How to connect an AI assistant to Amelia

You connect an AI assistant to Amelia by generating a WordPress Application Password and adding Amelia’s MCP endpoint to the assistant’s MCP server configuration. Once connected, the assistant can discover Amelia’s supported tools and perform actions allowed by the authenticated WordPress user.

For background on the technology behind the connection, refer to the AI Assistant integrations documentation.

The AI assistant integration is available only with the Amelia Elite license and works out of the box, so there is no Enable button in Amelia. What the assistant can access and manage depends on the capabilities of the WordPress user used for the connection.

What do I need before connecting an AI assistant?

Before connecting an AI assistant, make sure you have access to the WordPress user profile that will authorize the connection, an MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop, and Node.js installed on the computer running that client. The connection example below uses the npx command provided through Node.js.

Access to your WordPress user profile
Permission to generate a WordPress Application Password
An MCP-compatible AI client
Node.js installed on the computer running the client
The full URL of the WordPress website where Amelia is installed

If Node.js is not installed, download the appropriate version for Windows, macOS, or Linux from nodejs.org. Node.js provides the npx command used by this connection. After installation, close the MCP client completely and open it again so it can detect the new command.

How do I create a WordPress Application Password?

You create an Application Password from the profile of the WordPress user that will authorize the AI assistant. Go to WP Admin → Users → Profile, scroll to Application Passwords, enter a recognizable name for the connection, and generate the password. Copy it immediately because WordPress displays it only once.

Open WP Admin → Users → Profile.
Scroll to Application Passwords.
Enter a name that identifies the AI client or connection.
Click Add New Application Password.
Copy the generated password and store it securely.

Use the generated Application Password, not the user’s regular WordPress login password. Treat it as a secret, do not include a real password in screenshots, and revoke it from the WordPress profile when the connection is no longer needed.

How do I add Amelia to Claude Desktop?

You add Amelia to Claude Desktop by creating an MCP server entry that runs the WordPress remote MCP package and points it to Amelia’s endpoint. Open the client’s local MCP configuration and add the following entry inside the mcpServers object, replacing the example website, username, and password with your own values.

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

The endpoint always ends with /wp-json/mcp/amelia-mcp-server. If your configuration already contains other MCP servers, add only the amelia-wordpress entry inside the existing mcpServers object instead of replacing the entire file.

How do I test the Amelia connection?

You test the connection by saving the configuration, restarting the MCP client, and asking it to perform a read-only Amelia action. Start by requesting a list of services or employees. If the assistant returns data from Amelia, the endpoint, credentials, and tool discovery are working.

Save the MCP client configuration.
Close and restart the MCP client.
Confirm that the Amelia tools appear in the client’s available tools.
Ask the assistant to list the services configured in Amelia.
Check that the returned services match the records in the Amelia back end.
Test a write action only after the read-only request succeeds.

Which actions can an AI assistant perform through Amelia?

A connected AI assistant can retrieve selected Amelia data and perform the supported booking actions listed below. The available result still depends on the WordPress capabilities assigned to the authenticated user.

List services
List employees
List customers
List events
List appointments
Add a service
Add a customer
Create an appointment
Create an event
Register a customer for an event
Check availability for a service
Cancel a booking

The integration exposes only the supported actions listed above. It does not provide unrestricted access to Amelia or direct access to the WordPress database.

What do I do if the connection fails?

Most connection failures are caused by a missing local dependency, invalid credentials, malformed configuration, server authentication rules, or insufficient WordPress permissions. Match the error shown by the MCP client with the relevant troubleshooting section below.

Why can’t the MCP client find npx?

The MCP client cannot find npx when Node.js is missing or its installation directory is not available to the client. Windows may report npx is not recognized, while macOS and Linux may report npx: command not found; any operating system may also show spawn npx ENOENT. Install Node.js, close the MCP client completely, and open it again.

If the problem continues, run node --version and npx --version in a terminal to confirm that both commands are available. Restart the computer if the commands work in the terminal but the desktop client still cannot find them.

Why do I see an incorrect_password error?

An incorrect_password error usually means that the configuration contains the user’s regular WordPress login password instead of an Application Password. Generate a new Application Password from the WordPress user profile, update WP_API_PASSWORD, save the configuration, and restart the MCP client.

Why does the connection return 403 Forbidden?

A raw 403 Forbidden page can mean that the web server is removing the Authorization header before the request reaches WordPress. This is commonly related to server or Apache configuration rather than Amelia itself. Ask the hosting provider or server administrator to confirm that the Authorization header is passed through to WordPress.

Why do the Amelia tools not appear?

If the connection starts but Amelia’s tools do not appear, confirm that the endpoint ends with /wp-json/mcp/amelia-mcp-server, check that the JSON structure is valid, and make sure the Amelia server entry is inside the mcpServers object. Save the file and restart the MCP client after every configuration change.

Why can the assistant read data but not create or cancel bookings?

If read actions work but write actions fail, the connected WordPress user may not have the required Amelia capabilities. The AI assistant follows the permissions of the authenticated user, so connect with a user whose permissions match the actions you want the assistant to perform.

What should I know before using AI to manage bookings?

AI-assisted actions work best when the request is specific and limited to one clear task. Review the result in Amelia after any action that creates or changes booking data, especially when the assistant creates a service, event, appointment, or event booking.

Services and events created through an AI assistant use default values for settings such as color, visibility, and deposits.
Customer notifications are not currently sent for bookings created through an AI assistant.
Complex requests that combine several actions are less reliable than single-purpose requests.
Requests for large appointment lists may fail if no date range is provided.
The Amelia Employee role should not currently be used for AI-assisted booking because its permission handling is not fully supported.

What are the best practices for AI-assisted bookings?

Keep each request specific, verify important changes in the Amelia back end, and protect the credentials used by the connection.

Begin with a read-only request before testing actions that change data.
Include a specific date range when requesting appointments.
Review AI-created services, events, appointments, and bookings afterward.
Use a WordPress user whose permissions match the intended actions.
Revoke unused Application Passwords from the WordPress user profile.
Don’t include real credentials in screenshots, documentation, or shared configuration examples.
Don’t assume that customers were notified about an AI-created booking.
Don’t combine several dependent booking actions in one request when separate prompts would be clearer.