Learning objectives
By the end of this exercise, you will be able to:
- Install the AI plugin and locate the Connectors and AI settings pages
- Apply a provider connection using your own API credentials
- Confirm that a connection is active and ready for other AI features to use
Before you begin
This exercise has two parts. You can explore the installation flow in WordPress Playground, but entering a real API key and confirming a working connection works best with your own WordPress site or a local development environment.
Setting up a local environment
If you don’t already have a WordPress site to work from, pick one of these local development environments:
- Studio by WordPress.com: download the app, click Add site, and you’ll have a running local WordPress site in under a minute. Recommended if you want the fastest path to a working site.
- wp-env: the official WordPress local environment tool. Requires Docker and Node.js installed, then run npx @wordpress/env start from a project folder to spin up a site.
- XAMPP or MAMP: general-purpose local server software. Install the app, start Apache and MySQL, then install WordPress manually into the local server folder. A good fallback if the options above don’t fit your setup.
💡 Why this matters for you: A local environment gives you a real, disposable WordPress site to experiment on, so you can connect a live AI provider without touching a production site.
Installing and connecting
Start in Playground: install the AI plugin from Plugins > Add New Plugin, and confirm that Connectors and AI now appear under Settings.
Then switch to your local environment or live site: choose one cloud provider (Anthropic, Google, or OpenAI all offer free tiers) and install its connector from Settings > Connectors. Enter your API key and save.
Finally, confirm the connection: go to Settings > AI and enable one feature, such as alt text generation. If no error appears, your connection is working.
💡 Why this matters for you: This is the same setup flow every later practical depends on. Getting it right here means you will not be troubleshooting a broken connection while trying to focus on a new feature later in the course.
What you’ll have when you’re done: a WordPress site with a working, connected AI provider, ready for the practicals in later modules.
✅ Check your understanding
- If Settings > AI shows no error but a feature still does not generate anything, what would you check first?
- Which provider did you choose, and what would make you switch to a different one later?