MCP Integration (CLI / IDE)

Overview

AI Integration lets you connect AI tools like Claude Code and Cursor to 3Min API, so you can run your endpoints with the same kind of casual chat you already use. Behind the scenes it speaks MCP (Model Context Protocol), an open standard. Once the AI is connected to the 3Min API server, it picks the right tool from the ones we expose and answers your question.

The benefit is concrete. No code is needed to create a new endpoint, search yesterday's call logs, invite a collaborator, or check this month's usage. Skip the dashboard clicks — "Summarize the 5 failed calls from last week" is enough.

3Min API supports two authentication styles. ChatGPT and Claude use OAuth (sign in with your 3Min API account), so there's no API key to manage. CLI/IDE tools like Claude Code or Cursor use API keys that you store locally. This page walks you through connecting local tools with the API key flow.

Where to start

• Dashboard → Settings → AI Integration → CLI / IDE tab

What you can do

The 3Min API MCP server exposes the tools below. The AI looks at your request and picks the right one. Every action is scoped to your own account — other users' resources are never accessible.

Read tools

Tool	Description	Scope
help	Returns the 3Min API service guide by topic	Public
endpoints (list / get)	List endpoints / view endpoint details	Your own
logs (lookup / search / fetch archived)	Single-record lookup, full-text search, fetch archived payloads	Your own
stats	Monthly / daily API usage statistics	Your own
subscription	Current plan, usage, and billing info	Your account
archives (list / download)	Archive file list + temporary download URL	Your own
collaborators (list_keys / list_invitations)	Collaboration keys and invitation list	Your own

Create / Update / Deploy tools

Tool	Description	Scope
endpoints (create)	Create a new endpoint	Your account
endpoints (update)	Update field definitions, webhooks, and notifications	Your own
endpoints (deploy)	Deploy sandbox config to production	Your own
collaborators (create_key)	Create a new collaboration key	Your own
collaborators (update_permissions)	Update CRUD permissions for a collaboration key	Your own
collaborators (invite)	Send a collaborator invitation email	Your own

Execution tools

Tool	Description	Scope
api_call (GET / POST / PUT / DELETE)	Send an HTTP request to your deployed endpoint (via the gateway)	Your own

The DELETE in api_call invokes the business logic of your own endpoint (e.g., a "cancel order" API). It does not delete the endpoint itself.

Safety: actions intentionally not exposed to AI

The actions below are deliberately excluded from MCP. We don't want an AI mistake or accidental call to wipe data or trigger billing surprises. When you need to do these, sign in to https://3minapi.com directly.

Excluded action	Where to perform it
Delete endpoint	Dashboard → APIs → Endpoint detail
Delete / deactivate collaboration key, regenerate API key	Dashboard → APIs → Endpoint detail → Collaboration keys
Revoke collaborator invitation	Dashboard → APIs → Endpoint detail → Collaborators
Change / cancel plan	Dashboard → Settings → Subscription
Regenerate / delete MCP API key	Dashboard → Settings → AI Integration → CLI / IDE
Delete archive file	Dashboard → APIs → Archives
Delete account	Dashboard → Settings → Profile

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How to connect

CLI/IDE tools use the API key flow. Drop the 3Min API MCP key into your local config file once, and that tool authenticates as you from then on. The full key is shown only once on issue, so copy it immediately.

Step 1 — Open the CLI / IDE tab

From the dashboard, open the account menu (top-right) → Settings → AI Integration → CLI / IDE tab.

Step 2 — Generate an MCP API key

Click Generate MCP API Key. A key prefixed with tm_mcp_ is shown once.

You can't see the full key again after leaving this screen. Copy it right away with the copy button and store it somewhere safe. If you lose it, you'll need to generate a new one — and the old key is invalidated immediately.

Step 3 — Copy the config snippet

The Configuration card at the bottom of the page shows JSON pre-filled with your key. Copy it as-is.

{
	"mcpServers": {
		"3minapi": {
			"type": "http",
			"url": "https://3minapi.com/api/mcp",
			"headers": { "x-api-key": "tm_mcp_..." }
		}
	}
}

Step 4 — Paste into your tool's MCP config

Add the snippet to the MCP config file of the tool you're using. The exact location varies — check each tool's documentation:

• Claude Code: project-root .mcp.json or user settings
• Cursor: Settings → MCP Servers
• Other MCP-compatible tools accept the same JSON shape

Save the config and restart the tool — it should pick up the 3minapi tools.

Step 5 — Manage the key

You can regenerate or delete the key from the same screen later:

• Regenerate Key — issues a new key and invalidates the old one immediately. Use this if you've lost or suspect leakage of the key. After regenerating, swap in the new value in every tool's config file.
• Delete Key — removes the key entirely. After deletion, no tool can access your account on your behalf.

Example prompts

These plain-language prompts work well:

• "Show me my API endpoint list."
• "Create an endpoint for customer inquiries with name, email, and message fields."
• "Summarize the 5 failed calls from yesterday."
• "How much have I used this month, through yesterday?"
• "Invite chris@example.com as a collaborator on the user-signup endpoint."

For requests that create, update, or deploy something, the AI confirms with you before going through. Read the response carefully so unintended changes don't slip in.

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Common pitfalls

• I closed the screen without copying the full API key

  For security, the full key only appears once on issue. That you can't see it again is by design. Click Regenerate Key from the CLI / IDE tab to generate a new one (the old key is invalidated immediately, so update the config in every tool you use).

• I added the key but the tool doesn't recognize it

  Fully restart the tool — saving the config alone may not reconnect the MCP server. A typo in the JSON can also be silently ignored, so double-check the format.

• What if someone else's data gets mixed in?

  It can't. The MCP API key is bound to the account that issued it, so every tool only touches your own resources — other users' endpoints, logs, and archives are never visible.

• The AI deleted my endpoint!

  It can't. Destructive actions are excluded from MCP, so no matter how the AI tries, your data stays put. To actually delete something, sign in to https://3minapi.com.

• How is this different from tm_test_* and tm_live_*?

  They're entirely different keys. tm_test_* (sandbox) and tm_live_* (production) are collaboration keys used by external callers to invoke your API endpoints. tm_mcp_* is used by AI tools to access your 3Min API account. Mixing them up causes authentication failures.