Connect AI Assistants (MCP)
Envelope has a remote MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, so AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT can build, update, and publish Envelope apps directly from a conversation. The server lives at https://envelope.build/api/mcp and authenticates with your Envelope account over OAuth.
Connecting
Claude.ai and Claude Desktop
- Open Settings → Connectors and click Add custom connector.
- Enter "Envelope" as the name and
https://envelope.build/api/mcpas the URL. - A browser window opens to authenticate with your Envelope account. Once connected, ask Claude to build something.
Claude Code
claude mcp add envelope https://envelope.build/api/mcp
Authenticate when prompted.
ChatGPT
- Open ChatGPT's Advanced settings under Apps → Connectors and enable Developer mode.
- Add a new connector with the URL
https://envelope.build/api/mcp.
Other clients
Any MCP-compatible client can connect to https://envelope.build/api/mcp. The client needs to support the MCP OAuth flow.
You can also find the server URL and step-by-step setup for each client under Settings → Connect to AI in your dashboard.
What an assistant can do
Once connected, the assistant has the full build-preview-fix-publish loop:
Build and iterate
- Create App Preview (
create_preview): write code for a new app and get a live preview link - Update App Preview (
update_preview): replace the app's code with a new version - Edit App Code (
edit_preview): make targeted string-replace edits without resending the whole file - Preview App (
preview_app): render the app, run interaction steps, and return a screenshot plus console logs and runtime errors - Get Preview Errors (
get_preview_errors): pull runtime errors from the preview to debug in-conversation
Versions
- List Versions (
list_versions): see the app's version history - Revert to Version (
revert_preview): roll the preview back to an earlier version
Publish and manage
- Publish App (
publish_app): make the app live at a shareableenvelope.buildlink - List Apps (
list_apps), Get App Details (get_app), Delete App (delete_app): manage your apps
Assets
- Upload Asset (
upload_asset) and Batch Upload Assets (batch_upload_assets): send images, audio, or JSON data for the app to use - List Assets (
list_assets) and Delete Asset (delete_asset): manage uploaded assets
The server also exposes a build_envelope_app prompt that gives the assistant the full SDK Reference and coding guidelines before it writes any code.
Example
You type: "Build me a tip calculator that splits the bill between friends." The assistant writes the code, calls create_preview, and replies with a working link. You say "the buttons are too small on mobile," it calls edit_preview, and the same link updates. "Publish it" calls publish_app and the app is live at an envelope.build URL anyone can install.
Next steps
- SDK Reference: the APIs available inside the apps assistants build
- Getting Started: the same flow through the web builder