords section?

  • Application Passwords require WordPress 5.6 or later. The Playground runtime installs the latest WordPress version, so this should always be available.
  • Make sure you are on the Profile page for the admin user, not a different user account.

Help me find the Application Passwords section in my WordPress profile.

Your local WordPress site is running with the MCP Adapter active and an Application Password ready for Claude. Next up, you'll connect Claude Desktop to your site so it can start managing content through natural language.

Connect Claude Desktop to WordPress

Your WordPress site is running locally with the MCP Adapter plugin active and an Application Password ready to go.

Now you need a way for Claude to actually talk to your WordPress site. The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is the bridge that makes this possible. You'll configure Claude Desktop to use a proxy that translates Claude's requests into WordPress REST API calls.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Open and edit the Claude Desktop MCP configuration file.
  • Add the WordPress MCP server entry with your credentials.
  • Verify the connection by asking Claude to retrieve site info.
Open the Claude Desktop config file

Claude Desktop stores its MCP server configurations in a JSON file. You'll access this file through the app's settings rather than hunting for it in your file system.

  • Switch back to Claude Desktop.
  • Open Settings (click the gear icon or use the app menu).
  • Click Developer.
  • Under Local MCP servers, click Edit config.

This opens the claude_desktop_config.json file in your default text editor.

Where does this file live?

On macOS, the file is located at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. On Windows, it's at %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. You don't need to navigate there manually because the Edit config button opens it for you.

Add the WordPress MCP server configuration

The config file tells Claude Desktop which MCP servers to connect to and how to authenticate. You'll add a server entry that uses the official @automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote proxy to connect to your local WordPress site.

  • Replace the entire contents of claude_desktop_config.json with the following configuration:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote@latest"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "http://localhost:8888/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "WP_API_USERNAME": "admin",
        "WP_API_PASSWORD": "your-application-password-here"
      }
    }
  }
}
  • Replace your-application-password-here with the Application Password you copied in the previous step.

What does this configuration do?

  • "command": "npx" tells Claude Desktop to run the proxy using Node.js's package runner.
  • "-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote@latest" auto-confirms and fetches the latest version of the official WordPress MCP proxy.
  • WP_API_URL points to the MCP Adapter's REST endpoint on your local WordPress site.
  • WP_API_USERNAME and WP_API_PASSWORD authenticate the proxy using your Application Password credentials.

The proxy translates Claude's MCP requests into HTTP REST API calls that your WordPress site understands.

Keep your Application Password safe

The Application Password is stored in plain text in this config file. This is acceptable for local development, but never commit this file to a public repository.

  • Save the file and close your text editor.

Not sure where to paste your Application Password?

Look for the line that says "WP_API_PASSWORD": "your-application-password-here" and replace only the your-application-password-here part (keeping the surrounding quotes). Application Passwords from WordPress look like four groups of characters separated by spaces.

Help me fix my claude_desktop_config.json file for the WordPress MCP connection.

✔️ Awesome, I've got everything!

Great. Make sure you've saved the file before moving on.

ⓧ I'd like to double check the full code

Here's the complete claude_desktop_config.json with the WordPress MCP server configured:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote@latest"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "http://localhost:8888/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "WP_API_USERNAME": "admin",
        "WP_API_PASSWORD": "your-application-password-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Remember to replace your-application-password-here with the actual Application Password you generated in WordPress.

Restart Claude Desktop and verify the connection

Claude Desktop only reads its config file at launch. You need to fully restart the app for the new MCP server to load.

  • Quit Claude Desktop completely (not just close the window).
  • On macOS, right-click the Claude icon in the Dock and select Quit. On Windows, right-click the Claude icon in the system tray and select Quit.
  • Reopen Claude Desktop.
  • Go to Settings then Developer.
  • Confirm you see wordpress-mcp listed with a running status.

How do I check the server status?

In the Developer settings, each configured MCP server appears with its connection status. You can also click the "+" button at the bottom of any chat, then select Connectors to see connected MCP servers and their available tools.

Now test the connection with a real request.

