Code Engine – PHP Snippets, AI Functions & Automation for WordPress vs Frontman – AI Website Editor

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. 💕

Frontman is an AI editor for an existing WordPress site. Open Frontman from the WordPress admin menu, keep the page visible, and describe the result that you want. Frontman can inspect supported WordPress structures, make the change, and refresh the preview for your review. Use Frontman for focused site updates without hunting through page builders, theme screens, menus, widgets, and settings. One Task, From Request to Review The screenshots show one complete task: Open the page beside Frontman. Select the FAQ title that needs an update. Describe the new title in plain language. Frontman inspects the WordPress content and applies the supported change. Review the refreshed page before you continue. For headers and footers, Frontman can inspect candidate templates, template parts, menus, widgets, and Elementor content. The structure that controls the rendered page depends on the site. Learn how to identify and edit a WordPress header or footer. Before You Install Frontman requires: WordPress administrator access A Frontman account with GitHub or Google sign-in A supported AI provider connected with OAuth or an API key A staging site and a current backup for initial use Frontman does not include a model credential. Your provider can apply its own usage limits and charges. Common Tasks Use Frontman to: Update page copy, headlines, buttons, and calls to action Edit posts, pages, and Gutenberg blocks Adjust supported Elementor content with Elementor-aware tools Update WooCommerce products and other supported store data Change navigation menus, templates, template parts, and supported widgets Update Additional CSS and allowlisted site settings Inspect a page and explain which supported WordPress structure can control it How Frontman Works Frontman puts an AI editor beside a live view of your site. Select mode adds context from the visible element to your request. Frontman then uses WordPress, Elementor, or WooCommerce tools that match the request. The preview refreshes after a supported change, so you can review the page in the same workspace. Frontman works with WordPress content and structures that its current tools support. Custom themes, custom plugins, hosting controls, and unsupported page builders can require a different workflow. Safety, Limits, and Data Only WordPress administrators with the manage_options capability can access Frontman. The plugin uses WordPress nonces, sanitizes inputs, and restricts option changes to an allowlist. Frontman is early-access software. It has not been tested across every theme, page builder, plugin stack, and hosting setup. Start on a staging site. Keep a current backup. Review each change before you use it on a production site. When you submit a request, relevant site content can pass through Frontman AI to your configured model provider. The Third-Party Services section summarizes this data flow. Open Source and Support The Frontman plugin is open source under GPLv2 or later. Browse the code on GitHub. For product details, visit Frontman for WordPress. To report a problem, open a GitHub issue. Third-Party Services This plugin and the hosted Frontman service connect to these external services: Frontman Client and API The plugin loads its interface from app.frontman.sh and connects to api.frontman.sh. Frontman processes prompts, relevant site or store content, tool results, and stored task history to run the agent. Stored provider credentials use server-side encryption. Services: Client, API Provider: Frontman AI Policies: Terms, Privacy AI Model Providers Frontman sends the context needed for your request to your selected AI provider. That provider processes data under its terms and privacy policy. WorkOS, GitHub, and Google Sign-In WorkOS AuthKit provides GitHub and Google sign-in. WorkOS and your selected provider process account and authentication data. WorkOS: Service, Terms, Privacy GitHub: Service, Terms, Privacy Google: Service, Terms, Privacy Analytics and Diagnostics Heap measures product use and onboarding. Sentry records errors and performance diagnostics. These services can process interaction, session, device, browser, identifier, and diagnostic data. Frontman uses Heap based on consent where required. Heap: Service, Privacy Sentry: Service, Privacy Loading the Frontman UI requests hosted client assets. Your site content is not sent to the Frontman API or model providers until you actively use the chat interface and submit a message.