GoBuildWP Pro · 60 Etch abilities
Etch MCP for components, stylesheets and content models. Preview a query before you save it.
GoBuildWP's Etch MCP gives an AI client 60 typed abilities in GoBuildWP Pro, the largest Pro builder module GoBuildWP ships. It edits Etch's node tree, components and stylesheets, and also models the data behind them: post types, taxonomies, field groups, loops and queries, with a preview of real query results before anything is saved.
Effective requirements: GoBuildWP Free and eligible Pro, PHP 8.1 or newer, Etch 1.4.19 or newer; field-value operations need Etch 1.5. Inspect actual data and query results before a schema or template change.
Pro from $39/year, Etch 1.4.19+, Setup guide
Proposed sequence using source-declared abilities in GoBuildWP Pro 1.12.4. Site, IDs, changes and outcomes are illustrative; no live client, native-editor or restore test is recorded here. Confirm the installed schema and policy separately. A confirmed call carries confirm: true, which the agent sets itself by default; a person approves only when Confirmation mode is “A person approves” or a Pro approval policy holds the call.
Data first
Etch jobs that start from the data model
Etch owns content modelling as well as layout, so the useful jobs usually create or query data before they touch a page.
Model the data, then build the view
Create a post type, a field group and a loop, then compose the template that renders them, in one reviewed sequence.
Example prompt: Create a case-study post type with a field group for client and outcome, then preview a query that lists the three most recent.
Preview a query before shipping it
See what a loop will return before it is saved, and catch the one that returns nothing.
Example prompt: Show me the query preview for this loop before you save it.
Work in components
Create, duplicate and edit components so repeated UI stays in one place.
Example prompt: Duplicate this component, rename it, and swap its heading style to the existing display stylesheet.
Keep styles in stylesheets
Create and edit real stylesheets rather than scattering inline declarations across nodes.
Example prompt: Move the inline styles on this hero into a stylesheet and reference it instead.
Loops and queries
Preview a query's real results before a loop depends on it
Etch keeps loops and saved queries in its own options and binds them to etch/loop nodes on a page. A loop whose query matches nothing renders nothing, and the editor raises no error. etch-get-query-preview runs a query through Etch's own resolver and returns a few real items with their dynamic fields resolved, so the agent, and you, see what the loop will show before it is saved.
Etch is HTML-first and stores page content as Gutenberg block markup, which etch-get-content reads back as nodes with an index address. Because it also registers post types, taxonomies and field groups, the module reaches further than a layout editor: creating one is a schema change, and deleting a field group or post type leaves stored values behind, so those calls are destructive.
Guard rails on Etch writes
- Lossy reads flagged. etch-get-content marks anything it cannot represent faithfully, so a lossy round-trip shows before a write.
- Schema deletes confirmed. Deleting a field group, post type, taxonomy, loop or component needs explicit confirmation every time.
- One node at a time. Adding, editing, moving and deleting work on a node address without re-sending the tree.
- Styles in stylesheets. Styles go into Etch's global stylesheets and style records rather than inline declarations.
Model and view
Etch abilities for content models, components and styles
- Reads
- 23
- Writes
- 21
- Destructive effects
- 16
etch-get-contentReads the node tree and flags anything it cannot represent faithfully, so a lossy round-trip is visible before a write.
etch-get-query-previewRuns a query through Etch's resolver and returns a few real items with resolved values, not just field names.
etch-create-post-typeCreates a post type, alongside taxonomies and field groups, as part of one reviewed content model.
etch-duplicate-componentCopies a component so a variation does not change every instance of the original.
etch-create-stylesheetKeeps styles in real global stylesheets instead of inline declarations on nodes.
etch-set-field-valuesWrites stored field values for content; needs Etch 1.5 or newer.
Largest Pro builder module
All 60 Etch abilities, reads to deletes
Reads · 23
| Ability | What it does | Read / Write / Destructive | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
etch-check-setup | Check Etch Setup | Read | Pro |
etch-get-component | Get Etch Component | Read | Pro |
etch-get-content | Get Etch Content | Read | Pro |
etch-get-field-group | Get Etch Field Group | Read | Pro |
etch-get-field-values | Get Etch Field Values | Read | Pro |
etch-get-loop | Get Etch Loop | Read | Pro |
etch-get-post-type | Get Etch Post Type | Read | Pro |
etch-get-query | Get Etch Query | Read | Pro |
etch-get-query-preview | Preview Etch Query Results | Read | Pro |
etch-get-styles | Get Etch Styles | Read | Pro |
etch-get-stylesheet | Get Etch Stylesheet | Read | Pro |
etch-get-taxonomy | Get Etch Taxonomy | Read | Pro |
etch-get-template | Get Etch Template | Read | Pro |
etch-list-components | List Etch Components | Read | Pro |
etch-list-dynamic-fields | List Etch Dynamic Fields | Read | Pro |
etch-list-elements | List Etch Elements | Read | Pro |
etch-list-field-groups | List Etch Field Groups | Read | Pro |
etch-list-loops | List Etch Loops | Read | Pro |
etch-list-post-types | List Etch Post Types | Read | Pro |
