How to Build a WordPress Website With Cursor in 2026

Quick Answer

The fastest way to build a WordPress website with Cursor is to add the 1ClickWebsite MCP server to Cursor and ask its agent for the site. Cursor's agent has 1ClickWebsite build a complete, hosted WordPress website, then can edit its content, pages, SEO, colors, and images, with every change undoable. You don't need a local WordPress install.

Add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "1clickwebsite": {
      "url": "https://www.1clickwebsite.ai/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Cursor connects through OAuth: sign in to your 1ClickWebsite account and click Allow. Then ask the agent: "Build a website for Harbor Plumbing, a plumber in San Diego, CA." Each new site uses one site credit.

Two Ways to Build WordPress Sites With Cursor

Almost every guide on this topic takes the first path: set up WordPress locally, open the folder in Cursor, add rules, and have the agent scaffold a block theme. It's the right approach for a custom product, and Cursor is very good at it. For local-business websites, it means building the same homepage, service pages, forms, and contact page from scratch each time. With the MCP server, Cursor's agent works at the website level instead: it asks for a site and gets a finished one.

What You Need

• Cursor with Agent mode.
• A 1ClickWebsite account with site credits.
• Optional: a 1ClickWebsite API key from the API Keys page if you prefer a key over signing in.

Step 1: Add the MCP Server

Create or open ~/.cursor/mcp.json (available in every project) or .cursor/mcp.json inside one project, and add the server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "1clickwebsite": {
      "url": "https://www.1clickwebsite.ai/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

You can also add it from Cursor's Customize page, which manages the same MCP servers.

Step 2: Sign In

With only a URL configured, Cursor uses OAuth. When it connects to the server, it opens the 1ClickWebsite sign-in page. Sign in, review what Cursor will be able to do, and click Allow:

• See your sites and create new ones with your credits
• Run Lead Gen batches and see their results
• Edit your finished sites, with every edit able to be undone

Using an API key instead

If you'd rather use a key, for example on a shared machine where you can't complete a browser sign-in, set it as an environment variable and reference it in the config:

export ONECLICKWEBSITE_API_KEY="your-1clickwebsite-api-key"

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "1clickwebsite": {
      "url": "https://www.1clickwebsite.ai/api/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:ONECLICKWEBSITE_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Don't paste the key directly into a project's .cursor/mcp.json, since that file may be committed to your repository.

Step 3: Ask the Agent to Build a Site

Open the agent and describe the business:

Use the 1clickwebsite MCP server to build a website for Harbor Plumbing,
a plumber in San Diego, CA. Phone (619) 555-0134. Services: drain cleaning,
water heater repair, leak detection and repiping.

The agent checks your credits, picks a template, and starts the build. A site takes a few minutes; ask the agent to check the build status and it returns the link when the site is live.

Depending on your settings, Cursor may ask before it runs each MCP tool. Review those requests, especially ones that create sites (which use credits) or change a live site.

Step 4: Edit and Undo

On Harbor Plumbing, change the small text above the homepage headline to
"Trusted San Diego Plumbers" and confirm it's live.

Every change is saved as an undoable step. To roll it back:

Undo that change.

Ideas for Using It in Cursor

• Pair it with your code. Keep a project with your client list or brand notes open, and have the agent build or update sites from them.
• Batch work. Build sites for a list of businesses, or update the same detail across several sites.
• Lead Gen. Create one-page demo sites for a prospect list and export the links as CSV.
• Content. Ask the agent to write and publish blog posts or improve SEO titles on an existing site.

Common Problems

The server shows an error or "needs authentication"

Open Cursor's MCP settings, find 1clickwebsite, and sign in again. If you use an API key, check that ONECLICKWEBSITE_API_KEY is set in the environment Cursor was started from.

The agent doesn't use the tools

Mention the server by name ("use the 1clickwebsite MCP server") and make sure it's enabled in Cursor's MCP settings.

Out of credits

Creating a site uses one site credit. Add credits on 1clickwebsite.ai. Editing doesn't use credits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Cursor build a WordPress website?

Yes. Cursor can write a theme in a local project, or, connected to the 1ClickWebsite MCP server, have a complete hosted WordPress website built and then edit it.

Do I need WordPress installed locally?

Not with the MCP server. 1ClickWebsite hosts the WordPress site, so nothing runs on your machine.

Is the 1ClickWebsite server in the Cursor Marketplace?

Not yet. Add it with mcp.json as shown above; it takes about a minute.

Can I use the same setup in other editors?

Yes. The same server works in Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, and other apps that support remote MCP servers. See the MCP setup guide.

Sources and Review Notes

• Model Context Protocol in Cursor (Cursor docs)
• 1ClickWebsite MCP setup guide
• How to create a WordPress website with Codex
• How to build a local business website with Claude Code or Codex

This guide follows Cursor's MCP documentation as of October 5, 2026. We tested the same 1ClickWebsite server, including OAuth sign-in, site creation, editing, and undo, in Claude, ChatGPT, and Codex.