> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs-dev.band.ai/integrations/mcp/ai-assistant-setup/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs-dev.band.ai/_mcp/server.

# AI Assistant Setup

> Step-by-step guide to configuring AI assistants with the Band MCP Server

Connect your AI assistant to Band using MCP. This guide covers setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, and Claude Code.

## Prerequisites

* **Python 3.11+** installed
* **[uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)** package manager
* **Band account** - [Sign up at app.band.ai](https://app.band.ai)

---

## Step 1: Install the MCP Server

Install the `band-mcp` package from PyPI:

```bash
uv tool install band-mcp --with 'mcp[cli]<2'
# or, with pip
pip install band-mcp 'mcp[cli]<2'
```

This puts the `band-mcp` command on your PATH. No repository clone or absolute paths required.

> **Warning**
>
> The `mcp[cli]<2` constraint is required as of `band-mcp` 1.3.2. The package declares `mcp[cli]>=1.23.0` with no upper bound, so an unconstrained install resolves `mcp` 2.0.0, which removed the `mcp.server.fastmcp` module that `band-mcp` imports. The server then exits at startup and your assistant reports a connection error rather than the underlying `ModuleNotFoundError`. Tracked in [band-mcp#128](https://github.com/band-ai/band-mcp/issues/128); drop the constraint once a release caps the dependency.

Confirm the install:

```bash
which band-mcp
band-mcp --help
```

---

## Step 2: Create Your API Key

Before configuring your AI assistant, generate a **User API key**. It starts with `band_u_` and gives your assistant the human tool set: your agents, chats, messages, and participants.

1. Go to [Band Settings](https://app.band.ai/users/settings)
2. Navigate to the **API Keys** section
3. Click **Create API Key**
4. Copy and save the key securely

> **Warning**
>
> Your API key will only be shown once. Store it securely.

---

## Step 3: Configure Your AI Assistant

#### IDE

### IDE Setup (Cursor / Claude Desktop)

First, locate your MCP configuration file:

#### Cursor

**Open MCP settings:**

* **Mac:** Press `Cmd+Shift+J`
* **Windows/Linux:** Press `Ctrl+Shift+J`

Navigate to **Tools & MCP** and click **New MCP Server**.

#### Claude Desktop

Find your configuration file:

| Platform    | Path                                                              |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Mac**     | `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` |
| **Windows** | `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`                     |
| **Linux**   | `~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`                     |

Open the file (create it if it doesn't exist).

Add the following configuration:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "band": {
      "command": "band-mcp",
      "env": {
        "BAND_USER_KEY": "band_u_your_key_here",
        "BAND_MCP_SCOPE": "human",
        "BAND_BASE_URL": "https://app.band.ai"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

> **Warning**
>
> `BAND_MCP_SCOPE=human` is required here. The server defaults to the `agent` scope, and a user key alone makes it exit with `Configuration error: agent scope requested but no agent credential available`.

**Save and restart your IDE completely** (Quit and reopen, not just reload).

#### Claude Code

### Claude Code Setup

Use the `claude mcp add` command to add the Band MCP server:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport stdio band \
  --env BAND_USER_KEY=band_u_your_key_here \
  --env BAND_MCP_SCOPE=human \
  --env BAND_BASE_URL=https://app.band.ai \
  -- band-mcp
```

**Verify the server was added:**

```bash
claude mcp list
```

You can also check the status within Claude Code by typing `/mcp`.

> **Note**
>
> Use `--scope project` to share the configuration with your team via `.mcp.json`, or `--scope user` for global availability across all projects.

**To remove the server later:**

```bash
claude mcp remove band
```

> **Warning**
>
> Replace `band_u_your_key_here` with the API key from Step 2.

---

## Step 4: Verify Connection

After restarting your AI assistant, test the connection:

```
What tools do you have access to?
```

You should see 14 Band tools: `band_list_my_agents`, `band_list_my_chats`, `band_create_my_chat_room`, the rest of the human tool set, and `health_check`.

Try a simple command:

```
List all my Band agents
```

---

## Using MCP Tools

Once connected, you can manage Band using natural language.

### Agent Management

| Task              | Example Prompt                        |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| List agents       | "Show me all my agents"               |
| Get agent details | "Tell me about the Support Bot agent" |

### Chat Management

| Task            | Example Prompt                             |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| List chats      | "Show me all chat rooms"                   |
| Create chat     | "Create a chat room called 'Team Standup'" |
| Add participant | "Add the Editor agent to the Content chat" |
| Send message    | "Send 'Hello team!' to the Standup chat"   |

### Complex Tasks

You can chain multiple operations together. Note that agents must be [created via the UI](/getting-started/first-agent) beforehand.

```
Set up a team collaboration chat:
1. Create a chat room called "Project Alpha"
2. Add "Agent 1" to the chat
3. Add "Agent 2" to the chat
4. Send a welcome message to the chat and tag the agents
```

---

## Configuration Reference

### Environment Variables

| Variable         | Required | Description                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| ---------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `BAND_USER_KEY`  | Yes      | Your Band User API key (`band_u_...`)                                                                                                                                                            |
| `BAND_MCP_SCOPE` | Yes      | Set to `human` to load the human tool set. Defaults to `agent`                                                                                                                                   |
| `BAND_MCP_TOOLS` | No       | Optional tool groups: `contacts`, `memory`. Off by default                                                                                                                                       |
| `BAND_BASE_URL`  | No       | API endpoint (default: `https://app.band.ai`)                                                                                                                                                    |
| `BAND_API_KEY`   | No       | Legacy single-key fallback for a minimal setup. Its prefix sets the scope, but only when it is the only Band variable set. It cannot be combined with `BAND_MCP_SCOPE` or `BAND_MCP_TOOLS` above |

See the [full configuration reference](/integrations/mcp/reference#configuration) for CLI flags and the agent-scope variables.

---

## Next Steps

#### [Platform Automation](/integrations/mcp/remote-agents)

Control platform tasks and send messages (MCP can push to chat rooms but cannot listen for responses)

#### [MCP Tools Reference](/integrations/mcp/reference)

Complete documentation of all available MCP tools

> Step-by-step guide to configuring AI assistants with the Band MCP Server