Set up your assistant
Connect Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Cursor or Perplexity to Linkwatcher in about two minutes, choose permissions and spend limits, and disconnect later.
Every assistant needs the same two things: the Linkwatcher server URL and a sign-in on Linkwatcher to approve the connection.
Server URL: https://app.linkwatcher.io/api/mcp
You can copy it from Marketplace Settings > API & AI Assistants in the app, which also lists everything you have connected.
Claude (web and desktop)
- Open claude.ai or the Claude desktop app and go to Settings > Connectors.
- Click Add custom connector, paste the server URL and save.
- Click Connect. Your browser opens Linkwatcher: sign in, review the permissions, set spend limits and click Allow access.
- Back in Claude, start a chat and make sure the Linkwatcher connector is enabled.
Custom connectors are available on Claude Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. Team and Enterprise admins can publish the connector for the whole organization; each member still signs in with their own Linkwatcher account.
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http linkwatcher https://app.linkwatcher.io/api/mcp
Then type /mcp inside Claude Code, pick linkwatcher and follow the sign-in link.
ChatGPT
- Open Settings > Connectors > Advanced and enable Developer mode.
- Click Create, name it Linkwatcher, paste the server URL, keep OAuth as the authentication and save.
- In a new chat, enable the Linkwatcher connector. ChatGPT sends you to Linkwatcher to sign in and approve.
Cursor
Either click Install in Cursor from Marketplace Settings, or add this to your mcp.json:
{ "mcpServers": { "linkwatcher": { "url": "https://app.linkwatcher.io/api/mcp" } } }
Then open Cursor Settings > MCP, click the Linkwatcher entry and sign in.
Perplexity
Open Settings > Connectors, add a custom connector with the server URL, and sign in when prompted.
The approval screen
When you approve a connection you choose:
- Permissions. Browsing the catalog and tracking orders are always included. Untick Place orders to make the assistant read-only.
- Max per order and daily cap (USD). Orders above either limit are refused with a clear message, nothing is charged. Defaults are $250 per order and $500 per day; the ceilings are $2,000 and $5,000.
Both can be changed later from Marketplace Settings > API & AI Assistants > Connected assistants (the Limits button).
Disconnecting
Click Disconnect next to the assistant in Marketplace Settings. Its access ends immediately; orders already placed are unaffected. Disconnecting from the assistant's own settings has the same effect.
Security
- Linkwatcher Connect uses OAuth 2.1 with PKCE. The assistant never sees your password and receives a token that works only for your account and only for the permissions you approved.
- Access tokens expire after one hour and are refreshed automatically; a refresh token that is used twice disconnects the assistant (that pattern means it was copied).
- Every connection is backed by a hidden API credential with the same spend caps, rate limits and audit log as the Partner API. Orders placed this way show a via Claude (or ChatGPT, Cursor, ...) badge in the order header.
- Suspended accounts and lapsed Pro subscriptions lose access at the next request.