MCP Connection Guide

IndepAI exposes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server with five read-only tools for AI assistants and agents. Any MCP-compatible client can connect over Streamable HTTP.

Prerequisites

You need an API key from your IndepAI dashboard. Go to Settings > API Keys and create a new key. Keys are prefixed iai_ and shown only once — copy it immediately.

API keys require a Starter plan or above.

For AI Tool Users

Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "indepai": {
      "url": "https://mcp.indepai.app/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer iai_your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "indepai": {
      "url": "https://mcp.indepai.app/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer iai_your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Generic Streamable HTTP

IndepAI uses standard Streamable HTTP transport. Any MCP-compatible client works — point it at the URL below and pass the API key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header.

For Developers

Connect programmatically using the official MCP SDK:

import { StreamableHTTPClientTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/client/streamableHttp.js";
import { Client } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/client/index.js";

const transport = new StreamableHTTPClientTransport(
  new URL("https://mcp.indepai.app/mcp"),
  {
    requestInit: {
      headers: { Authorization: "Bearer iai_your_api_key" },
    },
  }
);

const client = new Client({ name: "my-app", version: "1.0.0" });
await client.connect(transport);

// List available tools
const { tools } = await client.listTools();
console.log(tools.map((t) => t.name));

// Call a tool
const result = await client.callTool({
  name: "city_costs",
  arguments: { city: "Lisbon" },
});
console.log(result);

Install the SDK with:

npm install @modelcontextprotocol/sdk

Available Tools

Tool	Description	Key Parameters
`city_costs`	Cost of living data for a city	`city` (string)
`compare_cities`	Side-by-side city comparison	`cities` (string[])
`fire_calculator`	FIRE number calculation	`income`, `expenses`, `savings_rate`
`visa_check`	Visa requirements lookup	`nationality`, `destination`
`geo_arbitrage`	Find optimal cities for FIRE	`preferences` (object)

All tools are read-only. They return structured JSON with a meta field containing data freshness timestamps and source attribution.

Authentication and Rate Limits

Every request must include a valid Bearer token. Requests without a token or with a revoked key receive a 401 response.

Rate limits use a per-minute sliding window plus a monthly counter. Limits depend on your subscription plan:

Plan	Requests/Minute	Requests/Month
Starter	30	5,000
Pro	120	50,000

When you hit a limit, the server returns 429 Too Many Requests. Check response headers for remaining quota:

X-RateLimit-Limit: 30
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 24
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1709510400

Connection Details

Property	Value
URL	`https://mcp.indepai.app/mcp`
Transport	Streamable HTTP
Auth	Bearer token (`iai_` prefix)
Tools	5 read-only
SDK	`@modelcontextprotocol/sdk`

Authentication — How auth works across IndepAI APIs
Rate Limits — Detailed rate limit reference
FI Calculator Guide — FI Calculator API details