Connect your Hubsite to Claude with MCP (AI Assistant)

IHUBApp supports MCP (Model Context Protocol), an open standard that lets AI assistants connect securely to the tools you use. With MCP, you can connect your Hubsite to Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant. Once connected, Claude can read and work with your Hubsite content on your behalf, using your own sign-in and permissions.

MCP access is in an early access pilot. Please read the "Before you start" section before turning it on.

Before you start

This feature uses a test environment. During the pilot, MCP access runs on a pre-release copy of your Hubsite. It has your real content, but it runs on software we are still actively testing. You may occasionally see brief outages, restarts, or bugs while it's enabled. Your live Hubsite is not affected.

Only Claude is supported. IHUBApp MCP works with:

• Claude on the web (claude.ai)
• the Claude desktop app
• Claude Code (recent versions)

Other AI assistants, including ChatGPT, are not supported, even if they support MCP. Connections from other assistants will fail.

Know what access you're granting. A connected app can get up to 180 days of access to anything the connected member can see on the Hubsite, including private channels.

Step 1: Request MCP access

Contact IHUBApp Support (support@inspirehub.com, or submit a ticket directly through our Zendesk Help Center) and ask to have MCP enabled for your Hubsite. Include your Hubsite name, URL and email address. We'll turn it on from our side and let you know when it's ready.

Don't move on to Step 2 until Support confirms your Hubsite is enabled.

Step 2: Turn on MCP in your Hubsite

Any admin with the Manage App Settings permission can do this, not only the Hubsite owner.

1. In your Hubsite's admin menu, go to Hub administration → Configuration → Third-party app access. This is its own menu item, next to Advanced options.
    
2. Turn on Allow members to connect third-party apps. This is the main switch for all third-party and AI connections, not only MCP. Members will see a notice about the access scope described above.
3. Turn on Let AI assistants connect. This is the MCP switch. It stays grey until the first one is on. If you turn off the first switch later, this one turns off too.

Both switches save as soon as you click them. There's no Save button.

Once both switches are on, any member of your Hubsite can connect Claude to their own account, not only admins.

Step 3: Add your Hubsite as an MCP connector in Claude

Set up the connector in Claude on the web or the Claude desktop app. You only need to do this once. Claude Code picks up the connector automatically.

1. Make sure you're signed in to your Hubsite.
2. In Claude, open Settings → Customize → Connectors, or go to https://claude.ai/new#customize/connectors
3. Click Add, then choose Add custom connector.
4. Enter your Hubsite's MCP address and click Continue. During the pilot, the address is:
   https://yourhubsite.staging.ihub.app/mcp
   Replace "yourhubsite" with your Hubsite's address name. Support will confirm the exact address when they enable your access.
   
5. Keep the default settings and click Add.
   
6. Click Connect.
   
7. Claude will open your Hubsite's sign-in and approval screen. Approve the connection.

The connector now shows as connected in your Connectors list, and works everywhere you use Claude on that account.

Troubleshooting

I get an error when I enter the MCP address. MCP isn't enabled for your Hubsite yet, or Step 2 hasn't been completed. Check both switches, then contact Support if it still fails.

The connection fails after sign-in. Don't keep retrying. Contact Support with:

• your Hubsite name
• which Claude app you used (web, desktop, or Claude Code)
• the exact error message

Questions or feedback

MCP access is still in testing and we want to hear how it's going. Contact IHUBApp Support to report a problem or share feedback.