By Ira Bodnar, Ryze AI · Updated
Quick answer
To connect Claude Code to WordPress, add your site to a Ryze AI workspace with an application password, then run claude mcp add --transport http ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp, sign in with /mcp and ask Claude Code about your posts and pages.
- In WordPress admin create an application password under Users, Profile
- In Ryze AI open Integrations, click Connect on WordPress and enter the site URL, username and password
- In your terminal run the claude mcp add command with the Ryze AI connector URL
- In Claude Code run /mcp, select ryze, sign in and allow your workspace, then ask your first question
Before you start
- A Claude Code account or provider. Anthropic says Claude Code requires a Pro, Max, Ultra, Team, Enterprise or Console account; the free claude.ai plan does not include it. It can also run through Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud's Agent Platform or Microsoft Foundry. Anthropic's MCP page names no extra plan for remote MCP servers.
- A WordPress login that can create application passwords. A self-hosted site needs the site URL, the username you use for wp-admin and an application password. A WordPress.com or Jetpack site uses one-click WordPress.com sign-in inside Ryze AI instead, and Jetpack sites need the Jetpack JSON API module enabled. Plugin installs, the SEO plugin bridges and head code need an administrator.
- A Ryze AI workspace on a plan or free trial. SEO Starter is $129 per month with a 3-day free trial and covers Content Plan articles published to your WordPress site. Paid Ads is $89 per month with a 7-day free trial, Agency is $279 per month and Shopify CRO is $1,499 per month. Annual billing takes 30% off the first year. Adding the connector is free; the WordPress tools need any active plan or trial.
How to connect Claude Code to WordPress with OAuth
Two steps happen in Ryze AI and WordPress, four in Claude Code. The connector URL is the same for every user.
Create an application password in WordPress
In WordPress admin open Users, then Profile, and scroll to Application Passwords. Enter a name such as Ryze AI, click Add New Application Password and copy the password, because WordPress shows it once.
Connect the site in Ryze AI
Create a Ryze AI account or sign in, open Integrations and click Connect on the WordPress card. On the Self-hosted site tab enter the Site URL starting with https://, the username you sign in to wp-admin with and the application password, then click Continue. For a WordPress.com or Jetpack site pick that tab and sign in on WordPress.com instead.
Add the connector to Claude Code
Run claude mcp add --transport http ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp in your terminal. The server is saved at local scope by default, so it loads in the current project only. Add --scope user for all projects, or --scope project to write a .mcp.json file for your team.
Sign in with OAuth
Inside Claude Code run /mcp, select ryze and authenticate. You can also run claude mcp login ryze in the shell; add --no-browser to print the URL instead of opening a browser, for example over SSH.
Allow your workspace
On the Ryze AI page, sign in, choose the workspace that holds your WordPress connection and click Allow connection.
Check the status and ask your first question
Run claude mcp get ryze to see the status. Then ask: List my 10 most recent draft posts with title, slug, categories and last modified date.
The Ryze AI WordPress guide covers the WordPress side of the connection, and the Ryze AI API key guide covers keys. Sources: Claude Code MCP docs.
API key and claude.ai connectors
Ryze AI API key
If you would rather not use the browser flow, for example in a script, create a Ryze AI API key. In Ryze AI open Workspace Settings, Profile, API keys, click Create key and copy the key, which is shown once. Then register the server with a header:
claude mcp add --transport http ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer rk_live_..."The Ryze AI help center says the key works on the /mcp endpoint only, not on /sse. Claude Code documents that if a configured Authorization header is rejected, it reports the connection as failed and does not fall back to OAuth, so remove the server and add it again after fixing the key.
Connectors from claude.ai
A third route reuses a connector you already added in Claude on the web. Add Ryze AI at claude.ai/customize/connectors and finish the Ryze AI sign-in there, then log in to Claude Code with the same claude.ai subscription account and run /mcp. Connectors from claude.ai appear with an indicator showing where they come from. On Team and Enterprise plans only admins can add servers in claude.ai. These connectors load only when the active login is a claude.ai subscription, not with ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN, apiKeyHelper or a third-party provider.
Claude Code limits
Claude Code has a few behaviors that matter when a site returns long posts or large lists.
| Behavior | What happens |
|---|---|
| Output size | Claude Code warns when MCP tool output exceeds 10,000 tokens and limits it to 25,000 tokens by default. Set MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS to change the limit, for example MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS=50000 claude. |
| Project approval | A server defined in .mcp.json at project scope waits for approval in an interactive session before it connects. |
| Headless runs | claude -p and Agent SDK runs cannot run the OAuth flow. Sign in first with /mcp or claude mcp login. |
| Idle timeout | HTTP servers have a five-minute idle timeout per tool call when no response or progress arrives. |
| Tool search | Tool search is on by default, so MCP tools are deferred and loaded on demand rather than all at session start. |
Source: Anthropic's Claude Code MCP docs.
