Studio Code

Studio Code is an agentic coding tool built into the Studio desktop app and Studio CLI.

It gives you an interactive chat where you can build, customize, and manage WordPress sites conversationally, creating themes and plugins, editing files, running WP-CLI commands, deploying previews and publishing your site.

Using it requires you to be logged into your WordPress.com account and having a payment method on WordPress.com is required to prevent abuse.

Getting started

Studio Code is available in the Studio desktop app and as part of the standalone Studio CLI npm package.

Studio Code in Studio Desktop

Studio Code in the Studio desktop app is built into a friendly, familiar interface and doesn’t require npm dependencies.

Open your WordPress Studio desktop app and select a site in the sidebar (or add a new site). Studio Code is the chat pane next to the site preview: type your request in the chat box at the bottom. If you aren’t logged in, the pane shows a Log in with WordPress.com button instead.

Studio Code in Studio CLI

If you have the Studio desktop app installed with the CLI enabled, you can directly use studio code from the terminal.

Otherwise, you can run it directly with npx:

npx wp-studio@latest code

And can install it globally to use studio code directly:

npm i -g wp-studio@latest
studio code

Press the ↓ arrow to work in your local Studio sites, or ↓ and → to work in your WordPress.com- or Jetpack-connected sites.

Connect to WordPress.com

By default, Studio Code uses WordPress.com infrastructure to generate AI responses. Log in to WordPress.com to get started — in the desktop app or in your terminal by following the instructions below:

1. Run studio code in your terminal.
2. Type /login in the chat.
3. A browser window will open. Log into your WordPress.com account and approve the connection.
4. Paste the authorization token back into the terminal to complete the login.

Alternatively, you can use your own Anthropic API key: type /api-key in the chat in the terminal, or add it in App settings → AI in the desktop app.

Using Studio Code

Type your request in natural language and the AI agent will execute for you, creating files, running commands, and making changes to your site.

Example workflows

Create a new site and customize it:

• Create a new WordPress site called “My Portfolio” with PHP 8.2
• Build a minimal portfolio theme with a dark color scheme
• Add a homepage with a hero section and project grid

Share your work:

• Create a preview site so I can share this with my client
• Update the preview site with my latest changes

Publish your work:

• Publish “My Portfolio” site to examplesite.com

The agent can read and write files in your site directory, run WP-CLI commands, take screenshots of your site, and push changes to WordPress.com, all based on your instructions.

Designing a site

When you ask Studio Code to build a site, it first offers you four looks, and then four layouts previewed in the look you picked. It skips these questions when your request already describes a design. Your choice is saved as DESIGN.md in the site’s root folder, and later chats, as well as other coding agents, follow it. Fonts chosen in DESIGN.md are self-hosted on the site.

To review the design system, open the site preview’s address menu and choose Design system. It shows the colors, type scale, spacing and corners, components, and guidelines from DESIGN.md. If the theme’s theme.json no longer matches DESIGN.md, Studio lists each difference: choose Use DESIGN.md or Keep theme.json for each one, or Apply all from DESIGN.md.

Studio Code can also generate images for your site. See Image generation in Studio Code.

To give Studio Code instructions that apply to every new chat, across all your sites, add them in App settings → AI → Instructions in the desktop app. For example: “Always answer in French. My sites are for restaurants.”

Slash commands

While chatting, you can use slash commands for quick actions:

AI model tiers

Studio Code doesn’t ask you to pick a model by name. Instead, you choose a tier based on how much depth the task needs:

• Fast: everyday changes, small edits, and quick fixes
• Balanced: work that benefits from more careful reasoning
• Strong: complex, multi-step, or architecture-level work

New chats start on Fast. Once your account has purchased AI Credits, new chats start on Balanced instead.

Balanced and Strong require purchased AI Credits. For how tiers differ and how they use credits, see Choosing an AI model tier in Studio Code.

Switch tiers at any time, including mid-conversation:

• Desktop: select it from the model menu in the chat box
• Terminal: run the /model command

If you use your own Anthropic API key, the model menu lists Sonnet 5 and Opus 5 instead of tiers. See AI providers.

