Claude CMS Help Centre

Installing Claude CMS

Upload the files, set up a database, and grab the connection details. The whole process takes just a few minutes.

1. Upload the files

Upload the directory sent to you by email to your web server root, into a folder called /claude.

2. Set up a database

You'll need a MySQL database — or we can create one for you. Have your database name, user, and password ready for the next step.

3. Grab the output

When the installer finishes it shows you the connection details. Copy these — you'll need them to connect Claude in the next topic.

Connecting to Claude

Once the files are live, link your site to Claude and confirm everything's running.

1. Add the connector to Claude

In Claude, open Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector. Enter the connector URL https://claudecms.com/mcp, then sign in with the details provided in your welcome email.

2. Enable permissions

Click Configure and enable all permissions so Claude can fully manage your site.

3. Check it's working

Open a new chat, enable the connector, and prompt "list sites" to check everything is running smoothly.

Connecting to ChatGPT

Prefer ChatGPT? You can manage your site from there too. ChatGPT Plus or higher is required, and the whole setup takes about a minute.

1. Turn on Developer mode

In ChatGPT, open Settings → Apps → Advanced settings and switch on Developer mode. This is what lets ChatGPT add a custom connector. ChatGPT shows a risk note — that is expected, because you are connecting your own site.

2. Add the connector

On the Apps screen, click Create app. Give it a name, paste the connection URL https://claudecms.com/mcp, set Authentication to OAuth, tick the confirmation box, and click Create.

3. Sign in

Click Sign in, log in with the username and password from your welcome email, and approve access. Your site is now connected.

4. Check it is working

Open a new chat, use the + menu to enable your app, then prompt "list sites" to confirm everything is running.

Connecting a custom domain

Point any domain you already own at your Claude CMS site by updating two records at your registrar — no code, no file changes.

1. Find your target

If you're on managed hosting, your welcome email includes the IP address (or hostname) to point your domain at. Self-hosting? Use the IP address already shown in your own host's control panel.

2. Update your DNS records

Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, 123-Reg, IONOS, etc.) and open DNS management. Add an A record for the root domain (host @) pointing at your server's IP, and a CNAME for www pointing at the root domain.

3. Wait for propagation

Changes usually take effect within the hour, though DNS can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate worldwide. Avoid making further DNS changes while you wait.

4. Switch the site over

Once the domain resolves, get in touch and we'll issue the SSL certificate and switch the site's base URL — this touches protected server files Claude can't edit itself. Everything content-side (canonical tags, sitemap, internal links) Claude updates for you by prompt.

Full walkthrough

See the complete guide, including registrar-specific steps and a pre-switch checklist: Connect a custom domain →

Google email connection

Connect a Gmail or Google Workspace address so your site can send email, using a Google app password.

Google Search Console & Analytics

Verify your site with Google, submit your sitemap, and see the traffic Claude's SEO work is bringing in.

1. Verify ownership

In Google Search Console, add your domain as a property and choose the HTML tag verification method. Copy the meta tag it gives you, then ask Claude to add it:

2. Submit your sitemap

Every Claude CMS site publishes a sitemap automatically at /sitemap.php. In Search Console, open Sitemaps in the left menu and submit sitemap.php so Google can find every page as soon as it's published.

3. Connect Google Analytics

Grab your GA4 Measurement ID (starts with G-) and ask Claude to wire it in:

Claude sets the analytics_id site setting and inserts the tracking snippet — no plugin, no separate tag manager account needed.

Shopify store

Connect Claude to a Shopify store - products, inventory, locations and the full Admin API. If you have a Claude CMS account, just log in and open Connections - enter your store in the Shopify section, approve on Shopify, and it links to your account automatically. The steps below are the do-it-yourself route (around 15 minutes, once per store).

1. Create a custom app

Sign in at dev.shopify.com and use Create app (the "Get API credentials" quick path). Name it, paste in the Admin API scopes you want Claude to have, tick Use legacy install flow, add a redirect URL (any URL works - it just has to match the one used later to mint the token), and release the version.

2. Lock it to your store and install

Under Distribution, choose Custom distribution, enter your xxxx.myshopify.com domain and generate the install link. Open it while logged in to the store admin and click Install.

