---
title: "Connect Any MCP App to WordPress"
url: "https://plugpress.co/docs/connect-mcp-app-to-wordpress.md"
canonical: "https://plugpress.co/docs/connect-mcp-app-to-wordpress/"
published: "2026-07-28"
modified: "2026-08-01"
author: "Fahim"
description: "Saddle turns your WordPress site into an MCP server, so any AI app can connect. Here is the standard setup that works in most MCP clients today."
tags:
  - "Saddle"
---

# Connect Any MCP App to WordPress

**Saddle runs a standard [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) server inside your WordPress site**, so any AI app that supports remote MCP servers can connect — not just the ones named in the wizard. If your app has an “Add MCP server” option, this guide is for it.

## What do I need before connecting?

- A WordPress site on **HTTPS** with the [Saddle plugin](/docs/what-is-saddle/) installed and activated.
- An AI app that supports remote MCP servers over HTTP with custom headers.

## How do I connect an MCP app to my WordPress site?

### Step 1: Open the connect wizard

In your WordPress dashboard, go to **Saddle → Connections**, click **Connect an app**, and choose **Any MCP app**.

![Saddle connect wizard in WordPress showing the Choose app step with Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Gemini CLI, VS Code and Any MCP app](https://plugpress.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/saddle-connect-wizard-choose-app.png)

### Step 2: Copy the generated config

![Saddle setup step for any MCP app showing the standard mcpServers JSON configuration](https://plugpress.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/saddle-connect-any-mcp-app-setup.png)

```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "saddle-your-site": {
      "url": "https://your-site.com/wp-json/saddle/v1/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Basic PASTE-YOUR-KEY-HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

**Copy it before closing the wizard.** The key appears this once, and backing out early revokes it.

### Step 3: Add it in your app

Look for “Add MCP server” or similar and paste the config. If your app asks for the pieces separately, these are the three facts it needs:

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| **Server URL** | `https://your-site.com/wp-json/saddle/v1/mcp` |
| **Transport** | HTTP (streamable) |
| **Header** | `Authorization: Basic` followed by the key from the wizard |

Some apps use `servers` instead of `mcpServers`, or require an explicit `"type": "http"`. If yours rejects the config above, try the [VS Code shape](/docs/connect-vs-code-to-wordpress/).

## What if my app can’t send custom headers?

Use OAuth instead. Saddle includes a sign-in service that runs entirely inside your own WordPress, for exactly this case — it’s what ChatGPT uses, because its connector screen has no header field. Turn it on under **Saddle → Settings** and follow [Connect ChatGPT to WordPress](/docs/connect-chatgpt-to-wordpress/); the same flow works for any OAuth-capable client.

## How do I know it worked?

Ask your app:

```
What can you see on my WordPress site?
```

It should report your site name, WordPress version, and content counts, and the connection appears in **Saddle → Connections**.

## What can a connected app do?

Only what you allow on the [Permissions](/docs/permissions-access-levels/) screen — sites start read-only, and deletions always require a [preview-and-confirm approval](/docs/safe-deletions/). The same rules apply to every app regardless of how it connected.

## It didn’t connect — what now?

Open **Saddle → Connections → Connection details & health** and click **Test the endpoint**. That runs a real MCP call against your own site and reports how many tools answered — which separates an app-side problem from a site-side one. See [Troubleshooting and FAQ](/docs/troubleshooting/).

## FAQ

### Which MCP features does Saddle support?

Tools, over streamable HTTP. Every capability is exposed as a named, permissioned tool.

### Is the endpoint public?

The address is predictable, but every call requires a valid sign-in. Without one, nothing is readable.

### Can I build my own client against it?

Yes — it’s a standard MCP server at `/wp-json/saddle/v1/mcp`, authenticated with a WordPress Application Password over Basic auth.

## Key sources

- [Model Context Protocol — specification and client list](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)

## Related guides

- [Getting started: connect your first AI app](/docs/getting-started/)
- [Connect ChatGPT — the OAuth path](/docs/connect-chatgpt-to-wordpress/)
- [Permissions and access levels](/docs/permissions-access-levels/)
- [Troubleshooting and FAQ](/docs/troubleshooting/)