  • Start a new conversation in Claude Desktop.
  • Type this message and send it:
Get the site info from my WordPress site
  • Claude may ask for permission to use the WordPress MCP tools. Click Allow when prompted.

You should see Claude respond with details about your WordPress site, including the site title, URL, and WordPress version.

Server not showing as running?

  • Make sure your WordPress site is still running at http://localhost:8888. If you closed the terminal running wp-env, restart it.
  • Double-check that the JSON in your config file is valid. A missing comma or extra bracket will prevent the server from loading.
  • Verify your Application Password is pasted correctly with no extra spaces or line breaks.

My WordPress MCP server isn't connecting in Claude Desktop. Help me troubleshoot.

Claude Desktop is now connected to your WordPress site. Next up, you'll set up the same connection in VS Code so you can manage WordPress from your code editor too.

Connect VS Code Claude Code to WordPress

You've just proven that Claude Desktop can talk to your WordPress site. Now it's time to bring that same power into your code editor.

In this step, you'll install the Claude Code extension in VS Code and connect it to the same WordPress MCP server. This gives you AI-assisted WordPress development right where you write code.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Install and sign in to the Claude Code extension in VS Code.
  • Create a project-level MCP configuration file for WordPress.
  • Verify that Claude Code can see your WordPress MCP tools.
Install the Claude Code extension

The Claude Code extension by Anthropic brings Claude directly into VS Code. It requires a Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise subscription (or pay-as-you-go billing) to use.

  • Switch back to VS Code.
  • Press Cmd+Shift+X (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows) to open the Extensions panel.
  • Type Claude Code in the search bar.
  • Find the extension published by Anthropic and click Install.
  • After installation, Claude Code will prompt you to sign in with your Anthropic account. Follow the browser-based sign-in flow when it opens.

What is Claude Code?

Claude Code is Anthropic's official VS Code extension that lets you chat with Claude directly inside your editor. It can read your files, run commands, and connect to external tools via MCP servers.

Unlike Claude Desktop which is a standalone app, Claude Code lives in your development environment. This makes it ideal for workflows where you want Claude to have context about your project files.

Extension not appearing?

Make sure your VS Code version is 1.98.0 or higher. Check by clicking Code (macOS) or Help (Windows) in the top menu, then selecting About.

If the sign-in flow fails, try closing and reopening VS Code before attempting again.

help me sign in to the Claude Code extension

Configure the MCP server in Claude Code

Claude Code reads MCP server configurations from a .mcp.json file in your project root directory. You'll create this file with the same WordPress connection details you used for Claude Desktop.

  • In VS Code, right-click in the Explorer sidebar (the file tree on the left).
  • Select New File.
  • Name the file .mcp.json and press Enter.
  • Paste the following configuration into the file:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote@latest"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "http://localhost:8888/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "WP_API_USERNAME": "admin",
        "WP_API_PASSWORD": "your-application-password-here"
      }
    }
  }
}
  • Replace your-application-password-here with the Application Password you generated in Step 2 (the same one you used in claude_desktop_config.json).
  • Save the file.

What does this configuration do?

This is the same MCP server configuration you used for Claude Desktop, just in a different file. Claude Code reads .mcp.json from your project root to discover which MCP servers to connect to.

The @automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote proxy translates Claude Code's communication into HTTP REST API calls that your WordPress MCP Adapter understands.

Why a separate config file from Claude Desktop?

Claude Desktop reads its MCP servers from claude_desktop_config.json. Claude Code reads from .mcp.json in your project directory. These are completely separate systems, so you need to configure the server in both places.

The advantage of .mcp.json is that it's project-scoped. You can check it into version control and share it with your team.

✔️ Awesome, I've got everything!

Great. Double check you've saved the file, then move on to verifying the connection.

ⓧ I'd like to double check the full code

Here's what your complete .mcp.json file should look like (with your own Application Password in place of the placeholder):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote@latest"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "http://localhost:8888/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "WP_API_USERNAME": "admin",
        "WP_API_PASSWORD": "your-application-password-here"
      }
    }
  }
}
Verify the connection

Now you'll confirm that Claude Code can see the WordPress MCP tools and connect to your site.

