Connect Formidable Forms to Your AI Agent with MCP

Formidable API Add-On 2.0 includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. MCP lets a compatible AI client discover and run Formidable abilities with the permissions of a WordPress user.

The add-on includes the WordPress MCP Adapter. You do not need to install a separate MCP Adapter plugin or run Composer on the WordPress site.

Important: Use a staging site and a dedicated WordPress user while you configure and test MCP. An MCP client can run every Formidable operation that its WordPress user can run.

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Requirements

Formidable Forms Pro and Formidable API Add-On 2.0 installed and activated.
WordPress 6.9 or later. These steps were validated with WordPress 7.0.1.
A compatible MCP client.
A dedicated WordPress user with only the required Formidable capabilities.
PHP and WP-CLI for a local standard input and output connection, or HTTPS and a WordPress Application Password for an HTTP connection.
Formidable Views when you use View or View-layout abilities.

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Install the API Add-On and enable the MCP server

Install and activate Formidable Forms Pro.
Go to Formidable → Add-Ons.
Find Formidable API, then install and activate it.
Go to Formidable → Global Settings → API.
Turn on MCP Server.
Click Update to save the settings.

The MCP Server setting controls both the Formidable MCP server and the Formidable abilities. When this setting is off, the abilities are not registered for MCP or the WordPress Abilities API.

When MCP Server is on, the API settings also show Formidable Skill and MCP Connections.

Setting	Purpose
REST API	Registers the frozen /frm/v2 routes and the current /frm/v3 routes. This setting does not need to be on for MCP.
Embeds	Allows Formidable forms and Views to be embedded on other sites. You can limit embeds to approved origins.
Formidable Skill	Shows release information when it is available. Download Skill downloads the current release ZIP. Download Update appears when a newer release is available.
MCP Connections	Shows recent authenticated HTTP MCP activity by WordPress user. It does not include local WP-CLI connections.

An expired Formidable license outside its grace period makes the Formidable abilities and MCP server unavailable.

Understand the Formidable MCP server

The add-on registers this server:

Server ID: formidable-mcp
HTTP route: /wp-json/mcp/formidable-mcp
Local transport: standard input and output through WP-CLI
HTTP transport: authenticated JSON-RPC requests
Latest supported MCP protocol version: 2025-11-25
Also supported: 2025-06-18 and 2024-11-05

The server exposes three tools. Each Formidable operation runs through one of them.

MCP tool	Purpose
mcp-adapter-discover-abilities	List the public abilities registered with the server.
mcp-adapter-get-ability-info	Get the description, input schema, output schema, and annotations for one ability.
mcp-adapter-execute-ability	Run one ability with validated parameters.

The current full product stack exposes 43 Formidable abilities. An authenticated user with the standard WordPress Read permission can discover the public catalog. This permission does not appear on the Formidable Permissions screen. Each ability checks the required Formidable permission when the user tries to execute it.

Install the Formidable skill

The Formidable MCP skill gives an AI client Formidable workflows, payload shapes, and verification rules. Keep skill installation in this setup flow because a working MCP connection does not teach the client how to use complex Formidable operations safely.

You can start from the Download Skill button under Formidable → Global Settings → API, or install from the public GitHub repository. Download Skill downloads a ZIP. It does not install the skill, connect the MCP server, or grant WordPress access. For a manual installation, extract the ZIP and install the skills/formidable-mcp directory in your client.

Install in Claude Code

Choose the installation method that matches where you use Claude. Use the terminal commands for Claude Code in a shell. Use the Directory instructions for the Claude Desktop app. Do not enter the terminal /plugin commands in a Claude Desktop chat.

Claude Code in a terminal

Run these commands in the Claude Code terminal:

/plugin marketplace add Strategy11/formidable-mcp-skill
/plugin install formidable-mcp@formidable

The install command does not prove that automatic updates are on. Enable automatic updates in the marketplace settings, or update the marketplace manually:

/plugin marketplace update formidable

Reload Claude Code after installation if the skill does not appear.

Claude Desktop

Use these steps in the Claude Desktop app:

Open a chat in the Code tab.
Click the + button next to the prompt.
Select Add plugins….
In Directory, select Plugins if it is not already selected.
Click the + button in the Plugins view.
In Add marketplace, enter https://github.com/Strategy11/formidable-mcp-skill/.
Click Sync and wait for the marketplace to load.
Search for Formidable Forms MCP. In some versions, select the Code tab to see marketplaces added from a repository.
Open Formidable Forms MCP by Strategy11, then click Install.
Click Manage and confirm that the Skills list includes /formidable-mcp.

After installation, you can enter /formidable-mcp in the chat to use the skill directly. Claude can also use the skill automatically for relevant tasks. Continue with the MCP configuration and verification steps in this article.

To update the Desktop installation, click Manage, then click Update when it is available. The control labels can differ between Claude Desktop versions.

Install in Codex

Use this section for Codex CLI.

