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How to Set Up a Self-Hosted WordPress MCP Server

Set up your own WordPress MCP server with the official MCP Adapter. This guide covers WordPress and PHP requirements, local WP-CLI/STDIO configuration, remote HTTP authentication, capability discovery, security, and troubleshooting.

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A self-hosted WordPress MCP server lets an AI client such as Claude, Cursor, or VS Code discover and use capabilities exposed by your own WordPress installation. The supported route is the official WordPress MCP Adapter: install it on WordPress 6.9 or newer with PHP 7.4 or newer, then serve it locally over WP-CLI/STDIO or expose it remotely through HTTP with the @automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote proxy.

Use STDIO when the client and WordPress run on the same machine or development environment. Use HTTP for a hosted site, with HTTPS, a narrowly scoped WordPress account, and application-password or custom OAuth authentication. The tools an agent can see are not universal; they come from Abilities registered by WordPress core, plugins, and themes on that site.

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What a self-hosted WordPress MCP server does

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standard way for an AI application to discover tools, resources, and prompts and then call them. WordPress supplies the underlying site functions through its Abilities API. The MCP Adapter translates those registered Abilities into MCP primitives, so an agent can inspect the catalog and invoke approved WordPress operations.

WordPress describes the adapter’s role as adapting “Abilities registered by the Abilities API into the primitives supported by the Model Context Protocol (MCP)” so agents can execute site functionality as tools and read WordPress data as resources. In practical terms, the adapter is a bridge, not a fixed bundle of editorial features. A fresh installation may expose only the Abilities provided by core; activated plugins and themes can add, change, or remove what appears in the catalog.

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The request path

  1. Your AI client starts an MCP session.
  2. The adapter reports available tools, resources, and prompts based on the site’s registered Abilities.
  3. The client sends a tool call or resource request.
  4. WordPress executes it under the authenticated user and returns the result through MCP.

That final step is why the WordPress account matters. MCP does not bypass WordPress permissions. The agent receives whatever the selected user is allowed to do, so account design is part of the security boundary.

Prerequisites and design choices

Software requirements

  • WordPress: version 6.9 or newer.
  • PHP: version 7.4 or newer.
  • REST API: the site’s REST API must work normally.
  • WP-CLI: required for the local STDIO pattern.
  • HTTPS: required when an MCP endpoint is reachable remotely. A normal nginx or Apache reverse proxy terminating HTTPS needs no special adapter setting beyond ordinary REST API operation.

Check the PHP and WordPress versions in your hosting control panel or with WP-CLI before installing anything. If REST requests already fail because of a firewall, maintenance mode, authentication layer, or broken permalink configuration, fix that first; the adapter depends on the same WordPress request stack.

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Choose where the MCP process runs

Question Local WP-CLI/STDIO Remote HTTP
Where does the MCP process run? On the client computer or another local process that can run WP-CLI against the site files. Through an HTTP-facing WordPress installation, normally reached via a proxy.
Typical use Local development, staging, or a private workstation. A production site or a client that cannot access the WordPress filesystem.
Authentication A WordPress user passed to WP-CLI. A WordPress application password or a custom OAuth implementation.
Exposure No public MCP listener is required. The site must be protected by HTTPS and normal web-server controls.
Maintenance You maintain WP-CLI, PHP, WordPress, and the plugin on the machine running the command. You maintain the web stack, HTTPS, WordPress, the plugin, and the remote proxy.

For a single developer on a local checkout, STDIO is usually the smaller attack surface. HTTP is the practical choice when the AI client is elsewhere, but it adds identity, TLS, proxy, and rate-limiting responsibilities.

Install the official MCP Adapter

  1. Download the latest release ZIP of the official WordPress MCP Adapter.
  2. In WordPress administration, open Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin.
  3. Select the release ZIP, choose Install Now, and then select Activate Plugin.
  4. Confirm that the site still serves normal REST API requests and that no security plugin or web-application firewall is blocking the adapter’s routes.

The adapter converts registered Abilities into MCP tools, resources, and prompts. Installing it does not guarantee a particular list of publishing, media, user, or commerce operations: the list is determined by the Abilities registered by the version of WordPress, plugins, and themes currently active on your site.

Create a dedicated WordPress user

Do not give an agent your personal administrator credentials. Create a separate user for MCP work and grant only the role or custom capabilities required for the tasks you intend to automate. A read-only workflow should use an account that cannot publish, delete, install plugins, change settings, or manage other users. If a workflow must publish, separate that account from one used for destructive maintenance.

Record which human owner is responsible for the account, rotate its credentials when staff or integrations change, and remove it when the integration is retired. WordPress authorization still applies to every call, so reducing capabilities here directly reduces the damage a compromised client or prompt could cause.

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Set up a local server with WP-CLI and STDIO

STDIO means the MCP client starts a command and exchanges protocol messages through the process’s standard input and output. No public HTTP MCP endpoint is needed. The client must be able to run WP-CLI and access the WordPress installation identified by --path.

