Setting Up Claude Desktop With MemberPress

MemberPress AI Foundation lets the Claude Desktop app talk to a MemberPress site. Once connected, Claude Desktop reads MemberPress data and runs common tasks through everyday conversation, without anyone writing code.

This guide walks a site administrator through the full setup. It covers installing the AI Foundation add-on, then connecting Claude Desktop through the guided MCP Setup Wizard und die Claude Desktop Connectors panel. No configuration files are edited at any point.

Anmerkung: Anthropic bills Claude Desktop's AI usage through the Claude account, not MemberPress. MemberPress AI Credits are separate and do not apply to Claude Desktop. See AI Credits unten.

What This Setup Provides

A connected Claude Desktop app can read members, memberships, transactions, subscriptions, courses, and other MemberPress data. With write access enabled, it can also perform common actions such as creating members, processing refunds, or managing subscriptions.

The connection uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP). MCP is an open standard that lets AI clients reach external data through a predictable interface. AI Foundation ships an MCP server inside MemberPress. Claude Desktop connects to that server once the administrator authorizes it.

Die MemberPress AI Foundation – Überblick und Einrichtungsanleitung covers the protocol, the server, and the available scopes in more depth.

Bevor Sie beginnen

The site needs to meet these requirements before the connection will work:

• A working MemberPress-Einbau on WordPress 6.5 or higher;
• An active MemberPress license (required to download the AI Foundation add-on);
• PHP 8.0 or higher on the server (most current hosting plans meet this);
• Eine aktive Claude Desktop installation on the administrator's computer.

Das ist wichtig: The administrator running this setup needs the manage_options WordPress capability. Standard Administrator role users have it by default.

Installing MemberPress AI Foundation

AI Foundation installs through the standard MemberPress add-ons workflow.

Standard Installation

1. Confirm the MemberPress license is active at MemberPress > Einstellungen > Lizenz;
2. Navigieren Sie zu MemberPress > Add-ons;
3. Suchen Sie die AI Foundation card;
4. Klicken Sie auf Add-on installieren. The plugin downloads and activates automatically;
5. Bestätigen Sie, dass AI Settings appears in the WordPress admin sidebar under MemberPress.

Manuelle Installation

Use this method when the site cannot reach the MemberPress download servers directly:

1. Download the AI Foundation plugin from the MemberPress account portal;
2. In WordPress, navigate to Plugins > Neu hinzufügen > Plugin hochladen;
3. Select the downloaded ZIP file, then click Jetzt installieren;
4. Klicken Sie auf Plugin aktivieren.

Confirming the Installation

After activation, confirm two things:

• MemberPress > AI Settings appears in the admin sidebar;
• MCP Setup Wizard is the first tab on the AI Settings page.

If either check fails, the plugin did not activate cleanly. See MCP Errors and Troubleshooting for diagnosis steps.

The AI Settings Tabs

Die Dashboard > MemberPress > AI Settings page has four tabs. Three drive the connection setup:

• MCP Setup Wizard — guides each new connection through four steps;
• MCP Connected Clients — lists every active connection and revokes any of them;
• MCP Settings — sets the access level that caps what new connections can do.

The fourth tab, AI Credits, manages the credit balance for MemberPress's own AI features. See AI Credits unten.

Set the Access Level First

The access level lives in MCP Settings, not in the wizard. It caps what any neu connection can request. Two options exist:

• Read Only — new connections can only read MemberPress data;
• Full Access — new connections can read data and run write actions, such as creating members or processing refunds.

The access level is the single control that decides whether write scopes are even offered during the connection. Set it vor running the wizard.

To set the access level:

1. Navigieren Sie zu Dashboard > MemberPress > AI Settings > MCP Settings;
2. Wählen Sie Read Only oder Full Access unter “Maximum access level for new connections”;
3. Klicken Sie auf Update Settings.

Anmerkung: The access level only affects new connections. It never changes the access of a connection that already exists.

Tipp: Start with Read Only for a first connection. Raise the access level later if Claude Desktop needs to make changes on the site.

Connecting Claude Desktop

The connection runs across two surfaces: the MCP Setup Wizard in WordPress and the Connectors panel in Claude Desktop. The wizard, at Dashboard > MemberPress > AI Settings > MCP Setup Wizard, starts a fresh connection each time it runs, so it can be used again whenever another client needs connecting. Work through the steps in order.

