3 min read 1 wk ago

MCP Server: ChatGPT

Make sure to read the WordPress MCP Server to set up your environment in AI Engine before starting here.

The easy way: the official ChatGPT app

AI Engine has an official app in ChatGPT’s plugin directory: AI Engine for WordPress ↗. Click Install plugin, enter your site address, and approve the connection in WordPress. No Developer mode is needed. It goes through Torii, Meow Apps’ connector, which never stores your WordPress password and never logs or stores the content of your requests.

Connect directly (Developer mode)

For every tool with no relay at all, add your site as a custom plugin (ChatGPT calls connectors Plugins). Depending on your plan, ChatGPT may ask for Developer mode. It takes two steps that are easy to miss, so follow the order below. The ChatGPT tab of the Connect an AI assistant card (AI Engine > Settings > MCP) shows the same steps, gives you the URL to copy, and confirms when ChatGPT is connected.

1. Open the custom server dialog

In ChatGPT, click Plugins in the sidebar, then Add (top right) and Add custom MCP server. Depending on your plan, ChatGPT may ask you to turn on Developer mode first (Settings > Security and login).

2. Create the plugin

  • Choose a Name such as WordPress (My Website). The icon and description are optional.
  • Keep Connection on Server URL and paste your MCP endpoint: https://yoursite.com/wp-json/mcp/v1/http
  • Leave Authentication on OAuth (preselected). ChatGPT reads your site’s OAuth settings and registers itself automatically, so you can leave the advanced OAuth settings alone.
  • Tick I understand and want to continue under the risk warning, then click Create as a plugin.

3. Sign in (ChatGPT will not do this on its own)

Creating the plugin does not connect it. Open it from the plugin list and click Connect, then Sign in with followed by your plugin’s name. That opens the AI Engine authorization page on your site. You must be logged in to WordPress in that browser, as an administrator (or as an Editor, when Editor Access is on in the MCP settings). Choose Full access or Read-only, then click Approve. With Read-only, ChatGPT only gets the tools that read, so it cannot change anything on your site. You can switch this later in Settings > MCP > Connections.

If ChatGPT briefly shows “There was a problem connecting”, reopen the plugin before trying again: the connection is often already established.

4. Refresh to load the tools

Right after connecting, the plugin will still say No app actions available yet. This is normal. Click Refresh in the Information section of the plugin’s page and all your tools appear at once.

That’s it! ChatGPT can now manage your WordPress site.

PS: Remember that you’ll need to Refresh again if you enable more tools/actions later on.

Connecting without OAuth

If you would rather not use OAuth, set a Bearer Token in the AI Engine MCP settings and use the URL that embeds it, https://yoursite.com/wp-json/mcp/v1/YourBearerToken, with Authentication set to No Auth. Note that ChatGPT has no API key option, so this URL is the only way to connect without OAuth. Everyone using that plugin shares the same access level, whereas OAuth gives each user their own token tied to their WordPress account.

Something not working (“additional permissions are required”, “Action discovery failed”, the sign-in page coming back)? See MCP Connection.