Help Scout MCP Server

MCP server for Help Scout with full read coverage and opt-in write support: conversations, customers, organizations, reports, metadata, and Docs

Local serverstdioTypeScript

What is the Help Scout MCP server?

Most developer tooling work still happens through a UI a human drives. Help Scout MCP server moves it into the conversation instead. MCP server for Help Scout with full read coverage and opt-in write support: conversations, customers, organizations, reports, metadata, and Docs through a compact gateway tool surface.

The short version

An MCP server that gives AI assistants direct access to your Help Scout inboxes, conversations, customers, organizations, threads, and Docs knowledge base. Search tickets, pull customer and account context, inspect articles, spot patterns, and get answers without leaving your editor or chat window.

The tools it exposes

The server publishes 3 tools. What each one is for:

  • search_help_scout — Find operations by intent ("customer conversation history", "happiness report")
  • describe_help_scout — Load the full input schemas for the operations you selected
  • read_help_scout — Execute one operation: { "name": "getThreads", "arguments": { ... } }

What it needs from you

Configuration is passed through the environment: HELPSCOUT_APP_ID, HELPSCOUT_APP_SECRET, HELPSCOUT_DOCS_API_KEY, HELPSCOUT_CLIENT_ID, HELPSCOUT_CLIENT_SECRET, HELPSCOUT_DEFAULT_INBOX_ID, HELPSCOUT_BASE_URL, HELPSCOUT_DOCS_BASE_URL. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

Getting it running

help-scout-mcp-server on npm is all you need. Most clients run it directly, so configuration is a few lines and a restart.

How it compares

Plenty of developer tooling servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. Help Scout's toolset — search_help_scout, describe_help_scout, read_help_scout — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by drewburchfield; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Things to watch

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
search_help_scoutFind operations by intent ("customer conversation history", "happiness report")
describe_help_scoutLoad the full input schemas for the operations you selected
read_help_scoutExecute one operation: { "name": "getThreads", "arguments": { ... } }

How to install the Help Scout MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "help-scout": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "help-scout-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "HELPSCOUT_APP_ID": "your-value",
        "HELPSCOUT_APP_SECRET": "your-value",
        "HELPSCOUT_DOCS_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "HELPSCOUT_CLIENT_ID": "your-value",
        "HELPSCOUT_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-value",
        "HELPSCOUT_DEFAULT_INBOX_ID": "your-value",
        "HELPSCOUT_BASE_URL": "your-value",
        "HELPSCOUT_DOCS_BASE_URL": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
HELPSCOUT_APP_IDConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
HELPSCOUT_APP_SECRETCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
HELPSCOUT_DOCS_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
HELPSCOUT_CLIENT_IDConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
HELPSCOUT_CLIENT_SECRETCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
HELPSCOUT_DEFAULT_INBOX_IDConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
HELPSCOUT_BASE_URLEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Yes
HELPSCOUT_DOCS_BASE_URLEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Help Scout to search help scout.
  • Use Help Scout to describe help scout.
  • Use Help Scout to read help scout.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Help Scout to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 3 tools (search_help_scout, describe_help_scout, read_help_scout) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Help Scout directly.