# AI & MCP Access Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/users/ai-and-mcp-access > Give a user an AI seat so they can use Ask Astalty, then connect Claude, ChatGPT or another AI assistant to Astalty through the MCP server. To use Astalty's AI features, both **Ask Astalty** and the **Astalty MCP server**, a user needs an AI seat. You can manage seats at [Billing > Add-ons > AI & MCP Access](https://app.astalty.com.au/billing/add-ons/ai-access). ![The AI & MCP Access page in Billing. The Who has a seat table lists four users with their roles. Admin User has a Seat badge and a Remove Access button, and the other three each have a Give Access button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ai-access-seats.png) ## What An AI Seat Gives A User **Ask Astalty** is the assistant inside Astalty. It can look things up and make changes for the user. The **Astalty MCP server** lets the user connect an AI assistant they already use, such as Claude or ChatGPT, to Astalty. They can then ask that assistant about their work in plain language. Both work as that user. They can see only what the user can see in Astalty, and every request is recorded against the user's account. Each seat includes monthly AI credits. To see what has been used, open **Billing > AI Usage**. If you do not see **AI & MCP Access** in Billing, give the seat from the user's profile instead, as described below. If the profile has no **AI** tab, AI is not available on your account yet. [Contact Astalty support](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/getting-help) to ask about it. ## Give A User An AI Seat The Account Owner gives seats from Billing: 1. Open [Billing > Add-ons > AI & MCP Access](https://app.astalty.com.au/billing/add-ons/ai-access). 2. Under **Who has a seat**, find the user and select **Give Access**. 3. Check the cost shown in the dialog, then select **Give Access**. The dialog shows what the seat will cost, which depends on your billing period, whether you have a spare seat, and whether you are on a trial. ![The Give AI access dialog, saying Brennon Schultz gets AI access and that it costs $10.00 per month, charged pro-rata from today, with Cancel and Give Access buttons.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ai-access-give-access-dialog.png) The user can start using Ask Astalty straight away. Astalty emails them a link to their AI page and this guide. An Admin can also give a seat from the user's profile. Open the profile, select **AI**, then select **Give AI Access**. Support Workers cannot hold a seat. ## Let A User Connect Their Own Assistant A seat is enough for Ask Astalty. To connect their own assistant, a user also needs MCP access, which is separate because it sends data outside Astalty. The Account Owner has MCP access already. Only Admins can be given it, so a Manager or Team Member with a seat can use Ask Astalty but cannot connect an assistant. As the Account Owner: 1. Open the Admin's profile, select **Permissions**, then select **Edit** on the card of the same name. 2. Turn on **Can access the MCP server**. 3. Read the warning, tick the box to confirm you understand it, then select **Update User**. > **MCP access sends data outside Astalty** > > A connected assistant can receive Participant, worker and finance data, and its provider handles that data under its own terms. Only give MCP access to someone you trust with your whole account's data. See [AI Privacy](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/ai-privacy) for more detail. ![The Update User Permissions drawer with Can access the MCP server turned on. A warning below it says the permission sends data outside Astalty, with an unticked checkbox to confirm you understand, and an Update User button at the bottom.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ai-access-mcp-permission.png) ## Connect Your AI Assistant Once you have a seat and MCP access, select your name at the bottom of the main menu, then select **Connect your AI**. The page shows the server URL and the steps for each assistant. ![The Connect your AI card on a user's AI page. It shows the server URL with a Copy button, tabs for Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code and Codex, and numbered steps for Claude.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ai-access-connect-your-ai.png) The server URL is the same for every assistant: ``` https://api.app.astalty.com.au/mcp ``` Follow the steps for your assistant below. The address is meant for assistants, so opening it in a browser only shows a short page explaining what it is. > **VS Code and Cursor cannot connect yet** > > Astalty does not support VS Code or Cursor at the moment. Use one of the assistants below instead. ### Claude 1. In Claude, open **Settings**, then **Customize**. 2. On the **Connectors** tab, select **Add**, then **Add custom connector**. 3. Enter **Astalty** as the name, paste the server URL, and select **Continue**. 4. Select **Continue** again, then **Add**. If Claude asks which OAuth client to use, choose **Register automatically**. 5. Select **Connect** on the new connector and sign in. ![Claude's Add custom connector dialog with Astalty in the name field and https://api.app.astalty.com.au/mcp in the MCP server URL field.