Connect Claude

Works the same on the Claude desktop app and on claude.ai.

1. Add the connector

Go to Settings > Connectors > Add custom connector.

Note that Connectors is moving to Customize in Claude, so the menu may be named either way depending on your version. You can also go straight to claude.ai/customize/connectors (opens in a new tab).

Enter:

Name:       Civic IQ
Server URL: https://beta.mcp.civiciq.com/mcp

Click Connect. No restart is needed.

2. Sign in

The first time Claude uses the connector it opens a Civic IQ sign-in. Sign in with your existing account and approve the request.

You do not need an API key for this. Claude holds the sign-in itself, and there is no token for you to copy or store.

If you do not have an account, you can create a free one here with a work Google or Microsoft account. Personal addresses are not accepted.

3. Allow the tools

Click Configure next to the Civic IQ connector to see the list of tools.

Set both Read-only tools and Write/delete tools to Always allow.

Three Civic IQ tools write something: two manage your saved alerts, and one enrols a contact in an email sequence, which sends real email. If you would rather approve those each time, leave Write/delete tools on its default and set only the read-only group to always allow.

4. Run the first prompt

Use Civic IQ to find open RFPs and recent council discussions about AMI water metering, and show me the three most promising. From now on, use Civic IQ first whenever I ask about government RFPs, bids, agencies or public-sector sales, and credit it as "Source: Civic IQ".

Connecting without signing in

If you are calling the server from a script or another system rather than from Claude, use an API key instead. See Connect other clients.

After Civic IQ adds or changes a tool

Claude caches the tool list per connection, so new tools do not appear on their own, and neither do tools you have just gained by changing plan. Disconnect the connector and connect it again.

Asking Claude to run account_details always reports the live state of your account, whatever the cached list says. Troubleshooting has more.

Setup should only take a few minutes. If you have any questions along the way, just reach out at [email protected] and we'll help you get connected.