---
title: "Automo Build API and developer docs"
description: "Connect your own tools and agents to Automo Build: the MCP server, sign-in and scopes, the API reference and where to test."
canonical: "https://docs.automo.build/developers"
---

# Automo Build API and developer docs

> Connect your own tools and agents to Automo Build: the MCP server, sign-in and scopes, the API reference and where to test.

This page is the docs entry point for developers. The full developer portal, with every reference and integration guide, lives on the main site at [automo.build/developers](https://automo.build/developers).

> [!tip] Looking for the complete reference? Go to the [Automo Build developer portal](https://automo.build/developers). This page only summarises it and links to the matching docs.

## Quickstart

Automo Build runs a remote MCP server, so there is nothing to install or host. Any client that speaks MCP over Streamable HTTP can connect to it at:

```
https://mcp.automo.build/mcp
```

From a terminal, add it to Claude Code with one command:

```
claude mcp add --transport http automo-build https://mcp.automo.build/mcp
```

Or let the Automo Build CLI write the configuration for you:

```
npx automo-build connect claude-code
```

The server is listed in the [official MCP Registry](https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0/servers?search=build.automo/automo-build) as `build.automo/automo-build`, and its setup helper is on npm as [automo-build](https://www.npmjs.com/package/automo-build).

The first time your client calls the server it asks you to sign in. Sign in with your Automo account and approve the consent screen. Setup for Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Cursor, Codex, Cline and other clients is in [Connecting your AI tool](/mcp/connecting-your-ai-tool).

## Authentication and access

The MCP server uses OAuth 2.1 with PKCE. There is no client registration and no API key to copy: your client opens a browser, you sign in, and it receives a short-lived access token that refreshes automatically.

Tokens are scoped, so a client only gets what it asks for. Examples are `projects:read`, `projects:write`, `deployments:write`, `sessions:read` and `playbooks:run`. The full list, and what each scope allows, is in [Connecting your AI tool](/mcp/connecting-your-ai-tool). The server acts as you, with your workspaces and roles, never with more access than you have in the app.

Agents that cannot open a browser should follow the instructions at [automo.build/auth.md](https://automo.build/auth.md).

Keys for the apps you build are a separate topic. To give an app an API key or secret for a third-party service, see [API keys and secrets](/connect/api-keys-and-secrets).

## API reference

The server publishes an OpenAPI 3.1 description of its interface at [mcp.automo.build/openapi.json](https://mcp.automo.build/openapi.json). Use it to generate a client or to see every operation and its parameters. For a plain-language tour of the tools, read [What your AI tool can do](/mcp/what-it-can-do).

## Sandboxes and testing

Every project has a preview you can change freely and a live version that only changes when a person publishes, as explained in [Preview and live versions](/publish/preview-and-live). For existing codebases in Rails, Java, Go, Python, Node or multi-process backends, see [Custom sandboxes](/build/custom-sandboxes). To check your work, start with [Testing your app](/build/testing-your-app) and [Automated QA](/build/automated-qa).

Please do not create throwaway projects or send hello prompts just to test a connection. Agent turns cost credits, exactly as they do in the app.

## Related docs

- [What the MCP server does](/mcp/overview)
- [Choosing a catalog](/mcp/catalogs-and-options), for a smaller or read-only tool set
- [Long-running work, reviews and publishing](/mcp/safety-and-approvals)
- [Workspaces, permissions and credits](/mcp/workspaces-permissions-credits)
- [MCP troubleshooting](/mcp/troubleshooting)
- [Welcome to Automo Build](/getting-started/welcome), if you are new to the product
- [Your first project](/getting-started/your-first-project)

For everything else, head to the [developer portal on automo.build](https://automo.build/developers).