By Ira Bodnar, Ryze AI · Updated
Quick answer
To connect Claude to WordPress, connect your site in a Ryze AI workspace with an application password (self-hosted) or WordPress.com sign-in, then add https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp as a custom connector in Claude and start a new chat.
- 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 Claude open Customize, Connectors, Add custom connector and paste the URL
- Click Connect, pick the workspace, click Allow connection, open a new chat
Before you start
- A Claude account. Anthropic lists custom connectors on Free, Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise plans. Free users get one custom connector. On Team plans only Owners and Primary Owners can add one; on Enterprise, Owners, Primary Owners and people with a custom role that includes Manage access to Libraries can. Members then connect individually.
- A WordPress login. On a self-hosted site, a WordPress user who can generate an application password; the site must be served over HTTPS, because WordPress turns application passwords off on plain HTTP by default. On WordPress.com or Jetpack, a WordPress.com account that can reach the site. Plugin installs, the Yoast and Rank Math bridges and head code need an administrator user.
- A Ryze AI workspace on a plan or free trial. SEO Starter is $129 per month with a 3-day free trial. Connecting the Ryze AI connector is free, but the WordPress tools need any active Ryze AI plan or trial.
How to connect Claude to WordPress in claude.ai
The WordPress login is entered once in Ryze AI, then Claude gets one connector URL. The URL is the same for every user.
Create an application password in WordPress
Self-hosted sites: in WordPress admin open Users, Profile, scroll to Application Passwords, type a name such as Ryze AI and click Add New Application Password. Copy the password at once, because it is shown only once. Skip this step on a WordPress.com or Jetpack site.
Connect WordPress 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 (https://), the username you use to sign in to wp-admin and the application password, then click Continue. On the WordPress.com / Jetpack tab, sign in on WordPress.com, approve access and choose the site. For Jetpack sites the Jetpack JSON API module must be enabled.
Optional: set the author and category
Click View on the WordPress card to choose the Author and Category that new posts use, then click Save. To add another site later, click View, then Add one more account.
Add the custom connector in Claude
In claude.ai open Customize, then Connectors. Click + Add, choose Add custom connector, enter the name Ryze AI and the URL https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp, then click Continue. Review the authentication settings Claude detected and click Continue; do not choose No sign in, because the Ryze AI server uses OAuth. Click Add.
Click Connect and allow the workspace
Click Connect on the Ryze AI connector. On the Ryze AI page Connect your data sources to AI, sign in (or sign up), choose the workspaces Claude can access (up to 20 per connection) and click Allow connection.
Open a new chat and ask your first question
Start a new chat. Connectors can be turned on or off per conversation from the + button, then Connectors. Ask: List my 10 most recent WordPress posts with title, status and publish date.
The Ryze AI help article for WordPress covers the WordPress side of the connection, and the Claude connector FAQ covers the connection errors.
Claude Desktop
Anthropic connects to remote MCP servers from its cloud, not from your device, so the connector you add on claude.ai is the same one Claude Desktop uses. To add it from the desktop app, open Customize, Connectors and follow the steps above. Use that menu rather than a local config file: local config servers are a separate mechanism that is not available in claude.ai.
Claude Code
Claude Code needs a Pro, Max, Ultra, Team, Enterprise or Console account; the free claude.ai plan does not include it. One command registers the connector:
claude mcp add --transport http ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp --scope userThe command uses local scope by default. Add --scope user for all projects, or --scope project to write a .mcp.json file for the team. Then run /mcp inside Claude Code, select ryze and authenticate, or run claude mcp login ryze in the shell (add --no-browser over SSH to print the URL). Sign in on the Ryze AI page, choose workspaces and click Allow connection. Check the status with claude mcp get ryze.
Claude Code also reads connectors added in claude.ai if you log in with the same subscription account; they appear in /mcp with an indicator. For scripts, Ryze AI offers API keys (Workspace Settings, Profile, API keys) sent as a Bearer header, accepted on the /mcp endpoint only.
ChatGPT, Cursor and Windsurf
The same URL works in other MCP clients. WordPress is connected once in Ryze AI, so nothing changes on the WordPress side.
ChatGPT
OpenAI states that custom MCP server connections are available on ChatGPT Business and Enterprise/Edu (web), and that Pro users can connect custom MCP servers with read and fetch permissions only. Go to Plugins, select the plus button, then Add custom MCP server, enter the name Ryze AI and the URL https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp, choose OAuth, create it as a plugin, and complete the Ryze AI sign-in. On Business, an admin or owner has to create and publish it.
Cursor
Add the server to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (all projects) or .cursor/mcp.json (one project). Cursor runs OAuth, so sign in on the Ryze AI page and click Allow connection.