In a new Codex task, ask the built-in Skill Installer to install the Formidable skill from the public repository:

$skill-installer Install the formidable-mcp skill from https://github.com/Strategy11/formidable-mcp-skill/tree/main/skills/formidable-mcp

Codex reads user skills from $HOME/.agents/skills. It also scans .agents/skills in the current working directory and parent directories up to the repository root. Start a new Codex task after installation. Restart Codex only if the installed skill does not appear. Do not use the Claude /plugin commands for this installation. See the official OpenAI skill documentation for the current locations and controls.

Install manually

To install the skill manually for Codex CLI, run:

git clone https://github.com/Strategy11/formidable-mcp-skill.git
mkdir -p "$HOME/.agents/skills"
cp -R formidable-mcp-skill/skills/formidable-mcp "$HOME/.agents/skills/"

Use either the Skill Installer or the manual method. Do not use both methods for the same skill.

Use the ChatGPT desktop app

The ChatGPT desktop app supports standalone skills. On the same Codex host, it shares local MCP configuration with Codex CLI. The current Formidable ZIP is a Claude plugin package, not a ChatGPT plugin. Its Claude installation commands do not install the Formidable skill in ChatGPT. Use the Skills sidebar for a skill available through a ChatGPT-supported route, then follow the MCP setup below. If the Formidable skill is not available in the sidebar, you can still use the configured MCP server.

ChatGPT on the web

Current limitation: ChatGPT on the web cannot use the local Codex configuration or start the local WP-CLI MCP server. The current Formidable ZIP is a Claude plugin package, not a ChatGPT plugin. Use Codex CLI, the ChatGPT desktop app with a local MCP configuration, or a supported Claude client.

Configure a dedicated WordPress user

Do not use a personal administrator account for routine MCP work.

Create a dedicated WordPress user for the integration.
Assign the user to a WordPress role that you reserve for this integration. If you need a custom role, create it with a WordPress role-management plugin or custom code.
Go to Formidable → Global Settings → Permissions.
Under View Forms List, select the integration user's role.
Click Update. This gives the selected role View Forms List access, which is required for the first list-forms test.
If you created a custom role, use your WordPress role-management tool to confirm that the role has the standard WordPress Read permission. This permission does not appear on the Formidable Permissions screen.

Role-based access: Each selection on the Formidable Permissions screen applies to all users with that WordPress role. Use a dedicated custom role when other users in the selected role must not receive the same Formidable access.

Use these permission settings only when the planned tasks need them:

Task family	Permission setting
View forms and fields	View Forms List
Create or update forms and fields	Add and Edit Forms
Delete forms and fields	Delete Forms
View entries	View Entries from Admin Area
View statistics	View Entries from Admin Area
Create entries	Add Entries from Admin Area
Update entries	Edit Entries from Admin Area
Delete entries	Delete Entries from Admin Area
List, get, create, update, or delete styles	Access this Settings Page
Assign a style to a form	Add and Edit Forms
List or get form actions	View Forms List
Create, update, or delete form actions	Add and Edit Forms
List Views	Add/Edit Views
Get one View	View Forms List
Create, update, or delete Views	Add/Edit Views
List or get View layouts	View Forms List
Create, update, or delete View layouts	Add/Edit Views
Manage Applications	Add/Edit Applications

The Global Settings overview explains the site-wide permission settings.

Choose a connection method

Situation	Recommended connection	Credential
The AI client runs on the WordPress host or local development machine.	WP-CLI standard input and output	WordPress username, user ID, or email. No Application Password.
The client cannot start WP-CLI on the WordPress host.	HTTPS MCP endpoint	WordPress username and Application Password.

Prefer the WP-CLI connection for a local site. It does not create a reusable password.

Connect a local site with WP-CLI

From the WordPress directory, list the available MCP servers:

wp mcp-adapter list

The list must include formidable-mcp.

Start the server for the dedicated WordPress user:

wp mcp-adapter serve --server=formidable-mcp --user=YOUR_WORDPRESS_USERNAME

Your MCP client normally starts this process. Use the full paths to PHP, wp-cli.phar, the PHP configuration, and WordPress when wp is not available in the client's environment. Local by Flywheel users often need the Local PHP binary, WP-CLI file, and database socket used by that site.

Configure the local server in Codex

By default, the ChatGPT desktop app, Codex CLI, and the Codex IDE extension share ~/.codex/config.toml on the same computer. A trusted project can instead use a project .codex/config.toml file.

To add the server with the command line, open a terminal on the machine where Codex runs. In this example, formidable is the Codex connection name. You can use a different connection name. Keep formidable-mcp as the fixed Formidable server ID.

Replace each placeholder with a value from your environment:

codex mcp add formidable -- \
  /absolute/path/to/php \
  -c /absolute/path/to/php.ini \
  /absolute/path/to/wp-cli.phar \
  --path=/absolute/path/to/wordpress \
  mcp-adapter serve \
  --server=formidable-mcp \
  --user=YOUR_WORDPRESS_USERNAME

Verify the saved configuration:

codex mcp get formidable

To configure the server in the ChatGPT desktop app, go to Settings → MCP servers, click Add server, select STDIO, and enter formidable as the server name. Set the server command to /absolute/path/to/php. Enter the values after the PHP path in the code example above as the server arguments, in the same order. Do not enter codex mcp add formidable -- in the desktop app. Click Save, then click Restart.

