tools-only WordPress REST API Endpoints
Authentication
All write operations require authentication via Application Password:
# Base64 encode credentials
AUTH=$(echo -n "username:xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx" | base64)
# Use in requests
curl -s https://example.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json"
Posts
| Operation | Method | Endpoint |
|---|---|---|
| List posts | GET | /wp-json/wp/v2/posts |
| Get single post | GET | /wp-json/wp/v2/posts/{id} |
| Create post | POST | /wp-json/wp/v2/posts |
| Update post | PUT | /wp-json/wp/v2/posts/{id} |
| Delete post | DELETE | /wp-json/wp/v2/posts/{id} |
Create example:
curl -s https://example.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"title": "My New Post",
"content": "<p>Post content here.</p>",
"status": "draft",
"categories": [3, 5],
"tags": [10, 12],
"excerpt": "Brief summary",
"featured_media": 456
}' | jq '{id, link, status}'
Pages
Same pattern as posts but at /wp-json/wp/v2/pages:
curl -s https://example.com/wp-json/wp/v2/pages \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"title": "About Us",
"content": "<h2>Our Story</h2><p>Content...</p>",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0
}'
Media
# Upload image
curl -s https://example.com/wp-json/wp/v2/media \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH" \
-H "Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=photo.jpg" \
-H "Content-Type: image/jpeg" \
--data-binary @photo.jpg | jq '{id, source_url}'
Categories & Tags
| Resource | Endpoint |
|---|---|
| Categories | /wp-json/wp/v2/categories |
| Tags | /wp-json/wp/v2/tags |
# Create category
curl -s https://example.com/wp-json/wp/v2/categories \
-H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"name": "News", "slug": "news", "description": "Company updates"}'
Useful Query Parameters
| Parameter | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
per_page |
Results per page (max 100) | ?per_page=50 |
page |
Pagination | ?page=2 |
search |
Search term | ?search=keyword |
status |
Filter by status | ?status=draft |
categories |
Filter by category ID | ?categories=3 |
orderby |
Sort field | ?orderby=date |
order |
Sort direction | ?order=desc |
_fields |
Limit response fields | ?_fields=id,title,link |
Menus (requires plugin or WP 5.9+)
Navigation menus have limited REST API support. The /wp-json/wp/v2/navigation endpoint exists for block-based navigation in FSE themes. For classic menus, use WP-CLI or browser automation.