WordPress AI features arrived in core with WordPress 7.0, but not in the way many people expected. There is no AI writing your pages by default. Instead, WordPress now includes the plumbing that lets plugins and features use AI in a standard way: an AI Client, Connectors for adding a provider and an Abilities API that describes what a site can do. Whether any of it touches your content depends on what you switch on.
We build AI-assisted plugins for WordPress, including our own SEO plugin, so this guide focuses on the questions that matter for a business: what each piece does, useful jobs, data and cost, who can use it and whether to enable it at all.
Key takeaways
- WordPress 7.0 added AI infrastructure, not automatic AI content.
- Connectors let you add an AI provider with your own account and keys; nothing is connected by default.
- Useful jobs include alt text suggestions, excerpts, summaries and first drafts, always with human review.
- Check what data goes to the provider, what it costs and whether the provider uses your data.
- Limit AI tools to the roles that need them, and keep a person responsible for everything published.
What the AI Client actually is
The AI Client is a standard way for WordPress code to send a request to an AI model and get a response, without each plugin building its own connection to each provider. For developers, it removes a lot of duplicated work. For site owners, it means AI-powered plugins can share one configured provider rather than each needing separate setup.
On its own, the AI Client does nothing visible. It sits ready for features and plugins to use, with no cost or data sharing until something calls it.
Connectors: adding a provider
Connectors are how a site is linked to a specific AI provider. You choose the provider, add your own account credentials and decide which features may use it. That keeps you in control: no provider is connected by default, and you can remove a connection at any time.
Before connecting anything, read the provider's business terms. Check whether your data may be used to train models, where it is processed and how long it is kept. Business and API accounts often have different terms from consumer apps.
The Abilities API for developers
The Abilities API lets WordPress describe actions a site can perform, such as creating a draft post or updating a field, in a structured way that AI tools and other systems can understand. It is mainly a developer feature, but it matters for owners because it determines what an AI-powered tool is allowed to do on your site.
Well-built plugins use it carefully, exposing only the actions they need and respecting user permissions. If a plugin asks for broad abilities, such as publishing or deleting content, ask why.
Useful jobs: alt text, excerpts, drafts
Used sensibly, AI can save time on routine tasks:
- Alt text suggestions for images, reviewed and corrected by a person who knows what the image shows.
- Excerpts and meta description drafts, edited to fit your voice and keyphrase.
- Summaries of long content for internal use.
- First drafts or outlines that an expert then rewrites with real experience and detail.
- Content checks, such as spotting near-duplicate pages.
Our own SEO plugin uses AI to suggest rewrites of a section or a page, but nothing is applied until an editor reviews the suggestion. It also flags near-duplicate content, where we found a simple text-similarity measure more useful than the more complex approach we started with. The principle behind both features is the same: AI suggests, a person decides.
Google's spam policies target content produced at scale mainly to rank, so publishing unedited AI text is a risk. Our guide to AI-generated content and SEO explains where the line sits.
Data, privacy and cost
Three questions to settle before enabling any AI feature:
- What data leaves the site? Content, customer details or form submissions sent to a provider become subject to its terms. Avoid sending personal data unless you have a clear lawful basis and a proper agreement in place. The ICO's guidance for organisations covers AI and data protection.
- What does it cost? Most providers charge by usage. A feature that runs on every page save, or on hundreds of images in bulk, can generate a surprising bill. Set spending limits with the provider.
- Who is responsible? Someone must check what AI produces before it is published, especially facts, prices, legal statements and claims about your services.
Controlling who can use it
Treat AI tools like any powerful admin feature:
- Restrict AI features to the user roles that need them, such as editors and administrators.
- Keep provider credentials in secure configuration, not shared in emails or documents.
- Prefer tools that log what was generated and by whom.
- Review usage and costs monthly.
- Remove connections and plugins you no longer use.
Should you enable WordPress AI features?
Enable WordPress AI features if you have a clear job for them, such as alt text or meta description drafts, a provider whose terms you are comfortable with, a spending limit and a person who reviews everything before it goes live. Leave them off if you would be sending personal or sensitive data, if nobody has time to review output, or if you simply do not need them.
For the full release, see our guide to WordPress 7.0, and for the bigger picture on the platform, is WordPress still relevant in 2026 and WordPress for business. If you want an AI-assisted workflow built around your own content and review process, our guide to custom WordPress plugin development explains how. You can see our plugin work on our custom WordPress plugins and web development pages. The Make WordPress Core blog covers the technical detail of each feature.
Frequently asked questions
Does WordPress have built-in AI?
Since WordPress 7.0, WordPress includes AI infrastructure in core: an AI Client for sending requests to AI models, Connectors for adding a provider and an Abilities API describing what a site can do. It does not generate content automatically. AI only works on your site once you or a plugin switch on a feature and connect a provider.
How do WordPress Connectors work?
Connectors link a WordPress site to a chosen AI provider using your own account credentials. Once connected, features and plugins that use the AI Client can send requests through that provider. You decide which provider to use and can remove the connection at any time. Check the provider's data and pricing terms before connecting.
Is WordPress AI safe to use for business content?
It can be, with sensible controls. Use WordPress AI features for drafts and suggestions rather than publishing output directly, avoid sending personal or sensitive data, check the provider's terms on data use, set spending limits, restrict the features to the roles that need them and make sure a person reviews everything before it goes live.
Talk to us about AI in WordPress
If you want AI to save time without risking your content or data, talk to us about AI-assisted WordPress tools.