Skip to main content

Setting Up the Promptless Connector

Connect Claude Desktop to your WordPress site in about 5 minutes.

What This Is​

A step-by-step walkthrough covering prerequisites, generating the Connector credentials, running the setup command, restarting Claude Desktop, and verifying that everything works. Covers both Mac and Windows.

Before You Start​

Make sure you have:

  • Claude Desktop installed on your computer. Download from claude.ai if you don't have it yet. The web version of Claude cannot connect to your site — you need the desktop app.
  • WordPress admin access to the site you want to connect. You'll need to log in to generate the Connector credentials.
  • A premium Promptless WP license active on the site. The Promptless Connector is a premium-only feature.
  • HTTPS (SSL) enabled on your site. Application passwords require a secure connection. If your site is still on HTTP, configure SSL first.
  • Node.js installed on your computer. The setup command uses Node.js to run the helper script. Check by opening Terminal (Mac) or PowerShell (Windows) and typing node --version. If you see a version number (something like v20.x.x), you're good. If you see an error, install Node.js from nodejs.org first.
  • Terminal (Mac) or PowerShell (Windows) access to run the setup command. No prior experience required — you'll copy and paste a single line.

Step 1: Open the Promptless Connector Admin Page​

  1. Log in to your WordPress admin
  2. In the left sidebar, find Promptless WP
  3. Click Promptless Connector

You'll see a page titled "The Promptless Connector" with a subtitle explaining what it does.

If you don't see the Promptless Connector item in the menu, your license may still be on the free tier — confirm premium is active by going to Promptless WP → Licensing.

Step 2: Generate the Connection​

  1. On the Promptless Connector page, find Step 1: Generate Connection
  2. Click the Generate Connection button

The plugin creates a secure application password named "Promptless Claude Connector" and a setup command appears below. The password itself is shown once — you don't need to copy it separately because the setup command already includes it.

If you've connected this site to Claude Desktop before, generating a new connection replaces the old one. The previous setup will stop working; re-run the new setup command to restore access.

Step 3: Run the Setup Command​

The plugin generates a one-line command that installs the helper program and registers it with Claude Desktop. Copy the command shown in Step 2: Install the Connector on the admin page.

On a Mac​

  1. Click the copy button next to the command on the admin page
  2. Open Terminal (find it via Spotlight: press Cmd+Space and type "Terminal")
  3. Paste the command and press Enter
  4. Wait for it to finish — it installs the helper program into ~/promptless-mcp/ and registers it with Claude Desktop

You'll see status messages as it runs. The command typically takes 10–30 seconds depending on your internet connection. When it's done, you'll see a confirmation message.

On Windows​

The admin page generates a Mac-formatted command. To adapt it for PowerShell on Windows:

  1. Click the copy button next to the command on the admin page to get it on your clipboard

  2. Open PowerShell (press the Windows key, type "PowerShell," press Enter)

  3. Paste the command into PowerShell — it will have the shape:

    PROMPTLESS_SITE_URL="https://yoursite.com" PROMPTLESS_USERNAME="yourlogin" PROMPTLESS_APP_PASSWORD="xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx" node ~/promptless-mcp/connector.js

  4. Convert the environment variables to PowerShell syntax before running. The equivalent PowerShell command looks like this:

    $env:PROMPTLESS_SITE_URL="https://yoursite.com"
    $env:PROMPTLESS_USERNAME="yourlogin"
    $env:PROMPTLESS_APP_PASSWORD="xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx"
    node $env:USERPROFILE\promptless-mcp\connector.js

  5. Replace the three values with the ones from your copied command (the site URL, username, and application password), then run each line

If PowerShell reports that node isn't recognized, Node.js either isn't installed or isn't on your PATH. Install Node.js from nodejs.org and restart PowerShell.

Native Windows support that generates a PowerShell-ready command directly from the admin page is planned for a future release. For now, the manual adaptation above is the supported path.

Step 4: Restart Claude Desktop​

For the new Connector to take effect, Claude Desktop needs to reload its configuration.

On a Mac​

  1. In Claude Desktop, press Cmd+Q to quit completely (not just close the window)
  2. Reopen Claude Desktop from your Applications folder or Dock

On Windows​

  1. In Claude Desktop, use File → Exit or press Alt+F4, then check the system tray (bottom-right corner) for the Claude Desktop icon. Right-click it and select Quit if it's still running
  2. Reopen Claude Desktop from the Start menu

A simple window close isn't enough — the app needs a full restart to pick up the new Connector.

Step 5: Verify the Connection​

  1. Open Claude Desktop and start a new conversation
  2. Type: what's the state of my Promptless site?
  3. Claude should respond with information about your site — license type, active pages, Connector version

If Claude responds with site details, the Connector is working. You can now ask Claude to build pages, update content, manage forms (if Form Runtime Engine is installed), or do any of the tasks listed in the Promptless Connector Overview.

If Claude says something like "I don't have a tool for that" or "I can't see your site," the Connector didn't register. See the Troubleshooting section below.

Using Form Runtime Engine Together​

If you also have the Form Runtime Engine plugin installed, it has its own connector with a separate setup. Follow the Form Runtime Engine setup guide the same way — generate a connection on its connector admin page, run the setup command, and restart Claude Desktop.

Once both are connected, Claude Desktop can manage pages (Promptless) and forms (Form Runtime Engine) in the same conversation. You can say things like "create a booking form and put it on a new Book a Demo page" and Claude will coordinate both plugins.

Disconnecting​

To revoke Claude's access:

  1. Go to Promptless WP → Promptless Connector in WordPress admin
  2. Find Revoke Connection at the bottom of the page
  3. Click Revoke

Claude loses access immediately. The helper program on your computer will return authentication errors on any further attempts. No uninstall needed — if you want to reconnect later, just generate a new connection and run the new setup command.

You can also revoke the application password manually at Users → Your Profile → Application Passwords. Look for "Promptless Claude Connector" and click Revoke next to it.

Troubleshooting​

"Generate Connection" button is missing or grayed out​

  • Confirm your license is premium via Promptless WP → Licensing
  • Confirm your site is on HTTPS — application passwords require SSL
  • Confirm you're logged in as an administrator (editor roles can't generate connections)

Setup command fails with "node: command not found"​

Node.js isn't installed or isn't on your PATH. Install Node.js from nodejs.org (the LTS version is fine), then restart your terminal or PowerShell session and retry.

Setup command fails with permission errors​

On Mac, if you see permission errors about ~/promptless-mcp/, make sure your user account owns the home directory (it almost always does by default). On Windows, make sure PowerShell is running as your normal user account, not as Administrator.

Claude Desktop doesn't see the Connector after restart​

  • Confirm you fully quit Claude Desktop (Cmd+Q on Mac, right-click tray icon → Quit on Windows) — closing the window isn't enough
  • Confirm the setup command completed without errors — re-run it if uncertain
  • Try revoking the connection on the admin page, generating a new one, and running the fresh setup command

Claude says "authentication failed" when trying to act on the site​

The application password became invalid. Common causes: you or someone else revoked it from the Users → Profile page, or you ran a new "Generate Connection" which replaced it. Go to the Promptless Connector admin page and generate a new connection, then run the fresh setup command.

Claude sees my site but won't create pages​

Check the Promptless Connector admin page confirms the connection is active and the license is premium. Free-tier sites can't use the Connector (the 2-page limit still applies via the editor, but the Connector itself requires premium).

Next Steps​

Need Help?​

For setup issues: contact@promptlesswp.com

Include your WordPress version, Promptless WP version, operating system (Mac or Windows), and what went wrong — we can usually sort it out in one reply.