Here is the simple beginner setup.
What you are building
WordPress post with tag ghost-draft → Zapier → new Ghost draft
That means nothing publishes automatically. It just lands in Ghost for review.
Zapier has a WordPress/Ghost integration for creating posts between the two systems, and Ghost supports custom integrations/API keys for creating content programmatically.
Step 1 — Create a Zapier account
Go to Zapier and create an account.
Then choose:
Create Zap
A “Zap” is just Zapier’s word for an automation.
Step 2 — Connect WordPress
For the trigger app, choose:
WordPress
Trigger event:
New Post
Zapier may ask for:
Your WordPress site URL
WordPress username
WordPress password or application password
Important WordPress setting: Zapier says WordPress works more smoothly when permalinks use a descriptive structure like Post Name, not plain numeric URLs.
In WordPress, that is usually:
Settings → Permalinks → Post name
Step 3 — Use a control tag
In WordPress, create or use this tag:
ghost-draft
This becomes your manual “send to Ghost” switch.
Your WordPress post can be titled:
Manning’s Tacoma: Lost to Fire on the Eve of the Mall Era
When you are ready to send it to Ghost, add the tag:
ghost-draft
Step 4 — Add a Zapier filter
After the WordPress trigger, add:
Filter by Zapier
Set the rule:
Only continue if WordPress Tags contains ghost-draft
This prevents every WordPress post from going to Ghost.
This is your safety gate.
Step 5 — Connect Ghost
For the action app, choose:
Ghost
Action event:
Create Post
To connect Ghost, you may need a Ghost Admin API key. Ghost says custom integrations can be created inside Ghost Admin and automatically provide Content API and Admin API keys.
In Ghost:
Settings → Integrations → Add custom integration
Name it something clear:
Zapier WordPress Draft Import
Copy the Admin API key or integration details Zapier asks for.
Step 6 — Map WordPress fields into Ghost
In the Ghost “Create Post” step, map it like this:
Ghost field Use this from WordPress
Title WordPress Post Title
Content / HTML WordPress Post Content
Excerpt WordPress Excerpt
Feature Image WordPress Featured Image
Tags WordPress Tags or Categories
Slug WordPress Slug
Status Draft
The most important setting is:
Status: Draft
Do not choose “Published” for your first version.
Step 7 — Add a review note at the bottom
In the Ghost content field, you can add this after the WordPress body:
Imported from WordPress via Zapier.
Review before publishing: title, feature image, excerpt, tags, source links, CTA, newsletter setting, and formatting.
That gives you a checklist inside every imported Ghost draft.
Step 8 — Test with one harmless post
Create a short WordPress test post:
Title: Zapier Ghost Test
Body: This is a test draft.
Tag: ghost-draft
Run the Zap test.
Then check Ghost:
Ghost Admin → Posts → Drafts
You should see the test post there.
Step 9 — Turn the Zap on
After the test works, turn the Zap on.
Your working process becomes:
Write or paste a post in WordPress.
Add tag: ghost-draft.
Save or publish, depending on the trigger you chose.
Zapier creates a Ghost draft.
Open Ghost.
Review formatting.
Publish manually.
My recommended first Zap name
WordPress to Ghost Draft Gate
That keeps the purpose clear: it is a gate, not an autopublisher.
Watch-outs
Images and formatting are the pieces most likely to need cleanup. Zapier’s integration pages describe WordPress/Ghost post transfer workflows, but block editor formatting, captions, embeds, and featured images may not always arrive exactly the way you want.
So the safest rule is:
Zapier creates the draft. Merwin publishes the story.