Substack MCP server: community, agent-fit 5/10

How to connect Substack 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": {
    "substack": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "<server-package-name>"],
      "env": {
        "SUBSTACK_API_KEY": "your-api-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}
// Server source: https://github.com/marcomoauro/substack-mcp
// Check the server's README for the exact "command" and required env vars.

Some MCP servers require an API key. Check the source page for setup: github.com/marcomoauro/substack-mcp.

Does Substack MCP cost extra?

Community (free)

The Substack MCP server is community-built — free to run, but you still pay for your Substack subscription.

Community MCPs are normally self-hosted from a GitHub repo. There's no extra license fee.
Your Substack account still needs whatever plan is required to access the data the MCP server queries.
Trade-off: zero MCP cost, but no guarantee it'll keep working when Substack changes their UI or API.

MCP cost

Free (self-hosted)

Subscription required

Yes (your tool plan)

Maintained by

Community

What you can do with Substack from an AI agent

Three shapes of agent workflow. Pick the row that matches how you actually use Claude / Cursor / Codex day to day.

INDIE / SOLO

Skip the dashboard, ask Claude

"What campaigns underperformed this week?" answered in seconds
Quick one-off questions without leaving the editor
Pipe Substack data into your personal notes / docs without writing a script

Effort: 30 seconds — paste the config, restart Claude

AGENCY

Run client analysis at agent speed

Hand the MCP server to your team — every consultant can ask Claude about any client's Substack account
Multi-account workflows without context-switching the Substack UI
Reports you'd normally spend hours on, done before standup

Effort: An afternoon — set up auth per client

IN-HOUSE TEAM

Production agent workflows

Embed in your internal Codex / Cursor agents that triage Substack data daily
Combine with other MCP servers in a multi-step agent chain
Constrain agents to read-only roles to keep production Substack safe

Effort: Days — security review + role config

Limits and gotchas

Community MCP — not maintained by Substack. Check the README and last-update date before depending on it.
Rate limits: MCP calls count against your underlying Substack API quota. Burst usage from a curious agent can drain a daily allowance fast.

4/10

Agent-readiness verdict

Not suitable for agent workflows. Substack has no public API documentation, no MCP server, and no structured integration paths for Claude or similar tools. To build any automation, you would need to rely on web scraping or manual processes.

Scored 2026-06-07 by Joonas (TMB).

Substack MCP & API FAQ

Is the Substack MCP server official?+

No — it's a community build, not maintained by Substack. Expect occasional drift and check the README before depending on it for production agents.

Can I use the Substack MCP with Cursor or Codex?+

Yes — MCP is a protocol, not Claude-specific. Any MCP-capable client (Cursor, Codex, Windsurf, Zed) can use the same server config with minor path adjustments.

Sources

Substack official site: https://substack.com
MCP server page: https://github.com/marcomoauro/substack-mcp

Data verified by Joonas on the dates shown. MCP server status auto-rechecked weekly.

Joonas RotkoAuthor & Founder of That Marketing Buddy

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.

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Substack MCP Server

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