Agent Builder gives your AI assistants real capabilities — the ability to read, write, search, and take action on your WordPress site. This page explains how the capability layers fit together.
The Capability Stack
Every action an assistant takes flows through a layered architecture. Each layer adds a specific type of capability:
The AI assistant that interprets user intent and orchestrates actions. Each agent has a system prompt, personality, and set of assigned capabilities.
SKILL.md instruction files injected into the system prompt at runtime. Skills teach agents when and how to use tools — like a playbook for specific scenarios.
Concrete PHP functions the assistant can call — reading posts, creating files, querying the database, generating images. Tools are the hands of an assistant.
Communication bridges that connect agents to external platforms — WhatsApp, Email, Slack. Channels turn a chat widget into a multi-platform assistant.
Native WP 6.9+ integration that publishes agent tools as WordPress abilities under the
agent-builder/ namespace. Enables cross-plugin AI interoperability.
Each agent becomes an MCP server that external tools like Claude Desktop, VS Code, and Cursor can connect to via STDIO or HTTP transport.
How They Fit Together
Skills instruct, Tools execute
A skill never takes action directly. It teaches the agent reasoning patterns: “When a user asks to hand off to a human, use the Slack escalation tool.” The tool is what actually sends the Slack message. You can import skills from the community to make your agents smarter without writing code.
Channels extend, Tools power
A channel connects an agent to an external platform (WhatsApp, Email, Slack). Under the hood, channels register their own tools — send_whatsapp_message, send_email — that the agent calls when needed. Skills teach agents when and how to use channel-specific tools effectively.
WordPress Abilities & MCP bridge the ecosystem
The WordPress Abilities API (WP 6.9+) publishes your agent’s tools as native WordPress capabilities, so other plugins can discover and use them. MCP exposes them to external AI clients — Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible tool — making your WordPress site an AI-powered API.
Dependency Map
| Layer | Depends On | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | Tools (at minimum) | Yes — core |
| Skills | Agent + Tools | Optional enhancement |
| Tools | Agent Builder plugin | Yes — core |
| Channels | Agent + Tools + API credentials | Optional (Premium) |
| WP Abilities | WordPress 6.9+ + Agent Builder | Automatic if WP 6.9+ |
| MCP | Agent Builder + WP-CLI access | Optional (Premium) |
Quick Start by Role
Site Owner
Install the plugin, activate an assistant, and start chatting. Tools are pre-configured — no setup needed.
Power User
Import community skills to teach your agents new workflows. Toggle individual tools on/off per assistant.
Developer
Build custom tools and skills. Connect agents to WhatsApp, Email, or Slack. Expose agents via MCP for Claude and Cursor.