WP Navigator MCP enables AI-powered WordPress management through natural language commands with a token-efficient architecture and comprehensive safety controls.
Token-Efficient Architecture: Uses only 5 meta-tools (~500 tokens) instead of exposing all 93+ tools (~19,500 tokens):
wpnav_introspect- Check connection, policy, and plugin statuswpnav_search_tools- Discover tools via natural language queries or categorieswpnav_describe_tools- Load detailed schemas only for needed toolswpnav_execute- Execute any discovered tool with validated argumentswpnav_context- Get compact site context for AI initialization
Core Capabilities:
Content Management: Create/edit posts/pages with Gutenberg blocks, manage comments/categories/tags, full revision history and rollback
Media Operations: Upload and manage media files, automatic sideloading from URLs
Site Management: Install/activate/manage plugins and themes, view/manage users, configure site options and settings
Site Health & Diagnostics: Health reports, statistics, performance metrics, maintenance mode control, rewrite rule flushing
Discovery Tools: List REST API routes, shortcodes, block patterns, and block templates
Batch Operations: Bulk create, update, and delete operations on multiple items
Safety & Workflow Features:
Safe-by-default writes (disabled until explicitly enabled)
Policy-based access control with HTTPS enforcement for non-localhost
Full revision history and rollback support
Snapshot creation, diff comparison, and sync operations
Repair mode for broken configurations
AI Guidance:
Built-in roles (content-editor, developer, SEO-specialist, site-admin) for focused workflows
Plugin-specific cookbooks (Gutenberg, Elementor) for tailored assistance
CLI & Compatibility:
Standalone CLI for scripts/web AI agents with zero-friction setup via magic links
Project initialization with manifest/snapshots
Works with Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and any MCP-compatible clients
Cross-platform support (macOS, Linux, Windows via WSL)
Environment variable credentials with HTTP support for localhost
Provides tools for working with WordPress Gutenberg blocks, including inserting, editing, and managing block-based content within WordPress posts and pages.
Enables AI-powered WordPress management including creating and editing posts/pages with Gutenberg blocks, uploading media, managing plugins and themes, handling comments and taxonomies, and performing bulk operations with full revision history and rollback support.
WP Navigator MCP
AI-powered WordPress management via Claude Code and MCP-compatible clients.
Manage posts, pages, media, plugins, themes, and Gutenberg blocks through natural language — all with safe-by-default writes and full rollback support.
Coming Soon — January 2025
The WP Navigator WordPress plugin is not yet available. This MCP server requires the plugin to be installed on your WordPress site.
Who Is This For?
WordPress Developer | Content Manager |
"I want AI to help build and maintain sites" | "I want to manage content with natural language" |
You build WordPress sites and want AI assistance for development tasks. | You manage content and want faster, more intuitive workflows. |
Key features: Gutenberg block editing, plugin management, theme switching, bulk operations | Key features: Post/page creation, media uploads, safe publishing, content rollback |
What WP Navigator MCP Does
Content Management
Create and edit posts/pages with Gutenberg blocks
Upload media from URLs (sideload images automatically)
Manage comments, categories, and tags
Full revision history with rollback support
Site Management
Install, activate, and manage plugins
Switch and customize themes
View and manage WordPress users
Safety & Rollback
Safe by default — Writes disabled until explicitly enabled
Full revision history — Rollback any content change
Policy-based access — WordPress plugin enforces granular permissions
HTTPS enforced — Secure connections for non-localhost
Quick Start
1. Install WP Navigator Plugin
Search for "WP Navigator" in WordPress Plugins → Add New, or:
Download from WordPress.org
Upload to
/wp-content/plugins/Activate the plugin
Purchase at wpnav.ai/pro
Download the plugin ZIP
Upload via WordPress Admin → Plugins → Add New → Upload
Activate and enter your license key
2. Create Application Password
In WordPress Admin: Users → Your Profile → Application Passwords
Enter a name (e.g., "WP Navigator MCP")
Click "Add New Application Password"
Copy the password immediately (it won't be shown again)
3. Create Configuration File
Create wpnav.config.json in your project directory:
4. Configure Your MCP Client
Add to your project's .mcp.json:
Note:
WPNAV_ENABLE_WRITES=1enables create/update/delete operations. Without it, only read operations work (safe by default).
5. Verify Connection
In Claude, try:
"Use wpnav_introspect to check the WordPress connection"
CLI Mode
WP Navigator MCP also works as a standalone CLI for scripts and web-based AI agents.
Invocation Patterns
Note: The package is scoped, so
npx wpnav@versionwon't work. Use the full package name@littlebearapps/wp-navigator-mcp.
Initialize a Project
Creates project structure with wpnavigator.jsonc manifest and sample-prompts/ folder containing ready-to-use AI prompts (self-test, add-page, content-audit, etc.).
Direct Tool Invocation
Other Commands
Multi-Platform Support (v2.3.0)
Zero-Friction Setup (v2.7.0)
Magic Link — Connect instantly from WordPress admin:
Context for non-MCP agents — Generate context for ChatGPT and other web AI:
Role management — AI personas with focused tool access:
AI Guidance Features (v2.6.0)
Roles — AI personas with focused tool access and behavior guidance:
Built-in roles: content-editor, developer, seo-specialist, site-admin
Cookbooks — Plugin-specific AI guidance for Gutenberg, Elementor, and more:
MCP Resources — Context delivery for AI assistants:
wpnav://tools/overview— Categorized tool listwpnav://site/context— Current site informationwpnav://roles/{slug}— Role definitionswpnav://cookbooks/{slug}— Plugin guidance
Site Understanding Tools (v2.8.0)
Site Health — WordPress Site Health integration:
Site Statistics & Settings — Comprehensive site metrics:
Discovery — Explore WordPress capabilities:
Options Management — Plugin options (safe by default):
Security:
wpnav_set_optiononly allows plugin-detected prefixes (e.g.,woocommerce_*,yoast_*). Core WordPress options are blocked.