{ "mcpServers": { "ryze": { "url": "https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp" } } }WordPress permissions and access
WordPress itself never talks to Claude. Ryze AI holds the WordPress credential, and Claude signs in to Ryze AI with OAuth. Four things decide what Claude can change.
- The WordPress user behind the credential
- Posts and pages follow the capabilities of the WordPress user whose application password you entered. A user who cannot delete posts in wp-admin cannot delete them through the connector either. Plugin installs, the SEO bridges and head code need an administrator.
- Application passwords
- WordPress introduced application passwords in version 5.6. They are available by default on sites served over HTTPS, and a site administrator can switch them off for everyone or restrict them to some users. A password can be revoked at any time on the user's profile screen.
- Self-hosted or WordPress.com
- Self-hosted connections reach every REST route the site exposes. WordPress.com connections reach only the core /wp/v2 routes, and plugin installs, the Yoast and Rank Math bridges and head code do not work there.
- Workspace access in Ryze AI
- One Ryze AI connection covers up to 20 workspaces. To change the selection, remove the connector in Claude and add it again.
Sources: WordPress application passwords guide and Ryze AI help center.
Removing access
To remove access, revoke the application password in WordPress under Users, Profile, Application Passwords. In Ryze AI, click View on the WordPress card to manage or remove the connected site. In Claude, open Customize, Connectors, Ryze AI and disconnect or remove the connector.
What Claude can do in WordPress
The Ryze AI connector exposes nine WordPress tools. Each runs against the connected site, and the plugin install, bridge and head-code tools need an administrator user on a self-hosted site.
| 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, 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
You choose which tools need your approval in Claude. In Customize, Connectors, Ryze AI, Tool permissions, set the write and delete tools to Needs approval, as the Ryze AI help center recommends. The Yoast bridge, Rank Math bridge and head-code tools default to not installing the Code Snippets plugin, and their descriptions require your explicit yes in chat first. Plugin installs can crash a WordPress site, so approve them one at a time.
First 3 prompts to run
These prompts describe jobs the WordPress tools cover. Each answer comes from your own site, so nothing here shows sample output. Claude uses the primary site unless you name another one.
1. Review recent posts and drafts
List my 10 most recent WordPress posts with title, status, publish date and category. Then show which of them are still drafts.
Tools used: wordpress__read on posts
What comes back: A table of posts from your site with the fields you asked for, and a separate list of drafts.
2. Fix a phrase across one post
Search the post titled with the word pricing for the old plan name, show me the matching lines, and then replace it with the new name in that post only.
Tools used: wordpress__search_content, wordpress__edit_content
What comes back: The matching lines with line numbers and context, then a confirmation of the targeted edit, written back without resending the whole post.
3. Create a draft page
Create a draft WordPress page called Contact with a short intro paragraph and our support email address. Do not publish it.
Tools used: wordpress__write
What comes back: A new page created through the REST API with the status you asked for, which you can open in wp-admin to review.
If you run Yoast SEO or Rank Math on a self-hosted site, you can also ask Claude to enable the one-time bridge and then update SEO titles and meta descriptions. Claude needs your yes in chat before it installs the Code Snippets plugin.
Ryze AI vs the WordPress.com MCP server and the MCP Adapter
WordPress has an official hosted MCP server for WordPress.com and an official MCP Adapter plugin. Both differ from the Ryze AI connector in who sets them up and which sites they cover.
| Option | Setup | WordPress coverage | Works in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryze AI connector | Application password or WordPress.com sign-in inside Ryze AI, then one custom connector URL in Claude | Self-hosted, WordPress.com and Jetpack sites. Read, create, update and delete content, targeted text edits, plus plugin installs, Yoast and Rank Math bridges and head code on self-hosted sites | claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Cursor |
| WordPress.com MCP server (https://public-api.wordpress.com/wpcom/v2/mcp/v1) | Add the server URL to a client and approve OAuth 2.1 with PKCE and dynamic client registration; choose Full access or Read only | WordPress.com paid plans, WordPress.com free sites through November 30, 2026, and self-hosted sites on Jetpack with AI or Complete plans | Claude Desktop, Claude Code, ChatGPT, VS Code, Cursor, Codex and custom clients |
| WordPress MCP Adapter (official plugin) | A developer installs the plugin on the site; clients connect over HTTP at /wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server or over STDIO through WP-CLI | Whatever abilities the site registers through the Abilities API | Clients that can reach the site endpoint, including through a proxy |
If your site is on WordPress.com, its own server is the shorter path and has a Read only access level. If it is a self-hosted site and you want Claude to edit posts and manage Yoast or Rank Math fields without writing plugin code, the Ryze AI connector covers that. The MCP Adapter fits teams that want to define exactly which abilities are exposed. Ryze AI also publishes SEO Content Plan articles to the same site; see the WordPress MCP page for the full tool reference.
