Connect Claude Code to WordPress

Q: What do I need before connecting?

A WordPress site on HTTPS with the Saddle plugin installed and activated. Claude Code installed on your computer. An administrator account on the site.

Q: How do I know it worked?

Run claude in any folder and ask: It should report your site name, WordPress version, and content counts. The app also appears in Saddle → Connections as soon as its first call arrives.

Q: What can Claude Code do on my site?

Whatever you allow. Saddle starts every site at Just reading — it can look, and change nothing, until you raise the level on the Permissions screen. Every deletion goes through a preview-and-confirm approval at any level.

Q: It didn't connect — what now?

Open Saddle → Connections → Connection details & health and click Test the endpoint. That tells you whether the problem is your site or the app. The two usual causes are a server that strips the Authorization header (there's a one-click fix) and a key that was rotated. Both are covered in Troubleshooting and FAQ.

Q: How do I disconnect it?

Click Disconnect on the app's row in Saddle → Connections. The key stops working immediately, and no other app is affected.

Claude Code can manage your WordPress site from your terminal — writing posts, editing pages, designing layouts with real editor blocks, organising media. Connecting it takes one command, and Saddle writes that command for you.

What do I need before connecting?

A WordPress site on HTTPS with the Saddle plugin installed and activated.
Claude Code installed on your computer.
An administrator account on the site.

How do I connect Claude Code to my WordPress site?

Step 1: Open the connect wizard

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Saddle → Connections, click Connect an app, and choose Claude Code.

Saddle connect wizard in WordPress showing the Choose app step with Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Gemini CLI, VS Code and Any MCP app

Step 2: Copy the setup command

Saddle creates a sign-in key for this app alone and builds the whole command — your site address and key already filled in. Click Copy setup.

Saddle setup step for Claude Code showing the one-line terminal command with the WordPress MCP server address and sign-in key

It looks like this — yours has your real address and key:

claude mcp add saddle-your-site --scope user --transport http https://your-site.com/wp-json/saddle/v1/mcp 
  --header "Authorization: Basic PASTE-YOUR-KEY-HERE"

Copy it before you close the wizard. The key is shown this once — Saddle keeps only its name and last four characters — and backing out early revokes it. If you lose it, use Rotate key on the app’s row to issue a fresh one.

Step 3: Paste it into your terminal

Open a terminal, paste, press Enter. That’s the whole setup. It uses --scope user, so the connection is saved to your user profile and works from any folder on your computer.

How do I know it worked?

Run claude in any folder and ask:

What can you see on my WordPress site?

It should report your site name, WordPress version, and content counts. The app also appears in Saddle → Connections as soon as its first call arrives.

What can Claude Code do on my site?

Whatever you allow. Saddle starts every site at Just reading — it can look, and change nothing, until you raise the level on the Permissions screen. Every deletion goes through a preview-and-confirm approval at any level.

It didn’t connect — what now?

Open Saddle → Connections → Connection details & health and click Test the endpoint. That tells you whether the problem is your site or the app. The two usual causes are a server that strips the Authorization header (there’s a one-click fix) and a key that was rotated. Both are covered in Troubleshooting and FAQ.

FAQ

Can I connect several WordPress sites at once?

Yes. Each site’s wizard generates its own server name, so they show up as separate servers rather than overwriting each other.

How do I disconnect it?

Click Disconnect on the app’s row in Saddle → Connections. The key stops working immediately, and no other app is affected.

Does Claude Code need to run in my site’s folder?

No. Because the connection is saved at user scope, it works from any directory.