3. Mint the token and connect

Visit the OAuth authorize URL for your store, copy the code from the redirect, and exchange it for a permanent shpca_ token. Add a new connection in your MCP admin with the Shopify adapter URL for your store and the token as the API key, refresh the connector, and the store appears as tools in Claude.

Full walkthrough

Every step in detail, with copy-paste scope lists, the exact authorize URL and token command, plus FAQ: Connect your Shopify store →

Uploading images

Claude can't read images off your computer directly, so it gives you a secure upload link instead.

Ask Claude for an upload link

When you want to add images to your site, copy this prompt into Claude:

Claude returns a link. Open it, upload your images, and they'll be available for Claude to place on your pages.

Add a blog

Spin up a full news/blog section from two ready-made blocks — a category hub with shareable, deep-linkable category URLs, plus a matching article template. You build it by prompting Claude for the right block.

Step 1 — scaffold the blog

Do this once. It creates the blog landing page at /news/ from the blog-listing block, branded to your site.

Step 2 — add an article

Repeat for each post. The category you give must match one you set in step 1.

Full walkthrough

See the complete guide, including prompting tips and how to add a new category: Add a blog to your site →

SSL & HTTPS

An SSL certificate encrypts traffic between your visitors and your site, and turns on the padlock in the address bar. It's also a Google ranking signal.

Do you already have one?

Most hosts, including our managed plans, issue a free certificate automatically via Let's Encrypt — check your host's control panel under "SSL" or "Security" first. If you're self-hosting and don't see one, ask your host to enable it; almost every modern host supports one-click Let's Encrypt certificates.

Force every visitor onto HTTPS

Once a certificate is active, ask Claude to make sure nothing is served over an insecure connection:

Claude audits page content, sitemap entries and settings for stray http:// links. The redirect rule itself lives in .htaccess, a protected file — if it isn't already forcing HTTPS, get in touch and we'll add it.

Just switched domains?

A certificate is issued per-domain, so if you've just connected a custom domain, the new domain needs its own certificate before HTTPS will work on it.

What is two-factor authentication?

Also called two-tier or two-step login. The quick version — what it is, why it matters, and how to add it to your Claude CMS site.

A second key, not just a password

2FA adds a second check on top of the password — usually a one-time code from the user's phone or email. Even with the right password, no code means no entry.

Passwords leak — second factors don't

Passwords get phished, reused, and exposed in data breaches. A second factor means a stolen password alone is useless to an attacker. It's the highest-impact step you can take to protect an admin area or member login.

Just ask Claude to build it in

Because your site is built through conversation, you don't code it yourself — you ask Claude to add 2FA to your login. Pick one of the two approaches in the topics on the left.

Option A — Email code Simplest

After the password is accepted, the site emails a 6-digit code that must be entered to finish signing in. Nothing for the user to install.

Copy this prompt into Claude

Option B — Authenticator app Strongest

The user scans a QR code once into an app like Google Authenticator or Authy, then enters the rotating 6-digit code (TOTP) each time they log in. No reliance on email delivery.

Copy this prompt into Claude

Automatic remote backups

Every site hosted on the platform is backed up automatically to secure off-site storage — no setup, and nothing for you to manage.

Your whole site

Every backup captures the full site — all pages, files, database content, settings, and navigation.

Every night, automatically

Backups run overnight, every day. Multiple recent restore points are kept so your site can be rolled back if anything goes wrong.

Secure off-site storage

Each backup is written to a separate remote location, so your data stays safe even if the main server has a problem.

Need to restore?

Just get in touch and we can roll your site back to an earlier restore point. Because backups are automatic, there is nothing for you to switch on.

Good security habits

Pair these with 2FA to keep your site — and your visitors' data — safe.

• Always serve logins over HTTPS so codes and passwords can't be intercepted.
• Offer the user backup recovery codes in case they lose their phone or email access.
• Add rate limiting on the login form to slow down guessing — ask Claude to "limit login attempts to 5 per 15 minutes per IP".
• Store passwords hashed (Claude does this by default with PHP's password_hash) — never in plain text.