Connecting AI Assistants via MCP

Connecting AI Assistants via MCP

AB Projects exposes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server so AI assistants — Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Windsurf, Codex CLI, Antigravity, and any other spec-compliant MCP client — can read and manage your tasks, projects, and documents on your behalf. This article walks through connecting each client.

What you need before you start

• An existing AB Projects account. If you don’t have one, set it up via Microsoft Teams first (see Installing the AB Projects Teams App).
• The MCP server URL: https://mcp.actionbridge.io/mcp
• Your Microsoft 365 account, or your AB Projects email and password, to sign in.

Important: the URL is https://mcp.actionbridge.io/mcp — include the /mcp path. The bare host (https://mcp.actionbridge.io) is not a valid MCP endpoint; entering it makes the client report an authorization failure even though it reached the server.

Connecting Claude Desktop

1. Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Connectors.
2. Click Add Custom Connector.
3. Enter:
   • Name: AB Projects
   • URL: https://mcp.actionbridge.io/mcp
4. Click Connect. A browser window opens asking you to sign in.
5. Choose Sign in with Microsoft, or enter your AB Projects email and password.
6. Once signed in, Claude Desktop registers automatically and lists the AB Projects MCP tools.

Connecting Claude Cowork

In Cowork, open your MCP configuration and add:

URL:  https://mcp.actionbridge.io/mcp
Auth: OAuth (automatic)

Cowork opens a browser window the first time it connects, using the same OAuth sign-in as Claude Desktop.

Connecting ChatGPT

ChatGPT custom connectors require a Plus, Pro, Business, or Enterprise subscription.

1. Open ChatGPT → Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
2. Enter:
   • Name: AB Projects
   • MCP Server URL: https://mcp.actionbridge.io/mcp (make sure the /mcp path is included)
3. Click Connect. A browser window opens.
4. Sign in with Microsoft, or your AB Projects email and password.
5. After approval, ChatGPT returns to the connector list with AB Projects shown as connected.

Connecting Cursor, Codex CLI, Windsurf, and Antigravity

These editors use a JSON configuration file for MCP servers. Add this entry (the surrounding config format varies by tool, but the server block is the same):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "actionbridge": {
      "url": "https://mcp.actionbridge.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}

The first time the editor connects, it opens a browser window so you can sign in. No client ID or secret is required — authentication is handled by OAuth.

Managing your MCP access

When you connect a client, AB Projects automatically issues an API key behind the scenes, scoped to your account, so the assistant acts only as you and only on projects you're a member of.

• To disconnect a client: remove the AB Projects connector in that AI client (e.g. delete the custom connector in Claude/ChatGPT, or remove the server block from the editor's config). It will need to sign in again next time it's re-added.
• To revoke server-side access (for example if a device was lost), contact support@actionbridge.io — a self-serve key-management screen isn't available yet.
• Every change an assistant makes is recorded in the item's change history and posted to the linked Teams channel with clear AI disclosure, so MCP activity is always auditable (see MCP Tools Reference).

Troubleshooting

“Couldn’t reach the MCP server”

Almost always the wrong URL. Confirm that:

• You used https://mcp.actionbridge.io/mcp, not the bare host.
• You typed https://, not http://.
• There are no trailing slashes, spaces, or extra characters.

“Authorization with the MCP server failed”

• Double-check the URL includes /mcp. Pointed at the bare host, OAuth succeeds but the first tool call returns the health-check response and the client reports “authorization failed.”
• If you signed in with Microsoft, make sure that Microsoft email matches an existing AB Projects account. New users must set up via Microsoft Teams first.
• If it persists, remove and re-add the connector in your AI client to start a fresh sign-in.

The client connects but shows no tools

Refresh the client’s tool list. If it’s still empty, remove and re-add the connector — the first initialize call may have raced with the token exchange.

Still stuck?

Contact support@actionbridge.io. If your AI client shows a reference code — for example ofid_... from ChatGPT, or any request ID — include it; it lets the team pull the exact session from the server logs.

Related articles

• MCP Tools Reference — every tool AB Projects exposes to AI assistants.
• AI Support Features in AB Projects — built-in AI that doesn’t require MCP setup.