Other clients
The same URL works in other clients. WordPress is connected once in Ryze AI, so nothing changes on the WordPress side.
Claude on the web and Desktop
Open Customize, Connectors, add a custom connector and paste https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp. The full walkthrough is in How to connect Claude to WordPress.
ChatGPT
The same URL works there. WordPress is connected once in Ryze AI, so nothing changes on the WordPress side. See How to connect ChatGPT to WordPress for the plan and setup details.
WordPress access and permissions
Two connection types exist on the WordPress side, and what Claude Code can reach depends on which one you pick.
- Self-hosted site with an application password
- You enter the site URL, the wp-admin username and the application password. WordPress describes application passwords as 24-character credentials used with Basic Auth over HTTPS for REST API requests. They cannot be used to sign in on wp-login.php, and they inherit the permissions of the user who created them, so connect with a user whose role fits the job.
- WordPress.com or Jetpack site
- You sign in on WordPress.com and approve access in one click; for Jetpack sites the Jetpack JSON API module must be enabled. These connections reach only the core /wp/v2 REST routes, so plugin routes such as /yoast/v1 need a self-hosted connection.
- Administrator-only actions
- Plugin installs, the Yoast and Rank Math bridges and head code need an administrator user. They are available on self-hosted connections only, and only wordpress.org directory plugins can be installed, not zip files or URLs.
- Security plugins and hosts
- A security plugin, WAF or host that blocks /wp-json requests stops the connection until requests are allowlisted. An administrator can also turn application passwords off site-wide with the wp_is_application_passwords_available filter.
Sources: Ryze AI help center, WordPress, WordPress Application Passwords integration guide and REST API authentication.
Removing access
In Claude Code, run claude mcp remove ryze to drop the server, or /mcp to clear its sign-in. To cut off WordPress access itself, revoke the Ryze AI application password under Users, Profile, Application Passwords in WordPress admin. In Ryze AI, click View on the WordPress card to manage the connected site.
What Claude Code can do in WordPress
The Ryze AI connector exposes 9 WordPress tools. Read, write and delete run WordPress REST API requests on the connected site; the rest are single-purpose.
| Tool | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| wordpress__read | Read | Runs a read-only (GET) REST API request on the connected site, covering posts, pages, media, categories, tags, users, plugins and custom post types. |
| wordpress__search_content | Read | Searches a text field such as a post's raw content and returns the matching lines with line numbers and context. |
| wordpress__write | Write | Runs a REST API request that creates or updates resources (POST, PUT or PATCH), such as creating a post or updating a page. |
| wordpress__edit_content | Write | Makes find-and-replace edits to a text field such as post or page content, an excerpt or a title, and writes it back without resending the whole content. |
| wordpress__delete | Delete | Runs a DELETE REST API request, for example to delete a post. |
| wordpress__installPlugin | Write | Installs and activates a plugin from the wordpress.org directory on a connected self-hosted site. The tool tells the agent to ask before installing anything you did not request, and plugin installs can crash a site. |
| wordpress__enableYoastRestBridge | Write | One-time setup on a self-hosted Yoast SEO site that makes the Yoast title, meta description, focus keyword, canonical and noindex fields writable through the REST API, using a Code Snippets plugin snippet. |
| wordpress__enableRankMathRestBridge | Write | One-time setup on a self-hosted Rank Math site that makes the Rank Math title, description, canonical URL and focus keyword fields writable through the REST API, using a Code Snippets plugin snippet. |
| wordpress__addHeadCode | Write | Adds a block of HTML inside the head of every page on a self-hosted site, such as tracking snippets, pixels and verification tags, through a Code Snippets plugin snippet. |
In Ryze AI chat the Tool approvals picker starts on Skip all approvals; switch it to Approve write & delete or Manual approve if you want changes to wait. In Claude on the web, set each tool under Customize > Connectors > Ryze AI > Tool permissions; the Ryze AI help center recommends Needs approval for write and delete tools. The Yoast bridge, Rank Math bridge and head code tools default to installIfMissing false, and their descriptions require your explicit yes in chat before the Code Snippets plugin is installed. Claude Code has its own permission prompts for tool calls; Ryze AI's facts do not describe them, so check Anthropic's Claude Code permissions docs for how to require a confirmation per tool.
