Documentation

Connect the MCP server

We expose Little Outreach directory search and profile context to Claude through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), so you can research contacts and draft outreach in one workspace. The sections below cover setup, safety, and common questions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Little Outreach MCP server?
It is a Model Context Protocol server that exposes Little Outreach tools to clients such as Claude Desktop or OpenClaw, using your API key to call the same JSON API as the web app.
Do I need an API key?
Yes. Add your per-user API key to the MCP client configuration so tools can authenticate to /api/v1. Sign in, then open Account to copy a key.

The Little Outreach MCP is a small Node.js process that speaks the Model Context Protocol over stdio and forwards tool calls to this app’s JSON API. Below are the exact steps for Claude Desktop (Anthropic’s app) or OpenClaw (personal assistant that loads MCP from its config file).

1. API key

The server needs the same token you use for /api/v1. Sign in and open Account to reveal your API key.

Mutating API requests (POST, PATCH, DELETE) require a signed-in account whose API key has can_edit enabled (ask your administrator).

2. Install (once)

From a clone of this app’s repository, install dependencies for the MCP package (requires Node 18+): 

cd mcp/little-outreach-server && npm install

The entry point is mcp/little-outreach-server/src/index.js. Use an absolute path to that file in the config below.

3. Environment variables

Set these in the env object for your client (shown in sections 4 and 5).

LITTLE_OUTREACH_API_KEY
Required for tools that call the API. Same value as on Account.
LITTLE_OUTREACH_API_BASE_URL
Origin of this app (no trailing slash), e.g. https://www.littleoutreach.com. Defaults to http://127.0.0.1:3000 for local dev.
LITTLE_OUTREACH_OPENAPI_PATH
Optional. Path to swagger/v1/swagger.yaml if the client cannot fetch it over HTTP.

4. Claude Desktop

Quit Claude Desktop, then edit its MCP config file (create the file if it does not exist):

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
  • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Merge this under the top-level mcpServers key (add sibling servers alongside little-outreach if you already have others). Replace PATH_TO_REPO and paste your API key. 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "little-outreach": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/PATH_TO_REPO/mcp/little-outreach-server/src/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "LITTLE_OUTREACH_API_BASE_URL": "https://www.littleoutreach.com",
        "LITTLE_OUTREACH_API_KEY": "paste-your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Save the file, quit Claude Desktop fully (not just closing the window), then reopen it so MCP reloads. Ask Claude what tools it can use to confirm the server connected.

5. OpenClaw

OpenClaw reads MCP servers from its config, commonly ~/.config/openclaw/openclaw.json5 (JSON5: comments and trailing commas are allowed). Add a little-outreach entry under mcp.servers. Replace PATH_TO_REPO and your API key, then reload OpenClaw or run openclaw doctor to verify the tool list. 

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "little-outreach": {
        "command": "node",
        "args": ["/PATH_TO_REPO/mcp/little-outreach-server/src/index.js"],
        "env": {
          "LITTLE_OUTREACH_API_BASE_URL": "https://www.littleoutreach.com",
          "LITTLE_OUTREACH_API_KEY": "paste-your-api-key-here"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

If your Skills should call this server explicitly, declare the server name in the Skill front matter (e.g. mcp_tools: ["little-outreach"]) per OpenClaw’s Skill docs.

A starter Cowork / OpenClaw skill (add contacts and orgs with quick_add tools) lives in the repository at mcp/OPENCLAW_COWORK_SKILL.md — copy it into your OpenClaw skills directory and adjust paths if needed.

6. Reference

  • MCP resources little-outreach://openapi/v1.yaml, little-outreach://docs/overview.md, and little-outreach://docs/data-entry.md (same content via tool get_api_documentation with format openapi_yaml, overview_markdown, or data_entry_markdown)
  • API documentation — overview and links to the spec, Swagger, and playground
  • API playground — paste an API key or sign in to load yours
  • Swagger UI — interactive API reference (Authorize with your API key)
  • OpenAPI YAML — machine-readable spec (also exposed as MCP resources from the server)