Installation Guide

Respira enables you to use AI tools such as Claude Cowork, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, and other MCP-compatible assistants to safely edit and manage your WordPress site.

This guide walks you through installing the Respira for WordPress plugin, then configuring MCP from the Respira dashboard (recommended) or with the local setup wizard.

If you are new to Respira, see the Introduction for a product overview.

Before you begin

Make sure you have:

• Access to your WordPress admin dashboard
• Permission to install plugins on your WordPress site
• Node.js 18+ installed on your local machine
• A Respira license or active trial
• (Optional) A staging site if you prefer to test before going live

Step 1: Install the Respira for WordPress plugin

Option A: Download from respira.press (recommended)

1. Go to respira.press/releases
2. Download the latest respira-for-wordpress-x.x.x.zip
3. In WordPress Admin, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
4. Choose the ZIP file and click Install Now
5. Click Activate Plugin

Option B: Manual installation

1. Download the plugin ZIP file
2. Extract it to your WordPress wp-content/plugins/ directory
3. Go to Plugins in WordPress Admin
4. Find Respira for WordPress and click Activate

Step 2: Connect the site to your Respira account

The fastest way is the auto-connect handshake. One click in WordPress admin, one click in the Respira dashboard, done.

1. Open WordPress Admin → Respira. The Overview tab loads with a Connect to Respira block at the top.
2. Click Connect to Respira. A new browser tab opens at respira.press with a single-use state token attached.
3. If you're not already signed in to Respira, sign in (or create a free account). The dashboard then mints a per-site auth token paired to the state token and shows a Site connected confirmation page.
4. The browser tab redirects back to your WordPress admin. The plugin verifies the confirmation code, exchanges it for the auth token, and stores the token in WordPress under a hashed key.
5. Confirm the site appears at respira.press/dashboard/sites with status Token ready.

A 2-minute screencast of the full flow on a fresh WordPress install: Watch on YouTube →.

If auto-connect fails (firewall, SSO-locked admin, plugin pre-v6.10.1), use the manual fallback: copy the site token from WordPress Admin → Respira → Settings, then on the dashboard click Add site manually and paste the URL + token. Full troubleshooting: Connecting Your Site.

Step 3: Set up MCP (recommended: dashboard flow)

Go to respira.press → Dashboard → MCP Setup. Use one of the generated setup paths for each client:

• Download config (Cursor, Codex, Claude Code, or bundle)
• Copy one-time install command
• Copy AI setup prompt

This flow is account-wide and supports stacked plans + multi-site inventories automatically.

Per-site one-click install (alternative)

If you want to scope your AI assistant to just one of your connected sites — for a contractor handover, a focused demo, or to keep environments isolated — use the one-click install buttons in the Connected Sites table at the bottom of the MCP Setup page (or on the Sites page).

Each button on a site row generates a config that knows about only that site:

• Claude Desktop — downloads a .mcpb bundle. Double-click on macOS / Windows to install.
• Cursor — opens a cursor:// deep link that drops the config straight into Cursor's settings.
• Codex — copies a TOML block to your clipboard. Paste into Codex's MCP config.
• Claude Code — copies a single shell command. Run it in any terminal where Claude Code is installed.

The account-wide config (above) and per-site configs are not exclusive — you can run both at once if your AI assistant supports multiple MCP server entries.

Quick setup with add-mcp

The fastest way to connect any MCP-compatible AI tool. One command auto-detects your client (Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, etc.) and writes the config:

npx add-mcp "npx -y @respira/wordpress-mcp-server"

Then set environment variables WORDPRESS_URL and WORDPRESS_API_KEY in your client. You can find these values in WordPress Admin → Respira → Setup → MCP.

Local/CLI setup fallback

The MCP server (@respira/wordpress-mcp-server) runs locally and connects your AI assistant to WordPress:

npx @respira/wordpress-mcp-server --setup

Manual npm installation

Install globally with npm:

npm install -g @respira/wordpress-mcp-server

Or run without installing globally:

npx -y @respira/wordpress-mcp-server

CLI options

npx @respira/wordpress-mcp-server --setup    # Run setup wizard
npx @respira/wordpress-mcp-server --doctor   # Diagnose connection, auth, and config issues
npx @respira/wordpress-mcp-server --list     # List configured sites
npx @respira/wordpress-mcp-server --test     # Test connection to default site
npx @respira/wordpress-mcp-server --help     # Show help

Step 4: Advanced/manual site configuration

If you skip dashboard export, you can still use manual config at ~/.respira/config.json or env-based single-site setup.

Step 5: Connect your AI assistant

See the Configuration Guide for setup instructions for:

• Cursor
• Claude Code
• Windsurf
• Claude Desktop

Once connected, refer to the Usage Guide to learn how to prompt your assistant effectively.

Installing WooCommerce add-on

Install the WooCommerce add-on to give your AI assistant access to WooCommerce-specific tools for products, orders, and store management. For a feature overview, see the WooCommerce Add-on overview and the dedicated WooCommerce installation guide.

You are all set

Once configured, you can start using AI to edit your WordPress site. Try prompting your assistant with:

• "List all pages on my WordPress site"
• "Create a duplicate of the About page"
• "Update the homepage title to 'Welcome'"
• "Analyze the SEO of my homepage"

Next steps

FAQ

Do I have to use npm to install the MCP server?

No. Recommended path is dashboard MCP setup (download/install command/AI prompt). You can also use the setup wizard (npx @respira/wordpress-mcp-server --setup) or install globally via npm.

Do I need Node.js installed?

Yes. The MCP server requires Node.js 18 or higher. Check your version with node --version.

Can I install Respira on a staging site first?

Yes. Many users install the plugin on a staging or development site before enabling it on production.

What should I do if something fails during installation?

Run npx @respira/wordpress-mcp-server --doctor to diagnose common issues (config, auth, connectivity). You can also use --test to test a specific site connection. See the Troubleshooting guide for common issues and solutions.

If you need help, contact support at word@respira.press.

How do I manage multiple WordPress sites?

Use respira.press → Dashboard → MCP Setup for account-wide multi-site config (including stacked plans). In-session, use wordpress_list_sites and wordpress_switch_site.

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Questions? Email word@respira.press