Access, auth, and limits
Authentication is a single API key per account, generated at app.getaiso.com/api-keys and sent as an x-api-key header. Aiso stores keys as SHA-256 hashes, so the raw value is shown once at creation and cannot be retrieved later. Losing it means rotating. An optional x-aiso-project-id header scopes a call to one project, which is how you drive a multi-brand or multi-client setup off one key. The endpoint also returns a www-authenticate challenge pointing at an OAuth protected-resource document, so hosts that prefer OAuth Bearer can discover the authorization server rather than handling a static key.
The gating used to be the thing to plan around, and it mostly is not any more. Aiso lists hosted MCP access on every plan, so Starter at $19, Pro at $215 and Advanced at $445 all include it, as do all four agency tiers. Only the REST API still sits on Enterprise for brands, or agency Scale at $705 a month. What remains is volume: keys default to 10 requests a minute and 20 a day, adjustable by Aiso on request, and responses carry headers you can use to back off.
Where it works and what to build
Because the server is remote HTTP, setup in Cursor or Claude Desktop is a URL and a header rather than a local process to run and keep alive. In Claude it is now a directory entry, so connecting is an authorization prompt rather than any config at all. Hosts that still expect stdio can wrap it with mcp-remote. There is no CLI, so the MCP server and the REST API are the two ways in.
The workflow this fits best is analysis rather than automation. An agent can pull the brand visibility report, then the domain and URL reports, and work out which third-party sources are feeding the answers where you are absent, all inside one session. get_fanout_metrics adds the sub-queries assistants run behind a prompt, which is the part of Aiso that is genuinely hard to get elsewhere. What it is not built for is a loop: 20 requests a day means an agent that re-queries as it reasons will exhaust the budget quickly. Treat it as a scheduled pull into your own store, then let agents work against that.
Which AI clients can use Aiso MCP?
Not every AI assistant supports MCP natively. Per-client picture for Aiso:
| Client | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| n8n | Via connectors | Call the REST API over HTTP, or the MCP server via n8n's MCP client node. No dedicated Aiso node. |
| Claude Code | Native MCP | Remote MCP at app.getaiso.com/api/v1/mcp, x-api-key header, no local install. Needs Enterprise or agency Scale. |
| Claude (Desktop/Web) | Native MCP | Named in Aiso's own setup docs. Remote HTTP MCP, so no local server to run. |
| Cursor | Native MCP | Named in Aiso's setup docs. Older stdio-only builds can bridge with mcp-remote. |
| ChatGPT | API-only (custom code) | No native connector. Reach it through the REST API in a custom integration. |
How to connect Aiso MCP to Claude Desktop
Add this block to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows), then restart Claude Desktop. Cursor and Codex use a similar schema.
{
"mcpServers": {
"aiso": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["mcp-remote", "<YOUR_MCP_URL>"]
}
}
}
// HTTP-transport MCP. Get your <YOUR_MCP_URL> from the vendor dashboard.
// Server source: https://app.getaiso.com/api/v1/mcp
// Claude Code (one-liner): claude mcp add aiso <YOUR_MCP_URL> --transport httpSome MCP servers require an API key. Check the source page for setup: app.getaiso.com/api/v1/mcp.
Does Aiso MCP cost extra?
Aiso ships an official MCP server that uses your existing subscription credentials.
- No separate MCP licence to buy. You pay for your Aiso plan, the MCP server queries that account.
- Whether it's gated to a specific tier wasn't extracted automatically — verify the access requirements on the MCP page or pricing docs.
Aiso also publishes a REST API
Aiso publishes an API, but per-tier gating wasn't extracted automatically.
See Aiso API pageWhat you can do with Aiso from an AI agent
Three shapes of agent workflow. Pick the row that matches how you actually use Claude / Cursor / Codex day to day.
Skip the dashboard, ask Claude
- "What keywords moved this week?" answered in seconds
- Quick one-off questions without leaving the editor
- Pipe Aiso data into your personal notes / docs without writing a script
Run client analysis at agent speed
- Hand the MCP server to your team — every consultant can ask Claude about any client's Aiso account
- Multi-account workflows without context-switching the Aiso UI
- Reports you'd normally spend hours on, done before standup
Production agent workflows
- Embed in your internal Codex / Cursor agents that triage Aiso data daily
- Combine with other MCP servers in a multi-step agent chain
- Constrain agents to read-only roles to keep production Aiso safe
Limits and gotchas
- Official MCP server — published by Aiso themselves, so it should track product changes.
- Fallback: the REST API works for any flow the MCP server doesn't cover.
- Auth flow: MCP servers usually inherit the underlying API auth method (API key). Expect to configure that on first install.
- Rate limits: MCP calls count against your underlying Aiso API quota. Burst usage from a curious agent can drain a daily allowance fast.
Agent-readiness verdict
A real, official, hosted MCP server with 19 tools and no local install, on the same key as the REST API, and since August 2026 it is included on every plan rather than gated to Enterprise. That makes the $19/mo Starter tier the cheapest paid route to MCP access in this category, beaten only by PromptWatch, which puts its MCP server on a free plan. Held back from higher by a default ceiling of 20 requests a day and a read-heavy tool set. 8 out of 10.
Solid agent fit, and the commercial catch has mostly lifted. Aiso runs an official hosted MCP server at app.getaiso.com/api/v1/mcp exposing 19 tools across projects, prompts, topics, brands, snapshots and its brand, domain and URL reports, plus a first-party REST API at app.getaiso.com/api/v1, both on one account API key sent as x-api-key. The MCP is remote HTTP, so Cursor and Claude Desktop connect with no local install, it accepts OAuth Bearer as well, and it is listed in Claude's connector directory. Since August 2026 hosted MCP access is included on every brand and agency plan, so the $19/mo Starter tier is the lowest paid price for MCP access in this category, beaten only by PromptWatch, which includes MCP on a free plan. Most tools read; create_project and add_prompts write, once per project. What keeps it level with Peec and Otterly rather than ahead: the REST API is still Enterprise for brands or the $705/mo agency Scale tier, keys default to 20 requests a day, and there are no SDKs and no webhooks.
Scored by Joonas (TMB).
Aiso MCP & API FAQ
Is the Aiso MCP server official?+
Can I use the Aiso MCP with Cursor or Codex?+
Does Aiso have a public API?+
Sources
- Aiso official site: https://www.getaiso.com
- MCP server page: https://app.getaiso.com/api/v1/mcp
- API docs: https://www.getaiso.com/docs
Data verified by Joonas on the dates shown. MCP server status auto-rechecked weekly.
10+ years in digital marketing. I review marketing software for AI-stack fit: real pricing, MCP and API support, and how cleanly each tool drops into an AI agent workflow, cross-checked against verified data and real user feedback.