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ai-access-claude-custom-connector.png) On a Team or Enterprise plan, an owner adds the connector under **Organization settings > Connectors**, then each person selects **Connect**. A Free plan is limited to one custom connector. ### ChatGPT In the ChatGPT app: 1. Open **Settings**, then **Plugins**, then the **MCPs** tab. 2. Select **Add**, then **Add MCP server**. 3. Enter **Astalty** as the name, choose **Streamable HTTP**, and paste the server URL into **URL**. Leave the bearer token and header fields empty. 4. Select **Save**, then **Authenticate** and sign in. ![ChatGPT's Connect to a custom MCP form with Astalty in the Name field, Streamable HTTP selected as the type, and https://api.app.astalty.com.au/mcp in the URL field. The bearer token and header fields are empty.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ai-access-chatgpt-custom-mcp.png) On chatgpt.com: 1. Open **Plugins**, select the plus button, then **Add custom MCP server**. 2. Enter **Astalty** as the name and paste the server URL. 3. Review the warning, select **Create as a plugin**, and sign in when ChatGPT asks you to. If you cannot add one, your ChatGPT plan or workspace may not allow custom MCP servers. ### Claude Code Run this in your terminal: ``` claude mcp add --transport http astalty https://api.app.astalty.com.au/mcp ``` Then run `/mcp` inside Claude Code, choose **astalty** and sign in. ### Codex Run this in your terminal: ``` codex mcp add astalty --url https://api.app.astalty.com.au/mcp ``` Codex opens your browser so you can sign in. If it does not, run `codex mcp login astalty`. ## Sign In And Choose What The Assistant Can Do The first time your assistant connects, it sends you to Astalty. Sign in if you need to, check that the page names the assistant you expect, then choose how much it can do: - **Read** lets it look up Participants, shifts, notes, reports and anything else your role can open. It cannot change anything. - **Write** also lets it create and update records. Anything destructive, such as deleting or archiving a record, comes back as a preview first, and the assistant has to show you what will change and wait for you to agree. - **None** gives it no access. Select **Authorise** to finish. ![The Astalty sign-in page saying Claude would like access to your Astalty account, showing the signed-in email address. MCP access is set to Write, with None and Read as the other options, above Authorise and Cancel buttons.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ai-access-consent.png) If your organisation requires two-factor authentication, [turn it on for your account](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/users/two-factor-authentication) first. ## Check It Worked Select your name at the bottom of the main menu, then select **Connect your AI**. Under **Your AI connections**, each assistant you have signed in from is listed as **Connected**, with **Read only** or **Read and write** beside it. ![The Your AI connections table listing ChatGPT with Read only access and Claude with Read and write access. Both are marked Connected and show when they first connected and when they last received a token.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ai-access-connections.png) Then try a simple question in your assistant, such as "Which shifts do I have this week?". ## Disconnect An Assistant To disconnect an assistant, remove Astalty from it. It can stay listed as **Connected** in Astalty for up to 30 days. To end access straight away, do one of these: - An Account Owner can turn off **Can access the MCP server** on the user's profile. The user keeps their seat and Ask Astalty. - An Admin can remove the user's seat, which also ends Ask Astalty. ## Remove A User's AI Seat The Account Owner removes seats from Billing. An Admin can also do it from the user's profile, by selecting **AI**, then **Remove AI Access**. 1. Open [Billing > Add-ons > AI & MCP Access](https://app.astalty.com.au/billing/add-ons/ai-access). 2. Under **Who has a seat**, find the user and select **Remove Access**. 3. Check the dialog, then select **Remove Access**. The user loses AI access straight away, and any assistant they connected stops working. The dialog shows what happens to your billing, which depends on your billing period and whether you are on a trial. On a monthly subscription, your next invoice bills one seat fewer, and no refund is issued for the rest of the month. On a yearly subscription, you keep the seat until your subscription renews and can give it to someone else. No refund is issued. ## If You Cannot Connect **The sign-in page says your account does not have MCP access.** You need both a seat and MCP access. Ask your Account Owner to check [both steps above](#let-a-user-connect-their-own-assistant), then try connecting again. **You cannot see Connect your AI.** You need a seat and MCP access, and MCP needs to be available on your account. **Your assistant has no option to add a custom connector.** Your assistant's plan or workspace may not allow it. Ask whoever manages that account.