How to Connect Your Self-Hosted WordPress Site to Claude Desktop via MCP

You can create, edit, and manage your WordPress posts without opening your browser. Claude Desktop and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) let you connect your self-hosted WordPress site directly to Claude. You can then manage your entire content workflow through natural language conversation.

What the integration enables

• “Show me all draft posts”
• “Create a new draft about European AI regulation”
• “Change the title of post 1234 to…”
• “Analyze the SEO of my latest published post”
• “Add the tag ‘Horizon Europe’ to all posts from 2025”
• “List all images uploaded this month”

The MCP server provides tools for read, write, bulk operations, SEO analysis, and media management. You can use all tools directly from a Claude conversation. You do not need to configure plugins on your WordPress site. You do not need to learn a third-party dashboard.

What you need before starting

• Claude Desktop — latest version on macOS or Windows
• A self-hosted WordPress site — works with WP Engine, SiteGround, Kinsta, and other managed hosts
• HTTPS enabled — required for WordPress Application Passwords to appear
• Terminal / Command Prompt access — for a small number of commands
• Node.js v22+ — installed during setup

You do not need prior cloud experience. The companion guide explains each step from the start. It includes the common mistakes that trip up most people the first time.

The setup: seven steps

The setup covers seven steps: install Node.js, create a WordPress Application Password, verify your REST API, create the site configuration file, find your system username, configure Claude Desktop, and verify the connection. The whole process takes about 15 minutes.

The most common failure point is the Claude Desktop config file. The path to your credentials file must contain your exact system username. The guide includes copy-paste commands for Mac and Windows. This removes guesswork.

Common errors — all covered in the guide

• Application Passwords section missing from WordPress profile
• REST API not accessible or returning an error
• Server showing as “disconnected” in Claude Desktop
• Authentication errors after correct password entry
• Claude seeing the server but not using it
• Config changes not taking effect after restart
• Apache-based host blocking authentication headers

The complete step-by-step guide is on The Science Talk. It includes every configuration file, authentication step, and fix for the errors above.

Read the full guide on The Science Talk →