Uploads

Upload images and files into Studio Code to use across your project:

• Desktop: drag into the chat or click the paperclip iconDesktop: drag files into the chat, paste them, or click the + (Add skill or attachment) button in the chat box and choose Upload attachmentDesktop: drag into the chat or click the paperclip icon
• Terminal: drag into the chat or point to a specific local file or folder

New conversations

Clear your conversation and start a new one:

• Desktop: click New chat, or press ⌘+N (Ctrl+N on Windows and Linux)
• Terminal: run the /clear command

In the desktop app, your earlier chats are listed under Chat history, below the chat box. Use Archive chat to move a chat you no longer need to Archived chats.

AI providers

You can choose how AI responses are generated, in both the desktop app and the terminal:

• WordPress.com (default): uses your WordPress.com account and AI Credits. No additional setup is required beyond logging in.
• Anthropic API key: uses your own API key for direct access to Claude. In the desktop app, add it in App settings → AI → Use your Anthropic API key. In the terminal, set it with the /api-key command.

With your own key, the model menu offers Sonnet 5 and Opus 5 instead of Fast, Balanced, and Strong. In the desktop app, choose the provider for each chat from the model menu. In the terminal, switch providers with the /provider command.

Switching a chat between WordPress.com and Anthropic models starts a new chat, because the models don’t share memory. In the desktop app, Studio asks you to confirm first, and your previous chat stays in Chat history.

Terminal-specific guidance

The terminal version of Studio Code has a few additional capabilities:

Sessions

Studio Code automatically saves your conversation history so you can pick up where you left off.

Resume a session

studio code sessions list                  # View all saved sessions

studio code sessions resume                # Interactive picker

studio code sessions resume latest         # Resume the most recent session

studio code sessions resume <id>           # Resume a specific session by ID

Delete a session

studio code sessions delete                # Interactive picker

studio code sessions delete <id>           # Delete a specific session

Disable session recording

If you prefer not to save conversations, use the –no-session-persistence flag:

studio code --no-session-persistence

Command references

studio code                                # Start a new chat session

studio code --path /path/to/site           # Start with a specific site directory

studio code --no-session-persistence       # Start without saving the session

studio code sessions list                  # List saved sessions

studio code sessions resume [id]           # Resume a session

studio code sessions delete [id]           # Delete a session

For the full set of options:

studio code --help

Usage limits

AI Credits

When you use the default WordPress.com provider, Studio Code’s AI usage is paid for with AI Credits. Every account starts with a one-time free allowance, which can be used with the Fast tier. To keep going once it runs out, or to use Balanced and Strong, buy AI Credits from inside Studio Code. See How AI Credits Work for details on purchases and account rules.

Check your usage

Studio Code shows your remaining AI Credits as you work:

• Desktop: the AI credits meter in the chat box, and App settings → Usage
• Terminal: the stats line at the end of each turn, and the /credits command

Studio Code warns you when you have used 80% and 90% of your AI Credits.

What happens when you reach the limit

AI responses pause until you add more AI Credits. Your local sites keep running normally; only the AI agent is unavailable.

When that happens, you have two options:

1. Buy more AI Credits from inside Studio Code.
2. Use your own Anthropic API key — Usage through your own key is billed by Anthropic and doesn’t use AI Credits.

Use your own Anthropic API key

You can connect Studio Code directly to Anthropic at any time using your own API key. This option is available in the CLI version of Studio Code and in the desktop app.

You can connect Studio Code directly to Anthropic at any time using your own API key. This option is available in the CLI version of Studio Code and in the desktop app.

To use your own key in the desktop app:

1. Create an API key at console.anthropic.com (requires an Anthropic account with billing set up).
2. Open App settings from the bottom of the sidebar, or press ⌘, (Ctrl+, on Windows and Linux), and select the AI tab.
3. Paste your key in the Anthropic API key field.
4. In the chat box, choose Sonnet 5 or Opus 5 from the model menu.

To switch it using CLI:

1. Create an API key at console.anthropic.com (requires an Anthropic account with billing set up).
2. Start Studio Code in your terminal:

studio code

3. Type /provider, and select “Anthropic · API key” in the chat and paste your key when prompted. The key is saved locally for future sessions.
5. To switch back and forth between providers at any time, use the /provider command and choose WordPress.com or Anthropic · API key.
6. To change your API key, use the /api-key command, which will prompt you to enter a new key.