WordPress Setup

Connect to a WordPress site and verify working access via WP-CLI or REST API. Produces a verified connection config ready for content management and Elementor editing.

Workflow

Step 1: Check WP-CLI

wp --version

If not installed, guide the user:

macOS/Linux

curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wp-cli/builds/gh-pages/phar/wp-cli.phar chmod +x wp-cli.phar sudo mv wp-cli.phar /usr/local/bin/wp

Also ensure the SSH extension is available (needed for remote sites):

wp package install wp-cli/ssh-command

Step 2: Connect to the Site

Option A: WP-CLI over SSH (preferred)

wp --ssh=user@hostname/path/to/wordpress option get siteurl

Common patterns:

• Rocket.net: wp --ssh=user@hostname/www/sitename/public option get siteurl

• cPanel: wp --ssh=user@hostname/public_html option get siteurl

• Custom: Ask user for SSH user, host, and WordPress path

Test with a simple command first:

wp --ssh=user@host/path core version

Option B: REST API with Application Password

If SSH isn't available:

• Navigate to https://example.com/wp-admin/profile.php (or use browser automation)

• Scroll to "Application Passwords" section

• Enter a name (e.g. "Claude Code") and click "Add New Application Password"

• Copy the generated password (spaces are part of it but optional in auth)

Test the connection:

curl -s https://example.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts?per_page=1
-u "username:xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx" | jq '.[0].title'

Step 3: Store Credentials

For WP-CLI SSH — create a wp-cli.yml in the project root:

ssh: sitename: cmd: ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no %pseudotty% user@hostname %cmd% url: /path/to/wordpress

Then use: wp @sitename option get siteurl

For REST API — store in .dev.vars :

WP_SITE_URL=https://example.com WP_USERNAME=admin WP_APP_PASSWORD=xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx

Ensure .dev.vars is in .gitignore . For cross-project use, store in your preferred secrets manager (environment variable, 1Password CLI, Vault MCP, etc.).

Step 4: Verify Full Access

Run a comprehensive check:

Site info

wp @sitename option get siteurl wp @sitename option get blogname

Content access

wp @sitename post list --post_type=page --posts_per_page=5 --fields=ID,post_title,post_status

Plugin status (check for Elementor)

wp @sitename plugin status elementor

Theme info

wp @sitename theme status

Step 5: Save Site Config

Create wordpress.config.json for other skills to reference:

{ "site": "example.com", "siteUrl": "https://example.com", "accessMethod": "ssh", "sshAlias": "sitename", "wpPath": "/path/to/wordpress", "hasElementor": true, "elementorVersion": "3.x.x" }

Critical Patterns

SSH Connection Issues

Symptom Fix

Permission denied (publickey)

Check SSH key: ssh -v user@host

wp: command not found via SSH WP-CLI not in remote PATH — use full path: /usr/local/bin/wp

Error: This does not appear to be a WordPress installation

Wrong path — check wp-path argument

Timeout on large operations Add --ssh=user@host/path --allow-root or increase SSH timeout

WP-CLI Aliases

Define aliases in ~/.wp-cli/config.yml for frequently-accessed sites:

@client1: ssh: user@client1.example.com/www/public @client2: ssh: user@client2.rocketcdn.me/www/client2/public

Then: wp @client1 post list

REST API Gotchas

• Application passwords require HTTPS (won't work on HTTP)

• Some security plugins block REST API — check for 401/403 responses

• Caching plugins may serve stale REST responses — use ?_=${timestamp} cache buster

• Custom post types need show_in_rest: true to appear in API

Reference Files

• references/wp-cli-essentials.md — SSH alias patterns, common flags, and troubleshooting