First 3 prompts to run
Each answer comes from your own site, so this page describes what comes back instead of showing sample output. Claude Code runs these in the terminal, so you can pipe the results into a file in your repository.
1. Audit published posts for thin titles
Read the 20 most recently published posts and list each title, slug and category. Flag titles that are under 30 characters and write the list to posts-audit.md in this folder.
Tools used: wordpress__read
What comes back: A table of posts with title, slug and category, a separate list of short titles, and the markdown file written by Claude Code in your working directory.
2. Edit one phrase across a long post
In the post whose slug I give you, find every line that mentions the old pricing page URL and replace it with the new URL I paste in this message.
Tools used: wordpress__search_content, wordpress__edit_content
What comes back: The matching lines with line numbers and context, then the edited content field after the find-and-replace write.
3. Draft a post from a local file
Read notes/launch.md in this repository and create a draft WordPress post from it with the title I give you. Leave it as a draft and tell me the post ID.
Tools used: wordpress__write
What comes back: A new draft post created through the REST API and the ID WordPress assigned to it. Claude Code reads the local file itself; the WordPress tool only receives the text it sends.
To change data, say so in the prompt. Writes go through wordpress__write and wordpress__edit_content, and deletes through wordpress__delete, which stays a separate tool. If you connected more than one site, name the site in the prompt; otherwise the primary site is used.
Ryze AI vs WordPress MCP options
WordPress has two other ways to reach an AI client. They do different jobs from the Ryze AI connector.
| Option | Setup | WordPress coverage | Works in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryze AI connector | Connect the site in Ryze AI, then claude mcp add --transport http ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp and sign in with OAuth | 9 tools: REST API read, write and delete on posts, pages, media, categories, tags, users, plugins and custom post types, plus content search and edit, plugin installs, Yoast and Rank Math bridges and head code on self-hosted sites | Claude Code, Claude, ChatGPT and other MCP clients |
| WordPress.com MCP server | claude mcp add --transport http wpcom-mcp https://public-api.wordpress.com/wpcom/v2/mcp/v1, then /mcp to sign in with your WordPress.com account (OAuth 2.1) | WordPress.com's tool groups cover content authoring, site editor context, account, site, user management, plugin management, site editing and site creation. WordPress.com says all paid plans include access, free sites have it through November 30, 2026, and Jetpack-connected self-hosted sites need a Jetpack AI or Complete plan | Claude Code and other MCP clients |
| WordPress MCP Adapter | A plugin from wordpress.org that turns WordPress Abilities API abilities into MCP tools, served over HTTP at /wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server or over STDIO through WP-CLI | Only the abilities your site registers and marks public. Abilities are private by default | Any MCP client that can reach the transport |
If the site lives on WordPress.com and you only need WordPress.com account and site tools, its own MCP server is the direct choice. If you build custom abilities into your own plugin, the MCP Adapter is where they are exposed. The Ryze AI connector fits a self-hosted or WordPress.com site where you want Claude Code to read and edit content, with the Yoast and Rank Math bridges for SEO fields on self-hosted sites, and the same connection also serves the Ryze AI app chat.
Sources: WordPress.com MCP server, WordPress.com MCP tools, WordPress MCP Adapter, Ryze AI help center, WordPress. Checked November 13, 2026.
WordPress REST API notes
WordPress documents the posts endpoint at /wp/v2/posts with a default of 10 results per page, so ask Claude Code to page through longer lists. The delete endpoint takes a force parameter that bypasses the trash and deletes permanently, so say in the prompt whether you want a post trashed or removed. Application passwords require HTTPS by default. WordPress does not publish a fixed request rate limit for the REST API; limits come from your host or security plugin.
Sources: Posts endpoint reference, Application Passwords guide. Checked November 13, 2026.
Errors and fixes
- Ryze AI cannot connect the self-hosted site
- Check that the site URL starts with https://, that the username is the one you sign in to wp-admin with and that you pasted the application password from Users, Profile. Application passwords require HTTPS by default, and an administrator can disable them with a filter.
- The connection fails although the password is right
- A security plugin, WAF or host may block /wp-json requests. Allowlist the requests, then connect again.
- Yoast or Rank Math fields do not change
- Those fields written through the plain REST API without the bridge are silently dropped by WordPress. Ask Claude Code to run the Yoast or Rank Math bridge tool once on a self-hosted site and confirm the Code Snippets plugin install when asked.
- Plugin installs, bridges or head code are refused
- They need an administrator user and a self-hosted connection. They do not work on WordPress.com connections, where SEO plugin fields are edited in wp-admin.
