Free WordPress MCP Plugin for ChatGPT and Claude

Cascadia engineer writing WordPress code across dual monitors.

Built for control, not just access

What makes this WordPress MCP plugin different

Most MCP options for WordPress are developer libraries or thin REST wrappers. This one is a finished plugin with the awkward parts already solved: real OAuth for ChatGPT, per-connection profiles so an agent only sees the tools you allow, and permission checks that inherit the WordPress role you authenticated as. It is free, it is GPL, and nothing you do passes through our servers. Here is where that shows up in practice.

Real OAuth, not a shared key

ChatGPT connects through a proper OAuth 2.0 flow with PKCE, authorized from your own login screen. Most integrations hand out a static token that lives forever in a config file. Yours expires, refreshes, and can be revoked from WordPress without touching anything else.

Profiles decide what agents see

Every connection gets a profile, and the profile decides which tools are exposed. Start read-only and an assistant can research your archive without changing a thing. Widen it later, or build a custom profile, so each client reaches exactly what it needs and nothing else.

Your server, no middleman

Requests travel from your MCP client to your own REST API and back. There is no relay service, no account with us, and no telemetry of any kind. Your credentials and your content stay on infrastructure you already pay for.

382 tools across seven plugins

Plenty of MCP servers expose a handful of endpoints. This one covers WordPress core plus WooCommerce, Yoast, Rank Math, Contact Form 7, Elementor, and Jetpack. Store operations, SEO metadata, page structure, and form configuration are all reachable from the same connection.

One endpoint, every client

One JSON-RPC 2.0 endpoint on your own domain serves every client. ChatGPT authorizes over OAuth 2.0. Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf connect with a WordPress Application Password. Nothing in the endpoint is written for a specific vendor, so clients that adopt the standard later should work without a plugin update.

Free, with no upgrade path

Every feature ships in the free version: all 382 tools, OAuth for ChatGPT, profile-based access, and encrypted credential storage. It is published on WordPress.org under GPL v3, there is no paid tier, and there is no license key to buy. Install it on as many sites as you like.

How we compare

This plugin vs a generic WordPress MCP server

Most WordPress MCP options fall into two camps: a developer library you write code against, or a minimal server that exposes a few endpoints and calls it done. Here is how those choices differ across the things that decide whether you can actually put an agent to work.

Finished plugin vs developer library

You install it, pick a profile, and connect. The official WordPress adapter is a library for exposing your own abilities as tools, which means writing and maintaining PHP before an agent can do anything at all.

OAuth for ChatGPT vs tokens only

ChatGPT needs a real OAuth flow to connect as an app. Servers that only support bearer tokens or Basic Auth leave ChatGPT users stuck, however well they happen to work with Claude Desktop or Cursor.

Plugin coverage vs core only

WooCommerce, Rank Math, Yoast, Elementor, Contact Form 7, and Jetpack are all covered when installed. A core-only server can publish a post but cannot touch a product, a redirect, or a page layout.

Scoped profiles vs all or nothing

You choose which tools each connection can reach. Servers without a permission layer expose everything the authenticated user can do, which makes a safe read-only research connection impossible to set up.

Encrypted secrets vs plaintext options

Client secrets are encrypted with AES-256-CBC before storage. Plenty of plugins drop API credentials straight into the options table, where any database export or nightly backup hands them over intact.

Self-hosted vs relay service

Nothing passes through a third party. Hosted MCP bridges route your content and credentials through someone else's servers, which adds a party to trust and a service that can change terms or disappear.

The process

How the WordPress MCP plugin works

Setup is three steps and takes about ten minutes on a site you already administer. You install the plugin, decide how much access to grant, and connect your client. After that the connection stays live until you decide to revoke it.

Install and pick a profile

Install from the WordPress Plugin Directory and activate it. Open Settings, then MCP Connector, and choose a profile. Start narrow. A read-only profile shows you exactly what the agent can see before you give it permission to change anything, and you can widen access once the results earn your trust.

Connect your AI client

For ChatGPT, generate OAuth credentials in the plugin and paste them into a new app. For Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf, create a WordPress Application Password and copy the generated config from the Client Setup tab. Either way the endpoint sits on your own domain and authorization happens on your own login screen.

Put it to work

Ask for what you want in plain language. The agent calls only the tools your profile allows, WordPress checks permissions on every single call, and the work lands as if you had done it by hand. Revoke the Application Password or the OAuth grant whenever you want the connection to stop.

Testimonials

Here's what others had to say

Our team handles daily updates to the WordPress core, ensuring your site is always running the latest and most secure version. These updates include performance tweaks and database optimizations, helping your site stay fast and stable. We also clear cached data and proactively fix issues before they affect users. With us managing your updates, you never have to worry about falling behind or breaking your site.

Joe Q.

I can't say enough about how grateful I am to [Cascadia] for helping me resolve my tech problems. I was in a real bind, and [they] calmly and cooly fixed the problem--something two other tech support folks could not do. [They are] gonna be my go-to from now on.

Sandi S.

