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

# ChatSyncs MCP — Introduction

> What the ChatSyncs MCP server is and what it lets an AI assistant like Claude do with your ChatSyncs account — send WhatsApp messages, manage subscribers, apply labels, read conversations — plus what you need before connecting and the 24-hour messaging rule that still applies. Use when a customer asks what MCP is, whether they can control ChatSyncs from Claude, or what the AI can and cannot do.

The **ChatSyncs MCP server** connects your ChatSyncs account to an AI assistant like Claude. Once
it's connected, you can run your WhatsApp business by asking, in plain English:

> "Send Rahul a message saying his order shipped today."
>
> "Who messaged us in the last hour and hasn't had a reply?"
>
> "Tag everyone who asked about pricing as Hot Lead and assign them to Priya."

The assistant works out which ChatSyncs actions those need, and does them on your account.

<Info>
  **MCP** stands for Model Context Protocol — an open standard for letting AI assistants use real
  tools. You don't need to understand the protocol to use this. You paste your ChatSyncs API key
  once, and the assistant gains a set of ChatSyncs abilities.
</Info>

## Is this the same as the Developer API?

It's the same power, without the code. The [Developer API](/developer-api/introduction) is for
developers who write a program that calls ChatSyncs. The MCP server is that API already written
up, so an AI assistant can use it for you.

| | Developer API | MCP server |
| - | - | - |
| Who it's for | developers | anyone who can type a message |
| What you build | your own script, n8n flow or app | nothing |
| How you use it | write code, run it | ask the assistant |
| Setup | read the docs, get IDs, write requests | paste your API key once |

<Tip>
  If you already use the Developer API, nothing changes. The MCP server sits on top of exactly the
  same endpoints, using the same API key.
</Tip>

## What the assistant can do

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Messaging" icon="paper-plane">
    Send text, files, images and approved templates. Send messages with tappable reply buttons.
    Check whether a message was delivered or read.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Contacts" icon="address-book">
    Look someone up, add a contact, update their details, read the conversation history, leave
    an internal note.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Organising" icon="tags">
    Create labels and apply them, set custom fields, enrol people in follow-up sequences,
    resolve or archive conversations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Team and shop" icon="users">
    Assign a chat to a team member, trigger a chatbot flow, list catalog orders and move them
    to Shipped or Delivered.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

There are **32 abilities** in total. The full list is on the [Tools reference](/mcp/tools).

## What you need first

<Steps>
  <Step title="A ChatSyncs account with a connected WhatsApp number">
    The assistant acts on your existing setup. If you haven't connected a number yet, start with
    [Connect your number to ChatSyncs](/learn/chatsyncs-setup-and-configuration/connect-your-number-to-chatsyncs).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Your ChatSyncs API key">
    Found under **Control Panel → Developer**. This is what you'll paste when connecting.
  </Step>

  <Step title="An app that speaks MCP">
    Claude Desktop, claude.ai, Claude Code and several other tools. See
    [Connect to Claude](/mcp/connect) for the exact steps for each.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## The 24-hour rule still applies

This is WhatsApp's rule, not ChatSyncs' one, and the AI cannot get around it:

* **Inside 24 hours** of a customer messaging you, you can reply with anything — free text,
  images, files, buttons.
* **Outside that window**, only an **approved template** will be delivered.

So "message everyone on my list about the sale" only works with an approved marketing template.
If you ask the assistant to send plain text to someone who last messaged three days ago,
WhatsApp will reject it. The assistant knows this rule and will normally tell you before trying.

<Warning>
  **Messages sent through the assistant are real.** They reach real customers, they count against
  your message credits, and they cannot be unsent. Read what the assistant proposes before you
  approve it — Claude asks for permission before every action.
</Warning>

## What it costs

Nothing extra from ChatSyncs. The MCP server uses your existing plan and its limits: your
subscriber cap, your message credits, and Meta's own per-conversation charges. If you hit a
limit, the assistant will show you the same message the API returns.

## What the AI can't do

* **Broadcast to a whole list in one step.** There's no bulk-send ability, on purpose. The
  assistant would have to message people one at a time, which is slow and easy to get wrong.
  Use [Broadcasting](/learn/chatsyncs-broadcasting/send-a-broadcast-message-in-chatsyncs) in
  ChatSyncs for campaigns.
* **Create or approve message templates.** Make those in ChatSyncs; the assistant can then send
  the approved ones.
* **Change your billing, plan or account settings.**
* **See anything without your permission.** Every action is approved by you in the moment.

## Frequently asked

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I need to know how to code?">
    No. That's the point of it. Connecting is a matter of pasting your API key into a form —
    there is no code anywhere in the process.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is my API key safe?">
    Your key is checked with ChatSyncs when you connect, then stored by your AI assistant, not
    by ChatSyncs' MCP server — the server keeps no copy. You can revoke access at any time by
    regenerating the key under **Control Panel → Developer**, which instantly stops any
    assistant that was using the old one. See [Connect to Claude](/mcp/connect#security) for
    detail.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can my whole team connect?">
    Yes. Each person connects with an API key from your ChatSyncs account. Bear in mind a key
    carries the permissions of the account it came from.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will the AI message customers without asking me?">
    No. Claude asks for your approval before each action, and actions that delete a contact or
    block someone are flagged for a stronger confirmation.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which AI assistants work with this?">
    Any app that supports MCP. Claude Desktop, claude.ai and Claude Code are covered
    step-by-step in [Connect to Claude](/mcp/connect); other MCP clients work the same way using
    the same URL.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does this replace my chatbot?">
    No. Your ChatSyncs chatbots keep answering customers automatically, around the clock. The
    MCP server is for *you* — a way to run your account by asking, instead of clicking.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>