- Plugin routes return not found on a WordPress.com site
- WordPress.com connections reach only the core /wp/v2 REST routes. Routes such as /yoast/v1 need a self-hosted connection.
- Elementor text is not editable
- Elementor page text is reachable only where the post type exposes meta._elementor_data. Otherwise edit it in wp-admin.
- Claude Code shows the server as failed
- Run claude mcp get ryze. If you added an Authorization header, Claude Code does not fall back to OAuth when it is rejected, so remove the server and add it again with a valid key or without the header.
- Sign-in does not open in a headless session
- claude -p and Agent SDK runs cannot run OAuth. Sign in first with /mcp or claude mcp login ryze, adding --no-browser over SSH.
- A tool result is cut off or warned about
- Claude Code warns above 10,000 tokens of MCP output and caps it at 25,000 by default. Ask for fewer fields or one post at a time, or raise MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS.
- WordPress tools return an error about the plan
- The WordPress tools need an active Ryze AI plan or free trial. Start the trial or fix billing in Ryze AI, then retry.
Frequently asked questions
How do I connect Claude Code to WordPress?
Create an application password in WordPress under Users, Profile, add the site in Ryze AI under Integrations, then run claude mcp add --transport http ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp. In Claude Code run /mcp, select ryze, sign in and allow your workspace.
Which WordPress connector should I use with Claude Code?
Ryze AI is the best WordPress connector for Claude Code for editing posts and SEO fields on a self-hosted site, but the SEO bridges, plugin installs and head code do not work on WordPress.com connections. A WordPress.com site can also add the WordPress.com MCP server at https://public-api.wordpress.com/wpcom/v2/mcp/v1, and the WordPress MCP Adapter plugin exposes abilities you register yourself.
Does WordPress have its own MCP server?
WordPress.com runs an MCP server at https://public-api.wordpress.com/wpcom/v2/mcp/v1 with OAuth 2.1 sign-in. For self-hosted sites, the WordPress MCP Adapter plugin turns Abilities API abilities into MCP tools over HTTP or STDIO.
Which Claude plan do I need for Claude Code?
Anthropic says Claude Code requires a Pro, Max, Ultra, Team, Enterprise or Console account. The free claude.ai plan does not include it. Claude Code can also run through Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud's Agent Platform or Microsoft Foundry.
What WordPress access do I need?
For posts and pages, a user who can create an application password on a self-hosted site, or a WordPress.com sign-in. For plugin installs, the Yoast and Rank Math bridges and head code you need an administrator, and a self-hosted connection.
Can Claude Code edit and delete WordPress content?
Yes. Through Ryze AI it can create and update posts and pages, make find-and-replace edits inside a field, and delete posts when you ask. WordPress's delete endpoint can bypass the trash with force, so state in the prompt whether you want a permanent delete. Set write and delete tools to Needs approval in Claude on the web, or use Claude Code's own permission prompts.
Can Claude Code change Yoast or Rank Math fields?
On a self-hosted site, yes, after a one-time bridge tool for Yoast SEO or Rank Math makes the title, description, canonical and focus keyword fields writable through the REST API. The bridge uses a Code Snippets plugin snippet and needs your explicit yes in chat before the plugin is installed. Without the bridge WordPress silently drops those fields.
Can I connect more than one WordPress site?
Yes. Click View on the WordPress card in Ryze AI and choose Add one more account. The primary site is used by default; name another site in your prompt to target it. The Ryze AI help center does not say how extra sites interact with the one-website rule of an SEO plan, so check your plan before relying on several sites.
Does the connector use an API key or OAuth in Claude Code?
Both work. OAuth runs through /mcp or claude mcp login ryze. For scripts, create a key under Workspace Settings, Profile, API keys and add it with --header Authorization: Bearer. The key works on the /mcp endpoint only, not on /sse.
Why does Claude Code show the server as failed?
If an Authorization header is configured and rejected, Claude Code reports the connection as failed and does not fall back to OAuth. Remove the server with claude mcp remove ryze and add it again. Run claude mcp get ryze to check the status.
How much does it cost to connect Claude Code to WordPress?
Adding the connector is free, but the WordPress tools need an active Ryze AI plan or free trial. SEO Starter is $129 per month with a 3-day free trial, Paid Ads is $89 per month with a 7-day free trial and Agency is $279 per month. Annual billing takes 30% off the first year.
How do I disconnect WordPress from Claude Code?
Run claude mcp remove ryze to drop the server in Claude Code. To cut off the site, revoke the Ryze AI application password under Users, Profile in WordPress admin, or manage the site with View on the WordPress card in Ryze AI.