Step 1: Open the Wizard

1. Navigieren Sie zu Dashboard > MemberPress > AI Settings > MCP Setup Wizard;
2. Überprüfen Sie die Welcome screen, which shows the MCP server details and any existing connections;
3. Klicken Sie auf Los geht's.

Anmerkung: When at least one connection already exists, the button reads Add Another Connection instead of Los geht's. The wizard can be run again at any time to add a new connection.

Step 2: Review the Access Level

The wizard's Zugang step reads “Choose Access Level” and reflects the access level set in MCP Settings. It does not offer a Read Only or Full Access switch — that choice was made in the previous section.

When the access level is Read Only, the step shows a single granted scope:

• Alles lesen — Query members, subscriptions, transactions, rules, reports. Always granted.

A notice explains that write scopes are unavailable: “Site administrator has set the maximum access level to Read Only. New connections cannot be issued write scopes until this is raised in MCP Settings.”

When the access level is Full Access, the step adds write-scope checkboxes, all checked by default. Uncheck any scope this connection does not need:

• Inhalt bearbeiten — Create access rules and coupons;
• Mitglieder verwalten — Create and update members, manage corporate sub-accounts;
• Abrechnungsvorgänge (high impact) — Refund transactions, cancel, suspend, or resume subscriptions;
• Massenimporte (high impact) — Bulk-create members from a JSON array;
• Webhooks verwalten — Create and delete webhooks, toggle email reminders;
• Kursfortschritt — Mark lessons complete, reset student progress (requires the Courses add-on).

Das ist wichtig: Die Abrechnungsvorgänge und Massenimporte scopes carry a high impact flag. They allow refunds, subscription changes, and bulk member creation. Grant them only to a trusted connection.

Klicken Sie auf Weiter to advance to the Connect step.

Step 3: Copy the Server URL

The wizard's Verbinden Sie step reads “Connect Your AI Client”. It shows the MCP server URL and a panel for each supported client.

1. Klicken Sie auf die Kopieren neben der Schaltfläche MCP Server URL;
2. Keep this WordPress tab open. The wizard finishes after Claude Desktop authorizes the connection.

Step 4: Add the Connector in Claude Desktop

Switch to the Claude Desktop app on the same computer.

1. Open Claude Desktop and click Anpassen in the sidebar;

2. Wählen Sie Connectors;
3. Klicken Sie auf Add custom connector (the + control).

In the dialog that opens:

1. Eingabe MemberPress as the connector name;
2. Paste the copied URL into the Remote MCP server URL Feld;
3. Leave the optional OAuth Client ID und OAuth Client Secret fields blank — they sit collapsed under Advanced settings, and there is no need to expand them;
4. Review the trust notice, then click hinzufügen.

Step 5: Connect and Authorize

1. On the new MemberPress connector, click Verbinden Sie;

2. A browser window opens with the “Authorize Application” screen. It shows the application (Claude), the access level being granted, and the redirect target (claude.ai);
3. Sign in to the MemberPress site if no active session exists;
4. Klicken Sie auf Genehmigen Sie to grant access, or Deny to cancel.

After approval, the browser shows a “Connected” page and returns you to Claude Desktop automatically. If the redirect does not fire, click Open desktop app.

Step 6: Confirm the Connection

1. In Claude Desktop, the MemberPress connector now shows as connected and lists the available tools;
2. The connector's Tool permissions list shows what loaded: a Read Only connection loads 39 read-only tools; a full-access connection additionally lists 15 write/delete tools. Each tool defaults to “Needs approval”, so Claude Desktop asks before running any of them;
3. Return to the WordPress wizard, which now shows the “You're All Set!” screen with a connection summary.

The wizard's Erledigt step offers three buttons: Test Connection, Manage Connectionsund Erledigt. Klicken Sie auf Erledigt to finish.

Verifying the Connection

Confirm the connection works from inside Claude Desktop:

1. Open Claude Desktop and start a new conversation;
2. Confirm the memberpress_* tools appear in the available tools (for example, Mitgliederliste_Mitglieder);
3. Ask a simple test question, such as “List the 5 most recent members on the MemberPress site.”;
4. Approve the tool call when Claude Desktop requests it;
5. Confirm Claude Desktop returns the data.

