Quickstart

This is the shortest path from a new site to your first answer. You get the plugin, install it, activate your plan, create a connection for your AI app and ask a first question. Start read-only and nothing on your site changes until you decide it should. You can give the app more permissions later.

Which route? Claude (claude.ai, the Claude app and the phone apps) and ChatGPT sign in to your site, with no key: do steps 1 to 3, then follow Connect Claude or Connect ChatGPT. Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Devin Desktop, Gemini CLI, Kimi Code, LM Studio and most other apps connect with a key that you copy once: follow steps 4 and 5. Not sure which app to use? The chooser helps.

1. Get the plugin. No account yet? Get the Free plan: the total is $0 and your account is created at checkout. Then sign in to your account on powerwp.ai, open My account › Downloads and download powerwp-ai-<version>.zip. Do not unzip it.
2. Install and activate it. In WordPress open Plugins › Add Plugin › Upload Plugin, choose the zip, select Install Now, then Activate Plugin. A PowerWP AI menu appears. More in Install the plugin.
3. Activate your license. Open PowerWP AI › License, paste your key from My account › Licenses (it looks like PWAI-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX) and choose Activate. The Free plan has a key too. A site on a local development address, such as localhost or a .test name, needs a key too: a paid plan covers one local copy without using up its site. More in Activate your license.
4. Create a connection. Open PowerWP AI › Connections and choose your AI app.
   • Pick what it may do. Start with Read-only diagnostics.
   • Under More options set when the connection expires (90 days by default) and, if you like, an IP allow-list.
   • Choose Create key and show steps. The key is shown only once.
5. Connect the app. The screen shows the steps for your app, with your address and key already filled in.
   • Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Devin Desktop, Gemini CLI, Kimi Code: copy the message in the box marked Fastest (for example "Let Claude Code connect itself"), paste it into a chat in the app and send it. The app adds the connection and tells you the next step.
   • Cursor, VS Code, LM Studio: or select the Add to button and confirm in the app.
   • Anything else: follow the setup steps on the screen. Quit and reopen apps that read their settings only at start.
6. Watch it connect. A box under the steps waits for the app and turns green when it reaches your site.
7. Ask your first question. Paste it into the app.

Give me an overview of my site.

The app calls the site_overview tool and answers with your WordPress version, theme, plugins and recent errors. If it answers, you are connected.

Try next#

Two more read-only questions. Neither changes anything.

Are there any errors in the logs from the last 24 hours? Don't change anything.

Which plugins need updates, and is any of them risky?

Your first safe session has eight questions and shows how to read the activity log afterwards.

If something does not work#

• The app does not list your site. Quit the app completely and open it again. A missing comma in a JSON settings file also stops it.
• A 401, 403 or 429 error. The troubleshooting page lists each message and its fix.
• Sign-in is not offered. Sign-in needs pretty permalinks (any structure except Plain), a public HTTPS address and Settings › Connection security › Sign-in for AI apps switched on. An app on the internet cannot reach a site that runs on your own computer.
• Sign-in will not work for you? Connect Claude Code with a key instead. It needs no sign-in and no public address.