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Connect MCP with Claude and other AI assistants

BusinessHRM includes a built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) server. MCP is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect directly to your tools. Once connected, an assistant such as Claude can read and write your BusinessHRM workspace — looking up contacts, creating tasks, drafting invoices, checking attendance and more — by calling the same REST API endpoints, but on its own, in plain conversation.

It works with Claude Desktop, Claude.ai, Cursor, Claude Code and ChatGPT, and any other client that supports remote MCP servers.

The endpoint

https://app.businesshrm.com/mcp

If your workspace uses a custom subdomain, use that host instead — the one you sign in to:

https://<workspace>.businesshrm.com/mcp

The transport is Streamable HTTP. Every tool the assistant sees maps to a BusinessHRM API endpoint, so it always matches what your workspace currently supports.

There are two ways to connect:

  • Option A — OAuth sign-in (recommended): add the connector with just the URL and sign in. No API key to copy. Best for Claude Desktop, Claude.ai, Cursor and ChatGPT.
  • Option B — API-key header: paste an API key into the client's config. Best for Claude Code (CLI) and other clients that let you set a request header.

Option A — Connect with OAuth (one-click sign-in)

With this method you give the AI client only the URL. It then opens a BusinessHRM sign-in page in your browser and you approve access — there is no key to copy or store.

What you'll see

  1. The client asks for the MCP server URL — paste https://app.businesshrm.com/mcp (or your workspace subdomain).
  2. A BusinessHRM sign-in page opens. Enter the email and password you use to log in to BusinessHRM.
  3. Choose your workspace. If your login belongs to more than one BusinessHRM workspace, you'll be asked to pick which one to connect. (If you belong to only one, this step is skipped.)
  4. An Authorize access screen shows what's being granted. Click Allow.
  5. The browser returns to your AI client, now connected.

Note: Access is granted as the user who signs in, scoped to the workspace you choose. The assistant can only do what that user can do in BusinessHRM.

Claude Desktop and Claude.ai

  1. Open Settings → Connectors.
  2. Click Add custom connector.
  3. Paste the URL https://app.businesshrm.com/mcp (or your workspace subdomain).
  4. Save, then start the connector — the BusinessHRM sign-in flow above runs in your browser.
  5. After you click Allow, the BusinessHRM tools become available in your chats.

Cursor and ChatGPT

Cursor and ChatGPT also support remote MCP connectors. Add a custom/remote MCP server, paste the same URL, and complete the BusinessHRM sign-in and Allow steps when prompted.

Tip: Because OAuth keeps you connected with a refresh token, you usually only sign in once. To switch workspaces later, remove and re-add the connector, or use the Change workspace link on the authorization screen.

Option B — Connect with an API key header

Some clients let you attach a request header instead of signing in. For these, create an API key first (see API Keys) and send it as a Bearer token.

Claude Code (CLI)

claude mcp add --transport http businesshrm https://app.businesshrm.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Replace app.businesshrm.com with your workspace subdomain if you use one, and YOUR_API_KEY with the key you created.

Cursor (JSON config)

Add the server to Cursor's MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "businesshrm": {
      "url": "https://app.businesshrm.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important: An API key carries the same access as the key's permissions, with no further sign-in. Keep it secret, scope it to only what the integration needs, and rotate it if it may have leaked. See API Keys.

What the assistant can do once connected

Every BusinessHRM REST endpoint becomes a tool the assistant can call — Contacts, Projects, Tasks, Time Logs, Invoices, Estimates, Expenses, Employees, Attendance, Leaves, Holidays, Tickets, Notices, Events, Contracts and more. You can simply ask in plain language, for example:

  • "List the contacts created this week."
  • "Create a task called Follow up with Acme due Friday and assign it to me."
  • "How many leave requests are pending approval?"

The assistant decides which API calls to make and shows you the results.

Troubleshooting

Problem Fix
Sign-in page says Incorrect email or password Use the same email and password you use to log in to BusinessHRM. After several failed tries you may be briefly rate-limited — wait a minute.
This account has no active workspace Your login isn't attached to an active workspace user. Ask your administrator to confirm your account is active.
Connected to the wrong workspace Re-run the connection and pick the right one at Choose a workspace, or use Change workspace on the authorization screen.
API-key method returns 401/403 The key is missing, revoked, expired, or not scoped for the resource. Check or rotate it on the API Keys page.
The assistant can't see a feature The connected user may lack permission for that module, or the module is disabled for your workspace.

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