  • Open the Claude Code panel by clicking ✱ Claude Code in the Status Bar (bottom-right corner of the VS Code window).
  • Claude Code may prompt you to approve the wordpress-mcp server from your .mcp.json file. Click to approve it when prompted.
  • Type /mcp in the chat input to see the MCP server status.

What should I see?

You should see wordpress-mcp listed as a connected server with a tool count next to it. The WordPress MCP tools include discover-abilities, execute-ability, and get-ability-info.

  • To further confirm, type a message asking Claude: "What WordPress tools do you have access to?"
  • Claude should respond listing the WordPress MCP tools it can use, confirming the connection is working.

Server not showing as connected?

Check that your .mcp.json file is saved in the root of your project folder, not in a subdirectory.

If the server appears but shows 0 tools, verify that your WordPress site is still running at http://localhost:8888 and the Application Password is correct.

You can also open the integrated terminal and run claude mcp list to check whether the server is detected from the CLI.

help me connect my WordPress MCP server in Claude Code

Both Claude Desktop and VS Code are now connected to your WordPress site. Next up, you'll use these connections to create and manage WordPress content entirely through conversation.

Create Content with Claude via MCP

Both Claude Desktop and VS Code are now connected to your local WordPress site through the MCP Adapter. The real power of this setup is that you can manage your entire site through natural language.

In this step, you'll put those connections to work by creating a blog post from Claude Desktop, updating it from VS Code, and discovering what else your WordPress site can do through MCP.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Create and publish a WordPress blog post from Claude Desktop.
  • Query and update that post from VS Code's Claude Code.
  • Explore all available WordPress abilities exposed through MCP.
Create a blog post from Claude Desktop

Instead of logging into the WordPress editor and clicking through menus, you can ask Claude to create and publish content in a single message. Claude uses the MCP tools to call the WordPress REST API on your behalf.

  • Switch to Claude Desktop.
  • Start a new conversation by clicking New Chat in the top left.
  • Type the following message and send it:

Create a new blog post titled 'Getting Started with AI-Powered WordPress' with an introduction paragraph about using AI tools for content creation. Publish it.

What happens when you send this?

Claude identifies that it needs to interact with your WordPress site. It calls the execute-ability tool from the MCP Adapter, which sends a request to your local WordPress REST API to create and publish the post.

You may see Claude ask for permission to use the WordPress MCP tools the first time. Allow it to proceed.

  • Wait for Claude to confirm the post was created. Claude should respond with details including the post title and a confirmation that it was published.
  • Open your browser and go to http://localhost:8888/wp-admin/edit.php to see all posts.
  • Verify that a post titled Getting Started with AI-Powered WordPress appears in the list with a Published status.

Don't see the post in wp-admin?

Make sure Claude's response confirmed the post was published, not just drafted. If Claude created a draft, send a follow-up message asking it to publish the post.

If Claude says it cannot find the WordPress tools, return to Claude Desktop's Settings, select Developer, and confirm the wordpress-mcp server shows a running status.

Help me troubleshoot this

Query and manage content from VS Code

The same MCP connection works from VS Code's Claude Code panel. This means you can manage WordPress content without leaving your code editor.

  • Switch back to VS Code.
  • Open the Claude Code panel by clicking the Claude icon in the left sidebar.
  • Ask Claude to list your published posts by typing:

List all published posts on my WordPress site.

  • Confirm that Claude returns a list that includes the Getting Started with AI-Powered WordPress post you just created.
  • Now ask Claude to update that post by typing:

Update the post titled 'Getting Started with AI-Powered WordPress' by adding a second paragraph about how MCP connects AI assistants to WordPress. Keep the existing content.

  • Wait for Claude to confirm the update was applied.
  • Return to your browser and refresh the Posts list at http://localhost:8888/wp-admin/edit.php.
  • Click the post title to open it and verify that a second paragraph now appears in the content.

Why use both Claude Desktop and VS Code?

Claude Desktop is great for quick content management tasks like creating posts and checking site status. VS Code's Claude Code is better when you're actively developing a WordPress theme or plugin and want to test content changes alongside your code.

