Prompt recipes for MCP workflows
Prompting an MCP client is a different activity from prompting a POM AI tool. The tools have a form, a fixed task and a confirmation dialog. An MCP client has a conversation, a set of tools it may call, and the ability to change your live site.
This page covers how to phrase requests to such a client. The server itself is documented from POM AI MCP, and its limits in MCP boundaries.
Start from a supplied prompt where one exists
POM AI MCP publishes ready-made prompts that a compatible client can list and use. They are the best starting point because they encode the correct order of operations:
| Prompt | Purpose |
|---|---|
create_landing_page_with_pom_builder |
Build a landing page through the POM classic builder workflow |
update_pom_builder_page_preserving_structure |
Edit an existing builder page without destroying its structure and merge tags |
create_pom_content_model |
Create post types, taxonomies, fields, templates, assignments and test content |
change_pom_header_style |
Change header layout, behaviour and colours through theme settings |
create_page_with_generated_media |
Build a page, upload generated images and use them in the layout |
create_archive_template_pom |
Create an archive template with validated merge tags |
create_single_template_pom |
Create a single template with validated merge tags |
create_feed_template_pom |
Create a feed item template with validated merge tags |
Each requires specific scopes and a WordPress capability, so a client only sees the ones its token and user allow. Some accept arguments — a page ID, a goal, a business description for the content model.
Use these before writing your own instructions for the same jobs.
Always ask it to look before it writes
The single most useful habit:
Before changing anything, read the current state and show me what you found.
List the tools you intend to call and in what order, then wait for me to confirm.
Use a dry run if the tool supports one, and show me the result before applying it.
An assistant that has read the current post, template or setting makes a far better change than one that assumes. It is also the only way you can catch a misunderstanding before it becomes a database write.
Bound the scope explicitly
Assistants generalise. Say what is in scope and what is not:
Only modify the page with ID 412. Do not touch any other post, template or setting.
Do not change published content. Work on drafts only.
Do not change prices, stock or coupon settings.
Do not delete anything. If something appears to need deleting, tell me instead.
Do not change theme settings; this task is content only.
These clauses matter more than they would in a chat tool, because here the assistant can act.
Ask for verification after the write
After the write, fetch the record back and show me the fields you changed.
Confirm the page renders and report any validation errors.
An MCP tool returning success means the call succeeded. It does not mean the outcome is what you wanted.
Working with builder content and templates
POM AI MCP exposes read tools that describe the authoring context, available shortcodes, their schemas, merge tags and validators. A good request tells the assistant to use them:
Read the authoring context for this page and the available shortcode schemas before writing any content.
Validate the builder content and the merge tags before saving, and show me any errors.
This is what keeps generated layouts valid rather than plausible-looking. The update_pom_builder_page_preserving_structure prompt exists precisely because editing a builder page carelessly destroys structure.
Phrase the goal, not the implementation
The assistant knows the tools; you know the outcome:
| Weak | Better |
|---|---|
| Call the update post tool | The pricing page should say the trial is 30 days, not 14 |
| Use the term tool | Every product in the Outdoor category should also be in Seasonal |
| Fix the template | The archive template should show the excerpt under the title |
Then add the boundaries and the verification request.
Safety practice
Grant the narrowest scopes the task needs, and turn off the write gates you are not using. The four gates — content, options, POM Theme and WooCommerce catalogue — are independent.
Work on staging for anything structural: content models, templates, theme settings, bulk changes.
Have a backup before a session that will write.
Never paste credentials into a conversation with an assistant. Not license keys, not API keys, not tokens. See Keep sensitive information out of prompts.
Treat tool availability as capability, not permission. An assistant that can change prices should still be told not to.
Credits
MCP operations run against your own site and do not consume POM AI credits. The assistant you connect may have its own pricing with its own vendor, which is outside POM AI entirely.