AI Services vs Code Engine – PHP Snippets, AI Functions & Automation for WordPress

This WordPress plugin introduces central infrastructure which allows other plugins to make use of AI capabilities. It exposes APIs that can be used in various contexts, whether you need to use AI capabilities in server-side or client-side code. Furthermore, the APIs are agnostic of the AI service – whether that’s Anthropic, Google, or OpenAI, to only name a few, you can use any of them in the same way. You can also register your own implementation of another service, if it is not supported out of the box. The plugin does intentionally not come with specific AI driven features built-in, except for an AI Playground screen to explore AI capabilities as well as a settings screen to configure AI service credentials. The purpose of this plugin is to facilitate use of AI by other plugins. As such, it is a perfect use-case for plugin dependencies. Here’s a (non-comprehensive) feature list: Abstraction layer and APIs to communicate with any AI service in a uniform way APIs are available in both PHP and in JavaScript, as well as via the WordPress REST API and WP-CLI commands Currently supports the following AI capabilities (with more on the way!): text generation (including text streaming for more immediate feedback to users) text chats with history multimodal input function calling image generation AI Playground administration screen (in the Tools menu) allows exploring the different AI capabilities Explore all AI capabilities supported by the plugin via user interface Select which AI service and model to use and set a few advanced configuration parameters Define your own function declarations used for AI function calling Generate images and save them to the WordPress media library Exchange the AI service or model on the fly to continue a chat started with one model with another one AI Services settings screen to configure services with API credentials Built-in AI service implementations Anthropic (Claude) Google (Gemini, Imagen) Mistral OpenAI (GPT, Dall-E) Perplexity (Sonar) xAI (Grok) Browser (client-side only; experimental support for Chrome’s built-in AI APIs and Edge’s built-in AI APIs) Additional AI service integrations can be registered and will then be available in the same way as built-in ones Disclaimer: The AI Services plugin is still in its early stages, with a limited feature set and more being added. A crucial part of refining the plugin is shaping the APIs to make them easy to use and cover the different generative AI capabilities that the AI services offer in a uniform way. That’s why your feedback is much appreciated! Why? A centralized AI infrastructure facilitates user choice. Users may prefer certain AI services over other ones, and for many common tasks, either of the popular AI services is suitable. Having a common API regardless of the AI service allows leaving the choice to the user, rather than the plugin author. Since the centralized AI infrastructure comes with a common API that works the same for every AI service, it means plugin developers don’t have to spend as much time familiarizing themselves with different services, at least when it comes to simple tasks. For tasks where certain services may have advantages over others, there is still flexibility to focus on a specific AI service. It also means no more reinventing the wheel: Since most AI services do not provide PHP SDKs for their APIs, many times this means WordPress plugins that want to leverage AI have to implement their own layer around the service’s API. Not only is that time consuming, it also distracts from working on the actual (AI driven) features that the plugin should offer to its users. In fact this directly facilitates the user choice aspect mentioned, as having APIs for various AI services already provided means you can simply make those available to your plugin users. Having central AI infrastructure available unlocks AI capabilities for smaller plugins or features: It may not be worth the investment to implement a whole AI API layer for a simple AI driven feature, but when you already have it available, it can lead to more plugins (and thus more users) benefitting from AI capabilities. Last but not least, a central AI infrastructure means users will only have to configure the AI API once, e.g. paste their API keys only in a single WordPress administration screen. Without central AI infrastructure, every plugin has to provide its own UI for pasting API keys, making the process more tedious for site owners the more AI capabilities their site uses. Integration with third party services While the plugin APIs allow registering custom AI services, the plugin comes with a few popular AI services built-in. These AI services rely on the respective third party API. Their use is optional and it is up to you to choose which third party service you would like to use or whether you would like to use multiple. The use of the third party AI services is subject to the respective terms of service. The following third party services are supported out of the box: Anthropic (Claude) Anthropic Consumer Terms of Service Anthropic Commercial Terms of Service Anthropic Privacy Policy Google (Gemini, Imagen) Google Terms of Service Google AI Terms of Service Google Privacy Policy Mistral Mistral Terms of Service Mistral Privacy Policy OpenAI (GPT, Dall-E) OpenAI Terms of Use OpenAI Privacy Policy Perplexity (Sonar) Perplexity Terms of Service Perplexity Privacy Policy xAI (Grok) xAI Terms of Service – Consumer xAI Terms of Service – Enterprise xAI Privacy Policy Code examples for using the API Generate the answer to a prompt in PHP code: use Felix_Arntz\AI_Services\Services\API\Enums\AI_Capability; use Felix_Arntz\AI_Services\Services\API\Helpers; if ( ai_services()->has_available_services() ) { $service = ai_services()->get_available_service(); try { $candidates = $service ->get_model( array( 'feature' => 'my-test-feature', 'capabilities' => array( AI_Capability::TEXT_GENERATION ), ) ) ->generate_text( 'What can I do with WordPress?' ); $text = Helpers::get_text_from_contents( Helpers::get_candidate_contents( $candidates ) ); echo $text; } catch ( Exception $e ) { // Handle the exception. } } Generate the answer to a prompt in JavaScript code: const helpers = aiServices.ai.helpers; const { hasAvailableServices, getAvailableService } = wp.data.select( 'ai-services/ai' ); if ( hasAvailableServices() ) { const service = getAvailableService(); try { const candidates = await service.generateText( 'What can I do with WordPress?', { feature: 'my-test-feature' } ); const text = helpers.getTextFromContents( helpers.getCandidateContents( candidates ) ); console.log( text ); } catch ( error ) { // Handle the error. } } Generate the answer to a prompt using WP-CLI: wp ai-services generate-text "What can I do with WordPress?" --feature=my-test-feature You can also use a specific AI service, if you have a preference, for example the google service. Generate the answer to a prompt using a specific AI service, in PHP code: use Felix_Arntz\AI_Services\Services\API\Enums\AI_Capability; use Felix_Arntz\AI_Services\Services\API\Helpers; if ( ai_services()->is_service_available( 'google' ) ) { $service = ai_services()->get_available_service( 'google' ); try { $candidates = $service ->get_model( array( 'feature' => 'my-test-feature', 'capabilities' => array( AI_Capability::TEXT_GENERATION ), ) ) ->generate_text( 'What can I do with WordPress?' ); $text = Helpers::get_text_from_contents( Helpers::get_candidate_contents( $candidates ) ); echo $text; } catch ( Exception $e ) { // Handle the exception. } } Refer to the plugin documentation for granular examples including explainers. For complete examples such as entire plugins built on top of the AI Services infrastructure, please see the examples directory on GitHub.

Code Engine is a snippets manager that doesn’t stop at snippets. Yes, it runs your PHP and JavaScript exactly where and when you want: frontend, backend, on a schedule, or inside your content. But its real magic is what happens after you write a function: the same little piece of code instantly becomes a tool your AI chatbots can call, a step you can drag into a visual workflow, and an endpoint the outside world can trigger. One function, three superpowers. Most “code snippets” plugins stop at a textarea and a toggle. Code Engine treats your functions as first-class building blocks for the whole Meow Apps ecosystem, and for anything that can speak REST. Think out of the box, let your creativity flow, because the possibilities really are endless! ✨ For more, check the official website and come say hi on the Discord. Quick Intro Hello! ☀️ I built Code Engine because I was tired of pasting mystery snippets into functions.php and praying. I wanted a place where small bits of code are organized, safe, AI-assisted, and reusable everywhere. Here’s the idea. You write a function (or let the AI write it for you from a plain-English description). That function immediately shows up in three places: AI Engine: your chatbots and MCP clients (Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code) can call it as a tool, with real arguments. Ask “how many orders shipped today?” and your chatbot runs your function to answer. Workflow Engine: your function appears in the step picker as its very own block. Drag it onto the canvas, wire it between an AI step and a Slack step, done. No glue code. REST / External tools: give it a secure endpoint and a token, then trigger it from Make.com, n8n, Zapier, a cron job, or a webhook. You never wrote an “integration.” You just wrote a function. Code Engine did the rest. 🤝 Core Modules 🧩 Snippets Manager Backend, Frontend, Persistent, Scheduled, Functions, and in-content (PHP/JS) snippets, all in one clean dashboard with tags, search, scope filters, and priorities. 🪄 AI-Assisted Coding Describe what you want in plain English and let AI Engine write the snippet: code, name, arguments, and scope included. Refine existing code or implement it straight from your comments. 🤖 Functions as AI Tools Every Function snippet becomes a function-calling tool and an MCP tool, so your AI Engine chatbots (and external AI agents) can actually do things on your site, not just talk. 🔀 Functions as Workflow Steps Workflow Engine surfaces each of your functions as its own draggable step. Your custom logic becomes a first-class citizen on the automation canvas. 