How to Connect Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini to Linkilo (MCP)

Linkilo 2.9 includes a built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, which means AI assistants like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini can read your site's internal-linking data — orphan pages, anchors, cannibalization, broken links, Search Console queries, link equity and more — and answer questions about it in plain English.

Before you start

• Linkilo 2.9 or newer installed.
• MCP access turned ON: go to Linkilo → MCP Access and tick Enable MCP access, then Save. It is off by default — the connector cannot connect while it's off.

Connecting from claude.ai (or ChatGPT / Gemini web)

Important: you do not use a token for web connectors. Never paste a token into the URL or anywhere else — the Connect button uses a sign-in flow instead.

1. Copy your connection endpoint from Linkilo → MCP Access. It looks like https://yoursite.com/wp-json/linkilo-mcp/v1/rpc
2. In claude.ai go to Settings → Connectors → Add → Add custom connector.
3. Give it a name (e.g. "Linkilo") and paste only the URL. Leave the "OAuth Client ID" and "OAuth Client Secret" fields empty.
4. Click Add, then Connect.
5. A browser window opens your WordPress admin (log in if asked). You'll see an "Authorize MCP access" screen showing which app is asking. Pick the Access level — start with read_only (recommended) — and how long the connection lasts before it must be re-approved.
6. Click Approve. You're returned to the AI app, now connected.

What can it do once connected?

Ask things like "Which of my pages have the most impressions but no internal links?", "Show my broken links", or "Suggest internal links for this post". With a read_only connection the assistant can only look — it cannot change anything on your site.

Managing or removing the connection

Every connection appears under Linkilo → MCP Access → Issued tokens (sign-in connections are labeled OAuth: <app name>). Click Revoke and the app loses access immediately. The Recent MCP activity table on the same page shows every call any assistant made — including refused ones.

Troubleshooting

• "Couldn't register with the sign-in service" — see the dedicated article Fix "Couldn't Register with the Sign-In Service" When Connecting MCP.
• Nothing happens after Approve — delete the connector in the AI app and add it again fresh; old failed attempts can cache a bad state.