Appello MCP Server
The Appello MCP server lets an AI assistant such as Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Cursor, Perplexity or Grok work directly with your company's Appello data. You ask a question in plain language, the assistant calls Appello on your behalf, and the answer comes from live records rather than a report someone exported last month.
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the open standard AI assistants use to reach other software. Appello's server is built into the product. There is nothing to install on your side beyond adding the connection to the assistant you already use.
Where it is
The server is not a screen in Appello. It is a connection address that Appello gives your company, which you add to your assistant as a custom connector. Once connected, the assistant signs in through Appello's normal login page and then works as you.
| Assistant | How it connects |
|---|---|
| Claude (web, desktop and mobile apps) | Added as a custom connector in Claude's settings. |
| ChatGPT | Added as a connector that signs in through Appello. |
| Microsoft Copilot | Added as a connector that signs in through Appello. |
| Cursor | Added as an MCP server in Cursor's settings. |
| Other assistants | Any client that follows the open MCP standard can connect the same way. |
What it is for
Ask who is on site today, how a job is tracking against budget, which certifications expire this month, or have the assistant turn a takeoff into an itemized estimate at your catalog prices. The assistant does the clicking; you check the result.
It has more than 700 tools, covering jobs and projects, timesheets and check-ins, schedules, safety forms, certifications, estimates and change orders, invoices, equipment, materials and job cost. Roughly two thirds of those tools create or change records; the rest only read.
| Area | What the assistant can read | What it can do |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs and projects | Job details, status, budget vs actual, earned vs burned, WIP | Create and edit jobs and projects, raise RFIs and change orders |
| Time | Timesheets, check-ins, approvals | Log hours, submit and approve timesheets, approve check-ins |
| Scheduling | Who is scheduled where, for which job | Schedule workers to jobs, move schedules |
| Safety and training | Form submissions, certifications and expiry dates | Submit forms, record certifications |
| Sales and billing | Estimates, invoices, outstanding totals | Build itemized estimates, create invoices |
| Equipment and materials | Equipment, assignments, maintenance, inventory levels | Assign equipment, log service, receive and transfer stock |
The assistant can also read reference lists such as your roles, permissions, property values and material catalog model, so it uses the names your company actually uses.
Who can use it
Anyone with an Appello login, once Appello has switched the server on for your company. What each person can see and change through the assistant is exactly what their Appello role allows, nothing more.
Permissions and safety
It runs as you. Every tool call goes through the same role permission checks as the Appello app, including job and department scope. If you cannot see a job's costs in Appello, the assistant cannot either. Managing users and roles through the assistant requires admin rights.
Access levels. When the assistant connects, it asks for one of three levels. You approve the level on Appello's login page.
| Level | What it allows |
|---|---|
| Read | Look things up. No records change. |
| Write | Read, plus create and change records. |
| Admin | Read and write, plus user and role management such as deactivating a user or deleting a role. |
Every tool is labelled. Each tool is marked read-only or data-changing, so an assistant that asks before acting can tell the difference. A tool without a label is treated as read-only.
Every call is on the record. Each tool call is logged with the user, the tool, the request details and the time. Passwords, PINs, tokens and similar values are redacted from the log before it is written.
Your password stays with Appello. The assistant never sees it. Sign-in happens on Appello's own login page, and the assistant receives a token that it can use until you revoke it or it expires.
Setting it up
- Ask Appello to switch the MCP server on for your company. It is not self-serve.
- Appello gives you the server address for your company.
- In your assistant, add the address as a custom connector or MCP server.
- When the assistant asks you to sign in, use your normal Appello email and password on the Appello login page, and approve the access level it requests.
- Test it with a harmless question such as "Who am I signed in as?" or "List my open jobs." The assistant should answer with your name and your company's jobs.
To disconnect, remove the connector from the assistant. To stop an assistant that someone else set up, change that user's Appello password or deactivate the user in Appello; existing tokens stop working.
What it cannot do
- See or change anything your own Appello login cannot.
- Switch itself on. Appello turns it on for your company.
- Set up your QuickBooks Online connection. That stays in the Appello web app.
- Guarantee it understood the question. Check figures before they go to a customer, the bank or payroll.
If something goes wrong
| What you see | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The assistant says it is unauthorized or asks you to sign in again | The sign-in token has expired or was revoked. | Reconnect and sign in on the Appello login page again. |
| The assistant cannot see a job, report or record you expected | Your role or scope does not include it. | Check your permissions in Appello, or ask your admin. |
| The assistant says it cannot reach Appello | The server is not switched on for your company, or the address is wrong. | Contact Appello support with the address you added. |
Rate limits apply to how many calls an assistant can make in a short period. An assistant that hits the limit is told to wait and try again; nothing is lost.
Related pages
- Appello Intelligence Overview: the AI features inside the app.
- Integrations: API credentials for other software, which is a separate mechanism from the assistant sign-in described here.
- Roles & Permissions: the permissions the assistant inherits.
- System Logs: where admins look for delivery and device logs.