AI in WordPress 7.0: How to Use It

So everyone is using Agentic AI – basically an AI program that is trained to do something. It has agency – not just chatting ability. And we just got AI in WordPress with the new version in April: WordPress 7. So in this article we’ll talk about what is actually coming in Version 7 what it includes and what it does not. I’ve seen a lot of wrong information out there – so here’s the rundown for small business owners that just need a reliable walk-through!

Clients: Complete this 30 second survey to let me know your thoughts on AI.

Before WP 7.0: AI

Everyone has been wanting to use AI – perhaps you have too – since around 2023. And yes, there have been AI-based programs in plugins for awhile. To understand what is new in WP 7.0, you have to understand what was available before. This is just a layman’s version of the tip of the iceberg:

• each plugin needed to connect itself to the AI program of choice
• each had it’s owner interface to do that
• each plugin you added would use it’s own connection, and incur it’s own costs per token

WordPress 7.0: Real Connections

Because that old way of doing things included risks to security, to wasted time and space, and to budgets (and because WP doesn’t want to become obsolete), it has introduced a centralized way to connect to AI. This is called the Connections tab under Settings.

• better for security
• easier to control budget
• speedier if using more than one AI based resource

So this connections tab allows you to connect to your favorite AI program. So far the three available are Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude. You can easily connect to your AI program that you use (these usually require an upgraded version, around $20/mo).

This does not automatically add any sort of capability. It is a connection to the AI machine. That’s it. It doesn’t actually bring a chat window in your WP. It doesn’t bring any sort of Agentic AI capability. Those are all done separately. This means you decide what abilities you are comfortable giving the AI. You decide what it can change, edit or update. You have complete control which brings more safety and easier budget controls.

AI: 3 Layers for Security

If you’ve activated a connection under settings, now the AI and WP can speak to each other. There are two other layers. The second layer is permissions – this is the same as assigning permissions to an admin, editor or author. What can the AI actually change? Will you let it publish posts, edit posts or delete posts? Up to you.

This second layer is called “Abilities”. So now we have:

1. Connections
2. Abilities

And the last layer is the plugin that activates layers 1 and 2. It will take the connection, restrict the AI to the abilities you give it, and then program it to do something plugin-ish. Just like all plugins do.

All three layers are needed to actually get an agentic AI into your WordPress site:

1. Connection
2. Abilities
3. Plugin

This puts you in control, and adds three layers of security. We love this!

AI & Safety

The new connections tab in WordPress 7.0 is opt-in. That means, the tab is there but nothing is connected, there are no new AI tools in your website until you opt-in. You set it up. You set up a connection, get a plugin, and set the permissions.

Remember: you can get a staging site from your hosting company and then you can play on staging, not your production site!