Connect Your AI (Install MCP)

Why connect

In Specnote, your AI creates the tests for you. That's why you connect your everyday AI coding tool — Cursor, Claude Code — to Specnote once. After that, saying "create a signup test" inside that tool is all it takes.

The standard channel for this is MCP (Model Context Protocol) — an agreed-upon, safe way for AI tools to talk to outside services. It may sound technical, but all you actually do is paste one or two commands from the instructions below.

The connection address is the same no matter which tool you use:

https://specnote.io/api/mcp/mcp

Claude Code — Option 1: Plugin (recommended)

If you use Claude Code, the plugin is the easiest path. Type these two lines inside Claude Code, one after another:

/plugin marketplace add Dannect/specnote-mcp
/plugin install specnote@specnote-mcp

Once installed, type /mcp and choose specnote. A browser window opens with an "Allow" button — click it once and you're authenticated. No tokens to copy or manage, and the approval renews itself safely for 30 days.

Claude Code — Option 2: One command

You can also connect with a single command. In your terminal:

claude mcp add --transport http specnote https://specnote.io/api/mcp/mcp

The first time you use it, a browser auth (one "Allow" click) completes the setup. If you're in an environment that can't open a browser — like automation — issue a connection token (explained below) and attach it:

claude mcp add --transport http specnote https://specnote.io/api/mcp/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer <your token>"

Connecting Cursor

For Cursor, add Specnote to its settings file. First get a token from "Issuing a connection token" below. Then open Cursor's MCP settings (Settings → MCP → Add new global MCP server) and paste:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "specnote": {
      "url": "https://specnote.io/api/mcp/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <your token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace <your token> with the token you issued. Save, and Cursor is connected.

Other MCP-compatible tools

Any tool that supports MCP — Windsurf, Codex, and others — connects the same way. In the tool's "add MCP server" screen, enter just two values:

• URL: https://specnote.io/api/mcp/mcp (HTTP transport)
• Auth header: Authorization: Bearer <your token>

Screens differ slightly between tools, but those two values are all it takes.

Issuing a connection token

If you use a token-based setup (Cursor, automation, etc.), issue one from MCP Connection on your My Page. One click creates a token starting with spnt_.

Treat this token like a password. Don't commit it to git or share it; if you think it leaked, revoke it on My Page immediately and issue a new one. Tokens don't expire on their own — they work until you revoke them.

Checking the connection

Once connected, try saying this to your AI:

Show me my Specnote workspaces.

If it answers with your workspace names, you're all set. No workspace yet? Just ask: "Create a workspace called 'My Shop' in Specnote."

To see everything you can ask for after connecting, check What You Can Ask Your AI.

If it doesn't work

• specnote doesn't show up in /mcp. Make sure both plugin lines finished, then restart Claude Code once.
• The browser auth window doesn't open. Pick specnote in /mcp and retry the auth. If it still fails, switching to the token method is the fastest fix.
• It says "authentication failed". Check that your token wasn't revoked on My Page; issue a new one if needed and update the token value in your settings.

More symptom-by-symptom fixes live in Troubleshooting. Connection done? Continue to Your First Verification in 5 Minutes and create your first test.