MCP WordPress Remote

A stdio-to-HTTP pass-through proxy for WordPress MCP servers

Connect AI assistants like Claude Desktop to your WordPress sites with multiple authentication methods including OAuth 2.0, JWT tokens, and application passwords.

Features

• MCP OAuth Client - Authorization-code PKCE, validated discovery, issuer-bound credentials, and coordinated renewal
• OAuth 2.1 with PKCE - Secure authorization code flow with PKCE (RFC 7636)
• Resource Indicators - RFC 8707 compliance for token audience binding
• Dynamic Client Registration - RFC 7591 support for automatic client registration
• Protected Resource Metadata Discovery - RFC 9728 for automatic endpoint discovery
• Multiple Authentication Methods - OAuth 2.1, JWT tokens, and WordPress application passwords
• Persistent Token Storage - OAuth tokens stored securely with automatic validation
• Multi-instance Coordination - Lockfiles prevent authentication conflicts
• Automatic Token Management - Handles validation, refresh, and cleanup
• Enhanced Error Handling - Detailed error messages with proper categorization
• Comprehensive Logging - Structured logging with categories and levels
• Complete MCP Support - Tools, resources, prompts, and more

When to use this proxy

If your MCP client supports the Streamable HTTP transport and can authenticate to your site, connect it to the MCP Adapter endpoint directly. You don't need this proxy. For example, in Claude Code (.mcp.json), using an application password:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Basic <base64 of username:application-password>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Other clients use their own config format. Check your client's documentation for remote or HTTP MCP servers.

Use the proxy when one of these applies:

1. Your client only supports stdio. It can launch a local command but cannot connect to an HTTP MCP server.
2. Your client can't authenticate the way your site requires. The proxy can send application passwords, JWT tokens, WooCommerce keys, or custom headers, and it can run the OAuth flow and store tokens for clients that can't.
3. Your traffic must go through a proxy. Set SOCKS_PROXY, HTTPS_PROXY, ALL_PROXY or HTTP_PROXY to route requests through it. On macOS, set USE_SYSTEM_PROXY=true to use the system PAC file or SOCKS proxy instead.
4. Your site is slow or unreliable. WP_API_TIMEOUT_MS and WP_API_INIT_TIMEOUT_MS set the timeouts, and a failed initialize returns a degraded response instead of a broken connection (see Forwarding behavior).
5. You need a local record of the connection. LOG_FILE with LOG_LEVEL=3 logs each forwarded method plus connection and authentication events (see Log Analysis).
6. You are building a packaged integration. Tool-call hooks from the /lib bundle can send extra requests over the proxy's authenticated connection, for example for usage telemetry.

Quick Start

Installation

npm install @automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote

Configuration

Add to your MCP client configuration (e.g., Claude Desktop's claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server"
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Headers

You can add custom headers to all API requests using the CUSTOM_HEADERS environment variable. This is useful for API keys, custom authentication, or other header requirements.

JSON Format (Recommended):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "CUSTOM_HEADERS": "{\"X-MCP-API-Key\": \"*Ibo7tweixlbfuwaiufxgakjyefctwajcetb*\", \"X-Custom-Header\": \"value\"}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Comma-Separated Format:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "CUSTOM_HEADERS": "X-MCP-API-Key:IOskncfyes78U8on3q7ry43o487tybrc,X-Custom-Header:value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Command Line Usage:

CUSTOM_HEADERS='{"X-MCP-API-Key": "wc_mcp_FaQduhQcW0mfVaZgP3yaaqDuXaZ3mw7j"}' \
WP_API_URL="https://your-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server" \
npx @automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote

Custom headers are included in:

• All WordPress API requests
• OAuth discovery requests
• OAuth token exchange requests
• OAuth client registration requests

First Run

1. Start your MCP client (Claude Desktop, etc.)
2. Choose authentication method based on your preference:
   • OAuth 2.0: Enable OAUTH_ENABLED=true to open the browser for authorization
   • JWT Token: Set JWT_TOKEN environment variable
   • Application Password: Set WP_API_USERNAME and WP_API_PASSWORD
3. Start using WordPress features in your AI assistant

WordPress MCP Plugin

Install the MCP Adapter plugin on your WordPress site. Once active, it registers a default MCP server at /wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server — set WP_API_URL to that full URL (examples throughout this README show the pattern). To target a custom server id or namespace, pass the full URL of that server instead.

Forwarding behavior

The proxy forwards the MCP client's messages to the configured endpoint and returns the server's messages. It does not send its own initialization probe, select an MCP version, or register a fixed set of methods. The client and server own version negotiation, capabilities, and result validation. Requests, notifications, server requests, IDs, and metadata travel through the bridge; JSON and SSE responses are supported.

For initialization-based MCP connections, the server's selected version and session ID are used in subsequent HTTP headers. Requests carrying io.modelcontextprotocol/protocolVersion in params._meta use that version directly and do not require a proxy-generated handshake. This removes the proxy's version allowlist; it does not translate between protocol revisions or establish full compliance with every newer transport feature.

Existing authentication, custom headers, timeout, logging, token-storage, and system-proxy settings remain available. A bare-domain WP_API_URL now resolves to /?rest_route=/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server. Full endpoint URLs remain configurable. The archived wordpress-mcp plugin's method-only request format and automatic transport fallback have been removed.

If the upstream connection fails during initialization, the proxy retains its degraded response with experimental.connectionFailed and no usable capabilities, using the client's offered version. Follow-up requests are rejected locally. Server-generated JSON-RPC errors are forwarded rather than converted to a successful handshake. The proxy does not silently reinitialize or retry failed client requests.

