Add a custom MCP connector — connect any API or service to ContentForge via .mcp.json configuration.

/cf:add-integration

Purpose

Help users connect any external API, tool, or service to ContentForge as an MCP connector. Walk through the entire process conversationally — from finding the right MCP package to testing the connection — without requiring technical MCP knowledge.

Input Required

The user provides (or will be asked):

What they want to connect: The service name and what they want it to do — e.g., "Google Analytics to track content performance", "Ahrefs for keyword research", "our internal CMS to publish directly"
Credentials: API keys, tokens, or OAuth setup they have (or will need to obtain). The system will guide them on exactly what's needed. Never ask users to paste secrets into the conversation.

Process

Step 1: Understand what the user wants

Ask the user what service they want to connect and what they want it to do within ContentForge. Map their intent to content workflow stages:

Workflow Stage	Example Integrations
Research (Phase 1)	Ahrefs, Similarweb, Google Search Console
Publishing (Phase 8)	Webflow, WordPress, HubSpot CMS
Collaboration	Notion, Slack, Google Drive
Tracking	Google Sheets, Google Analytics
Translation	DeepL, Sarvam AI
Social distribution	Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram

Step 2: Check if a connector already exists

Run python scripts/connector-status.py --action check <name> to see if the connector is already in the registry.

If it exists and is connected: Tell the user it's already active and which skills use it.
If it exists but not connected: Run python scripts/connector-status.py --action setup-guide <name> and walk through the guided setup.
If it doesn't exist: Proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Find an MCP package

Search for an existing MCP server package that provides the desired integration:

Check known HTTP endpoints first — Anthropic-hosted HTTP MCP servers are the easiest (work in both Cowork and Claude Code, no API keys for OAuth-based ones):
- Slack: https://mcp.slack.com/mcp
- Canva: https://mcp.canva.com/mcp
- Figma: https://mcp.figma.com/mcp
- HubSpot: https://mcp.hubspot.com/anthropic
- Notion: https://mcp.notion.com/mcp
- Ahrefs: https://api.ahrefs.com/mcp/mcp
- Similarweb: https://mcp.similarweb.com
- Klaviyo: https://mcp.klaviyo.com/mcp
- Google Calendar: https://gcal.mcp.claude.com/mcp
- Gmail: https://gmail.mcp.claude.com/mcp
- Stripe: https://mcp.stripe.com/
- Asana: https://mcp.asana.com/sse
- Webflow: https://mcp.webflow.com/sse
Search npm for npx packages — Search for mcp-<service-name> or @anthropic/mcp-<service-name>. Evaluate by downloads, last update, and GitHub stars.
If no package exists — Guide the user through custom MCP server development (see Step 5).

Step 4: Configure the connector

Generate the exact configuration entry for .mcp.json:

For HTTP connectors:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "service-name": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.service.com/mcp",
      "description": "Service Name — what it provides for ContentForge"
    }
  }
}

For npx connectors:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "service-name": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-package-name"],
      "env": {
        "SERVICE_API_KEY": "${SERVICE_API_KEY}"
      },
      "description": "Service Name — what it provides for ContentForge"
    }
  }
}

Walk the user through:

Open .mcp.json in the plugin root directory
Add the new entry inside the mcpServers object
Set up environment variables (explain where: .env file or system environment)
Save and restart the session

Step 5: Custom MCP server (if needed)

If no existing package covers the user's needs, provide a development template:

Project Structure:
  my-mcp-server/
  ├── index.js          # Main server with tool definitions
  ├── package.json      # Dependencies
  └── .env.example      # Required credentials

Key Components:
  - Tool definitions (what Claude can call)
  - Authentication handler (API key, OAuth, etc.)
  - Request/response formatting
  - Error handling with meaningful messages

.mcp.json Entry:
  "my-service": {
    "command": "node",
    "args": ["path/to/my-mcp-server/index.js"],
    "env": { "MY_API_KEY": "${MY_API_KEY}" }
  }

Provide a starter skeleton specific to the user's API, with:

Endpoint URLs pre-filled
Authentication pattern matching their API
Tool definitions for common operations

Step 6: Test and verify

After configuration:

Ask the user to restart their Claude session
Run /cf:integrations to verify the new connector shows up
Try a basic read operation to confirm it works
Report success or diagnose failures

Step 7: Platform-level integrations

Some services (Google Drive, Google Docs) can be connected at the Claude platform level rather than through MCP. These are managed in:

Cowork/Claude Desktop: Settings → Integrations → Connect
Benefit: No API keys needed — uses OAuth through Anthropic's infrastructure
Limitation: May offer fewer capabilities than a dedicated MCP server

If the user's desired service is available as a platform integration, mention this as the simpler option.

Output

Configuration JSON: Ready-to-paste .mcp.json entry
Credential setup: Step-by-step instructions for API key or OAuth setup
Verification: Confirm the connector is working or provide error diagnostics
Skills affected: Which ContentForge skills gain capabilities from this connector

Tone

Conversational and supportive. This skill exists so that non-technical users can connect services without understanding MCP internals. Avoid jargon. Use "connector" not "MCP server". Say "connect your API key" not "configure environment variables."

cf-add-integration