WordPress Playground exposes a simple API that you can use to configure the Playground in the browser.
It works by passing configuration options as query parameters to the Playground URL. For example, to install the pendant theme, you would use the following URL:
https://playground.wordpress.net/?theme=pendant
You can go ahead and try it out. The Playground will automatically install the theme and log you in as an admin. You may even embed this URL in your website using an <iframe> tag:
<iframe src="https://playground.wordpress.net/?theme=pendant"></iframe>
Available options
| Option | Default Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
php |
8.5 |
Loads the specified PHP version. Accepts 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, latest, or next. Use next to preview the next PHP version from the php-src development branch; it is currently supported by the web runtime only. |
php-extension |
Loads a custom PHP.wasm extension manifest before PHP starts. Accepts absolute, root-relative, or page-relative HTTP(S) URLs. Can be used multiple times. | |
wp |
latest |
Loads the specified WordPress version. Accepts the last three major WordPress versions. As of June 1, 2024, that’s 6.3, 6.4, or 6.5. You can also use the generic values latest, nightly, or beta. |
blueprint-url |
The URL of the Blueprint that will be used to configure this Playground instance. | |
networking |
yes |
Enables or disables the networking support for Playground. Accepts yes or no. |
plugin |
Installs the specified plugin. Use the plugin name from the WordPress Plugins Directory URL. For example, if the URL is https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-lazy-loading/`, the plugin name would bewp-lazy-loading. You can pre-install multiple plugins by sayingplugin=coblocks&plugin=wp-lazy-loading&…. Installing a plugin automatically logs the user in as an admin. More than one plugin could be installed, just repeating theplugin` attribute on the URL. |
|
theme |
Installs the specified theme. Use the theme name from the WordPress Themes Directory URL. For example, if the URL is https://wordpress.org/themes/disco/`, the theme name would bedisco. Installing a theme automatically logs the user in as an admin. Multiples themes could be installed just repeating thetheme` attribute on the URL. |
|
url |
/wp-admin/ |
Load the specified initial WordPress page in this Playground instance. |
mode |
browser-full-screen |
Determines how the WordPress instance is displayed. Either wrapped in a browser UI or full width as a seamless experience. Accepts browser-full-screen, or seamless. |
lazy |
Defer loading the Playground assets until someone clicks on the “Run” button. Does not accept any values. If lazy is added as a URL parameter, loading will be deferred. |
|
login |
yes |
Log the user in as an admin. Accepts yes or no. |
multisite |
no |
Enables the WordPress multisite mode. Accepts yes or no. |
import-site |
Imports site files and database from a ZIP file specified by a URL. | |
import-wxr |
Imports site content from a WXR file specified by a URL. It uses the WordPress Importer plugin, so the default admin user must be logged in. | |
site-slug |
Selects which site to load from browser storage. If the specified site does not exist, Playground creates a new browser-saved site with the specified slug unless temporary storage is requested. | |
storage |
Controls the storage lifecycle. Use storage=temp to create a genuinely temporary Playground that is discarded when the page is refreshed or closed. Without it, Playground may autosave the new Playground when browser storage and saving are available. |
|
language |
en_US |
Sets the locale for the WordPress instance. This must be used in combination with networking=yes otherwise WordPress won’t be able to download translations. |
core-pr |
Installs a specific https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop core PR. Accepts the PR number. For example, core-pr=6883. |
|
gutenberg-pr |
Installs a specific https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg PR. Accepts the PR number. For example, gutenberg-pr=65337. |
|
gutenberg-branch |
Installs a specific branch from https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg. Accepts the branch name. For example, gutenberg-branch=trunk. |
|
page-title |
Customizes the browser tab title. Useful for identifying different Playground instances when working with multiple tabs. The parameter is preserved when navigating between sites. | |
can-save |
Controls whether the Playground shell offers automatic browser saving. Use can-save=no to start a temporary Playground and hide the Dock save status/persistence prompt. |
|
mcp-port |
7999 |
Sets the WebSocket port used by the MCP bridge to communicate with the MCP server. For example, mcp-port=8080. |
overlay |
Opens a Playground tool on page load. Supports new for the Dock’s New pane. For example, ?overlay=new. blueprints is kept as a compatibility alias that opens the same New pane, so ?overlay=blueprints still works. The parameter is removed from the URL when the pane is closed. |
For example, the following code embeds a Playground with a preinstalled Gutenberg plugin and opens the post editor:
<iframe src="https://playground.wordpress.net/?plugin=gutenberg&url=/wp-admin/post-new.php&mode=seamless"> </iframe>
Loading PHP.wasm extensions
Use php-extension to load an external PHP.wasm extension manifest before PHP
starts. This is useful for demos that need native extension performance, such
as the SQLite Database Integration plugin’s wp_mysql_parser extension. You do
not need custom JavaScript for this — the Query API turns each parameter into a
runtime extension request before Playground boots.
https://playground.wordpress.net/?php=8.5&php-extension=https://wordpress.github.io/sqlite-database-integration/wp_mysql_parser-wasm-extension/latest/manifest.json
Use /latest/manifest.json for a quick demo. Use a pinned manifest from the
extension release page when you need a stable URL for tests or documentation.
You can repeat php-extension to load multiple manifests:
https://playground.wordpress.net/?php-extension=https://example.com/one/manifest.json&php-extension=https://example.com/two/manifest.json
The parameter accepts absolute, root-relative, and page-relative manifest URLs:
?php-extension=https://cdn.example.com/wp_mysql_parser/manifest.json
?php-extension=/extensions/wp_mysql_parser/manifest.json
?php-extension=./extensions/wp_mysql_parser/manifest.json
Relative values are resolved against the current Playground page URL. The
manifest URL must use HTTP(S) once resolved. file: URLs are rejected in the
browser. For local CLI workflows, use
the --php-extension flag
instead.
CORS policy
To import files from a URL, such as a site zip package or PHP extension
manifest and .so artifact, they must be served with the
Access-Control-Allow-Origin header set. For reference, see:
Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS).
GitHub Export Options
The following additional query parameters may be used to pre-configure the GitHub export form:
gh-ensure-auth: If set toyes, Playground will display a modal to ensure the
user is authenticated with GitHub before proceeding.ghexport-repo-url: The URL of the GitHub repository to export to.ghexport-pr-action: The action to take when exporting (create or update).ghexport-playground-root: The root directory in the Playground to export from.ghexport-repo-root: The root directory in the repository to export to.ghexport-content-type: The content type of the export (plugin, theme, wp-content, custom-paths).ghexport-plugin: Plugin path. When the content type isplugin, pre-select the plugin to export.ghexport-theme: Theme directory name. When the content type istheme, pre-select the theme to export.ghexport-path: A path relative toghexport-playground-root. Can be provided multiple times. When the
content type iscustom-paths, it pre-populates the list of paths to export.ghexport-commit-message: The commit message to use when exporting.ghexport-allow-include-zip: Whether to offer an option to include a zip file in the GitHub
export (yes, no). Optional. Defaults toyes.