Connect an AI app

TradeCatalog runs a remote Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. Connect it to your AI app and ask things like:

• “What does Oakfield Joinery pay for 20 boxes of HX-8510?”
• “Any new orders today?”
• “Who changed Brookside’s discount, and when?”
• “Find me a zinc hex bolt, M10, and my price for it.” (as a buyer)

How it worksLink to this section#

• Staff see the data allowed by their role and customer scope. Sales staff may cover only assigned customers or regions; catalogue, pricing, order and team changes each require the corresponding permission.
• Buyers see the suppliers they buy from, with their own prices and their own orders only.

Team invitations, workspace settings and API access follow the supplier’s current staff permissions. Workspace deletion remains owner-only. Buyers select their own customer account for every order. Existing connections stay read-only until reauthorised.

Every tool call is checked with the same rules as the app. See MCP tools for what each tool does.

Workflow skillsLink to this section#

The TradeCatalog plugin bundles ten focused skills with its MCP connection. Each skill's description tells the AI app when the workflow applies; its instructions explain which tools to use, what to read first and how to handle confirmations and incomplete results.

Other agents can discover the same guides from the public skill index. Skills guide the workflow; the server still checks account access and requires signed-in confirmation for consequential changes.

Sign up and pay with an agentLink to this section#

You can connect before you have a workspace. The connection opens TradeCatalog's sign-in page, where a new email address creates your login after you verify it. Complete verification there, then return to your AI app. Never share sign-in codes or payment details in chat.

Ask the agent to create your supplier workspace. It asks for your business name, product currency, timezone and country, then uses create_workspace for your confirmation. Your workspace starts a 14-day Pro trial with no card. It is not a paid subscription. When the trial ends it returns to Free, up to 100 products, unless you upgrade.

For agents whose host permits software subscription billing, connect to https://tradecatalog.app/mcp/account. It uses the same TradeCatalog login, OAuth scopes and workspace memberships, with all the ordinary tools plus open_billing. When you ask to pay or manage your subscription, this owner-only tool opens the workspace's secure billing page. Choose monthly or annual billing and confirm payment in Stripe. Existing subscribers can manage their subscription there. The agent can check get_settings afterward; opening a link is not proof that payment completed.

ChatGPT plugins use https://tradecatalog.app/mcp, which does not expose billing tools. OpenAI's plugin guidelines currently exclude selling software subscriptions and promoting upgrades. Free sign-up and workspace creation are available through that connection. Agents can prepare trade order requests. Optional customer payments require the buyer to open the signed-in order page, approve the exact supplier-confirmed charge and complete Stripe Checkout. Agent approval of an order is never payment approval.

Claude (web, desktop and mobile)Link to this section#

1. Open Settings, then Connectors, and choose Add custom connector.
2. Name it “TradeCatalog” and paste https://tradecatalog.app/mcp.
3. Choose Connect. Sign in to TradeCatalog with your email code and choose Allow.

Connectors you add on the web also appear in Claude Desktop and the mobile apps. On Team and Enterprise plans an owner may need to add the connector for the organisation first.

Claude CodeLink to this section#

claude mcp add --transport http tradecatalog https://tradecatalog.app/mcp

Then run /mcp in Claude Code and choose tradecatalog to sign in.

ChatGPTLink to this section#

1. Open the published TradeCatalog plugin in ChatGPT and choose Install plugin.
2. Connect your TradeCatalog account. Sign in or register on TradeCatalog’s secure page, then approve the access you want to give.
3. Ask ChatGPT to set up a supplier catalogue, find agreed prices or prepare an order. Review important changes before they run.

See TradeCatalog in ChatGPT for examples and setup. Availability can depend on your ChatGPT account or workspace settings. Custom MCP clients can still connect to https://tradecatalog.app/mcp.

CursorLink to this section#

Add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or .cursor/mcp.json in a project):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tradecatalog": { "url": "https://tradecatalog.app/mcp" }
  }
}

Cursor opens the TradeCatalog sign-in page the first time you use it.

VS CodeLink to this section#

Add this to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "tradecatalog": { "type": "http", "url": "https://tradecatalog.app/mcp" }
  }
}

Other clientsLink to this section#

Any client that supports remote MCP over Streamable HTTP with OAuth works. For clients that only run local (stdio) servers, use the mcp-remote bridge:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tradecatalog": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://tradecatalog.app/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Building your own client? See OAuth for MCP clients.

Disconnect an appLink to this section#

See every AI app you’ve approved, and disconnect any of them, at tradecatalog.app/oauth/connections. Removing the connector in your AI app stops that app using it. Disconnecting here also revokes its access on our side, straight away.

MCP or the REST API?Link to this section#