Available on Pro, Growth, and Max plans.
The SnapGlyph MCP Server lets an AI client (such as Claude) connect directly to your SnapGlyph account and work with your QR codes and short links for you. Once connected, you can ask your AI assistant to create a QR code, render it, look up your existing links, or clean up old ones, all in plain language. It speaks the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard for connecting AI clients to external tools, so any MCP-capable client can use it.
This article walks through connecting the server, the tools and permissions it exposes, and what to do when something goes wrong.
Prerequisites
- A SnapGlyph account on a Pro, Growth, or Max plan. The MCP server uses the same programmatic-access gate as the SnapGlyph API, so Free and Starter accounts cannot use it. If you connect on a lower tier, the tools will return an “MCP access requires a Pro, Growth, or Max subscription” error.
- An MCP-capable AI client. Claude (claude.ai, the Claude desktop apps, and Claude Code) supports adding custom MCP connectors. Other MCP clients work too as long as they support remote servers over HTTP with OAuth.
Connect the Server
The SnapGlyph MCP server lives at a single URL:
https://snapglyph.com/api/mcpYou add it to your AI client as a custom connector, then sign in to SnapGlyph once to authorize it. SnapGlyph uses OAuth 2.1, so you never paste an API key or password into your AI client; the client gets a scoped access token after you approve the connection in your browser.
Step 1: Add the Connector
In your AI client, open the connector or integrations settings and add a new custom MCP server using the URL above.
In Claude, this is under Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector. Paste https://snapglyph.com/api/mcp as the server URL and save.
Step 2: Authorize with SnapGlyph
When the client first connects, the server responds that authorization is required and points the client at SnapGlyph’s sign-in flow. Your client will open a SnapGlyph page in your browser. The handshake works like this behind the scenes:
- The client discovers how to authenticate from SnapGlyph’s protected-resource metadata.
- It registers itself with SnapGlyph automatically (dynamic client registration), then sends you to the SnapGlyph authorization page.
- You sign in (if you aren’t already) and review the access the client is requesting.
- You approve, and SnapGlyph hands the client a scoped access token. The connection is now live.
You only do this once per client. The client also receives a refresh token, so it can keep the connection working without sending you back through sign-in each session.
Step 3: Confirm It Works
Ask your assistant something simple, like “list my SnapGlyph QR codes.” If the connection is good, it will call the server and return your codes.
Available Tools
Once connected, your AI client can call any of these tools. You don’t invoke them directly; you describe what you want and the client picks the right tool.
| Tool | What it does | Key inputs |
|---|---|---|
get_account |
Returns your account’s URL-shortener custom domain and whether your organization requires QR templates or campaigns. | none |
list_qr_codes |
Lists your QR codes, newest first, with tracking and image URLs. Paginated. | page, limit (max 50), optional trackingEnabled filter |
show_qr_code |
Renders an existing QR code as an interactive widget inline in the conversation. | id, optional size (128-512 px) |
get_qr_code_image |
Renders an existing QR code and returns the PNG image inline. | id, optional size (128-1024 px) |
create_qr_code |
Creates a new QR code (optionally tracked/dynamic) with a name, target URL, styling, expiry, scan limits, and smart/app-store types. Can apply an org template or campaign. | name, targetUrl, optional styleConfig, expiresAt, scanLimit, templateId, campaignId, and more |
update_qr_code |
Updates an existing QR code by id. Only the fields you provide change. | id plus any QR fields to change |
delete_qr_code |
Permanently deletes a QR code and its scan history. | id |
list_shortlinks |
Lists your organization’s short links, newest first, with the full short URL and click count. Paginated. | page, limit (max 50), optional isActive filter |
create_shortlink |
Creates a short link with a name and destination URL. Supports an optional custom slug (requires a custom domain), expiry, click limits, smart routing, and a campaign. | name, destinationUrl, optional customSlug, expiresAt, clickLimit, campaignId |
update_shortlink |
Updates an existing short link by id. Only the fields you provide change. Changing the destination URL re-runs a security scan. | id plus any short-link fields to change |
delete_shortlink |
Permanently deletes a short link and its click history. | id |
A few notes:
- Styling QR codes: visual fields (colors, corner styles) go nested inside a
styleConfigobject, not at the top level. Your AI client handles this for you, and the server returns a corrective message if it gets the shape wrong. - Inline previews:
create_qr_code,update_qr_code, andshow_qr_coderender the QR as an interactive widget right in the chat (in clients that support MCP widgets).get_qr_code_imagereturns a plain PNG. - Limits still apply: creating QR codes and short links respects your plan’s limits (for example, tracked-QR caps), the same as the rest of SnapGlyph.
