MCP Setup Guide

This guide walks you through configuring the Votel Publisher MCP tool for each supported AI client. You only need to set up one client — pick the one you use.

Before You Start

Go to Settings > API Keys in Votel
Click Create API Key
Give it a name like "AI Publishing" and select the Admin role
Copy the sk_... key — you'll need it below

Installation

Claude Code
Claude Desktop
Cursor
Windsurf
ChatGPT

Claude Code is a terminal-based AI assistant. Setup takes one command.

Run this in your terminal:

claude mcp add votel-mcp \
  -e VOTEL_API_KEY=sk_your_api_key_here \
  -e VOTEL_API_URL=https://app.votel.ai \
  -- npx -y votel-mcp@latest

Replace sk_your_api_key_here with your actual API key.

Verify it works:

claude mcp list

You should see votel-mcp in the list. Start a new Claude Code session and ask "List my websites".

To remove:

claude mcp remove votel-mcp

Claude Desktop is the macOS/Windows chat app from Anthropic.

Step 1: Find the Config File

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

If the file doesn't exist, create it.

Step 2: Add the Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "votel-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "votel-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "VOTEL_API_KEY": "sk_your_api_key_here",
        "VOTEL_API_URL": "https://app.votel.ai"
      }
    }
  }
}

Merging with Existing Config

If you already have other MCP servers configured, add the "votel-mcp" entry inside the existing "mcpServers" object. Don't create a second "mcpServers" key.

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

Quit and reopen Claude Desktop. The Votel Publisher tools will appear in the tools menu (hammer icon).

Cursor is an AI-powered code editor with built-in MCP support.

Step 1: Create the Config File

In your project root, create .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "votel-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "votel-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "VOTEL_API_KEY": "sk_your_api_key_here",
        "VOTEL_API_URL": "https://app.votel.ai"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 2: Reload Cursor

Restart Cursor or reload the window. The Votel Publisher tools will be available in Cursor's AI chat.

Project vs Global

The .cursor/mcp.json file is per-project. If you want it available in all projects, add it to your global Cursor settings instead.

Windsurf supports MCP servers through its settings.

Step 1: Open Settings

Open Windsurf settings and navigate to the MCP servers section.

Step 2: Add the Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "votel-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "votel-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "VOTEL_API_KEY": "sk_your_api_key_here",
        "VOTEL_API_URL": "https://app.votel.ai"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart Windsurf

Restart the editor to load the new MCP server.

ChatGPT supports MCP through its plugin and action system.

HTTP/SSE Endpoint

For web-based AI clients that support remote MCP servers, use the SSE transport endpoint:

https://app.votel.ai/mcp/sse

Configure your Votel API key (sk_...) as the authentication credential in the plugin settings. Refer to OpenAI's documentation for detailed instructions on adding custom MCP actions.

Environment Variables Reference

Variable	Required	Default	Description
`VOTEL_API_KEY`	Yes	—	Your Votel API key (`sk_...`). Create at Settings > API Keys.
`VOTEL_API_URL`	No	`https://app.votel.ai`	Base URL of the Votel API. Only change for development setups.

Verifying Your Setup

After configuring any client, test with these prompts:

"List my websites" — should return your existing sites (or say none found)
"Create a website called Test Site" — should provision a new site and return the CDN URL
"Delete the Test Site website" — should clean up the test site

If all three work, your setup is complete.

Common Issues

`npx` not found

Make sure Node.js (v18+) is installed. Run node --version to check. Install from nodejs.org if needed.

Permission denied

On macOS/Linux, you may need to allow the npx command in your system security settings the first time it runs.

API key not working

Make sure you copied the full key (starts with sk_)
Check that the key hasn't expired (Settings > API Keys shows expiration)
Verify the key has Admin or higher role

Before You Start​

Installation​

Environment Variables Reference​

Verifying Your Setup​

Common Issues​

npx not found​

Permission denied​

API key not working​