Why Claude Code for WordPress?
Claude Code is not an ordinary chatbot, but a development tool that can access your files, analyze your site and perform tasks like a real developer. Linked to WordPress you get an AI junior developer who, among other things:
- conducts content audits (broken links, dummy content, lorem ipsum)
- rewrites buttons and CTAs according to context
- Detects and corrects SEO errors
- keeps track of tasks in a structured list
- can even develop plugins if necessary
It fits in with the broader use of AI for companies in your company and on Having AI automations created that take over repetitive work.
The five steps in brief
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1. Test environment | Set up local WordPress and make backup |
| 2. CLAUDE.md | Writing the manual for your AI assistant |
| 3. AI skills | Install the official WordPress skills |
| 4. MCP server | Connect Nova Mira for immediate actions |
| 5. Notion | Integrate task management |
Step 1: Set up a local test environment
Always work on a test environment before experimenting with AI on your site; a mistake is easily made. A free tool like Local will set up a local WordPress in just a few minutes. Always make a backup, even on a test environment.
Practical tip
Start with a disposable site that you can feel free to mess around with. You'll learn faster and without stress, and your live website won't be at risk while you master the workflow.
Step 2: Create the CLAUDE.md file
The CLAUDE.md file is the manual for your AI assistant: what the project entails, what the goals are, what rules Claude follows and what he is not allowed to do. You can even have Claude draw it up himself and then refine it. The file must be named exactly CLAUDE.md and located in your public folder.
local-sites/
└── jouw-site/
└── app/
└── public/ <- HIER plaats je CLAUDE.md
├── wp-admin/
├── wp-content/
└── wp-includes/Step 3: install the WordPress AI skills
The WordPress AI skills teach Claude how to correctly handle WordPress tasks. Clone the official repository, leaving only the skills folder, and place it in a hidden.claude folder in your public folder. If you work with Elementor, add a specific Elementor skill; by default, Claude otherwise sometimes breaks Elementor content.
public/ ├──.claude/ <- verborgen map (let op de punt) │ └── skills/ <- hier komen alle skills │ ├── skill-1/ │ └── skill-2/ └── CLAUDE.md
Step 4: Connect the Nova Mira MCP server
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) makes Claude Code really powerful: it lets Claude communicate directly with your WordPress installation, not just via files. Nova Mira is a free MCP plugin. Install them, generate an application password (keep it safe), and don't forget to activate the AI abilities in the settings.
Step 5: Integrate Notion and write good prompts
Finally, connect Notion so that your AI assistant keeps track of your to-do list: you give an assignment, and Claude completes the tasks and keeps track of the status. The result depends on your prompts: be specific, provide context and work in small, well-defined tasks. If you want to master this, a AI training will help you learn to prompt effectively.