Tool-call hooks and wpRequest from the /lib bundle share the live authenticated connection when the proxy is running. Hook responses remain internal and hook failures cannot change the client response. Standalone wpRequest retains its result-returning interface and optional session recovery; both its existing argument shapes are encoded as standard JSON-RPC.

Authentication Methods

1. OAuth 2.1 (Recommended)

OAuth 2.1 uses a public native client with PKCE S256, validated MCP discovery, and coordinated token renewal. See OAuth client behavior for the supported profile, migration behavior, and optional features.

For Self-Hosted WordPress Sites:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "OAUTH_ENABLED": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP Authorization Specification Features:

• OAuth 2.1 authorization code flow with PKCE (RFC 7636)
• Resource Indicators (RFC 8707) for token audience binding
• Dynamic Client Registration (RFC 7591) when supported
• Protected Resource Metadata Discovery (RFC 9728)
• Authorization Server Metadata Discovery (RFC 8414)

Benefits:

• Public native-client authorization following the MCP 2026-07-28 authorization requirements
• Enhanced security with PKCE protection
• Shared browser authorization and refresh-token renewal when supported
• Tokens stored securely with automatic validation
• Automatic endpoint discovery
• No need to manage passwords
• Automatic expiration handling

2. JWT Token Authentication

For server-to-server authentication or when OAuth is not available.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "JWT_TOKEN": "your-jwt-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. WordPress Application Passwords (Legacy)

Uses WordPress username and application password for basic authentication.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "WP_API_USERNAME": "your-username",
        "WP_API_PASSWORD": "your-application-password",
        "OAUTH_ENABLED": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

To create an application password:

1. Go to your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Navigate to Users > Profile
3. Scroll down to "Application Passwords"
4. Create a new application password for MCP access

Advanced Configuration

Custom OAuth Settings

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT": "7665",
        "OAUTH_HOST": "127.0.0.1",
        "WP_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID": "your-custom-client-id"
      }
    }
  }
}

WooCommerce Integration

For WooCommerce-specific tools and reports:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "WOO_CUSTOMER_KEY": "ck_your-consumer-key",
        "WOO_CUSTOMER_SECRET": "cs_your-consumer-secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

Disable OAuth

To use only JWT or Basic Auth:

{
  "env": {
    "OAUTH_ENABLED": "false",
    "JWT_TOKEN": "your-jwt-token"
  }
}

Development Mode

For development and testing, you can use the local repository:

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote.git
   cd mcp-wordpress-remote
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Build the project:

   npm run build
   

Configuration

Configure your MCP client to use the local version:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/your/mcp-wordpress-remote/dist/proxy.js"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server"
      }
    }
  }
}

Development Workflow

• Watch mode: npm run build:watch - Automatically rebuilds on file changes
• Testing: npm test - Run the test suite
• Type checking: npm run check - Run TypeScript and Prettier checks

Token Management

OAuth Token Storage

Tokens are automatically stored in:

~/.mcp-auth/wordpress-remote-{version}/

Manual Management

# View stored tokens
ls -la ~/.mcp-auth/wordpress-remote-*/

# Clear all tokens (forces re-authentication)
rm -rf ~/.mcp-auth/wordpress-remote-*/

# Clear tokens for specific version
rm -rf ~/.mcp-auth/wordpress-remote-0.2.1/

Token Security

• Secure file permissions (600) on all token files
• Automatic token validation before each request
• Expired token cleanup during startup
• Version isolation - each version stores tokens separately

Multi-Instance Support

The proxy automatically coordinates between multiple instances:

• Lockfiles prevent simultaneous OAuth flows
• Process coordination ensures only one authentication at a time
• Graceful waiting when another instance is authenticating
• Automatic cleanup of stale locks

If you see "waiting for other instance" messages, this is normal behavior.

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

OAuth browser doesn't open:

• Check if port 3000 is available
• Try a different port with OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT
• Manually open the URL shown in logs

OAuth authorization fails:

• Verify WordPress site has MCP plugin installed and enabled
• Check WordPress admin user permissions
• Try clearing tokens and re-authenticating

JWT authentication fails:

• Verify JWT token is valid and not expired
• Check token format and encoding
• Ensure WordPress site supports JWT authentication

Basic Auth fails:

• Verify username and application password
• Check application password is active
• Ensure user has sufficient permissions

Connection Issues

API endpoint not found:

• Verify the MCP Adapter plugin is installed and active
• Confirm WP_API_URL points at the server route (e.g. …/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server)

Permission denied:

• Check user permissions in WordPress
• Verify authentication credentials
• Review WordPress user roles

Port Conflicts

If port 3000 is already in use:

{
  "env": {
    "OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT": "8080"
  }
}

Multi-instance Messages

"Waiting for other instance" messages are normal when multiple MCP clients start simultaneously. The system coordinates authentication to prevent conflicts.

Log Analysis

Enable detailed logging:

{
  "env": {
    "LOG_LEVEL": "3",
    "LOG_FILE": "/path/to/logfile.log"
  }
}

Log levels:

• 0 - Errors only
• 1 - Warnings and errors
• 2 - Info, warnings, and errors (default)
• 3 - Debug, info, warnings, and errors

Security Features

• Secure OAuth flow with state parameters and PKCE
• Token encryption with secure file permissions
• Automatic validation before each API request
• Expired token cleanup and refresh handling
• Multi-instance coordination prevents authentication conflicts

Requirements

• Node.js 22+ (required for fetch API support)
• WordPress site with the MCP Adapter plugin installed and active
• WordPress user account with appropriate permissions

License

GPL v2 or later

Contributing

Contributions welcome! This project is maintained by Automattic Inc.

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Documentation: Check the troubleshooting section above
• WordPress MCP Plugin: WordPress/mcp-adapter

Need help? Check the troubleshooting section or open an issue.