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How do I connect AI assistants to my LaunchNotes workspace?

Connect AI assistants like Claude Desktop or ChatGPT to your LaunchNotes workspace using the Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector to manage projects and announcements directly through conversational AI.

Chelsea Davis avatar
Written by Chelsea Davis
Updated this week

Summary

You can connect AI assistants to your LaunchNotes workspace by installing the LaunchNotes MCP connector. This allows you to manage projects, create announcements, and update content using natural language commands through tools like Claude Desktop or ChatGPT Desktop.

What you can do with the MCP connector

Once connected, you can use natural language to:

Project Management

  • Get complete project details

  • List all accessible projects

  • Update custom CSS, HTML, headers, and footers

  • Update project color palette and theme

  • Update project content (title, description, slug)

  • Toggle project features (feedback, roadmap, ideas, RSS, voting)

Announcement Management

  • List and filter announcements

  • Get announcement details

  • Create new announcements

  • Update existing announcements

  • Publish announcements immediately

  • Schedule announcements for future publication

  • Archive announcements

Before you begin

Get your LaunchNotes API token

1. Generate your API token

  • Open your LaunchNotes workspace

  • Navigate to Settings → API

  • Generate a Management token (for full access) or Public token (for read-only access)

  • Copy the token and save it somewhere secure

Verify Node.js is installed

2. Check for Node.js with npx

  • The LaunchNotes MCP connector uses npx to run without requiring installation

  • Most users will already have Node.js installed if they're using the MCP clients listed below

  • To verify Node.js is installed, open terminal/command prompt and run: node --version

  • If Node.js is not installed, download it from nodejs.org and install the LTS version

Setup for Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop provides the most mature and straightforward MCP integration. It automatically starts all configured MCP servers when you launch the app.

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop app installed (Download here)

  • LaunchNotes API token (see "Before you begin" section above)

  • Node.js with npx (see "Before you begin" section above)

Configure Claude Desktop

1. Locate your Claude Desktop config file

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

2. Edit the configuration file

  • Open the file in a text editor (TextEdit, Notepad, VS Code, etc.)

  • If the file is empty or only has {}, replace the entire contents with:

{   "mcpServers": {     "launchnotes": {       "command": "npx",       "args": ["-y", "@launchnotes/mcp"],       "env": {         "LAUNCHNOTES_API_TOKEN": "your-token-here"       }     }   } }

  • If the file already has other MCP servers configured, add the launchnotes section inside the existing mcpServers object

  • Replace your-token-here with your actual LaunchNotes API token

  • Save the file

3. Restart Claude Desktop

  • Completely quit Claude Desktop (not just close the window)

  • Reopen the application

  • The LaunchNotes connector will start automatically

4. Test the connection

  • In Claude Desktop, try: "List all my LaunchNotes projects"

  • Claude should be able to access your LaunchNotes data

Setup for ChatGPT Desktop

ChatGPT Desktop's MCP support is currently in beta and requires Business, Enterprise, or Edu plans with Developer Mode enabled.

Prerequisites

  • ChatGPT Desktop app installed (Download here)

  • Business, Enterprise, or Edu ChatGPT plan

  • Admin or Owner permissions in your workspace

  • LaunchNotes API token (see "Before you begin" section above)

  • Node.js with npx (see "Before you begin" section above)

Enable Developer Mode

1. Turn on Developer Mode

  • Open ChatGPT Desktop

  • Go to Settings → Apps → Advanced Settings

  • Toggle on Developer mode / Create custom MCP connectors

Configure ChatGPT Desktop

2. Create a custom connector

  • Follow ChatGPT's custom MCP connector setup workflow in the app

  • Provide the connector details:

    • Name: LaunchNotes

    • Command: npx

    • Arguments: -y @launchnotes/mcp

    • Environment Variables: Add LAUNCHNOTES_API_TOKEN with your token value

3. Publish the connector (Admins/Owners only)

  • Navigate to Workspace Settings → Apps → Drafts

  • Find your LaunchNotes connector

  • Click Publish

  • Review safety warnings carefully

  • Confirm publication to make it available to your workspace

4. Test the connection

  • In ChatGPT Desktop, try: "List my LaunchNotes announcements"

  • ChatGPT should be able to access your LaunchNotes data

Setup for other MCP clients

The LaunchNotes MCP connector works with any MCP-compatible client. Here are additional options with links to their setup documentation:

Desktop AI assistants

MCP SuperAssistant (Chrome Extension)

LibreChat (Open-source, self-hosted)

Cherry Studio (Desktop client)

AI-powered code editors

Cursor AI

Windsurf (formerly Codeium)

Claude Code (CLI)

VS Code Extensions

Configuration for these clients

For all clients listed above, you'll need the same LaunchNotes MCP connector configuration:

Command: npx
​Arguments: -y @launchnotes/mcp
​Environment variable: LAUNCHNOTES_API_TOKEN with your token value

Refer to each client's specific documentation for where and how to add this configuration.

Notes & important info

  • Note: The LaunchNotes MCP connector uses npx to run on-demand without requiring installation. The first time you use it, npx will automatically download and cache the connector.

  • Note: The MCP connector is currently in beta. Features and functionality may evolve.

  • Note: LaunchNotes enforces a rate limit of 300 operations per 5 minutes. The connector will return an error if this limit is exceeded.

  • Important: Management tokens provide full access to create, update, and delete content. Use Public tokens for read-only operations when appropriate.

  • Important: The web version of ChatGPT (ChatGPT.com) does NOT support MCP - only the desktop application does.

  • Important: Claude Desktop automatically starts all configured MCP servers when you launch the app.

Troubleshooting

Claude Desktop Issues

If the LaunchNotes connector doesn't appear in Claude Desktop:

  • Verify your claude_desktop_config.json file has valid JSON syntax

  • Make sure the token is correctly placed with no extra spaces

  • Check that the file was saved after editing

  • Completely quit and restart Claude Desktop (not just close the window)

If you see authentication errors:

  • Confirm your API token is active in LaunchNotes Settings → API

  • Verify the token has the correct permissions (Management vs Public)

  • Make sure you copied the entire token without any extra characters

If installation fails:

  • Ensure you have Node.js installed on your system

  • Run node --version and npx --version to verify both are working

  • The first time the connector runs, npx will automatically download it - this is normal and may take a moment

ChatGPT Desktop Issues

If Developer Mode option is not visible:

  • Confirm you're on a Business, Enterprise, or Edu plan

  • Check that you have admin or owner permissions

  • Make sure you're using the desktop app, not the web version

If the connector fails to publish:

  • Review all safety warnings carefully

  • Ensure all required fields are completed

  • Contact your workspace admin if you're not an admin yourself

Rate Limit Errors

If you see "rate limit exceeded" errors:

  • LaunchNotes enforces 300 operations per 5 minutes

  • Space out your requests

  • Wait a few minutes before trying again

  • Consider breaking large operations into smaller batches

Connection Issues

If the MCP server won't start:

  • Check that Node.js is properly installed: node --version

  • Verify npx is working: npx --version

  • The connector will download automatically on first use via npx - be patient during the first launch

  • Check your terminal/command prompt for error messages

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