mcp

This MCP server implements the Respond.io API as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) service. It exposes a range of capabilities including contact management (create, read, update, delete, upsert, merge, and tag management), messaging (send and retrieve messages across multiple channels), conversations (assign/open/close with notes and summaries), workspace management (users, custom fields, channels, templates, and closing notes), and comments. The server can run in STDIO mode for local Claude Desktop workflows or in HTTP mode for remote or hosted integrations. When running in HTTP mode, the server provides an HTTP endpoint at /mcp and a health endpoint at /health for monitoring. Tools are surfaced via a JSON-RPC style endpoint, and Claude Desktop can query available tools and invoke them using a unified interface. Use the provided environment variables to configure authentication and server behavior, and choose either STDIO or HTTP operation depending on your integration scenario.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js 18+ installed
• npm, yarn, or bun package manager
• Git

Installation steps:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/respond-io/mcp-server.git
cd mcp-server

# Install dependencies (includes Respond.io SDK)
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

Configuration and running (two modes):

• STDIO mode (recommended for local Claude Desktop usage):

export MCP_SERVER_MODE=stdio
node dist/index.js

• HTTP mode (remote or local HTTP integration):

export MCP_SERVER_MODE=http
node dist/index.js

Environment variables (examples):

• RESPONDIO_API_KEY: Your Respond.io API key (required)
• RESPONDIO_BASE_URL: Base API URL (default: https://api.respond.io/v2)
• MCP_SERVER_MODE: stdio or http (default: stdio)
• PORT: Port for HTTP mode (default: 3000)

If you prefer using the npm package launcher in Claude or automation, you can also start the server via npm scripts once built:
```bash
npm run start:http  # for HTTP mode after building

Tips and common considerations:

• Ensure RESPONDIO_API_KEY is set and valid; otherwise API calls to Respond.io will fail.
• In HTTP mode, you can test the MCP endpoint with curl, for example: curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/mcp -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"list_tools","params":{}}'. The response should list available MCP tools.
• The server exposes /health for uptime checks; monitor this endpoint in your deployment to verify liveness.
• In STDIO mode, Claude Desktop communicates with the server via standard input/output pipes. Ensure your CLI or application aligns with the protocol.
• The README indicates the npm package name to reference for cloud or container deployments: @respond-io/mcp-server. Use npx @respond-io/mcp-server or the equivalent in your environment.
• If you need to customize tool exposure or security, adjust environment variables or patch the configuration to reflect your deployment needs.