# Advanced Setup

For most accountants, the [MCP Quickstart](/ai/kick-mcp/mcp-quickstart.md) covers what you need. Use this page when you're connecting an AI client other than Claude or ChatGPT, when your client requires a JSON config file, or when you need the full reference on PATs, OAuth scopes, credential lookup, and workspace selection.

The hosted MCP endpoint is the same regardless of client:

```
https://use.kick.co/mcp
```

Config-file setup

Use this section when your client requires a JSON config or when an admin is preparing a repeatable setup.

**Cursor**

For local stdio, add Kick to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` or a project `.cursor/mcp.json`:

```
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "kick": {
            "command": "kick",
            "args": ["mcp", "serve"],
            "env": {
                "KICK_PAT": "kick_pat_replace_me"
            }
        }
    }
}
```

For hosted HTTP:

```
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "kick": {
            "url": "https://use.kick.co/mcp",
            "headers": {
                "Authorization": "Bearer kick_pat_replace_me"
            }
        }
    }
}
```

Reload Cursor after changing MCP configuration.

**Claude Desktop or Claude Code**

Claude local MCP configuration uses an `mcpServers` object:

```
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "kick": {
            "command": "kick",
            "args": ["mcp", "serve"],
            "env": {
                "KICK_PAT": "kick_pat_replace_me"
            }
        }
    }
}
```

Restart Claude after changing the configuration. If your Claude plan supports remote custom connectors, prefer the UI flow in the [MCP Quickstart](/ai/kick-mcp/mcp-quickstart.md).

**Generic MCP clients**

For local stdio:

```
{
    "command": "kick",
    "args": ["mcp", "serve"],
    "env": {
        "KICK_PAT": "kick_pat_replace_me"
    }
}
```

For remote HTTP, point the client at `https://use.kick.co/mcp` with bearer authentication:

```
Authorization: Bearer kick_pat_...
```

***

#### PATs and OAuth scopes

Kick MCP supports two authentication methods.

**PAT bearer header**

For PAT-based clients, send the token as a bearer header:

```
Authorization: Bearer kick_pat_...
```

{% hint style="warning" %} **Important:** keep PATs out of prompts, source control, and shared docs. Revoke any token you suspect has been exposed. {% endhint %}

**OAuth scopes**

OAuth-capable clients can discover Kick's protected resource metadata at:

```
https://use.kick.co/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource
```

Kick MCP has two kinds of tools, each with its own OAuth scope:

* **Read-only tools** — `mcp:read` scope. Used for tool discovery and any call that only looks up data.
* **Write tools** — `mcp:write` scope. Used for any call that creates or updates data. Kick previews the change before confirming it.

***

#### Credential lookup order

The local MCP server resolves credentials the same way as the Kick CLI:

1. `--token <value>`
2. `KICK_PAT`
3. `KICK_API_TOKEN`
4. OS keychain from `kick login`
5. `~/.config/kick/credentials`

`KICK_API_TOKEN` is the older environment variable name. Prefer `KICK_PAT`.

***

#### Workspace selection

Workspace-scoped MCP tools can receive `workspaceId` in tool arguments.

If local `kick mcp serve` does not receive `workspaceId` from the client, it falls back to:

1. `--workspace <id>`
2. The active profile's `defaultWorkspaceId`

For remote PAT sessions, workspace-bound PATs inject their bound workspace by default. User-scoped PATs and OAuth tokens should pass `workspaceId`.

***

#### Find available tools

Use the tool list shown by your AI client as the source of truth. Available Kick tools can vary by token scope, workspace permissions, enabled features, and client cache state.

Common ways to inspect tools:

* Open the client's MCP, tools, or connector panel and look for the Kick server.
* Use a client command such as `/mcp list` or `MCP: List Servers`.
* Ask a read-only prompt:

> List the Kick tools you can use. Identify which ones are read-only, then confirm the active workspace before looking up any client data.

If a tool was recently added or renamed, restart or reconnect the MCP client so it reloads the tool list.

***

#### Common tool examples

These are not a complete list. Use your client's tool list for the up-to-date names available to your credential.

* `workspaces_list` — list workspaces the credential can access.
* `workspaces_get` — inspect a specific workspace.
* `transactions_find` — search transactions with filters.
* `transactions_get` — inspect a specific transaction.
* `reports_profit_loss_get` — pull a profit and loss report.
* `reports_balance_sheet_get` — pull a balance sheet.
* `reports_trial_balance_get` — pull a trial balance.
* `activity_list` — list recent activity.

Kick MCP tools use portable lower snake case names.

***

#### Safety

* Use read-only access for lookup and reporting.
* Use write access only when the workflow needs it.
* Confirm workspace and entity ids before using an assistant on client data.
* Treat assistant output as a draft until an accountant reviews it.

For deeper safety detail, see → [Permissions and Security](/ai/permissions-and-security.md). For setup verification and example prompts, see → [MCP Quickstart](/ai/kick-mcp/mcp-quickstart.md).


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.kick.co/ai/developer-tools/mcp/advanced-mcp-setup.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.