etch-list-queries | List Etch Queries | Read | Pro |
etch-list-stylesheets | List Etch Stylesheets | Read | Pro |
etch-list-taxonomies | List Etch Taxonomies | Read | Pro |
etch-list-templates | List Etch Templates | Read | Pro |
Writes · 21
| Ability | What it does | Read / Write / Destructive | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
etch-add-field | Add Etch Field | Write | Pro |
etch-add-node | Add Etch Node | Write | Pro |
etch-create-component | Create Etch Component | Write | Pro |
etch-create-field-group | Create Etch Field Group | Write | Pro |
etch-create-loop | Create Etch Loop | Write | Pro |
etch-create-post-type | Create Etch Post Type | Write | Pro |
etch-create-style | Create Etch Style | Write | Pro |
etch-create-styles | Create Etch Styles (batch) | Write | Pro |
etch-create-stylesheet | Create Etch Stylesheet | Write | Pro |
etch-create-taxonomy | Create Etch Taxonomy | Write | Pro |
etch-create-template | Create Etch Template | Write | Pro |
etch-duplicate-component | Duplicate Etch Component | Write | Pro |
etch-duplicate-template | Duplicate Etch Template | Write | Pro |
etch-edit-field | Edit Etch Field | Write | Pro |
etch-edit-field-group | Edit Etch Field Group | Write | Pro |
etch-edit-node | Edit Etch Node | Write | Pro |
etch-edit-post-type | Edit Etch Post Type | Write | Pro |
etch-edit-taxonomy | Edit Etch Taxonomy | Write | Pro |
etch-edit-template | Edit Etch Template | Write | Pro |
etch-move-node | Move Etch Node | Write | Pro |
etch-set-field-values | Set Etch Field Values | Write | Pro |
Destructive effects; inspect confirmation policy · 16
| Ability | What it does | Read / Write / Destructive | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
etch-delete-component | Delete Etch Component | Destructive | Pro |
etch-delete-field | Delete Etch Field | Destructive | Pro |
etch-delete-field-group | Delete Etch Field Group | Destructive | Pro |
etch-delete-field-value | Delete Etch Field Value | Destructive | Pro |
etch-delete-loop | Delete Etch Loop | Destructive | Pro |
etch-delete-node | Delete Etch Node | Destructive | Pro |
etch-delete-post-type | Delete Etch Post Type | Destructive | Pro |
etch-delete-style | Delete Etch Style | Destructive | Pro |
etch-delete-stylesheet | Delete Etch Stylesheet | Destructive | Pro |
etch-delete-taxonomy | Delete Etch Taxonomy | Destructive | Pro |
etch-delete-template | Delete Etch Template | Destructive | Pro |
etch-edit-component | Edit Etch Component | Destructive | Pro |
etch-edit-loop | Edit Etch Loop | Destructive | Pro |
etch-edit-style | Edit Etch Style | Destructive | Pro |
etch-edit-stylesheet | Edit Etch Stylesheet | Destructive | Pro |
etch-set-content | Set Etch Content | Destructive | Pro |
Names drop the wppilot/ prefix. All 60 are GoBuildWP Pro and load only while the Etch plugin or theme is active. Supported writes are recorded in the change ledger with a redacted before and after, and reversible ones can be rolled back.
Requirements
Etch 1.4.19, PHP 8.1 and schema-change caution
Requirements
- WordPress
- 6.9 or newer, PHP 8.1 or newer.
- Etch
- 1.4.19 or newer. Field values need Etch 1.5.
- PHP
- Etch itself requires PHP 8.1 or newer.
- GoBuildWP
- Free plugin plus a Pro licence for the 60 Etch abilities.
- Current versions
- GoBuildWP Free 1.18.6 and Pro 1.12.4.
Limits
- Creating or editing post types, taxonomies and field groups is a schema migration. Back up first and test every dependent template and query.
- Deleting a field group or post type can orphan existing content; those calls require explicit confirmation.
- Query previews reflect current data; they do not guarantee behaviour after a content import.
First run
Install GoBuildWP Free
WordPress 6.9+ and PHP 8.1+ (GoBuildWP alone needs 8.0; Etch needs 8.1); the site becomes its own MCP endpoint.
Connect a client
OAuth 2.1 in the browser, or an Application Password where the client cannot sign in.
Check the setup
etch-check-setup reports the Etch version, licence and PHP compatibility.
Preview a query
With Pro, preview one saved query's real results before anything is saved.
Setup guide · OAuth 2.1 · Application Passwords · Client guides
FAQ
Etch MCP questions about queries and post types
Other builders: Elementor, Bricks, Breakdance, Divi, Oxygen, Beaver Builder, WPBakery, Flatsome, Mosaic.
What is Etch MCP?
Etch MCP lets an AI client inspect and edit components, queries, content models and styles through GoBuildWP Pro on your WordPress site. The MCP server itself is GoBuildWP Free running inside your WordPress install, and GoBuildWP Pro adds 60 typed Etch abilities.
Why does Etch have the largest Pro builder module?
Etch spans structure and data modelling: nodes, components and stylesheets alongside post types, taxonomies, field groups, loops and queries. GoBuildWP Pro maps typed abilities across that surface rather than flattening it.
Is it safe to let an agent create post types?
Treat it as a migration, not an edit. Do it on staging with a backup, review every dependent template and query, and keep destructive operations behind confirmation.
What is the query preview for?
It lets the agent, and you, see what a loop returns before committing it. Reviewing the preview is the difference between a loop that works and one that silently returns nothing.
Does Etch replace ACF or Meta Box?
No. Etch has its own field model, and GoBuildWP ships separate modules for ACF, Meta Box, Pods, JetEngine and ACPT. Each loads only if that plugin is present.
Preview an Etch query before you build on it.
Connect read-only, list the saved queries and loops, and preview one against real content.