Make WordPress Automation

Quick answer: you can use Make.com to automate WordPress by sending and receiving data through Make scenarios and the WordPress REST API; this guide shows working curl examples, scenario logic, update and security guidance so you can start automating WordPress content and workflows today.

How Make WordPress automation works

At a high level, Make.com orchestrates triggers and actions: a trigger (webhook, schedule, or app event) starts a scenario, which transforms data and calls the WordPress REST API to create, update, or delete posts, pages, or media. Make acts as the glue between sources (forms, spreadsheets, or third-party APIs) and WordPress.

Prerequisites and authentication

WordPress site with REST API access (modern WordPress includes this).
Authentication method: Application Passwords, OAuth plugin, or JWT plugin. Application Passwords are simplest for many sites.
Make.com account (the provider used in examples here).
Basic familiarity with curl or HTTP requests.

Step-by-step scenario logic (beginner-friendly)

Use this logical flow when building a Make scenario to automate post creation from an external form or feed:

Trigger: receive data via Make webhook or scheduled fetch.
Data mapping: normalize title, content, taxonomy values, and featured image URL.
Validation: check required fields and sanitize input.
Media handling: download image, upload to WordPress media endpoint, capture attachment ID.
Action: call WordPress REST API to create or update a post with mapped fields and attachment ID.
Follow-up: send confirmation or log the result to a spreadsheet or Slack channel.

Make WordPress automation example with curl

Below are workable curl examples you can adapt. Replace placeholders with your site, username, application password, and Make webhook URL.

# 1) Create a Make.com webhook (copy URL from Make scenario)
# 2) Example: send a JSON payload to the Make webhook from a form processor
curl -X POST "https://hook.make.com/your-webhook-id" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title":"Automated Post","content":"Post body from webhook","image_url":"https://example.com/image.jpg"}'

# 3) Example: WordPress REST API call to create a post using Application Passwords
curl -X POST "https://your-site.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts" \
  -u "your-username:your-application-password" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title":"Automated Post","content":"Posted from Make scenario","status":"draft"}'

# 4) Example: upload media (returns attachment ID)
curl -X POST "https://your-site.com/wp-json/wp/v2/media" \
  -u "your-username:your-application-password" \
  -H "Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=photo.jpg" \
  -H "Content-Type: image/jpeg" \
  --data-binary @photo.jpg

Implementing the Make.com scenario

In Make, build modules in this order: Webhook (or schedule) → JSON parse/transform → HTTP module to upload media → HTTP module to call WordPress posts endpoint → Router for conditional flows (publish vs draft). Use mapping fields to pass dynamic values between modules. For detailed Make features see the use cases and review to understand connector limits and common patterns.

Update considerations

When updating existing posts, perform an existence check using the posts endpoint with query parameters, then call PATCH on /wp/v2/posts/{id}. Keep id mapping in a datastore (Google Sheets, Airtable, or Make data store) to avoid duplicate posts. Use the HTTP module with method PATCH for updates.

Security best practices

Use least-privilege credentials: create a WordPress account limited to required capabilities and use an Application Password scoped to that user.
Prefer HTTPS for all endpoints, including Make webhooks and your WordPress site.
Sanitize incoming data in Make before sending to WordPress to avoid injecting unwanted HTML or scripts.
Rotate credentials and monitor activity; store secrets in Make’s secure stores or environment variables where supported.

Resource tiers and performance guidance for CMS automation

Automation frequency and payload size affect processing needs. If your site receives frequent automated posts or heavy media uploads, consider hosting resource tiers: low-tier shared hosting suits low-volume scenarios; VPS or managed WordPress plans with higher CPU/RAM are better for frequent or media-heavy automation. Choose tiers that allow enough PHP workers and memory for concurrent REST API requests. For Make.com, consult the pricing page to match scenario run limits to your workload.

Troubleshooting common issues

401/403: Check authentication method and application password validity.
413 Request Entity Too Large: optimize images before upload or use chunked upload strategies.
Rate limits: batch requests and add retries with exponential backoff in Make.
Data mapping errors: log the raw webhook payload to a spreadsheet for inspection.

Other automation ideas and integrations

Common automation workflows include publishing posts from forms, syndicating content from feeds, generating featured images via an image API, or syncing comments to helpdesk systems. Explore more scenarios and inspiration in the Make use cases and the Make review.

Recommendation and next steps

Start with a simple scenario: a Make webhook that creates draft posts in WordPress, then iterate by adding media handling and validation. Test with a staging site, secure credentials, and monitor logs. If you’re ready to build now, follow the steps above to Automate WordPress with Make.com and scale the scenario as needs grow.

Written by Nadia

Nadia writes exclusively about Make.com and advanced workflow automation. She explores real-world scenarios, API integrations, error handling, performance optimization, and scalable automation design, translating complex setups into practical step-by-step guides. As part of the AutomationCompare team, Nadia focuses entirely on helping readers master Make.com and build reliable automation systems.