Naomi T.

[Cascadia] is amazing! They are so patient and explains things in such a clear way. I'm very grateful to them for making me feel more confident in my work with the CRM. Can't recommend them enough!!

Aventurina K.

I've been on Upwrok for 5+ years hiring various contractors for my service based business and there is no doubt that [Cascadia] is one of the top 5 I've ever hired for ANYTHING. For domain related questions, a selfless work-ethic, and a deep & reliable source of knowledge, [Cascadia] is the right choice.

Andrew K.

I've worked with Cascadia for nearly three years, and the service is fantastic. The benefits are reasonably priced, and the turnaround time is better than any titan within the industry. I love this company, and we look forward to growing with them.

Carl B.

Every tool, grouped by area

What the WordPress MCP plugin includes

All

MCP Server Endpoint

Your site gains a single JSON-RPC 2.0 endpoint that speaks the Model Context Protocol. Any compatible client connects to it directly, with no middleware to host and no separate service to keep running. The endpoint sits on your own domain under wp-json, so the connection stays inside infrastructure you already control.

75 WordPress Core Tools

Posts, pages, media, comments, users, taxonomies, menus, plugins, themes, and site settings are all addressable. That covers most of what an editor does in wp-admin, which means an agent can draft, revise, publish, and tidy up without you switching windows to finish the job by hand.

Profile-Based Access Control

Tool access is grouped into profiles you assign per connection. A read-only profile lets an assistant research your archive without touching it, while a full-access profile suits a trusted automation. You can build custom profiles too, so each client gets exactly the surface area it needs and nothing more.

Zero External Dependencies

The plugin is plain WordPress code with no Composer install, no build step, and no third-party service in the path. Nothing phones home. Requests travel between your MCP client and your own REST API, so your content and credentials never pass through infrastructure belonging to anyone else.

ChatGPT via OAuth 2.0

Generate a client ID and secret inside the plugin, paste them into a ChatGPT app, and authorize the connection from your own WordPress login screen. The flow is native OAuth rather than a shared key, so access can be revoked from WordPress at any point without rotating anything else.

Claude via Application Passwords

Claude Desktop authenticates with a standard WordPress Application Password, which you create in your user profile and can revoke the same way. There is no separate account to register and no vendor sitting between the two, so setup takes a couple of minutes and stays under your control.

Cursor and Windsurf Support

Both editors connect over the same Basic Auth path as Claude Desktop, which makes the plugin useful while you are actually building rather than only while writing. Any other client that supports OAuth 2.0 or Basic Auth will work too, since nothing in the endpoint is client-specific.

Guided Client Setup

The Client Setup tab generates the configuration block for whichever client you are connecting, filled in with your own endpoint. Copy it across and the connection works. If you would rather write it yourself, the raw endpoint and authentication details sit alongside it on the same screen.

OAuth 2.0 with PKCE

The ChatGPT authorization flow uses Proof Key for Code Exchange, so an intercepted authorization code cannot be redeemed by anyone else. Codes expire after ten minutes. It is the same hardening pattern banking apps rely on, applied to a connection most plugins would secure with a single static key.

Encrypted Client Secrets

Client secrets are encrypted with AES-256-CBC before they touch your database. A copy of the database on its own does not hand over working credentials. Only administrators can generate or view them in the first place, so the blast radius of a compromised editor account stays small.

Token Expiry and Refresh

Access tokens last one hour and refresh tokens last thirty days, with rotation on renewal. A leaked token stops being useful quickly instead of granting quiet access indefinitely, and revoking the connection in WordPress cuts it off immediately rather than whenever a subscription happens to lapse.

Capability Checks on Every Call

Each tool call runs through the same permission checks WordPress applies in wp-admin. An agent connected as an editor cannot install plugins or change user roles, because the account it uses genuinely cannot. No privilege escalation path was built in for the sake of convenience.

Admin-Only Authorization

Only administrators can generate OAuth credentials or authorize a ChatGPT connection. That keeps the decision to expose your site to an AI client with the people responsible for the site, rather than with anyone who happens to hold an editor login and a spare afternoon.

74 WooCommerce Tools

Products, variations, stock, categories, attributes, orders, refunds, order notes, coupons, shipping zones, tax rates, payment gateways, webhooks, and sales reports are all reachable. Store operations that normally mean a great deal of clicking become something you can describe once and have carried out.

SEO Tools for Rank Math and Yoast

78 Rank Math tools and 29 Yoast tools cover meta titles and descriptions, focus keywords, canonicals, robots directives, schema, redirects, 404 logs, and Search Console data. Pro features are supported where you have them, including schema templates, keyword tracking, and multiple keyword analysis.

71 Elementor Tools

Read and write the full elements tree, manage pages and templates, and edit global colors and typography. Elementor Pro adds form submissions, theme builder templates, popups, custom code, dynamic tags, and role permissions, which makes design work addressable instead of something you do by hand.

