Docs/AI tools (MCP)/MCP integration

AI Tool Integration (MCP)

Prowlo's MCP server gives your AI assistant direct, read-only access to your Dataset — the semantic, vector-indexed corpus your Watchers build from Reddit. Search it, browse the feed, manage Watchers, and tag records without leaving your AI tool of choice.

What You Can Do

Search your Dataset — run semantic searches across every record your Watchers have indexed, with filters for source, freshness, and relevance
Browse the feed — pull full record details including title, body, author, subreddit, and engagement counts
Manage Watchers — list, create, and update the Watchers that decide which channels Prowlo crawls into your Dataset
Track keywords across all of Reddit — create keyword Watchers that search all of Reddit for a query, checked daily
Read live Reddit — fetch posts, comments, and search results straight from Reddit for context your Dataset hasn't captured yet
Tag records — list, create, update, and delete keyword tags that label records in your Dataset

Easiest: custom connector + OAuth (recommended)

The simplest way to connect Claude — no API key, no config files, no restart. Add Prowlo as a custom connector and sign in with your browser:

https://api.prowlo.com/mcp

In Claude, open Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
Paste the URL above and click Add.
Click Connect and sign in to Prowlo in the browser window (OAuth).

Prowlo does the heavy lifting of crawling your watched sources, cleaning every post, and embedding each record into a semantic, vector-indexed Dataset. Claude then searches and reasons over that corpus — read-only, so it works from the data and you decide what to do with it.

Custom connectors require a paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, or Team). For Claude Code, Cursor, Cline, or Windsurf, use the API-key method below. A one-click listing in Claude's connector directory is coming soon.

Requirements (API Key Tools)

For Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf, you'll need:

A Prowlo account with an active plan
An API key (learn how to create one)
One of the supported AI tools: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, or Windsurf

Setup

Create an API Key

Go to API Access in your Prowlo dashboard
Click Generate Key
Copy your key (it starts with prowlo_) — it will only be shown once

Choose Your Connection Method

Prowlo supports two connection methods: Remote (recommended) connects directly to Prowlo's hosted MCP server with just a URL and API key. Local runs the MCP server on your machine via npx. Remote is simpler and requires no Node.js installation.

Remote Setup (Recommended)

Add the following configuration to your AI tool. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API key.

Claude Desktop

Open your config file at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or via Settings → Developer → Edit Config.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "prowlo": {
      "url": "https://api.prowlo.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

claude mcp add prowlo \
  --transport http \
  --url https://api.prowlo.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Cursor

Add to your .cursor/mcp.json file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "prowlo": {
      "url": "https://api.prowlo.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add to your ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "prowlo": {
      "url": "https://api.prowlo.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Alternative: mcp-remote bridge

Some clients connect to a hosted MCP server through the mcp-remote bridge. Use the configuration below (requires Node.js 18+). Prowlo itself is fully hosted at api.prowlo.com/mcp — there's nothing to run on your machine.

Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "prowlo": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic-ai/mcp-remote", "https://api.prowlo.com/mcp",
        "--header", "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

claude mcp add prowlo \
  -- npx -y @anthropic-ai/mcp-remote \
  https://api.prowlo.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Cursor

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "prowlo": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic-ai/mcp-remote", "https://api.prowlo.com/mcp",
        "--header", "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "prowlo": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic-ai/mcp-remote", "https://api.prowlo.com/mcp",
        "--header", "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"]
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

The MCP server exposes these tools to your AI assistant:

Dataset & Feed

search_dataset — run a semantic search across every record in your Dataset, with filters for source, freshness, and relevance
list_records — browse the most recent records your Watchers have indexed
get_record — pull a single record's full details: title, body, author, subreddit, and engagement counts
get_dataset_summary — get a live overview of your Dataset: record counts, sources, and recent activity

Watchers & Live Reddit

list_watchers — list the Watchers that decide which channels Prowlo crawls into your Dataset
watcher_create / watcher_update — add or edit Watchers; use platform reddit_search to add a keyword that searches all of Reddit daily (3 on trial, 20 on the paid plan — the Keyword Monitor page in the dashboard)
reddit_* — read live Reddit (posts, comments, search) for context your Dataset hasn't captured yet

Tagging

Manage the keyword tags that label records in your Dataset, entirely from your AI assistant — no need to switch to the dashboard.

keyword_list — list all tags with active status, match counts, and last match timestamps
keyword_create — add a new tag (2-100 characters, plan limits apply)
keyword_update — activate or pause a tag without deleting its match history
keyword_delete — permanently remove a tag and all its match history

Usage Examples

Once connected, try asking your AI assistant:

"Search my Dataset for posts about pricing complaints"
"Summarize the latest records from r/SaaS"
"What's in my Dataset right now? Give me a summary"
"Find records that mention switching away from a competitor"
"List my Watchers and which subreddits they cover"
"Add a Watcher for r/devops"
"Track 'CRM alternative' across all of Reddit"
"Show me my tags and how they're performing"
"Add a tag for 'project management frustration'"
"Pull the live Reddit comments for this post"

Troubleshooting

Prowlo tools not appearing

Completely quit and reopen your AI tool (not just reload)
Check your JSON syntax using a JSON validator
Verify the config file is in the correct location for your tool

Invalid API key error

Double-check the key matches exactly what you copied from Settings
Make sure the key hasn't been revoked in your dashboard
Generate a new key if needed and update the config

Connection failed

Verify your internet connection is stable
Check that you're using the correct URL: https://api.prowlo.com/mcp
If using the mcp-remote bridge, ensure Node.js 18+ is installed

Keyword Watcher hits PLAN_LIMIT_EXCEEDED

Keyword Watchers are capped per plan: 3 on the trial, 20 on the paid plan — separate from community Watchers
Check your usage on the Watchers page or the billing page
If you hit the limit, delete unused keyword Watchers or upgrade — see Plans & limits

← Plans & limits FAQ →