Connect an external AI client with MCP

ConversionLab exposes MCP at /mcp on the API origin using HTTP transport. MCP must be available on the deployment, and the team must have a plan other than Free.

Create the credential

Open Settings → Account → API Keys, select the team, and create an MCP Read only or MCP Read & Write key. Copy the token once. The creation dialog includes a Claude Code command when you create an MCP key.

Use read-only access for exploration. Use Read & Write when you intend the client to create or update supported work, subject to your existing role and plan.

Configure the client

Use the API origin and an Authorization bearer header. This example matches the command offered by the app; replace the example origin and token:

claude mcp add --transport http conversionlab \
  https://api.example.test/mcp \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_MCP_TOKEN'

For other clients, add a remote HTTP MCP server with the same URL and header using that client's supported configuration. The endpoint is /mcp, not /api/mcp. A browser session or REST-only token does not grant MCP access.

Verify before using work-item tools

1. Call get_mcp_context with an empty input object.
2. Confirm the returned team, user role, token permissions, and available surface.
3. Call list_projects and select the intended project ID.
4. Read a relevant record before requesting a mutation.

The MCP reference documents all 24 registered tools with inputs, outputs, examples, and permissions. Tools include search and core reads, today's available brief, and creating or updating ideas, insights, and experiments. The MCP surface does not include deletion, billing, team administration, provider configuration, private AI conversations, or daily-brief generation.

Search can use AI-assisted context when team AI is available and falls back to keyword search otherwise. A search result is a lead to inspect; read the underlying entity for its full current context.

Recover connection errors

For 401, check the bearer header, token expiration, and archive state. For 403, check MCP abilities, team membership, and plan availability. A tool can also return an authorization error for a mutation the user's role, token, or read-only billing state does not allow. Read the tool's error message; MCP does not use the REST write endpoint's 402 response for these tool failures. An unavailable deployment endpoint requires checking service availability with your administrator rather than changing the request to a guessed URL.

Archive the key in the app to revoke the external client's access. See AI-readable documentation if the client only needs public product instructions rather than private team data.