Maintenance — Site maintenance operations:
AI-Friendly Suggestions — Context-aware guidance:
Snapshot & Sync Workflow
See CLI Reference for complete documentation.
Project Structure
When you initialize a WP Navigator project with npx wpnav init, the following structure is created:
Directory Purposes
Directory | Purpose | Git Status |
| Read-only state from WordPress | Ignore (regeneratable) |
| Custom AI behavior definitions | Commit |
| Plugin-specific AI guidance | Commit |
| Project documentation | Commit |
| Reusable AI prompts | Commit |
Recommended .gitignore
Available Tools
93 tools available through the Dynamic Toolsets architecture.
MCP-Exposed Tools (5)
These tools are directly exposed to AI via MCP:
Tool | Purpose |
| Check connection, policy, plugin status |
| Find tools by query or category |
| Load full schemas for specific tools |
| Execute any tool dynamically |
| Get context for non-MCP AI agents |
Discoverable Tools (93)
All other tools are discovered via wpnav_search_tools and executed via wpnav_execute:
Category | Tools | Examples |
Core | 7 |
|
Posts | 7 |
|
Pages | 6 |
|
Media | 4 |
|
Plugins | 7 |
|
Themes | 7 |
|
Gutenberg | 7 |
|
Users | 5 |
|
Comments | 5 |
|
Taxonomy | 12 |
|
Batch | 3 |
|
Cookbook | 3 |
|
Roles | 2 |
|
Options | 2 |
|
Settings | 2 |
|
Health | 1 |
|
Discovery | 4 |
|
Maintenance | 2 |
|
CLI Tool Discovery
List and search tools via CLI:
Architecture
Dynamic Toolsets (v2.7.0)
WP Navigator uses a Dynamic Toolsets architecture for token efficiency:
Approach | Token Usage | Tools Exposed |
v2.6 (legacy) | ~19,500 tokens | 75 individual tools |
v2.7+ (dynamic) | ~500 tokens | 5 meta-tools (93 discoverable) |
How it works:
Search — AI uses
wpnav_search_toolsto find relevant tools by natural language queryDescribe — AI uses
wpnav_describe_toolsto load full schemas for tools it wants to useExecute — AI uses
wpnav_executeto run tools with validated arguments
Meta-tools exposed to AI:
Tool | Purpose |
| Check connection, policy, plugin status |
| Find tools by query or category |
| Get full schemas for specific tools |
| Execute any tool dynamically |
| Get context for non-MCP AI agents |
Example flow:
Local Development (v2.4.0+)
WP Navigator supports local development environments like LocalWP, Docker, and MAMP.
Environment Variable Credentials
Keep credentials out of config files using $VAR syntax:
Then set environment variables:
HTTP for Localhost
For local development without HTTPS:
Or in your MCP config:
Repair Mode
Fix broken or outdated configuration:
This validates existing files and regenerates any that are missing or invalid.
Environment Variables
Variable | Default | Description |
|
| Enable write operations (create/update/delete) |
|
| Allow HTTP for localhost development |
|
| Per-tool timeout (10 minutes) |
|
| Maximum response size before truncation |
| - | WordPress username (for env-based credentials) |
| - | WordPress application password (for env-based credentials) |
Compatibility
WP Navigator MCP | WP Navigator Free | WP Navigator Pro | Node.js |
v1.0.x | v1.0+ | v1.0+ | 18+ |
MCP Clients: Claude Code, Gemini CLI, any MCP-compatible client
Platforms: macOS (Apple Silicon & Intel), Linux (x64), Windows (via WSL)
Quick Troubleshooting
Issue | Solution |
"Command starts MCP server" | Update to v2.8.0+, use |
"Config not found" | Config auto-discovers from parent dirs; use |
"401 Unauthorized" | Regenerate Application Password in WordPress Admin → Users → Profile |
"WRITES_DISABLED" | Set |
"Plugin not found" (404) | Ensure WP Navigator plugin is installed and activated |
SSL errors | Use |
Full diagnostics:
See Troubleshooting Guide for detailed solutions.
Documentation
Getting Started:
Getting Started — Quick setup in 5 minutes
MCP Setup — Configure Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI
Reference:
CLI Reference — Complete command documentation
Dynamic Toolsets — Token-efficient tool discovery architecture
Security — Security model and best practices
Guides:
Best Practices — Token optimization, security, and workflow tips
AI Agent Guide — Dynamic Toolsets workflow for AI agents
Troubleshooting — Common issues and solutions
FAQ — Frequently asked questions
Contributing — How to contribute
Support & Community
Bug Reports: Open an Issue
Feature Requests: Start a Discussion
Questions: Ask in Discussions
Documentation: wpnav.ai/docs
Related Projects
Project | Description |
WordPress plugin (Free) | |
WordPress plugin (Premium) |
License
MIT — see LICENSE for details.
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