How to connect to the MCP server with an API key

Requirements

You must have the Developer or Admin role to create an API key. If your organization uses custom roles, your role needs the Manage API Keys permission.

This article shows you how to connect to the EmailShepherd MCP server with an API key.

Most people should connect by signing in with their own account. See How to use EmailShepherd from your AI tool. Use an API key instead when there’s no person to sign in, for example an automated workflow, or a developer tool that only supports a fixed key.

With an API key, there’s no MCP App, Client ID or Client Secret, and no sign-in step. The connection can only do what the key’s scopes allow.

Create an API key

Create an API key with the scopes your workflow needs. See Creating an API key.

Caution

Anyone with the key can use it without signing in. Choose only the scopes the workflow needs, and keep the key secret.

Add the server to your client

In your AI tool (MCP client), add a server with:

• Server URL: https://mcp.emailshepherd.com/mcp
• Authorization header: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Most AI tools let you add custom headers when you add a server. In tools that use the standard MCP config format, it looks like this:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "emailshepherd": {
      "url": "https://mcp.emailshepherd.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your key. The connection works straight away.