How to Connect Claude With WordPress (WordPress.com and Self-Hosted)

Have you ever been excited to connect an AI tool to your site, only to get stuck because the settings look nothing like the tutorial? That happened to me twice. First on my own WordPress.com site, then again when I tried to help a friend with his self-hosted setup. It turns out these are two very different systems with the same name, and hardly anyone explains that at the start.

In my last post, I shared my full publishing workflow after connecting Claude and WordPress, including drafting, SEO checks, and setting dates. But I left out the part most people get stuck on first: how to connect Claude with WordPress. Here’s how to do it, step by step, for both types of sites.

WordPress.com or Self-Hosted? Figure This Out First

Before changing any settings, make sure you know which type of site you have, because the setup process is different for each one.

• WordPress.com hosts your site for you. If you signed up at wordpress.com and haven’t managed a server, this is your setup. Connecting Claude here is built in, so you don’t need a plugin.
• Self-hosted WordPress means you or your hosting provider (like Bluehost or SiteGround) installed WordPress, and you have access to wp-admin and your site files. To connect Claude here, you’ll need to add a plugin and do some setup yourself.

If you’re unsure which type you have, look at your admin URL. If it’s yoursite.wordpress.com or a custom domain bought through WordPress.com, you have a WordPress.com site.

How to Connect Claude With WordPress.com

This method is the easier option, and both companies officially support it.

1. Turn on MCP access for your account. Visit wordpress.com/me/mcp and switch on “Enable MCP access.” This allows AI tools to connect to your site. While you’re there, choose which features to allow. I recommend starting with content (posts, pages, tags) and leaving plugin management off until you trust the connection.
2. Open the Claude Connectors directory. In your browser, go to claude.ai/customize/connectors. In the desktop app, go to Settings, then Connectors, and select Browse connectors.
3. Search for “WordPress.com” and connect. Choose the official connector from the Claude Connectors Directory. Click Connect and give Claude access when asked.

That’s all you need to do. Your password stays with WordPress because the connection uses OAuth 2.1, so you’re just authorizing access instead of sharing credentials. You can remove access anytime in your account settings. For a full walkthrough and video, check WordPress.com’s support guide.

Pro tip: Every WordPress.com paid plan includes MCP access. If you’re on the free plan, you’ll need to upgrade to see these options.

How to Connect Claude to a Self-Hosted WordPress Site

I forgot the steps for this method before, so I’m writing them out clearly now. There isn’t a built-in switch; you’ll need a plugin and a configuration file.

1. Install the WordPress MCP Adapter plugin. This is the official plugin from WordPress’s AI team, not a third-party tool. Download it from the plugin’s GitHub releases page and install it as you would any other plugin — Plugins, Add New, Upload Plugin, or place the folder in wp-content/plugins if you’re familiar with FTP. Then activate the plugin.
2. Create a WordPress application password. In wp-admin, go to Users, then Profile, and scroll down to Application Passwords. Enter a label like “Claude” and click Add. WordPress will show you the password only once, so copy it right away, including the spaces.
3. Set up Claude Desktop to connect to your site. In Claude Desktop, go to Settings, then Developer, then Local MCP servers, and choose Edit Config. This opens claude_desktop_config.json. Add an entry like the example below, swapping in your own site URL, username, and the application password from the previous step:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote@latest"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://yoursite.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "WP_API_USERNAME": "your-username",
        "WP_API_PASSWORD": "your-application-password"
      }
    }
  }
}

4. Restart Claude Desktop, since MCP server settings only load when the app starts. After it reopens, go to Settings, then Developer, then Local MCP servers. Your site should appear with a “running” status.

The @automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote package is the official connector from Automattic that links Claude to the plugin you installed. You’ll also need Node.js on your computer for the npx command to work.

Pro tip: Make a separate WordPress user just for this purpose, with the lowest role needed — Editor is usually enough for content tasks. If the application password ever leaks, only the Editor’s permissions are at risk, not your whole site.

Make Sure It Actually Worked

No matter which method you used, don’t assume the connection is working. Ask Claude to do something small and specific to check:

• "Get the site info from my WordPress site."
• "List my last 5 posts."

If Claude responds with real details instead of an error or nothing, your connection works. If not, check that you copied the application password with all its spaces (for self-hosted sites), or make sure MCP access is turned on at wordpress.com/me/mcp (for WordPress.com).

Bottom Line

Connecting Claude with WordPress is either a quick two-minute toggle or a fifteen-minute plugin setup, depending on your site type. Knowing this ahead of time would have saved me a lot of time. Once you’re connected, my last post walks through the publishing workflow I actually use.

Pro tip: If guides like this help you, subscribe here — you don’t have to get every post, just pick Tech or whatever categories interest you, and I’ll leave the rest out of your inbox.

Which setup did you use — WordPress.com or self-hosted? If you ran into any problems, let me know where you got stuck. I’d be happy to help you troubleshoot.

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