Permissions and Scopes
When you authorize the connector, you grant a set of OAuth scopes. Each scope maps to a specific action, so the client can only do what you allow. The MCP server understands these scopes:
| Scope | Allows |
|---|---|
profile |
Read your account settings via get_account (custom domain, template/campaign enforcement flags). |
qr:read |
List, render, and show your QR codes (list_qr_codes, get_qr_code_image, show_qr_code). |
qr:create |
Create QR codes. |
qr:update |
Update QR codes. |
qr:delete |
Delete QR codes. |
shortener:read |
List your short links. |
shortener:create |
Create short links. |
shortener:update |
Update short links. |
shortener:delete |
Delete short links. |
A scope named offline_access is also part of the connection; it’s what lets the client refresh its access without sending you back through sign-in every time.
The token your AI client receives is bound specifically to the MCP server. It is not interchangeable with a SnapGlyph API key or a token issued to any other integration. Third-party clients connected this way receive only standard profile information (name, email, picture) and never your subscription or organization details.
Governance Note: Tracking Parameter Values
If your organization uses governed UTM tagging with a hard-enforced value set, that governance applies to everything the MCP tools create or update, just as it does in the SnapGlyph app and API. There is no bypass.
If you (or your AI client) try to create or update a QR code or short link whose URL contains a UTM parameter value your organization hasn’t approved, the write is rejected with a PARAMETER_VALUE_NOT_APPROVED error and the offending values are listed. Adjust the URL to use approved values, or have an org admin approve the value, and try again.
Note that organization template and campaign requirements (the rule that forces every new QR code to use an approved template or campaign) do not apply to MCP clients. Those requirements are enforced only for the first-party SnapGlyph browser extension. Any templateId or campaignId you do supply is still validated against your organization.
Example Prompts
Here are a few natural-language requests you can give your AI assistant once the connector is live:
- “Create a tracked QR code for https://example.com/spring-sale named Spring Sale and show me what it looks like.”
- “Make a short link to https://example.com/blog/launch called Launch Post, then give me the click count for all my short links.”
- “Find the QR code named Lobby Poster and update its destination URL to https://example.com/new-landing.”
Troubleshooting
The client keeps asking me to sign in / re-authorize. The access token may have expired or been revoked. Reconnecting (or letting the client run its sign-in flow again) issues a fresh token. If you changed your SnapGlyph password or signed out of all sessions, you’ll need to re-authorize.
I get an “insufficient scope” or “missing required scope” error.
The connection wasn’t granted the permission needed for that action (for example, asking to delete a QR code without the qr:delete scope). Re-authorize the connector and approve the full set of permissions you need. Compliant clients will often trigger this re-authorization automatically when they hit a missing scope.
I get a “Pro, Growth, or Max subscription” error. The MCP server requires a Pro, Growth, or Max plan. Upgrade your SnapGlyph subscription, then try again.
Requests start failing with a rate-limit / “try again shortly” message.
The MCP transport allows up to 120 requests per minute per user, and image rendering allows up to 60 renders per minute per user. Both limits sit well above normal usage and exist to stop runaway loops. If you hit them, wait a minute and retry. When you exceed the transport limit the server sends a Retry-After value telling compliant clients how long to wait; the image-render limit comes back as a “too many image rendering requests” message instead.
A QR code or short link won’t save and mentions tracking parameters.
See the governance note above: a PARAMETER_VALUE_NOT_APPROVED error means the URL uses a UTM value your organization hasn’t approved.
FAQ
Do I need an API key to use the MCP server? No. The MCP server uses OAuth, so you authorize it by signing in to SnapGlyph in your browser. You never paste a key into your AI client.
Which plans can use it? Pro, Growth, and Max. Free and Starter accounts can’t connect.
Is this the same as the SnapGlyph API or the Chrome extension? It’s a separate integration. It reuses the same underlying create/read/update rules as the SnapGlyph API, but it’s its own connection with its own token. Connecting the MCP server doesn’t affect your API keys or browser extension.
Can my AI client see my organization’s subscription or billing details? No. Third-party MCP clients receive only basic profile information (name, email, picture). Subscription and organization details are never shared with them.
What happens to my QR codes and short links created this way? They’re created in your SnapGlyph account exactly like ones you make in the app, and they show up in your dashboard. You can manage them in SnapGlyph or through the MCP tools interchangeably.