ContentMK | CMS for Publishers

The problem

Managing content-heavy WordPress sites means living in five tools at once: WP admin for publishing, spreadsheets for tracking article status, SEMrush for keyword data, browser tabs for internal linking research, and manual workflows for tag cleanup. I run The Weekly Driver (4,300+ articles) and MK Library (3,180 articles), and that fragmented workflow was costing hours every week. I built browser-based content trackers, but they hit a wall. No database, no multi-site support, no real editing power. I needed a proper desktop tool.

What I built

ContentMK is a desktop content management platform that replaces spreadsheets, browser tabs, and scattered tools with one application. It manages unlimited WordPress sites from a single workspace, tracking article health, automating tag cleanup, suggesting internal links, syncing with SEO platforms, and integrating AI for content assistance. Everything runs locally on a SQLite database. No cloud dependency, no vendor lock-in.

Architecture

Desktop runtime: Electron 40 + React 19 with Vite HMR for development. The app ships cross-platform (macOS and Windows) with auto-updates.

Data layer: SQLite database with FTS5 full-text search delivering millisecond query times across thousands of articles. A 13-table schema (version 11) handles articles, tags, sites, content metadata, sync history, and module state.

Module system: Features register as independent modules that activate on their own, so a publisher who does not care about internal linking never loads that code. Seven ship today, covering content planning, basic SEO fields, the interlink manager, WordPress Notes, tag management, import tooling, and the Claude Code integration. The premium tier on the roadmap adds SEMrush keyword rankings, Ahrefs domain data, Search Console metrics, and scheduled reporting on the same registry.

WordPress sync engine: Two-way synchronization with rate limiting, conflict detection, and full changelog tracking. Syncs Gutenberg block-level content, SEO plugin data (Yoast, Rank Math, SEOPress, AIOSEO), categories, tags, and featured images. Auto-backup snapshots run before every sync.

AI integration: Claude and OpenAI support with BYOK (bring your own key). Per-site MCP access control with credit tracking. A standalone MCP server exports 16 tools and 4 resources, making ContentMK data accessible to Claude Code, Cursor, and other AI-native workflows.

Key features

• Content health scoring: Automated 0-100 scores based on freshness, SEO completeness, internal linking density, and social metrics. Configurable per-site freshness thresholds flag articles as “Needs Review” or “Out of Date.”
• Tag management: Levenshtein-distance matching catches duplicate and near-duplicate tags across thousands of entries. Built from managing 1,800+ tags on The Weekly Driver.
• Internal link suggestions: 4-layer algorithm scans articles and suggests cross-linking opportunities based on content overlap, keyword relevance, and link gaps.
• Content planning: Idea backlog, topic clusters, editorial calendar, and content briefs in one place. Move ideas from concept to published without switching tools.
• Full-text search: SQLite FTS5 backend searches titles, URLs, notes, categories, and body text in milliseconds.
• Data portability: Export everything as JSON, CSV, or PDF. Credentials stripped automatically for safe archival. Import from WordPress, sitemaps, or CSV.

Integrations

• WordPress: Two-way publishing sync with block-level content, SEO plugins, and media
• SEMrush: Keyword rankings, competitor analysis, backlink profiles
• Ahrefs: Keyword data, domain ratings, content gap analysis
• Google Search Console: Search impressions, clicks, CTR, average position
• Claude Code / Cursor: AI-native workflows via MCP server (16 tools, 4 resources)
• Canva: Direct export of blog graphics and social images

Business model

Three-tier SaaS subscription (Starter at $29/mo, Professional at $89/mo, Premium at $299/mo) with annual billing discounts. All plans include unlimited sites and articles. The freemium module system lets publishers start with core features and upgrade as their operation grows.

Where it stands

ContentMK is in active development with a public changelog, documentation site, and commercial pricing live at contentmk.com. The platform pulls proven workflows from managing 2,000+ articles across The Weekly Driver and MK Library into a product that any publisher can use. WordPress sync, tag management, content health scoring, and the MCP server are all shipping.