---
title: Connect Claude Desktop to your WordPress sites
description: Connect Claude Desktop to the AI MCP service as a custom connector, then run your first WordPress ability.
url: https://developers.wpengine.com/docs/ai/api/mcp/how-to/configure-claude-desktop/
image: https://developers.wpengine.com/og/docs/ai/api/mcp/how-to/configure-claude-desktop.png
---

# Connect Claude Desktop to your WordPress sites

In this guide, you use the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect Claude Desktop to your WordPress sites through the WP Engine AI MCP server. The guide covers everything from adding the connector to running your first ability.

To configure Claude Code, see [Connect Claude Code](https://developers.wpengine.com/docs/ai/api/mcp/how-to/configure-claude-code/).

## Prerequisites

- Claude Desktop installed ([download](https://claude.ai/download))
- **A WP Engine account** with at least one WordPress site connected to it (a [site connection](https://developers.wpengine.com/docs/ai/api/site-and-account-connections/#site-connection))
- **AI turned on for that account.** An account owner accepts the WP Engine AI terms and turns on AI in the WP Engine User Portal

## 1. Add the connector

1. In Claude Desktop, open **Settings → Connectors**.
2. Select **Add custom connector**.
3. Enter the name `wpengine` and the URL `https://api.ai.wpengine.com/v1/mcp`.
4. Select **Add**.

Do not add an `Authorization` header. You authenticate with OAuth in the next step.

## 2. Sign in

1. Select **Connect** on the new connector.
2. Sign in with your WP Engine account in the browser window that opens.

Claude Desktop stores the sign-in and renews it for you.

## 3. Confirm Claude Desktop can see your sites

Start a new chat, then ask:

```text
Use the wpengine MCP server to list my WordPress sites
```

Claude Desktop calls `list_accounts` to find your account, then calls `list_account_sites`. It returns your active registered sites, similar to this:

```text
You have 3 WordPress sites connected:
1. example.com (example-prod) - Active
2. staging.example.com (example-staging) - Active
3. dev.example.com (example-dev) - Active
```

If no tools appear:

- Confirm the connector shows as connected under **Settings → Connectors**. If it doesn’t, select **Connect** and sign in again
- Confirm the URL is exactly `https://api.ai.wpengine.com/v1/mcp`
- Review the Claude Desktop logs under **Settings → Developer**
- For anything else, see [Troubleshooting](https://developers.wpengine.com/docs/ai/api/mcp/troubleshooting/)

## 4. Connect your WordPress account

With your current setup, you can list sites and search a knowledge base. **You can’t run an ability yet.** Running an ability needs a second, separate connection between you and each site.

Most people don’t expect this. Registering a site with WP Engine gives nobody permission to act on it, including the administrator who registered it. [The two connections](https://developers.wpengine.com/docs/ai/api/site-and-account-connections/) explains why.

Complete these steps once per site:

1. Ask Claude Desktop: “What’s the WordPress connection status for my sites?”

2. For each site that isn’t connected, Claude Desktop gives you a link. Open the link while you’re logged in to that site’s WordPress admin. If no link comes back, build it yourself:

   `{site_url}/wp-admin/admin.php?page=power-overview&action=trigger_wp_connection`

   Opening this link is the only way to start the connection. WordPress has no option to start it manually.

3. Review the permissions, then confirm with **Connect WordPress user**. You land back in wp-admin, now connected. See [The consent screen](https://developers.wpengine.com/docs/ai/api/site-and-account-connections/#connect-your-wordpress-account).

## 5. Run your first ability

Ask:

```text
Create a draft post on example.com titled 'Today in the news with WP Engine' using the wpengine MCP server
```

Claude Desktop finds the site’s **Create Post** ability (`wp-engine-ai/create-posts`) with `search_abilities` and runs it with `run_site_ability`. It returns the new post ID and a link to the draft.

---

[Troubleshooting](https://developers.wpengine.com/docs/ai/api/mcp/troubleshooting/)Fixes by symptom, including a server your client can't see, the 'not personally connected' error, and what each error code means.

[Authentication](https://developers.wpengine.com/docs/ai/api/authentication/)How MCP clients authenticate with OAuth.

[Site and WordPress account connections](https://developers.wpengine.com/docs/ai/api/site-and-account-connections/)Why you still can't write to a registered site.

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