MCP Integration Guide

Overview

AutomateNexus CRM supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that allows AI assistants and development tools to interact with your CRM data securely. By enabling the MCP server in AutomateNexus CRM, you can connect tools like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and other MCP-compatible clients to query contacts, manage deals, create tasks, and perform other CRM operations using natural language. Additionally, AutomateNexus CRM can connect to external MCP servers to extend its functionality with third-party data sources and tools. This guide covers both scenarios: exposing AutomateNexus CRM as an MCP server and connecting to external MCP servers.

Prerequisites

Before configuring MCP integrations, ensure you have:

An active AutomateNexus CRM account with Administrator role permissions.
An MCP-compatible client application installed (e.g., Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, or another MCP client).
Your AutomateNexus CRM API key (generated under Settings → API → API Keys).
Basic familiarity with JSON configuration files (for client-side MCP setup).

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that standardizes how AI applications connect to external data sources and tools. It follows a client-server architecture where:

MCP Servers expose data and functionality through a standardized interface. AutomateNexus CRM acts as an MCP server, providing tools to interact with your CRM data.
MCP Clients are AI applications that connect to MCP servers to access their data and tools. Examples include Claude Desktop, Cursor, and other AI-powered development and productivity tools.

MCP supports three primary capabilities:

Tools: Functions that the AI can call to perform actions (e.g., create a contact, update a deal, search records).
Resources: Data that the AI can read (e.g., contact details, deal pipelines, activity history).
Prompts: Pre-defined prompt templates for common CRM tasks.

Enabling the AutomateNexus CRM MCP Server

Activating MCP

Navigate to Settings → Integrations → MCP.
Toggle on Enable MCP Server.
AutomateNexus CRM will display your MCP server details:
- Server URL: The SSE (Server-Sent Events) endpoint for your MCP server. It will look similar to: https://app.automatenexus.com/mcp/sse/{your-account-id}
- Server Type: SSE (Server-Sent Events) transport.
Copy the Server URL for use in your MCP client configuration.

Configuring MCP Permissions

Control which CRM capabilities are exposed through MCP:

Navigate to Settings → Integrations → MCP → Permissions.
Toggle individual tool categories on or off:
- Contacts: Search, view, create, update, and delete contacts.
- Deals: View deal pipelines, create deals, update deal stages, manage deal values.
- Tasks: Create, assign, update, and complete tasks.
- Calendar: View and create calendar events and appointments.
- Email: Draft and send emails through connected email providers.
- Notes: View and create notes on contact and deal records.
- Files: Browse and attach files from connected storage.
- Reports: Access CRM reports and analytics data.
For each category, you can further restrict permissions to Read only or Read and Write.
Click Save Permissions.

MCP Authentication

MCP connections to AutomateNexus CRM are authenticated using your API key:

Each MCP client must include a valid AutomateNexus CRM API key in its configuration.
The API key determines which CRM data and operations the MCP client can access, based on the key permissions and the MCP permission settings.
For security, create a dedicated API key for each MCP client with the minimum required permissions.

Connecting Claude Desktop

About Claude Desktop MCP

Claude Desktop supports MCP connections, allowing Claude to directly interact with your AutomateNexus CRM data. You can ask Claude to look up contacts, summarize deal pipelines, create tasks, draft emails, and more using natural language.

Step-by-Step Claude Desktop Setup

Open Claude Desktop on your computer.
Navigate to Settings (click the gear icon or use the keyboard shortcut).
Select Developer from the settings sidebar.
Click Edit Config to open the MCP configuration file (claude_desktop_config.json).

Add the AutomateNexus CRM server configuration to the mcpServers section:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "automatenexus-crm": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@automatenexus/mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AUTOMATENEXUS_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
        "AUTOMATENEXUS_URL": "https://yourcompany.automatenexus.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace your-api-key-here with your AutomateNexus CRM API key and yourcompany.automatenexus.com with your account URL.
Save the configuration file.
Restart Claude Desktop.
The AutomateNexus CRM tools will appear in Claude Desktop. You can verify by clicking the tools icon in the chat input area.

Alternative: SSE Transport Configuration

If you prefer to connect directly to the SSE endpoint instead of using the npm package:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "automatenexus-crm": {
      "url": "https://app.automatenexus.com/mcp/sse/your-account-id",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Claude Desktop with AutomateNexus CRM

Once connected, you can interact with your CRM data through natural conversation with Claude:

"Look up the contact details for John Smith."
"Show me all deals in the Negotiation stage."
"Create a follow-up task for the Acme Corp deal, due next Friday."
"Draft an email to Sarah at TechCo about our upcoming meeting."
"What is the total value of deals won this month?"
"Add a note to the Johnson account about their interest in the enterprise plan."

Connecting Cursor

About Cursor MCP

Cursor is an AI-powered code editor that supports MCP connections. Connecting AutomateNexus CRM to Cursor allows developers to query CRM data while building integrations, debugging API calls, or developing custom features.

