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

# MCP server: connect Claude, ChatGPT, and more

> Connect AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT to Beebole through its MCP server — log time, read timesheets, and list projects with your permissions.

Beebole exposes an MCP server so your own AI assistant can log time, read timesheets, and list projects — with exactly your permissions. Connect hosted assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT in a couple of clicks, or point developer tools like Claude Code and Cursor at the same server with your API key. Every connection is listed under **Connected apps**, where you can disconnect it anytime.

<Info>
  An assistant connected to Beebole acts as you: it sees only the data your role allows, and its actions are recorded like your own. This page is about connecting external assistants to your data — Beebole's built-in AI features are covered in [Beebole AI](/help/documentation/ai).
</Info>

***

## What a connected assistant can do

The MCP server gives the assistant a full working toolkit, always bounded by your permissions:

| Capability       | Tools                                                                                                           |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Read your data   | `list` (projects, tasks, people, and more), `get_attributes`, `export`, `get_time_records`, `get_reports`       |
| Record time      | `record_time` — adds entries to your own timesheet; timesheet rules like the lock date are enforced server-side |
| Manage entities  | `add`, `update_attributes`, `archive`, `unarchive`, `delete`, `invite_persons`                                  |
| Handle approvals | `list_pending_approvals`, `approve_timesheet`, `reject_timesheet`                                               |
| Run reports      | `run_report`                                                                                                    |

So you can ask your assistant things like "log 2 hours on Website Redesign for today", "what did I track this week?", or — if you're an approver — "approve the timesheets waiting on me".

***

## Find your server URL and API key

Everything you need is on the **Assistant** page — click **Assistant** in the sidebar:

* **Server URL** — the address of your Beebole MCP server, with a **Copy** button.
* **API key** — click **Show my API key** to reveal it, then **Copy**. Only needed for developer tools; hosted connectors sign in instead.

***

## Connect a hosted assistant (claude.ai, ChatGPT)

<Steps>
  <Step title="Copy the server URL">
    On the **Assistant** page, copy the **Server URL**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add it as a custom connector">
    In claude.ai or ChatGPT, add the URL as a custom connector.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign in and authorize">
    You are asked to sign in to Beebole and authorize the access — no API key needed. Once authorized, the assistant appears under **Connected apps**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Connect a developer tool

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Claude Code">
    Run this command, replacing `YOUR_API_KEY` with your API key and the URL with your **Server URL**:

    ```bash theme={null}
    claude mcp add --transport http beebole https://your-server/mcp --header "apikey: YOUR_API_KEY"
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Cursor / Claude Desktop">
    Add this block to the tool's MCP configuration (JSON), replacing the URL and key with yours:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "beebole": {
          "url": "https://your-server/mcp",
          "headers": { "apikey": "YOUR_API_KEY" }
        }
      }
    }
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Warning>
  Your API key gives full access to your Beebole account with your permissions. Keep it out of shared configuration and repositories. If a key leaks, click **Reset** on the **Assistant** page — the old key stops working immediately.
</Warning>

***

## Review and disconnect connections

Assistants you authorized through sign-in appear on the **Assistant** page under **Connected apps**, with the app's name and when it was connected. Click **Disconnect** to revoke a connection — the assistant loses access immediately and must be authorized again to reconnect.

Tools connected with your API key are not listed there; they stop working when you **Reset** the key.

***

## Related content

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Beebole AI" icon="sparkles" href="/help/documentation/ai">
    Beebole's built-in AI: suggested entries, report builder, and approval review.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Beebole API" icon="code" href="/help/api/introduction">
    Query and mutate your Beebole data programmatically with GraphQL.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Roles & permissions" icon="lock" href="/help/documentation/roles-authorisations">
    What your role allows — and therefore what a connected assistant can do as you.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Webhooks" icon="bolt" href="/help/integrations/webhooks">
    Push Beebole events to external systems in real time.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Which AI assistants work with Beebole?">
    Any assistant that supports the MCP standard. Hosted assistants like claude.ai and ChatGPT connect through a custom connector with a sign-in flow, while developer tools like Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and Cursor connect with your Beebole API key.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What data can a connected assistant access?">
    Exactly what you can. The connection carries your permissions, so the assistant sees the projects, tasks, and timesheets your role allows — nothing more. It records time only to your own timesheet, and it can act on approvals only if you are an approver.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I revoke an assistant's access to Beebole?">
    For hosted assistants, click **Disconnect** next to the app under **Connected apps** on the **Assistant** page. For tools connected with your API key, click **Reset** next to the key — every tool using the old key loses access immediately.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need an API key to connect claude.ai or ChatGPT?">
    No. Hosted connectors use a sign-in flow: add Beebole's server URL as a custom connector, sign in, and authorize the access. The API key is only for developer tools that can't open a sign-in window.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>