Sources: WordPress.com MCP server docs, WordPress MCP Adapter on GitHub, application passwords guide, Ryze AI WordPress integration. Checked November 11, 2026.
WordPress errors and fixes
- Credentials rejected
- Check the username (the one you use for wp-admin), the Site URL with https://, and that you copied the application password exactly. Generate a new one if it was lost, because WordPress shows it only once.
- No Application Passwords section in the profile
- WordPress shows it only on sites served over HTTPS, and an administrator, host or security plugin can switch it off. Ask the site administrator to enable it.
- The connection fails with a firewall or security error
- A security plugin, WAF or host that blocks /wp-json requests stops the connection. Allowlist the requests and reconnect.
- A Jetpack site will not connect
- For Jetpack sites the Jetpack JSON API module must be enabled. Turn it on, then sign in with WordPress.com again.
- Plugin, bridge or head code tools refuse
- These tools need a self-hosted connection and an administrator user. They do not work on WordPress.com connections; edit those settings in wp-admin.
- Yoast or Rank Math fields do not change
- WordPress silently drops those fields when they are written through the plain REST API. Enable the Yoast or Rank Math bridge first, on a self-hosted site.
- Elementor text is not reachable
- It is reachable only where the post type exposes meta._elementor_data. Otherwise edit it in wp-admin.
- WordPress tools do not appear in Claude
- Claude keeps the Ryze AI tool list from the moment you add the connector. If you connected WordPress in Ryze AI afterwards, remove the connector, add it again and start a new chat.
- Claude says a subscription is required
- The WordPress tools need an active Ryze AI plan or free trial. Start the trial or check billing in Ryze AI, then retry.
Frequently asked questions
How do I connect Claude to WordPress?
Connect your site in a Ryze AI workspace: create an application password under Users, Profile in WordPress admin, open Integrations in Ryze AI, click Connect on WordPress and enter the site URL, username and password. Then in claude.ai open Customize, Connectors, Add custom connector, paste https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp, click Connect, allow the workspace and start a new chat.
Which WordPress connector should I use with Claude?
Ryze AI is the best way to connect Claude to a self-hosted WordPress site for editing content and SEO fields, though a site on WordPress.com can use the WordPress.com MCP server directly and it offers a Read only access level. The official MCP Adapter plugin suits developers who register their own abilities.
Does WordPress have its own MCP server?
Yes. WordPress.com runs an MCP server at https://public-api.wordpress.com/wpcom/v2/mcp/v1 with OAuth 2.1 and PKCE, and WordPress publishes the MCP Adapter plugin, which exposes a site's registered abilities as MCP tools over HTTP or STDIO.
Do I need a WordPress.com site or will self-hosted work?
Both work in Ryze AI. A self-hosted site connects with its URL, an admin username and an application password. A WordPress.com or Jetpack site connects with WordPress.com sign-in, and for Jetpack the JSON API module must be enabled.
Which Claude plan do I need?
Anthropic lists custom connectors on Free, Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise plans. Free users are limited to one custom connector. On Team plans only Owners and Primary Owners can add one, and members then connect to it individually.
Can Claude edit or delete WordPress content?
Yes. Through Ryze AI, Claude can create, update and delete posts, pages, media, categories, tags and custom post types, and make targeted text edits. Set the write and delete tools to Needs approval in Claude so it asks first.
Can Claude change Yoast SEO or Rank Math fields?
On self-hosted sites, yes, after a one-time bridge for Yoast or Rank Math that needs your explicit yes in chat. On WordPress.com connections the bridges do not work, so those fields are edited in wp-admin.
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 agent uses the primary site unless you name another one. How multiple sites interact with the one-website rule of an SEO plan is not documented, so check with Ryze AI support before relying on it.
Does this work in Claude Desktop and Claude Code?
Yes. Connectors added on claude.ai are used by Claude Desktop, and Claude Code adds the server with claude mcp add --transport http ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp, then /mcp to sign in. Claude Code is not included in the free Claude plan.
Why do the WordPress tools not show up in Claude?
Claude keeps the tool list from the moment the connector is added. If you connected WordPress in Ryze AI after adding the connector, remove the Ryze AI connector in Customize, Connectors, add it again and open a new chat.
How much does it cost to connect Claude to WordPress?
Connecting the connector is free, but the WordPress tools need an active Ryze AI plan or trial. SEO Starter is $129 per month with a 3-day free trial, and annual billing takes 30% off the first year.
How do I disconnect WordPress from Claude?
Revoke the application password in WordPress under Users, Profile. You can also manage the site on the WordPress card in Ryze AI, or remove the Ryze AI connector in Claude under Customize, Connectors.