Anmerkung: If the tools do not appear or the test query fails, see MCP Errors and Troubleshooting for common issues.

Changing the Access Level of an Existing Connection

A connection's access level is fixed when it is created. It cannot be raised or lowered in place. To change it, replace the connection:

1. In Claude Desktop, open Customize > Connectors > MemberPress und klicken Sie Trennen Sie die Verbindung;
2. In WordPress, set the new access level at MemberPress > AI Settings > MCP Settings und klicken Sie Update Settings;
3. Back in Claude Desktop, click Verbinden Sie on the MemberPress connector again, then approve the authorization. This creates a new connection at the new access level.

Das ist wichtig: Disconnecting in Claude Desktop does not remove the old connection on the MemberPress side. After reconnecting, two MemberPress rows exist in MCP Connected Clients, both showing Aktiv — the older one is simply no longer attached to the client. Revoke the old row (see below) for both housekeeping and security.

To revoke the old row, open MCP Connected Clients, identify the earlier connection by its Connected timestamp und Access Levelund klicken Sie auf Widerrufen. The old row's Status stays Aktiv after the client-side disconnect — Claude Desktop does not notify the site — so revoking it here is the only way to close it.

Managing Connections

Every active connection appears under Dashboard > MemberPress > AI Settings > MCP Connected Clients. The table lists OAuth connections (from the wizard) and Application Password sessions in one view.

Each row shows these columns:

• Client Name;
• Eigentümer;
• Access Level;
• Verbunden (the timestamp the connection was created);
• Last Used;
• Status;
• Aktionen (including Widerrufen).

An authentication chip marks how each connection signed in — for example, OAUTH for wizard connections or APP PASSWORD for Application Password sessions.

Anmerkung: Scopes cannot be edited on an existing connection. To change what a connection can do, revoke it and create a new one, as described above.

Revoking a Connection

To remove a Claude Desktop connection:

1. Navigieren Sie zu Dashboard > MemberPress > AI Settings > MCP Connected Clients;
2. Locate the row for the connection;
3. Klicken Sie auf Widerrufen on that row;
4. Confirm the prompt that reads “Are you sure you want to revoke this token? This cannot be undone.”.

Anmerkung: The connection stops working immediately. Claude Desktop fails to authenticate on its next request. Reconnect through the wizard and the Connectors panel to restore access.

Warnung: Revoking an Application Password row uses a different confirmation message and deletes jede WordPress Application Password for that user. Other REST integrations that user runs will break. The confirmation prompt warns about this before the action runs.

A Note on Application Passwords

A WordPress Application Password can also connect an MCP client to MemberPress. Application Password connections are capped at read access, regardless of the user's WordPress capabilities. Write access requires the wizard and the OAuth flow described above.

AI Credits

AI Credits power MemberPress's own AI features. Claude Desktop does not use them. Its AI usage is billed through the Claude account by Anthropic, and MCP tool calls from Claude Desktop do not consume AI Credits.

Die AI Credits im Reiter Dashboard > MemberPress > AI Settings > AI Credits shows the current balance and the option to buy more. Use it to top up credits for the MemberPress AI features that rely on them.

For a full explanation of the AI Credits system, see the MemberPress AI Foundation – Überblick und Einrichtungsanleitung.

Other AI Clients

Claude Desktop is one of several MCP-compatible clients that connect to MemberPress. The pattern is the same for each; only the client-side steps differ. The MCP Setup Wizard ships connection details for four more clients:

• Cursor;
• VS Code (through GitHub Copilot);
• Windsurf;
• Claude Code (the CLI).

Die Connecting AI Clients to MemberPress developer reference covers each one, along with the full scope vocabulary and the OAuth and Bearer token flows.

Zusammenfassung

Install AI Foundation from MemberPress > Add-ons, then set the access level in MCP Settings. Run the MCP Setup Wizard to copy the server URL, add a custom connector in Claude Desktop, and approve the authorization. The connection then appears in MCP Connected Clients, which is also where to revoke it. To change a connection's access level, disconnect, raise or lower the access level, reconnect, and revoke the old row.