Turn WordPress into an MCP server

Large language models are great at talking about your website. They are useless at working with it — until you give them a door. Here is how NIBWP turns WordPress into a Model Context Protocol server, how to connect Claude, and the sharp edges worth knowing.

What is MCP, in a minute

The Model Context Protocol is an open standard for connecting AI applications to tools and data. A client speaks one protocol to a server that advertises tools with typed inputs and outputs — USB for AI context: one shape, many devices.

NIBWP is an MCP server that lives inside WordPress. It introspects your post types, taxonomies, fields and active integrations, then exposes them as tools an agent can call over HTTPS.

The architecture

Three layers, one connection. Clients connect to the NIBWP endpoint; NIBWP translates tool calls into WordPress operations and returns structured results.

Exposing a tool

Out of the box you get tools for posts, pages, media and any public custom type. Adding your own is a one-filter affair:

<?php
// Expose a custom tool to your MCP server
add_filter( 'nibwp/tools', function ( array $tools ) {
    $tools[] = [
        'name'        => 'publish_changelog',
        'description' => 'Create and publish a changelog entry.',
    ];
    return $tools;
} );

Connecting Claude

Same endpoint, three clients. Pick your tool:

# Connect Claude Code over HTTP
claude mcp add --transport http nibwp \
  https://yoursite.com/wp-json/nibwp/v1/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer nwp_live_xxx"

{
  "mcpServers": { "nibwp": { "url": "https://yoursite.com/wp-json/nibwp/v1/mcp" } }
}

{
  "nibwp": { "command": "npx", "args": ["mcp-remote", "https://yoursite.com/wp-json/nibwp/v1/mcp"] }
}

A request, end to end

1. The model reads the tool schemas and picks search_posts.
2. NIBWP validates the arguments and runs a scoped query.
3. Typed results return; the model decides to call create_post.
4. The write is checked against your token scope, then committed.

$ claude "Draft a post from our last 3 changelog entries"
calling nibwp.search_posts({ type: "changelog", limit: 3 })
Draft created → /wp-admin/post.php?post=482

The endpoint never trusts the model. Every call is validated, scoped, and logged before it touches the database.— NIBWP security model

Security & scopes

Agents are powerful, so least-privilege is the default. Tokens carry scopes and you decide what each can touch:

• Issue a separate token per client so you can revoke one without the others.
• Keep tokens out of committed files — reference an env var instead.
• Review the audit log; every tool call is recorded.

Gotchas & tips

Use HTTP, not SSE

The legacy SSE transport still works but is deprecated. New connections should use the HTTP transport.

Mind your object cache

If reads look stale, a persistent object cache may be serving old data. Flush after bulk writes.

$ wp cache flush
Success: The cache was flushed.

Wrapping up

MCP collapses the distance between an assistant that knows about your site and one that can change it. With NIBWP that is one plugin, one endpoint, and a token you fully control.

Frequently asked questions