Connect ChatGPT

ChatGPT connects to your site by signing in. You add your site once on ChatGPT's Plugins page, sign in to WordPress and choose what ChatGPT may do. No key and no file. The Codex of the ChatGPT desktop app is a second route: it uses a connection key.

Which route? Use route 1 if you use ChatGPT on the web or in its apps. Use route 2 if you use the Codex of the ChatGPT desktop app, the Codex CLI or the Codex IDE extension and are comfortable pasting one message or editing one file.

Route 1: sign in from ChatGPT#

You need:

• PowerWP AI 1.6.2 or newer, a public site on HTTPS and pretty permalinks (see the checklist on the Claude page).
• Sign-in for AI apps switched on under PowerWP AI › Settings › Connection security.
• A ChatGPT plan that lets you add custom MCP servers (you will see the option on ChatGPT's Plugins page), and a WordPress administrator login.

1. Copy your site's address from Create connection › ChatGPT. It looks like https://your-store.com/wp-json/wpai/v1/mcp.
2. Open chatgpt.com/plugins, click + and choose Add custom MCP server.
3. Give it a name, paste the address as the server URL and choose OAuth as the authentication.
4. Confirm the warning and click Create as a plugin.
5. ChatGPT opens your site's sign-in. Sign in to WordPress as an administrator, choose what ChatGPT may do (start with Read-only diagnostics) and click Allow.
6. Choose your site in a chat.

The connection is listed under PowerWP AI › Connections with a Signed in badge. You can edit its permissions there, and Revoke ends the sign-in at once. The Free plan allows Read-only diagnostics only. Changes ChatGPT makes are recorded under PowerWP AI › Changes, so you can roll them back. Rescue mode works for apps that connect with a key and, since PowerWP AI 1.6.5, for apps that signed in, such as ChatGPT.

Route 2: the Codex of the ChatGPT desktop app#

The Codex in the ChatGPT desktop app, the Codex CLI and the Codex IDE extension read one settings file, so you set your site up once. ChatGPT on the web does not read this file: use route 1 there.

Easiest: create the connection for Codex (open PowerWP AI › Connections, choose Create connection, pick Codex, choose what it may do and choose Create key and show steps), copy the message under Let Codex connect itself and paste it into a Codex chat. The app adds your site and tells you the next step.

Or edit the file yourself. The window shows the entry below with your address and key in it. Here the key appears as <your key>. Add this table at the end of ~/.codex/config.toml (on Windows C:\Users\<you>\.codex\config.toml). Create the file if it isn't there.

[mcp_servers.your-store]
url = "https://your-store.com/wp-json/wpai/v1/mcp"
http_headers = { "X-WPAI-Token" = "<your key>" }

1. Open config.toml in the .codex folder of your user folder.
2. Add the table above at the end and save the file.
3. Restart the ChatGPT desktop app, then type /mcp in a Codex chat. Your site is listed.

The Codex page has the full steps.

Check it works#

Give me an overview of my site.

ChatGPT calls site_overview and answers with your WordPress version, theme and plugins.

Troubleshooting#

• "Sign-in is not available on this site yet." Sign-in is switched off, or your permalinks are Plain. Switch it on under Settings › Connection security, or choose another permalink structure under Settings › Permalinks in WordPress.
• ChatGPT has no way to add a custom MCP server. Your ChatGPT plan may not allow it. Use route 2 with the Codex of the ChatGPT desktop app, or connect Claude Code with a key.
• Sign-in will not work for you? Connect with a key instead: Codex or Claude Code. A key needs no sign-in and no public address.
• The desktop app does not list your site. Restart it completely. A missing comma, quote or bracket in config.toml also stops it.
• The approval screen refuses a permission. On the Free plan apps can read but not change anything; upgrade to allow changes. If all the AI connections of your paid plan are in use, revoke one you no longer need under PowerWP AI › Connections.

Related#