MCP Integration Guide

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Model Context Protocol (MCP) Integration

ABSPLITTEST integrates with the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing AI assistants like Windsurf, Claude Desktop, and Cline to create and manage your A/B tests directly.

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol is a standardized way for AI applications to interact with external tools and services. It enables AI assistants to perform actions on your behalf, like creating tests, viewing results, and managing campaigns.

Prerequisites

WordPress 6.9 or higher
ABSPLITTEST plugin installed and activated
WordPress MCP Adapter plugin (installed manually, see Step 1)
An MCP-compatible AI client (for example Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf or Cline)

Quick Setup

Step 1: Install WordPress MCP Adapter

Go to AB Split Test → Settings → Developer and find MCP Integration (AI Assistants). If the adapter is missing, the section links to the latest release. Download the zip, go to Plugins → Add New Plugin, click Upload Plugin, choose the zip, click Install Now and then Activate Plugin.

Alternative Installation Methods:

# Via WP-CLI
wp plugin install https://github.com/WordPress/mcp-adapter/releases/latest/download/mcp-adapter.zip --activate

# Manual Download
# Visit https://github.com/WordPress/mcp-adapter/releases

Step 2: Create Application Password

Go to Users → Profile
Scroll to Application Passwords section
Enter a name (e.g., “Windsurf MCP”)
Click Add New Application Password
Copy the generated password (you won’t see it again!)

Step 3: Configure Your AI Client

The quickest way is on the same Developer tab: enter your username and Application Password, choose your client from the Your AI client dropdown (Windsurf IDE, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, Cline, OpenClaw or Hermes Agent) and click Copy. The configuration comes with your site address filled in. The examples below show the same setup by hand.

Windsurf IDE

Add to your .windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress-yoursite": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote@latest"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://your-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "WP_API_USERNAME": "your-username",
        "WP_API_PASSWORD": "your-application-password"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Mac) or %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wordpress-yoursite": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@automattic/mcp-wordpress-remote@latest"],
      "env": {
        "WP_API_URL": "https://your-site.com/wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server",
        "WP_API_USERNAME": "your-username",
        "WP_API_PASSWORD": "your-application-password"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cline (VS Code Extension)

Add to your VS Code settings or Cline MCP configuration following the same pattern as above.

Available ABSPLITTEST Tools

Once configured, these tools are available to your AI assistant:

absplittest-create-test

Create new A/B tests with full configuration options.

// Example AI prompt:
"Create a magic test called 'Homepage Hero' to test the headline"

absplittest-duplicate-test

Copy an existing test’s settings, variations, goals, targeting and audiences into a new test. Results are not copied. The copy is a draft unless you ask for another status (a duplicated idea stays an idea).

// Example AI prompt:
"Duplicate test #123 so I can run it again"

absplittest-list-tests

List all A/B tests with their configurations and results.

// Example AI prompt:
"Show me all my active A/B tests"

absplittest-get-test-results

Get detailed results for a specific test.

// Example AI prompt:
"What are the results for test #123?"

absplittest-update-test-status

Change test status (publish, draft, pending, complete).

// Example AI prompt:
"Publish test #123"

absplittest-get-settings / absplittest-update-settings

From version 2.6.0, administrators can read and update every site-wide plugin setting through these tools - secrets are write-only and always returned masked. See Managing Plugin Settings via REST API, WP-CLI and MCP.

// Example AI prompts:
"Turn on heatmaps and set retention to 14 days"
"Add [email protected] to the winner notification emails"

Example Workflows

Create and Launch a Test

You: "Create a magic test for the homepage CTA button. 
Test 'Buy Now' vs 'Get Started' vs 'Try Free'. 
Track clicks on .cta-button and publish it."

AI: Creates test, configures conversion tracking, and publishes

Monitor Performance

You: "Show me all running tests and their conversion rates"

AI: Lists all published tests with current performance metrics

Optimize Based on Results

You: "Which variation is winning in test #123? 
If it has statistical significance, pause the test."

AI: Analyzes results and updates test status accordingly

Troubleshooting

MCP Server Not Connecting

Verify WordPress MCP Adapter is installed and activated
Check Application Password is correct (no spaces)
Ensure URL includes /wp-json/mcp/mcp-adapter-default-server
Restart your AI client after configuration changes

Tools Not Appearing

Confirm ABSPLITTEST plugin is active
Check WordPress version is 6.9 or higher
Verify user has edit_posts capability

Authentication Errors

Regenerate Application Password
Check username is correct (case-sensitive)
Ensure no special characters in password are escaped incorrectly

Security Best Practices

Use Application Passwords, never your main WordPress password
Create separate Application Passwords for each AI client
Revoke unused Application Passwords regularly
Use HTTPS for all connections
Monitor API usage in WordPress admin