1. Confirm WP-CLI access

From the machine that will run the MCP process, verify that WP-CLI can load the installation and authenticate the selected user. The exact shell command depends on your existing WP-CLI setup, but the path must point to the WordPress root containing wp-config.php. Resolve filesystem permissions and PHP errors before adding MCP configuration.

2. Add the MCP server entry

Use the following minimum configuration pattern in the MCP client’s server configuration. The location and filename of that configuration vary by client, so use the client’s current MCP settings screen or configuration-file convention.

{
  "wordpress-mcp-server": {
    "command": "wp",
    "args": [
      "--path=/path/to/your/wordpress/installation",
      "mcp-adapter",
      "serve",
      "--server=mcp-adapter-default-server",
      "--user={admin_user}"
    ]
  }
}

Replace /path/to/your/wordpress/installation with the absolute path to the site and replace {admin_user} with the WordPress username dedicated to this integration. The braces in the example indicate a value to substitute; they are not a command-line placeholder that WP-CLI will resolve automatically.

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3. Restart the client and watch the process output

Fully restart the AI client after saving its MCP configuration. A successful startup should launch wp mcp-adapter serve without PHP fatal errors, an unknown-command error, or a permissions failure. If the client reports that the server exited immediately, run the same command in a terminal from the WordPress directory and fix the first error shown there.

4. Keep STDIO output clean

MCP messages travel over the process’s standard streams. Shell wrappers, debugging statements, PHP notices, and plugin output written to standard output can corrupt the protocol stream. Send diagnostics to a log or standard error instead, and run the command in the same PHP environment in which the adapter was installed.

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Connect Claude, Cursor, or VS Code

Each client has its own way to register an MCP server, but the integration data is the same: a server name, the wp executable, the argument list above, and permission for the client to launch the process.

  1. Open the client’s MCP or extensions settings.
  2. Add a new local server and choose a command-based or STDIO transport.
  3. Paste the wp command and arguments, or import the equivalent JSON object.
  4. Save the entry and restart the client if it does not rescan servers automatically.
  5. Open the client’s tool or capability view and confirm that the WordPress server appears as connected.

Do not copy a configuration intended for an HTTP server into a STDIO field. Conversely, an HTTP client needs a URL and authentication flow; it cannot run a local wp command unless it has access to the WordPress filesystem and PHP environment.

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Verify the connection safely

Connection status alone is not proof that the right user or capabilities are active. Verify in this order:

  1. List capabilities: call MCP tools/list (or use the client’s equivalent capability browser).
  2. Check identity: confirm that the available operations match the dedicated WordPress user’s role.
  3. Run a low-risk read: request a harmless site or content read operation.
  4. Review the result: confirm that returned data is from the intended site and does not include information the client should not receive.
  5. Test a write only when necessary: use a disposable draft or staging site first, and verify the resulting WordPress audit trail.

The catalog is site-specific. Core, plugins, and themes may register different Abilities on different sites, and updates can change the catalog. Treat tools/list as the current contract rather than assuming that a tool seen in a tutorial exists on your installation.

Expose a self-hosted site over HTTP

Use HTTP when the AI client cannot run WP-CLI against your server. The documented pattern uses the @automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote proxy to connect an MCP client to the WordPress adapter over the web.

1. Keep WordPress behind HTTPS

Terminate TLS at nginx, Apache, or your managed reverse proxy and ensure the public WordPress URL is HTTPS. The adapter does not require a special reverse-proxy mode; it relies on the site’s ordinary REST API operation. Preserve the request method, authorization headers, and response body when forwarding traffic. Test the REST API from outside the server before troubleshooting MCP.

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2. Choose authentication

The remote proxy can authenticate with a WordPress application password or with a custom OAuth implementation. Application passwords are tied to a WordPress user and can be revoked independently, making them a practical option for a controlled integration. Store the credential in the client or proxy’s secret store, never in a public repository, chat transcript, or browser-visible configuration.

Use custom OAuth when your organization already has an identity and consent system that must mediate access. Implement it so that the resulting WordPress identity is still limited to the capabilities the agent needs. Do not treat OAuth as a substitute for least privilege.

3. Configure the remote proxy

Install and configure @automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote according to the proxy’s current release instructions, supplying the HTTPS WordPress address and the selected authentication method. The proxy becomes the MCP-facing process; WordPress remains the system that authorizes and executes the underlying Abilities.

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4. Restrict the public surface

  • Allow only HTTPS; redirect or reject plaintext HTTP.
  • Use a dedicated MCP user with the smallest practical capability set.
  • Apply normal web-server and firewall controls to administrative and REST traffic.
  • Rate-limit or monitor the proxy where your infrastructure supports it.
  • Keep WordPress, PHP, the adapter, and the proxy updated.
  • Revoke the application password immediately if it appears in logs or is no longer needed.
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STDIO versus HTTP: which should you use?