Step-by-Step Cursor Setup

Open Cursor on your computer.
Navigate to Settings → MCP (or Cursor Settings → MCP).
Click Add new global MCP server.
Add the AutomateNexus CRM server configuration using the same JSON format as Claude Desktop.
Save the configuration and restart Cursor if prompted.
The AutomateNexus CRM tools will be available in Cursor Agent mode.

Connecting External MCP Servers to AutomateNexus CRM

About External MCP Servers

In addition to acting as an MCP server, AutomateNexus CRM can connect to external MCP servers to pull data from other sources into your CRM workflows. For example, you might connect an MCP server that provides weather data, stock prices, shipping tracking, or data from a custom internal system.

Adding an External MCP Server

Navigate to Settings → Integrations → MCP → External Servers.
Click Add External MCP Server.
Enter the server details:
- Server Name: A descriptive name (e.g., "Shipping Tracker", "Internal Wiki").
- Server URL: The MCP server endpoint URL.
- Transport Type: Select SSE (Server-Sent Events) or Stdio depending on the server type.
- Authentication: Enter any required API key or authentication headers.
Click Test Connection to verify the server is reachable and responding correctly.
Once connected, the external server tools will be available in AutomateNexus CRM AI features and automation workflows.
Click Save.

Managing External MCP Servers

View all connected external servers under Settings → Integrations → MCP → External Servers.
Click Configure on any server to update its URL, authentication, or permissions.
Toggle individual servers on or off without removing the configuration.
Click Remove to permanently delete an external server connection.

Available MCP Tools

When AutomateNexus CRM is connected as an MCP server, the following tools are available to MCP clients:

Contact Tools

search_contacts: Search for contacts by name, email, phone, company, or custom field values.
get_contact: Retrieve full details for a specific contact.
create_contact: Create a new contact record with specified fields.
update_contact: Update fields on an existing contact.
list_recent_contacts: Get recently created or updated contacts.

Deal Tools

list_deals: List deals with optional filters (pipeline, stage, owner, date range).
get_deal: Retrieve full details for a specific deal.
create_deal: Create a new deal with title, value, pipeline, and stage.
update_deal_stage: Move a deal to a different pipeline stage.
get_pipeline_summary: Get a summary of deal counts and values by stage.

Task Tools

list_tasks: List tasks with filters (assigned user, due date, status).
create_task: Create a new task with title, description, due date, and assignee.
complete_task: Mark a task as completed.

Activity Tools

log_activity: Log a call, meeting, or note on a contact or deal record.
get_activity_timeline: Retrieve the activity history for a contact or deal.

Security Best Practices

Use dedicated API keys: Create a separate API key for each MCP client with the minimum permissions needed.
Restrict MCP permissions: Only enable the tool categories that your MCP client needs. If you only need read access, disable write permissions.
Monitor MCP usage: Check the MCP activity log under Settings → Integrations → MCP → Activity Log to review which tools are being called and by which client.
Rotate API keys periodically: Regenerate MCP API keys every 90 days as a security best practice.
Secure your configuration files: Ensure the claude_desktop_config.json and similar MCP configuration files are not committed to public repositories or shared in insecure channels.

Testing MCP Connections

Verify server status: Navigate to Settings → Integrations → MCP and check that the MCP server shows as Active.
Test from Claude Desktop: Open Claude Desktop and ask a simple CRM query like "How many contacts do I have?" Verify that Claude calls the AutomateNexus CRM tools and returns accurate data.
Test write operations: Ask Claude to create a test contact or task. Verify the record appears in AutomateNexus CRM.
Test from Cursor: In Cursor Agent mode, ask to look up CRM data. Verify the response includes real data from your CRM.
Check the activity log: After testing, review the MCP activity log to confirm all tool calls were properly recorded.

Troubleshooting

MCP Server Not Connecting

Verify the MCP server is enabled in Settings → Integrations → MCP.
Check that the API key in your MCP client configuration is correct and has not been revoked.
Ensure the server URL matches the one displayed in AutomateNexus CRM settings.
For SSE connections, verify that your network does not block SSE (Server-Sent Events) traffic.

Tools Not Appearing in Claude Desktop

Restart Claude Desktop after updating the configuration file.
Check the configuration file for JSON syntax errors (missing commas, brackets, etc.).
Verify the npm package @automatenexus/mcp-server is accessible (requires Node.js and npm installed).
Check the Claude Desktop developer console for error messages.

Permission Denied Errors

Verify the API key used in the MCP configuration has sufficient permissions.
Check the MCP permission settings in AutomateNexus CRM. The tool category must be enabled.
If using read-only permissions, ensure the MCP client is not attempting write operations.

Slow MCP Responses

Check your internet connection stability.
Large data queries (e.g., listing all contacts without filters) may take longer. Use filters and pagination when possible.
Verify the AutomateNexus CRM server is not under heavy load by checking the system status page.

External MCP Server Connection Fails

Verify the external server URL is correct and the server is running.
Check that the authentication credentials are valid.
Ensure the external server supports the transport type you selected (SSE or Stdio).
Check the external server logs for error details.

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