35 Jetpack Tools

Activate and deactivate modules, pull site stats and top posts, manage related posts, sharing, subscriptions, publicize connections, and protect settings. If you already lean on Jetpack for analytics, those numbers become something you can ask about directly instead of opening one more dashboard.

20 Contact Form 7 Tools

Create, edit, duplicate, and delete forms, update mail templates and response messages, and check configuration for problems. The validation tool catches misconfigured fields that quietly stop a contact form from delivering, which is the kind of fault nobody notices until a lead has already gone missing.

WordPress MCP plugin questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

What is an MCP server, in plain terms?

It is a standard way for an AI assistant to reach a system and do things inside it, rather than only talk about it. Without one, you copy text back and forth by hand. With one, the assistant can read your posts, create a draft, update a product, or check a setting directly. This plugin turns your WordPress site into that kind of server.

What is the Model Context Protocol?

Model Context Protocol, usually shortened to MCP, is an open standard published by Anthropic that defines how AI clients connect to outside tools and data. Because it is a shared standard rather than one vendor's private format, a single server works with many clients. That is why the same plugin serves ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf without a separate integration for each one.

Is the plugin really free?

Yes. It is published on the WordPress Plugin Directory under GPL v3, and there is no paid tier, no trial period, and no feature held back behind a license key. Install it on as many sites as you like. If you want us to handle setup and ongoing management, that is a separate service you can choose, not a requirement.

Is connecting AI to WordPress safe?

It is as safe as the account you connect with, which is the honest answer. Every tool call runs through the same permission checks WordPress uses in wp-admin, so an agent cannot exceed the role it authenticated as. Credentials are encrypted at rest, tokens expire, and you can revoke access from WordPress at any time. The variable you control is which profile you grant.

Which AI clients can I connect?

ChatGPT connects over OAuth 2.0. Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf connect with WordPress Application Passwords. Any other client that speaks MCP over either of those authentication methods will work, because nothing in the endpoint is written for a specific vendor. Clients that adopt the standard later should work without waiting on a plugin update.

How do I connect ChatGPT?

Open the ChatGPT OAuth tab in the plugin and generate credentials. Copy the client ID, the secret, and your server URL. In ChatGPT, create an app, paste in the endpoint, choose OAuth, and add the two values. You will be sent to your own WordPress login screen to authorize the connection. Only administrators can complete that final step.

How do I connect Claude Desktop?

Create an Application Password under Users then Profile in WordPress. Pick a profile in the plugin's Profiles tab so you know which tools are exposed. Open the Client Setup tab, which generates the configuration for Claude Desktop with your endpoint already filled in, and copy it across. Authenticate with your WordPress username and the Application Password you just created.

Do I need WooCommerce installed?

No. The plugin works on its own for content and site management, and the 75 WordPress core tools are always available. WooCommerce tools appear only when WooCommerce is active. The same applies to the Yoast, Rank Math, Contact Form 7, Elementor, and Jetpack integrations, which stay hidden until the plugin they extend is installed.

What if I do not use any of the supported plugins?

You still get the 75 core tools, covering posts, pages, media, comments, users, taxonomies, menus, themes, and settings. That is enough for most editorial and administrative work. The integrations are additive. Nothing breaks or nags you when a supported plugin is missing, and the tool list simply reflects what is actually installed on the site.

Can I limit what an AI agent is allowed to do?

Yes, in two ways. Profiles control which tools are exposed to a given connection, from read-only through to full access, and you can define your own. Underneath that, the WordPress role of the account you authenticate with sets a hard ceiling. Connect as an editor and no profile will let the agent install a plugin.

Does any of my data leave my server?

No data goes to us or to any third party. Requests travel between your MCP client and your own site's REST API endpoints, and responses come back the same way. Your credentials and your content stay on your server. The only outside party that sees your content is the AI client you chose to connect, on the terms you agreed with them.

Do I need an API key?

Not a key from us, because there is nothing to sign up for. For ChatGPT you generate OAuth credentials inside the plugin. For Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf you use a WordPress Application Password created in your own user profile. Both are issued by your site and revoked from your site, with no account in between.

What are the requirements?

WordPress 5.8 or higher and PHP 7.4 or higher. Version 1.6.0 was tested against WordPress 7.0, WooCommerce 10.7, Yoast SEO 27.6, Rank Math 1.0.270, Contact Form 7 6.1.6, Elementor 4.0.9, and Jetpack 14.0. Application Passwords require your site to be served over HTTPS, which most hosts now do as standard.

Can you set this up for me?

Yes. Installation is straightforward, but deciding which profile each connection should get, and which account those connections authenticate as, is worth thinking through on a site that matters. We can configure it as part of a managed plan, or handle it as a one-off. Tell us what you want the agent to be able to do.

How is this different from the official WordPress MCP adapter?

The adapter from the WordPress project is a developer library for exposing abilities as MCP tools, which means writing code. This plugin is a finished product you install and configure in the admin, with 382 tools already built, OAuth for ChatGPT, and access profiles included. They serve different audiences. If you are shipping your own tools, use the adapter.

Free WordPress MCP Plugin For ChatGPT Claude Cursor