Decision factor STDIO HTTP with remote proxy
Best fit Local development, staging, or a workstation with filesystem access. Remote production sites and clients running outside the server.
Data location WordPress data is accessed by a local process. Requests and responses cross the network to the hosted WordPress site.
Credential model Local WP-CLI user selection. Application password or custom OAuth.
Network exposure No MCP listener needs to be public. Requires HTTPS and careful proxy/web-server configuration.
Operational burden Maintain local PHP, WP-CLI, WordPress, and plugin versions. Maintain server software, TLS, REST availability, WordPress, plugin, and proxy.
Failure modes Wrong path, missing WP-CLI command, PHP mismatch, or polluted STDIO output. TLS, DNS, proxy routing, authentication, firewall, and REST/API failures.

Choose based on control and data location, not on the number of tools advertised by a client. Both transports ultimately expose the Abilities available to the authenticated WordPress user.

WordPress.com and the hosted alternative

WordPress.com provides a hosted MCP endpoint at https://public-api.wordpress.com/wpcom/v2/mcp/v1 and protects it with OAuth 2.1. A self-hosted site connected through Jetpack with an eligible Jetpack AI or Jetpack Complete plan uses that same hosted endpoint; there is no separate Jetpack MCP endpoint.

This hosted route changes the operational model: the MCP endpoint is operated by WordPress.com rather than by your own PHP and web stack. It can be useful when you prefer managed authentication and endpoint availability, but it is not the same as running the adapter locally on your server. Compare where requests are processed, which account grants access, and which service you must maintain before choosing it.

Security and governance checklist

Before enabling writes

  • Start with read-only or low-impact capabilities and inspect the result.
  • Use staging or a disposable draft for the first write test.
  • Define which actions require human approval, especially publishing, deletion, user management, plugin changes, and settings changes.
  • Document the MCP user, transport, endpoint, and credential owner.

For ongoing operation

  • Review the output of tools/list after WordPress, plugin, or theme updates.
  • Monitor WordPress and web-server logs for unexpected calls or authentication failures.
  • Rotate application passwords and remove unused credentials.
  • Keep backups and a tested restore path before allowing destructive operations.
  • Separate development, staging, and production users and endpoints.
  • Do not send secrets, private customer records, or unnecessary personal data to a general-purpose AI client.

An MCP connection is an automation interface, not a separate security domain. WordPress roles, capabilities, REST controls, TLS, credential storage, backups, and logging remain the controls that determine what can happen.

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Troubleshooting common failures

“Unknown command: mcp-adapter”

WP-CLI cannot see the adapter command. Confirm that the plugin is installed and activated in the WordPress installation named by --path. Run WP-CLI from that site, check for a PHP fatal error, and verify that the command is being executed with the same PHP binary used by WordPress.

The client cannot start the server

Check that the client can execute wp by its configured name or absolute path, that the WordPress path is readable, and that the selected user exists. Test the complete command manually. A shell profile that works interactively may not be loaded by a desktop client, so use absolute executable paths when necessary.

The server starts, but no tools appear

Call tools/list and inspect the adapter log. An empty or small catalog can be legitimate if no plugin or theme has registered additional Abilities. It can also indicate that the wrong WordPress installation, environment, or user is being used. Compare the site URL, active extensions, and account capabilities with the intended setup.

HTTP authentication fails

Verify the application-password username and secret, the HTTPS hostname, and whether a proxy or firewall strips authorization headers. Confirm that the WordPress REST API works for the same account. For custom OAuth, check token audience, expiry, scopes, and the WordPress identity produced after login.

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Requests fail only through a reverse proxy

Check TLS termination, forwarded host and protocol headers, request methods, authorization headers, and response-body handling. Compare a direct internal request with the public HTTPS request. Because the adapter uses normal REST operation, a discrepancy usually points to proxy, firewall, or WordPress REST configuration rather than an MCP-specific setting.

The client receives malformed protocol data

For STDIO, look for PHP notices, deprecation warnings, shell banners, or plugin debugging output written to standard output. Move diagnostics to logs or standard error, then restart the client. For HTTP, inspect whether an intermediary is replacing the MCP response with an HTML login page, error page, or redirect.

Version and capability expectations

The current WordPress.org plugin listing identifies support for MCP protocol revisions 2025-11-25 and 2026-07-28. A client and adapter still need to negotiate a compatible protocol version, so keep both sides current and consult the client’s compatibility message when a session fails during initialization.

Do not promise a fixed feature list in documentation for your own site. Record the output of tools/list after installation, then repeat the check after core, plugin, and theme updates. The registered Abilities—not the adapter alone—determine whether an agent can read content, create drafts, publish, manage media, or perform other operations.

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A repeatable deployment plan

  1. Upgrade or provision WordPress 6.9+ and PHP 7.4+.
  2. Confirm the REST API and HTTPS behavior.
  3. Install and activate the latest MCP Adapter release ZIP.
  4. Create a dedicated, least-privilege WordPress user.
  5. Choose STDIO for local filesystem access or HTTP for remote access.
  6. Configure the local WP-CLI command or the remote proxy and authentication.
  7. Connect the AI client and call tools/list.
  8. Run a low-risk read against the intended site.
  9. Test any write in staging or as a disposable draft, then define approval rules.
  10. Monitor logs, rotate credentials, and recheck capabilities after updates.

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