🌐 External Access (REST) Expose any runnable snippet through a secured REST endpoint with a bearer token. Perfect for Make.com, n8n, webhooks, and scheduled external jobs. 🛡️ Safe Mode A snippet that throws a fatal error is automatically caught and disabled before it can take your site down. Code with confidence. ⏰ Scheduling Run a snippet daily at a chosen time via WP-Cron (reports, cleanups, syncs) without touching the server crontab. 🧱 Code Blocks & Shortcodes (Pro) Drop PHP or JS straight into a post or page with a Gutenberg block or the [code-engine] shortcode, with safety guards. 🧩 Snippets, the way they should be Code Engine organizes your code by scope, so each snippet runs exactly where it belongs: Persistent: runs everywhere (frontend and backend). Your everyday “add this to functions.php” code, but managed. Frontend: runs only on the public site. Backend: runs only in the admin. Function: a named, callable function with typed arguments and defaults. This is the reusable building block (see below). Scheduled: runs on a WP-Cron schedule, at the hour and minute you pick. Content (PHP / JS): runs inside a specific post or page, via a Gutenberg Code Block or the [code-engine] shortcode (Pro). Everything is searchable, taggable, sortable by priority, and importable/exportable. The CodeMirror editor gives you proper syntax highlighting and keyboard shortcuts (Cmd+S to save, Cmd+Enter to run). A nikic/php-parser pass validates your PHP before it ever runs. 🪄 Let AI write it for you Don’t feel like writing the boilerplate? Describe the snippet in plain language and Code Engine, powered by AI Engine, generates the whole thing: the code, a sensible name, a description, the right scope, and, for functions, the argument list with names, types, and defaults. Already have code? Ask the AI to modify it from a prompt, or write a few comments describing what you want and let it fill in the implementation. It’s pair programming, right inside your dashboard. ✨ The big idea: write once, use everywhere This is what makes Code Engine different. A Function snippet is not just code you call from other code. It’s a reusable capability that the rest of your stack can plug into. The moment you save it, the same function is available in three places at once: 1. As an AI tool, for chatbots and AI agents With AI Engine active, your functions are exposed through function calling and over MCP (Model Context Protocol). Your on-site chatbot can run them mid-conversation, and external AI agents (Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT, OpenClaw) can call them too. Want a chatbot that checks stock, looks up a booking, or kicks off a process? Write the function; the chatbot gains the skill. 2. As a workflow step, for automation With Workflow Engine, every active function shows up in the Add-step picker as its own block, named after your snippet, with one input per argument. Drag it onto the canvas and wire it between other steps: an AI step that summarizes, your function that saves, a Social Engine step that posts. There’s also a generic “Execute snippet (by ID / by name)” step when you want to call one dynamically. You never write integration code; your function is the integration. 3. As a REST endpoint, for the outside world Give a snippet a custom endpoint name and a bearer token, and it’s instantly callable from anywhere: POST /wp-json/code-engine/v1/snippets-endpoint/your-endpoint Pass arguments as JSON in the body, secure it with a token, and trigger it from Make.com, n8n, Zapier, GitHub Actions, or a humble cron job. Automation without a middleware bill. 🛡️ Safe by default Running arbitrary code is powerful, so Code Engine takes safety seriously: Safe Mode catches fatal errors and auto-disables the offending snippet, so a typo never white-screens your site. REST whitelisting means global snippets only run on trusted REST routes by default, so you choose what to open up. Per-snippet tokens secure your external endpoints. Validation with a real PHP parser before code is saved. For developers who want fewer guardrails, there’s a “Bypass REST Security” option and filters (mwcode_rest_authorized, mwcode_rest_whitelist) to tailor exactly what’s allowed. Works beautifully with the Meow Apps family Code Engine is one engine in a connected set, each one useful alone, magical together: AI Engine: chatbots, content generation, and MCP. Turns your functions into AI tools. Workflow Engine: visual automation. Turns your functions into draggable steps. SEO Engine: smart, lightweight AI SEO. Social Engine: schedule and automate social posts. Why Code Engine? Reusable, not throwaway Other snippet plugins give you a place to paste code. Code Engine gives you a place to build capabilities that your AI, your workflows, and your external tools can all use. Native to WordPress Clean, fast, and built the WordPress way. No clunky external dashboards, no bloat. AI-native Write snippets with AI, expose them to AI. The whole loop lives in your wp-admin. Developer friendly REST API, MCP tools, function calling, scheduling, import/export, and plenty of filters to hook into. Cared for Part of the Meow Apps family, with regular updates and a real human behind it. 💕