Both clients use the same MCP server, so they see the same WordPress data and have the same capabilities.

Claude Code not finding the WordPress tools?

Make sure the .mcp.json file is in the root of the folder you have open in VS Code. Claude Code reads MCP server configurations from this file in your project directory.

If you recently added the file, try closing and reopening the Claude Code panel.

Help me troubleshoot this

Explore WordPress abilities

The MCP Adapter exposes a set of abilities that represent everything AI clients can do on your WordPress site. Discovering these abilities shows you the full scope of what's possible.

  • In either Claude Desktop or VS Code's Claude Code panel, type:

Discover all available abilities on my WordPress site. List them with a brief description of what each one does.

  • Review Claude's response. You should see abilities related to site info, post management, and content retrieval.

What are WordPress MCP abilities?

Abilities are the actions that the MCP Adapter makes available to AI clients. The three core MCP tools (discover-abilities, execute-ability, get-ability-info) work together to let Claude find, understand, and run these abilities.

Think of discover-abilities as a menu. get-ability-info gives the details for each menu item. execute-ability places the order.

Your AI-powered WordPress workflow is complete. You've proven that Claude can create, read, and update content on your site from two different clients.

Secret mission

Build and Publish a Custom "About Me" Page Entirely Through Claude

You've created blog posts through Claude. But what about full pages with multiple sections, styled headings, and a professional layout? In this secret mission, you'll use Claude to build and publish a complete "About Me" page on your WordPress site without ever opening the block editor.

Clean Up Your Resources

Clean Up Your Resources

This project runs entirely locally, so there are no ongoing cloud costs. Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely.

Resources you used:

  • Local WordPress site running via wp-env Playground runtime at http://localhost:8888.
  • WordPress MCP server entry in claude_desktop_config.json.
  • MCP configuration file .mcp.json in your project directory.
  • Project folder on your Desktop.

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you're still actively building or experimenting with Claude and WordPress MCP.

  • Your local WordPress site stays accessible at http://localhost:8888 as long as the wp-env process is running.
  • Claude Desktop and VS Code Claude Code will continue connecting to your WordPress site through MCP whenever they are open.
  • Node.js, VS Code, and Claude Desktop remain installed on your machine for future projects.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Shut down the running WordPress environment to free up system resources. Your project files and configuration stay intact so you can resume later.

  • In your terminal, navigate to your project folder and stop the WordPress environment by running:
npx @wordpress/env stop
  • This frees the port and stops the background process. Your WordPress data (posts, pages, plugin) is preserved.
  • To resume later, run npx @wordpress/env start --runtime=playground from the same project folder.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources completely. This deletes your local WordPress site, all posts and pages you created, and the MCP configuration files.

  • In your terminal, navigate to your project folder and destroy the WordPress environment by running:
npx @wordpress/env destroy
  • This permanently deletes all WordPress data including your posts, pages, and plugin installations.
  • Remove the WordPress MCP server from Claude Desktop. Open claude_desktop_config.json via Settings > Developer > Edit config in Claude Desktop.
  • Delete the wordpress-mcp entry from the mcpServers object. If it's the only server, replace the file contents with:
{
  "mcpServers": {}
}
  • Save the file and fully quit Claude Desktop (Cmd+Q on macOS or right-click the taskbar icon and select Quit on Windows).
  • Delete the .mcp.json file from your project folder.
  • Delete the project folder from your Desktop by running:

macOS

rm -rf ~/Desktop/wordpress-mcp

Windows

rmdir /s /q %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\wordpress-mcp

Nice Work!

Nice Work!

You just built a fully connected AI-powered WordPress development environment. Claude can now read, write, and manage your WordPress site directly from both your desktop app and your code editor.

Here's what you learned:

  • Set up a local WordPress site with the MCP Adapter plugin, exposing site abilities to AI clients through the Model Context Protocol.
  • Connected Claude Desktop to your WordPress site for natural-language content creation and management.
  • Connected VS Code with the Claude Code extension to the same WordPress MCP server for AI-assisted development workflows.
  • Built and published a custom "About Me" page entirely through Claude without ever opening the WordPress block editor.

Ready to quiz yourself?