What the SmartMailing MCP server is
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the open standard AI assistants use to work with other software. SmartMailing runs an MCP server at https://smartmailing.io/api/mcp. Connect it once and your assistant can work inside your SmartMailing account: read your numbers, build emails on your brand, prepare campaigns and ask the right person to approve them.
You stay in the chat. The assistant does the clicking.
What you can ask it
- Build emails. "Write the November newsletter for Fernweh Coffee." It writes the copy, fills the blocks, applies your brand's colours, logo and footer, and gives you a preview link.
- Start from a website. "Make a template from remax.nl." It reads the page (texts, logo, pictures, colours) and turns it into an email. In Claude you watch the reading happen in a live card in the chat.
- Prepare campaigns. It creates a draft campaign, runs the pre-send checklist, estimates the send and sends a test to you.
- Get approval. "Send it to Anna for approval." Anna gets a review link, sees every A/B version and approves or asks for changes. The assistant can tell you when she has.
- Report. "How did last month's campaigns do?" Opens, clicks, hot leads, unsubscribe reasons and the facts for a client report.
- Work across brands. Re-skin one email for your other brands, translate it, or check what needs attention across all of them.
- Check the setup. Sending domains, domain authentication, brand readiness and your compliance evidence.
What it will never do
- Send a campaign to your list. There is no tool for it. The assistant prepares, you press Send in SmartMailing.
- See your subscribers' personal data. Assistants get numbers only: counts, rates and trends. No email addresses, no names, not even masked ones. That is how we keep GDPR simple.
- Bring back people who unsubscribed. Adding a person through an assistant is never a new sign-up. Only that person's own form can bring them back.
- Import lists. One person at a time, always with double opt-in. For a whole list the assistant gives you the import link in the dashboard.
Your assistant drafts. You approve. You send.
Three levels of access
When you connect, you choose what the assistant may do, and for which brands.
- Read only. Reports, campaigns, templates, audience counts and setup state. The worst case is a wrong answer.
- Read and draft. Also create and edit drafts, build emails and brands from a website, and ask someone to approve a campaign. Sending stays with you. This is the one most people pick.
- Read, draft and operate. Also send single transactional emails, add subscribers with double opt-in and trigger automation events.
Everything the assistant sends or generates counts toward your plan, the same as when you do it yourself.
How to connect your assistant
The address is the same everywhere: https://smartmailing.io/api/mcp. You sign in to SmartMailing once, choose the brands and the access level, and you are connected. Pick your tool:
Claude (web and desktop)
- In Claude, open Settings, Connectors and choose Add custom connector.
- Name it
SmartMailingand pastehttps://smartmailing.io/api/mcp. Leave the advanced fields empty. - Click Connect, log in to SmartMailing if asked, pick your brands and the access level, and click Connect again.
- In a new chat, check that SmartMailing is switched on in the tools menu and ask: "Who am I connected as in SmartMailing?"
Custom connectors need a paid Claude plan. Claude Desktop uses the connectors of your Claude account, so you only add it once.
Claude Code
In your terminal:
claude mcp add --transport http smartmailing https://smartmailing.io/api/mcpStart Claude Code, type /mcp, choose smartmailing and sign in. The SmartMailing consent screen opens in your browser; afterwards you are back in the terminal.
ChatGPT
- In ChatGPT, open Settings, Apps and turn on Developer mode under the advanced settings.
- Create a new app: name it
SmartMailing, pastehttps://smartmailing.io/api/mcpas the server address and choose OAuth as the sign-in. - Sign in to SmartMailing when asked, pick your brands and the access level, and click Connect.
- In a new chat, add SmartMailing from the tools menu and ask: "Who am I connected as in SmartMailing?"
Custom apps in ChatGPT need a paid plan, and the menus can differ by plan.
Cursor
Open Cursor Settings, MCP, add a new server and paste this into the file that opens:
{
"mcpServers": {
"smartmailing": { "url": "https://smartmailing.io/api/mcp" }
}
}Cursor then shows SmartMailing with a sign-in button. Click it, approve in your browser, and the tools appear in the agent.
VS Code (GitHub Copilot)
Run MCP: Add Server from the command palette, choose HTTP, paste https://smartmailing.io/api/mcp and name it smartmailing. VS Code asks you to sign in the first time Copilot uses it.
n8n, scripts and other MCP clients
Anything that cannot sign in through a browser uses an account key. Create one under Settings, Connected apps and keys, limit it to the brands it needs, and send it as a header:
Authorization: Bearer sm_acct_...Any other MCP client that supports remote servers connects with the same address and signs in like Claude.
Every tool, by name
All 55 tools
The names your assistant uses, grouped by area. Which ones it sees depends on the access level you chose when connecting.
Account and brands
whoamiWho am Ilist_brandsList brandslist_attentionWhat needs attentionget_brandGet a brand’s details and lookupdate_brandChange a brand’s details and lookget_brand_readinessGet brand readiness
Emails and templates
list_block_typesList email block typeslist_saved_blocksList saved blockscreate_emailCreate an email template from blocksupdate_emailChange an email template made from blockslist_templatesList email templatesget_templateGet an email templatereskin_templateRe-skin a template for other brandscreate_email_from_brandCreate an email from a brand layouttranslate_emailTranslate an email templatedelete_templateDelete an email templatesave_blockSave a block for reuselist_imagesList the pictures a brand hassearch_photosSearch free photos (Unsplash)list_merge_fieldsList the merge fields of a brandsend_template_testSend a test copy of a templateduplicate_templateDuplicate an email template
From a website
extract_websiteRead a website (texts, logo, pictures, colours)get_extractionCheck a website extractioncreate_brand_from_websiteCreate a brand from a websitecreate_email_from_websiteCreate an email from a website
Campaigns, approval and reports
list_campaignsList campaignsget_campaignGet a campaigncreate_campaignCreate a draft campaignupdate_campaignUpdate a draft campaignduplicate_campaignDuplicate a campaignpreflight_checkPre-send checklistsend_test_emailSend a test emailrequest_reviewAsk a person to reviewlist_reviewersList reviewersadd_reviewerPropose a reviewerget_review_statusGet review statusestimate_sendEstimate a sendget_approval_statusGet approval statusget_campaign_statsGet campaign statisticslist_hot_leadsCount recent clickers (numbers only)get_client_reportGet the facts for a client reportlist_segmentsList segmentspreview_segmentPreview segment rulesget_sending_domainsGet sending domains
Compliance and domains
get_compliance_snapshotGet the compliance evidenceverify_consentCheck consent status for an address (summary only)get_domain_authenticationGet domain authenticationget_unsubscribe_feedbackGet unsubscribe feedback
Subscribers and transactional email
list_eventsList transactional eventssend_transactional_emailSend a transactional emailget_send_statusGet a transactional send statusadd_subscriberAdd a subscriber (double opt-in)import_subscribers_linkLink to import a listemit_eventEmit an automation event
Disconnecting
Every connection is listed under Settings, Connected apps and keys. Remove one and the assistant loses access right away, including any webhooks it created.
Try it
Connect your assistant, ask it who you are, then ask it to build your next email from your website. It takes about a minute, and nothing goes out until you press Send.