Church website content MCP server

Setup guide.

Step-by-step from “fresh install” to “first run.” Skim it once, then keep this page open while you go.

Before you start

Three CMS adapters ship with this MCP server: Sanity (schema-driven, GROQ-backed), WordPress (REST API + custom post types), and Webflow (CMS Collections API). Pick whichever your church site is built on. The adapter abstracts away the differences so you can ask Claude 'update the next sermon series landing page' regardless of stack.

Step 1 — Generate a CMS API token

Sanity: manage.sanity.io → Project → API → Tokens → Add token (Editor scope). WordPress: Users → Profile → Application Passwords → Add new (give it a name like 'Claude Desktop'). Webflow: Account → Integrations → API access → Generate API token (CMS scope). Copy the token — you'll only see it once.

Step 2 — Wire the MCP snippet

Open your Claude Desktop config (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS; %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows) and merge in the snippet from the Quick Install download. Replace REPLACE_WITH_sanity_OR_wordpress_OR_webflow with one of: sanity, wordpress, webflow. Replace REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_CHURCH_WEBSITE_URL with your full domain. Replace REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_CMS_API_TOKEN with the token from Step 1.

Step 3 — Keep WRITE_REQUIRES_CONFIRMATION on for the first week

By default, the MCP server requires you to confirm any write before it lands in the CMS. Claude proposes the edit; you say 'yes' or 'no'. Leave WRITE_REQUIRES_CONFIRMATION=true for at least the first week so you can build trust before flipping it to false (which lets Claude push edits without asking — useful for batch updates, riskier for first-time use).

Step 4 — Restart Claude Desktop and try a read first

Quit Claude fully (cmd-Q / right-click tray icon → Quit) and reopen. The wrench icon in the chat should now show 'church-website-content' connected. Try a read first: 'List my published sermon series posts'. If Claude responds with a list, you're good. Then try a tentative write: 'Draft an update to the next series landing page that adds a memory verse.'

Troubleshooting.

Hit one of these? Here's the fix.

401 / 403 from the CMS on every request

The token's scope is too narrow. Sanity tokens with 'Viewer' scope can read but not write — make sure it's 'Editor'. WordPress Application Passwords inherit the user's role, so the user behind the password must have Editor or Administrator capabilities. Regenerate with the right scope and update the env.

Webflow writes succeed but don't appear on the live site

Webflow's API writes to the staged version of a CMS Collection. You still need to publish from the Webflow Designer (or call the Publish API) to push staged changes live. The MCP server adds a 'publish_after_write' flag — set it true on the Claude command if you want auto-publish on a per-edit basis.