How do I make an ability visible in the Block Editor?

During PHP registration, you must set the 'show_in_rest' meta attribute to true so it can be consumed by the @wordpress/abilities JS package.

What is the WordPress Abilities API?

It is a framework for registering and managing granular feature flags or permissions that are shared between the PHP backend and the JavaScript frontend.

Can Claude help debug missing abilities in the REST API?

Yes, this skill includes procedures to verify registration hooks, check for ID mismatches, and confirm that the correct REST namespaces are being queried.

Which WordPress versions are supported by this skill?

This skill targets WordPress 6.9 and higher, utilizing core functionality or the standalone Abilities API plugin for older environments.

WordPress Abilities API

Name: WordPress Abilities API
Author: javiercasares

byjaviercasares

•

Content Management

Registers and manages WordPress abilities and categories to control feature visibility and permissions across PHP and JavaScript.

About

This skill empowers Claude to implement and manage the WordPress Abilities API, a framework designed to sync feature permissions between server-side PHP and client-side JavaScript. It provides structured workflows for registering abilities and categories, configuring REST API exposure via the wp-abilities/v1 namespace, and consuming those permissions within React-based interfaces using @wordpress/abilities. Whether you are building complex plugin settings or Gutenberg blocks, this skill ensures that permission logic is consistent, secure, and properly exposed to the frontend.

Key Features

Permission Meta and Read-only Logic
REST API Exposure Configuration
34 GitHub stars
JavaScript Integration with @wordpress/abilities
Automated Triage and Diagnostic Checks
PHP Ability and Category Registration

Use Cases

Defining custom permissions for a new WordPress plugin feature.
Debugging why specific user abilities are missing from REST API responses.
Synchronizing server-side capability logic with a React-based block editor UI.

About

Key Features

Permission Meta and Read-only Logic
REST API Exposure Configuration
34 GitHub stars
JavaScript Integration with @wordpress/abilities
Automated Triage and Diagnostic Checks
PHP Ability and Category Registration

Use Cases

Defining custom permissions for a new WordPress plugin feature.
Debugging why specific user abilities are missing from REST API responses.
Synchronizing server-side capability logic with a React-based block editor UI.