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Overview

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) allows AI-powered coding tools to securely connect to external data sources and tools. The Cello MCP server enables tools like Cursor, Lovable, VS Code, and Claude Code to interact directly with your Cello referral program — searching documentation, verifying your integration health, surfacing best-practice recommendations, and inspecting incoming events. If you only need read-only access to Cello documentation (no account required), see Docs-only MCP at the bottom of this page.

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Example prompts

Once connected, just prompt your coding tool naturally — it will use the right Cello tool automatically.

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Setting up

PromptWhat happens
”I want to add user referrals to my app using Cello. Search the Cello docs for the integration guide and create a plan.”Finds the right guide for your stack and builds an implementation plan
”How do I set up Cello attribution on my landing page?”Looks up the attribution setup docs and walks you through it
”What Stripe webhook events does Cello need?”Searches the docs for the Stripe webhook configuration

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Verifying your integration

PromptWhat happens
”Is my Cello integration working?”Checks all four components and reports which are connected or broken
”I just finished the Cello integration. Verify that everything is set up correctly.”Runs a health check and flags any components that aren’t receiving events

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Debugging

PromptWhat happens
”Why aren’t my Cello referral rewards being triggered?”Checks integration health, then inspects recent events to find missing or malformed fields
”Are my Stripe webhook events being received by Cello?”Shows the latest events feed with validation status for each field
”Signups aren’t being attributed to referrers. What’s wrong?”Inspects recent signup events and checks whether the UCC field is present

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Optimizing

PromptWhat happens
”How can I improve my Cello referral program?”Returns a prioritized list of recommendations across activation, sharing, and conversion
”What referral best practices am I missing?”Shows which recommendations are done and which still need action

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Get started

The Cello MCP server uses token-based authentication (Bearer token). You generate an MCP Access Token in the Cello Portal and provide it when connecting your MCP client.

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Generate your MCP Access Token

  1. Go to the Cello Portal
  2. Navigate to Access Keys and generate a new MCP Access Token
  3. Copy the token immediately — you won’t be able to view it again
The Cello MCP server is currently in Early Access. Request access to get started.
Cello Portal MCP Access Token dialog showing the token, a warning to save it securely, and quick-add links for Cursor, VS Code, and Lovable
The dialog includes quick-add links for Cursor, VS Code, and Lovable.

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Connect to Lovable

Add the Cello MCP as a custom personal connector in Lovable:
  1. In Lovable, go to Settings → Connectors → Personal connectors
  2. Click New MCP server
  3. Enter the following:
    • Server name: Cello
    • Server URL: https://mcp.cello.so/mcp
    • Authentication: Select Bearer token and paste your MCP Access Token
  4. Click Add & authorize
The Cello connector appears in your list of personal connectors.
Lovable Settings showing Cello as an enabled MCP personal connector
You can manage permissions for each tool individually or set a default for all tools at once.
Lovable Cello connector detail view showing all four tools with permission controls
For a complete walkthrough of using the Cello MCP with Lovable to build a referral integration, see the Cello + Lovable integration guide. For more details on custom MCP servers in Lovable, see the Lovable MCP documentation.

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Connect to Cursor

Use the one-click install link from the MCP Access Token dialog, or go to Cursor Settings → Tools & Integrations → MCP Servers → Add Server and enter the URL and token.
Cursor Settings showing the Add MCP Server button under Tools & Integrations
Cursor Install MCP Server dialog with Cello MCP name, URL, and Authorization header
Or configure manually by editing ~/.cursor/config/mcp.json (macOS/Linux) or %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\config\mcp.json (Windows): 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Cello": {
      "url": "https://mcp.cello.so/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_MCP_ACCESS_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}
When successfully connected, you should see the Cello MCP server listed with 4 tools enabled.
Cursor Tools & MCP settings showing Cello MCP connected with 4 tools enabled

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Connect to VS Code (Copilot)

Create or edit .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace (or use MCP: Add Server from the Command Palette): 
{
  "servers": {
    "Cello": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.cello.so/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_MCP_ACCESS_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Connect to Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http Cello https://mcp.cello.so/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_MCP_ACCESS_TOKEN"

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Connect to other MCP clients

Any tool that supports MCP integrations can connect to the Cello MCP server. Add the following to your client’s MCP configuration:
  • Server URL: https://mcp.cello.so/mcp
  • Authentication: Bearer token with your MCP Access Token
After adding the server, restart your application to apply the configuration.

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Troubleshooting

IssueSolution
MCP connection failsVerify your MCP Access Token is correct and hasn’t expired. Generate a new token in the Cello Portal if needed.
Tools return authentication errorsEnsure the Bearer token is included in the Authorization header. Check that your account has Early Access enabled.
get_tenant_health shows not_connectedFollow the relevant integration guide for the disconnected component. Use search_cello to find the setup docs.
Events show validation warningsUse get_customer_events to inspect the payload and identify missing or malformed fields (UCC, productUserId, customerId).
Recommendations don’t reflect latest changesConfig-based recommendations reflect the live product configuration. CRM-based recommendations may have a slight delay.

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Docs-only MCP

If you don’t need integration health checks, recommendations, or event inspection — and just want to give your coding tool context about Cello — you can use the docs-only MCP server. No authentication or Cello account required. 
https://docs.cello.so/mcp
This is a read-only server powered by Mintlify that provides search access to the same documentation available at docs.cello.so. It’s useful for general questions about Cello’s SDKs, APIs, and integration patterns.
One-click install:Add Cello Docs MCP to CursorOr edit ~/.cursor/config/mcp.json:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Cello Docs": {
      "url": "https://docs.cello.so/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Create or edit .vscode/mcp.json:
{
  "servers": {
    "Cello Docs": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://docs.cello.so/mcp"
    }
  }
}

claude mcp add --transport http "Cello Docs" https://docs.cello.so/mcp
The authenticated MCP at https://mcp.cello.so/mcp (covered above) includes the same docs search via search_cello, plus integration health checks, recommendations, and event inspection. If you have a Cello account, use that instead.

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Need help?

If you get stuck, reach out to your Customer Success Manager or contact support at support@cello.so.