Start a new Codex task after adding the server so the client can load it.

Other MCP clients can use the same executable and arguments in their local process configuration.

Connect a remote site through HTTP

Protect your credentials: Use HTTPS and create a separate WordPress Application Password for the dedicated integration user. Never paste the password into an AI conversation, shared document, browser URL, or source repository.

Sign in as the dedicated WordPress user. Go to Users → Profile → Application Passwords. Enter a name under New Application Password Name, then click Add New Application Password. Copy the password immediately because WordPress shows it only once.

The complete MCP endpoint is https://example.com/wp-json/mcp/formidable-mcp. A setup helper can ask for the base site URL and add the MCP path itself. Follow the labels used by the final helper or client.

The current skill release includes scripts/frm-mcp.env.example, scripts/frm-mcp-setup, and the frm-mcp helper.

Open the installed skill's scripts directory.
Copy the environment template.
Restrict the local file permissions.
Edit the file yourself and add the site URL, WordPress username, and Application Password.
Run the setup check.

cd /absolute/path/to/formidable-mcp/scripts
cp frm-mcp.env.example frm-mcp.env
chmod 600 frm-mcp.env
bash ./frm-mcp-setup

The setup check must end with Connected.. Use bash ./frm-mcp-setup because some download tools do not preserve the executable file permission.

A compatible MCP client or the supplied helper manages the HTTP session automatically. A custom client must initialize a session, save the Mcp-Session-Id response header, send notifications/initialized, include the same session ID on later requests, and close the session when it finishes.

Store credentials in the client's protected credential storage or a protected local configuration file. Do not put credentials in a prompt.

Verify the connection

Verify each layer separately:

Confirm that the client can see the installed formidable-mcp skill.
Confirm that the client shows the MCP connection name that you configured and that the connection provides the Formidable MCP tools.
Ask the client to run formidable-forms/list-forms without changing data.
Confirm that the result matches the forms the integration user can view.
For an HTTP connection, go to Formidable → Global Settings → API. In MCP Connections, find the WordPress user under User and confirm the expected operation under Recent Endpoints.

The MCP Connections table records HTTP MCP requests only. A successful WP-CLI connection does not appear there.

Use a safe first prompt

Keep installation, connection, verification, and the real task as separate prompts. This makes failures easier to identify.

Install

Install the Formidable MCP skill from https://github.com/Strategy11/formidable-mcp-skill. Use the supported installation method for this client. Tell me how updates work. Do not ask for or accept credentials. Stop after the skill is available.

Connect and verify

Connect to SITE_URL with the Formidable MCP skill. For a local site, prefer the WP-CLI connection. For a remote site, tell me which protected local configuration file I must edit myself. Never request or show its contents. Verify the connection with formidable-forms/list-forms. Do not change data.

Run a Formidable task

Use the Formidable MCP skill on SITE_URL. Confirm the target site. Inspect the relevant ability schemas before use. Show the planned objects and fields before a destructive operation. After each change, verify the saved result with a separate get or list ability.

Troubleshoot the connection

The client cannot find the skill

Confirm that one installed skill directory contains SKILL.md. Remove conflicting older copies. Restart the client if it does not detect the new skill.

The client cannot find the MCP server

Confirm that Formidable API Add-On 2.0 is active and MCP Server is on. Run wp mcp-adapter list for a local connection. Restart the client after you change its MCP configuration.

The server says that MCP is turned off

Turn on MCP Server under Formidable → Global Settings → API, then save the settings.

The server reports an expired license

Renew the Formidable license. The server returns HTTP 403 after the license grace period ends.

Discovery returns fewer than 43 abilities

The full product stack exposes 43 abilities. A site without Formidable Pro or Formidable Views has a smaller catalog. Confirm the active products before you treat the difference as an error.

An execution call is denied

Inspect the ability with mcp-adapter-get-ability-info. Then go to Formidable → Global Settings → Permissions and confirm that the user's role is selected under the required permission setting. Use the permission table in this article. Do not assign the administrator role unless the integration needs administrator access.

The full 43-ability catalog requires the matching Formidable Pro and Formidable Views products.
The MCP Server setting disables both MCP and Formidable ability registration.
An expired license outside the grace period blocks the AI surface.
View schemas accept draft for compatibility with older data. Use private for unpublished Views and publish for public Views.
The MCP Connections table shows HTTP activity only. It keeps a short recent endpoint history rather than a complete audit log.
A local process configuration can reveal private paths and WordPress user IDs. Share a generic template instead of a personal configuration.
HTTP connections add credential, session, and network risk. Prefer WP-CLI when the client and WordPress site are on the same trusted machine.

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