---
title: "Getting Started: Connect Your First AI App to WordPress with Saddle"
url: "https://plugpress.co/docs/getting-started.md"
canonical: "https://plugpress.co/docs/getting-started/"
published: "2026-07-28"
modified: "2026-07-28"
author: "Fahim"
tags:
  - "Saddle"
---

# Getting Started: Connect Your First AI App to WordPress with Saddle

Connecting an AI assistant to your WordPress site with Saddle takes three steps: install the plugin, create a connection, and paste the generated setup into your AI app. This guide walks through each step and shows how to confirm the connection works.

## How do I install Saddle?

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to **Plugins → Add New** and search for **Saddle**, or upload the plugin ZIP.
2. Click **Install**, then **Activate**.
3. A new **Saddle** menu appears in your dashboard — this is where connections, permissions, and settings live.

## How do I create a connection for an AI app?

1. Go to **Saddle → Connections**.
2. Create a new connection and give it a recognizable name (for example, "Claude Code — my laptop"). Each app you connect gets its own connection and its own key, so you can revoke one without affecting the others.
3. Saddle generates a **setup snippet** containing your site's MCP endpoint and a sign-in key. Copy it — this is what your AI app needs.

Treat the key like a password: anyone who has it can use the connection at whatever access level you've granted it.

## How do I add my site to Claude Code or Claude?

- **Claude Code** — add the connection as an MCP server using the setup snippet from Saddle → Connections. Once added, Saddle's tools appear automatically in your session.
- **Claude (web and desktop)** — add your site as a custom connector in Claude's settings, pasting the endpoint and key from the same snippet.
- **Other MCP clients** — any app that supports remote MCP servers can connect with the same endpoint and key.

## How do I know the connection works?

Ask your AI assistant something simple, like *"check my site via Saddle"*. It should call Saddle's site-info tool and report your site name, WordPress version, and content counts. If it does, you're connected.

You can also open **Saddle → Connections → Connection details & health** and run the built-in connection check, which verifies the endpoint is reachable and the key is accepted.

## What should I set up next?

- Review [Permissions and Access Levels](/docs/permissions-access-levels/) to decide what the AI is allowed to do.
- Learn how [the deletion approval gate](/docs/safe-deletions/) protects your content.
- If a step fails, see [Troubleshooting and FAQ](/docs/troubleshooting/) — the two most common connection errors have one-click fixes.