> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.meow.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect AI assistants to Meow with the MCP server

> Connect Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, and other AI assistants to your Meow account over MCP. Read balances, transactions, and cards, and draft payments you approve.

The Meow MCP server lets AI assistants work with your Meow account over the [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io). An assistant can list entities and accounts, check balances, review transactions, look up contacts, manage invoices and bills, issue virtual cards, and draft payments for you to approve.

<Note>
  **Payments are always drafted, never sent automatically.** When an assistant creates a transfer through MCP, Meow records it as a draft in a **pending-approval** state. No money moves until a human approves it on the [Meow dashboard](https://app.meow.com/signin). See [Security & trust](/mcp/security#human-in-the-loop-approvals).
</Note>

## What you can do

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Connect a client" icon="plug" href="/mcp/connect">
    Set up Claude, Cursor, VS Code, ChatGPT, and other MCP clients.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authentication & scopes" icon="key" href="/mcp/authentication">
    OAuth sign-in, the API-key surface, and what each scope unlocks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tool reference" icon="wrench" href="/mcp/tools">
    Every tool the server exposes, grouped by resource.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Security & trust" icon="shield-check" href="/mcp/security">
    The human-in-the-loop model, least privilege, and auditability.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Two ways to connect

The Meow MCP server has two surfaces. Most users want OAuth.

|                    | OAuth surface                                                                          | CLI / API-key surface                               |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Server URL**     | `https://mcp.meow.com`                                                                 | `https://mcp.meow.com/cli`                          |
| **Best for**       | Interactive assistants (Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Cursor)                                    | Coding agents and automation; agent-led signup      |
| **Authentication** | Sign in once with your Meow login (OAuth)                                              | Bearer API key, or guided signup for new accounts   |
| **Access**         | All entities your login can reach                                                      | The entity your API key is scoped to                |
| **Permissions**    | Chosen at connect time with a [scope picker](/mcp/authentication#choose-what-to-share) | Defined by your [API key's scopes](/authentication) |

See [Connect a client](/mcp/connect) for copy-paste setup for each client.

## Capabilities at a glance

| Area                | What the assistant can do                                                               | Access              |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------- |
| Entities & accounts | List business entities, accounts, balances, and payment networks                        | Read                |
| Transactions        | List and look up transactions, ACH, wire, and USDC transfers                            | Read                |
| Contacts            | List and look up saved payment contacts                                                 | Read                |
| Cards               | List cards and activity, view spending insights, **issue** virtual cards, freeze/revoke | Read + action       |
| Invoices & billing  | List and create products, customers, and invoices                                       | Read + action       |
| Bills               | List and look up payables                                                               | Read                |
| Transfers           | **Draft** ACH, scheduled ACH, wire, book, and crypto payments for human approval        | Action (draft only) |
| Account signup      | Open a Meow account and upload documents through the assistant                          | Action              |

Read tools are always available. Action tools require the matching [scope](/mcp/authentication#scopes) and are governed by your role, so an assistant can never do more than you can.

## Get connected in two minutes

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick a client">
    Choose your assistant on the [Connect a client](/mcp/connect) page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the server">
    Use the install button or paste the config. For Claude Code: `claude mcp add --transport http meow https://mcp.meow.com`
  </Step>

  <Step title="Authenticate">
    Sign in with OAuth (or add your API key), then choose which permissions to grant.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Try a prompt">
    Ask <em>"What are my account balances?"</em> See more [example prompts](/mcp/tools#example-prompts).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Prerequisites

* A [Meow account](https://app.meow.com/signin) (or use [agent-led signup](/mcp/connect#agent-led-signup) to create one)
* A supported [MCP client](/mcp/connect)
* Network egress enabled in your AI agent. In [Claude.ai](https://claude.ai/settings/capabilities), go to **Settings → Capabilities**. In Claude Code, toggle **Allow network egress** to **All domains**. See [Troubleshooting](/mcp/troubleshooting) if tools don't appear.