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MCP Server Local WP

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MCP server for WordPress database access via Local by Flywheel

MCP Server Local WP

A simplified Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides MySQL database access specifically designed for Local by Flywheel WordPress development environments. This server solves the "difficult to get working" problem of connecting MCP servers to Local's dynamic MySQL configurations.

The Problem We Solved

When using the original mcp-server-mysql with Local by Flywheel, developers face several challenges:

  1. Dynamic Paths: Local by Flywheel generates unique identifiers for each site (like lx97vbzE7) that change when sites are restarted
  2. Socket vs Port Confusion: Local uses both Unix sockets and TCP ports, but the configuration can be tricky
  3. Hardcoded Configurations: Most setups require manual path updates every time Local restarts

Our Solution

This MCP server automatically detects your active Local by Flywheel MySQL instance by:

  1. Process Detection: Scans running processes to find active mysqld instances
  2. Config Parsing: Extracts MySQL configuration from the active Local site
  3. Dynamic Connection: Connects using the correct socket path or port automatically
  4. Fallback Support: Falls back to environment variables for non-Local setups

Tools Available

mysql_query

Execute SQL queries against your Local by Flywheel WordPress database. Supports all standard MySQL queries with read-only safety built in.

Example Usage:

SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE post_status = 'publish' LIMIT 5;
SELECT option_name, option_value FROM wp_options WHERE option_name LIKE '%theme%';
SHOW TABLES;
DESCRIBE wp_users;

Installation

Prerequisites

  • Local by Flywheel installed and running
  • An active Local site running
  • Node.js 18+ (for local development only)

Quick Setup (Recommended)

The easiest way to get started - no installation required:

Cursor IDE Configuration

Add this to your Cursor MCP configuration file (.cursor/mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-local-wp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@verygoodplugins/mcp-local-wp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonWindows: %APPDATA%\\Claude\\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-local-wp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@verygoodplugins/mcp-local-wp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Advanced Setup (Local Development)

For customization or local development:

Install from Source

git clone https://github.com/verygoodplugins/mcp-local-wp.git
cd mcp-local-wp
npm install
npm run build

Local Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-local-wp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/full/path/to/mcp-local-wp/dist/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Custom Environment Variables

For non-Local setups or custom configurations:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-local-wp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@verygoodplugins/mcp-local-wp@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_DB": "local",
        "MYSQL_HOST": "localhost",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "root",
        "MYSQL_PASS": "root"
      }
    }
  }
}

How It Works with Local by Flywheel

This MCP server was created because connecting to Local by Flywheel MySQL was "kind of difficult to get working" with existing MCP servers. Here's the story of what we solved:

The Original Problem

When we first tried to use mcp-server-mysql with Local by Flywheel, we encountered several issues:

  1. Dynamic Socket Paths: Local generates paths like /Users/.../Local/run/lx97vbzE7/mysql/mysqld.sock where lx97vbzE7 changes each time you restart Local
  2. Configuration Complexity: The original server required hardcoded paths that would break every time Local restarted
  3. Host/Port Confusion: Local's MySQL configuration can be tricky with both socket and TCP connections available

Our Solution Process

We solved this step by step:

1. Process-Based Detection

Instead of guessing paths, we scan for the actual running MySQL process:

ps aux | grep mysqld | grep -v grep

This finds the active MySQL instance and extracts its configuration file path.

2. Dynamic Path Resolution
// From the process args: --defaults-file=/Users/.../Local/run/lx97vbzE7/conf/mysql/my.cnf
// We extract the site directory and build the socket path
const configPath = extractFromProcess();
const siteDir = path.dirname(path.dirname(path.dirname(configPath)));
const socketPath = path.join(siteDir, 'mysql/mysqld.sock');
3. Automatic Configuration

The server automatically configures itself with:

  • Correct socket path for the active Local site
  • Proper database name (local)
  • Default credentials (root/root)
  • Fallback to environment variables if needed

Why This Approach Works

✅ Restart Resilient: Works every time you restart Local by Flywheel ✅ Site Switching: Automatically adapts if you switch between Local sites ✅ Zero Maintenance: No need to manually update paths ever again ✅ Error Handling: Provides clear error messages if MySQL isn't running

Local Directory Structure We Handle

~/Library/Application Support/Local/run/
├── lx97vbzE7/                    # Dynamic site ID (changes on restart)
│   ├── conf/mysql/my.cnf        # We read this for port info
│   └── mysql/mysqld.sock        # We connect via this socket
└── WP7lolWDi/                   # Another site (if multiple running)
    ├── conf/mysql/my.cnf
    └── mysql/mysqld.sock

The server intelligently finds the active site and connects to the right MySQL instance.

Usage Examples

Once connected, you can use the mysql_query tool to execute any SQL query against your Local WordPress database:

Getting Recent Posts

SELECT ID, post_title, post_date, post_status 
FROM wp_posts 
WHERE post_type = 'post' AND post_status = 'publish' 
ORDER BY post_date DESC 
LIMIT 5;

Exploring Database Structure

-- See all tables
SHOW TABLES;

-- Examine a table structure
DESCRIBE wp_posts;

-- Get table info
SHOW TABLE STATUS LIKE 'wp_%';

WordPress-Specific Queries

-- Get site options
SELECT option_name, option_value 
FROM wp_options 
WHERE option_name IN ('blogname', 'blogdescription', 'admin_email');

-- Find active plugins
SELECT option_value 
FROM wp_options 
WHERE option_name = 'active_plugins';

-- Get user information
SELECT user_login, user_email, display_name 
FROM wp_users 
LIMIT 10;

-- Post meta data
SELECT p.post_title, pm.meta_key, pm.meta_value
FROM wp_posts p
JOIN wp_postmeta pm ON p.ID = pm.post_id
WHERE p.post_type = 'post' AND pm.meta_key = '_edit_last';

Development Setup

Running from Source

  1. Start a Local site: Make sure you have an active Local by Flywheel site running

  2. Clone and build:

    git clone https://github.com/verygoodplugins/mcp-local-wp.git
cd mcp-local-wp
npm install
npm run build

  3. Test the connection:

    node dist/index.js

Development Mode

npm run dev

This runs the server with TypeScript watching for changes.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  1. "No active MySQL process found"

    • Ensure Local by Flywheel is running
    • Make sure at least one site is started in Local
    • Check that the site's database is running

  2. "MySQL socket not found"

    • Verify the Local site is fully started
    • Try stopping and restarting the site in Local
    • Check Local's logs for MySQL startup issues

  3. Connection refused

    • Ensure the Local site's MySQL service is running
    • Check if another process is using the MySQL port
    • Try restarting Local by Flywheel

  4. Permission denied

    • Make sure the MySQL socket file has correct permissions
    • Check if your user has access to Local's directories

Manual Configuration

If auto-detection fails, you can manually configure the connection:

export MYSQL_SOCKET_PATH="/path/to/your/local/site/mysql/mysqld.sock"
export MYSQL_DB="local"
export MYSQL_USER="root"
export MYSQL_PASS="root"

Debugging

Enable debug logging:

DEBUG=mcp-local-wp mcp-local-wp

Security

  • Read-only operations: All database operations are restricted to SELECT queries
  • Local development only: Designed specifically for local development environments
  • No external connections: Only connects to local MySQL instances via socket

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Development Guidelines

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
  3. Make your changes and add tests
  4. Ensure TypeScript compiles: npm run build
  5. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

  • GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
  • Documentation: This README and inline code documentation
  • Community: Join the Model Context Protocol community discussions

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