# How to use Novu MCP with Claude and Cursor

> Novu MCP is live. Drive your Novu workspace from any MCP-compatible AI client with 20+ tools.

Canonical: https://novu.co/blog/novu-mcp-with-claude-cursor/

Markdown: https://novu.co/blog/novu-mcp-with-claude-cursor.md

Last updated: 2026-04-21T12:11:00.000Z

Your AI client reads your code. Now it can read your notification infrastructure. A 2-minute setup and 20+ tools that turn prompts into real Novu workflow actions.

Authors: Emil Pearce

Published: 2026-04-21T12:11:00.000Z

Category: Announcement

## Your AI client can read your code. Now it can read your notification infra.

Every AI-augmented developer tool has a blind spot: the model sees your code, but not the systems your code talks to.

When you ask [Claude](<https://claude.ai/>) to build a notification flow, it generates plausible SDK calls from training data. When you ask it to debug a failed send, it guesses.

**That is not AI-native development. That is AI-adjacent.**

The Novu MCP server closes the gap for notification infrastructure. [Cursor](<https://cursor.com/>), [Codex](<https://openai.com/codex>), [Claude Code](<https://claude.ai/code>), and [Claude Desktop](<https://claude.ai/download>) can now read and write against your live Novu workspace.

**Real workflow IDs. Real providers. Real delivery data.**

20+ tools, one Bearer token, two-minute setup.

Here is a 45-second walkthrough of the three prompts that make the difference: [Watch on YouTube](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP4MDhpf19U>).

## What the Model Context Protocol actually changes

[MCP](<https://modelcontextprotocol.io/>) is a standardized way for AI clients to talk to external systems.

Instead of every client rolling its own integration for every service, one protocol covers the surface.

A well-designed MCP server is small-grained, typed, and scoped to the intents a model is likely to invoke.

For Novu, that means **20+ tools across seven categories**: core operations, subscribers, preferences, workflows, triggering, notifications, and integrations.

Not a REST mirror. Not an SDK dump. Targeted operations a model can pick between without prompt bloat.

_The tool surface is a living set - it grows as the product grows._

## Build a workflow without leaving your editor

The most obvious use case is also the most time-consuming one in a normal workflow: building a new notification flow.

In a non-MCP world, you open the Novu dashboard, create a workflow, add channel steps one by one, pick providers, configure content, hit publish, then copy the workflow ID back into your code.

_A five-minute operation spread across four tabs._

With Novu MCP, you stay in [Cursor](<https://cursor.com/>) or [Claude Code](<https://claude.ai/code>) and type:

> Create a workflow called order-shipped that sends an in-app notification when an order ships, then follows up with an email after 24 hours if the user hasn't seen it.

The model calls `create_workflow`, picks real providers from your environment, wires the delay step, and writes the workflow into your actual Novu workspace.

You get the workflow ID back in the reply.

**Five minutes becomes fifteen seconds.**

## Debug deliveries from chat

The less obvious but more valuable use case: diagnosing failed sends.

Every on-call engineer knows the 2am flow: open the Novu dashboard, filter by subscriber, filter by date, squint at provider responses, cross-reference against the workflow definition.

Novu MCP collapses that into a single prompt:

> Why didn't the order-confirmation notification reach subscriber user_789?

The model calls `get_notifications` and `find_subscribers`, pulls live delivery data, and answers with the actual cause.

Maybe the email bounced. Maybe the subscriber muted the channel. Maybe the integration is misconfigured.

**Whatever the answer, it comes from live state, not a guess.**

## Bulk operations that used to need a script

A few operations that used to mean writing a small Node script now fit in a prompt:

> Bulk trigger the re-engagement workflow for these 500 subscriber IDs.

> Cancel the pending order-confirmation event for user_789.

> Update subscriber user_456 to mute Slack notifications but keep email and push.

These all hit real MCP tools: `bulk_trigger_workflow`, `cancel_triggered_event`, `update_subscriber_preferences`.

The model picks the tool, passes the right arguments, and reports the outcome.

## Install it in two minutes

1. Grab a Secret Key from your [Novu dashboard](<https://dashboard.novu.co/settings/api-keys>).

1. Add the Novu MCP server to your client.

**For Claude Code, one command:**

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http novu https://mcp.novu.co/ \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer your-novu-api-key"
```

### Other clients

- **Cursor:** [Settings &gt; Tools & Integrations &gt; Add MCP Server](<https://cursor.com/>)

- **Codex:** edit `~/.codex/config.toml` ([Codex docs](<https://openai.com/codex>))

- **Claude Desktop:** connect through `npx mcp-remote` (Node 18+)

**EU environments:** use `https://mcp.novu.co/?region=eu`.

## Open-source skills you can fork

We open-sourced the four skills we use ourselves at [github.com/novuhq/skills](<https://github.com/novuhq/skills>) (MIT).

They are the prompts and scoping that turn raw MCP tools into repeatable operations like _"debug last night's failed notifications"_ or _"audit my active integrations."_

Fork them, remix them, or use them as a reference for skills against other MCP servers.

## Missing a tool? Request it on the roadmap

Novu MCP is a living project. **The tool set grows with the product, and the next tools come from what the community actually asks for.**

If there is a capability you want Novu MCP to support - a tool that is not there yet, an intent the model should be able to express, a workflow your team keeps bumping into - submit it on our public [roadmap](<https://roadmap.novu.co/roadmap>).

_Upvotes and comments directly shape what we ship next._

## What is next

Novu MCP is generally available on every plan, cloud and [self-hosted](<https://github.com/novuhq/novu>). OAuth support is on the roadmap. Rate limits are documented in the [platform docs](<https://docs.novu.co/platform/additional-resources/mcp>).

_Expect the tool surface to keep growing as we see which prompts developers actually write._

If you have been meaning to connect your AI client to real notification infrastructure, this is the version to try.

**The model stops guessing and starts reading.**

[**Explore Novu MCP**](<https://novu.co/mcp?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=mcp-launch-2026-04>)

**Docs: **[docs.novu.co/platform/additional-resources/mcp](<https://docs.novu.co/platform/additional-resources/mcp>)

**Skills repo: **[github.com/novuhq/skills](<https://github.com/novuhq/skills>)

**Roadmap: **[roadmap.novu.co/roadmap](<https://roadmap.novu.co/roadmap>)