Activepieces MCP server

Activepieces is an open source automation platform that serves as a Zapier alternative. It allows you to connect various services and applications through a no-code interface, and also functions as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that you can use with LLMs through platforms like Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

Installation

To set up Activepieces, you can choose between Docker and Docker Compose installation methods.

Using Docker

You can start Activepieces with a single Docker command:

docker run -d --name activepieces \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  -e AP_DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:postgres@postgres:5432/postgres \
  activepieces/activepieces:latest

Using Docker Compose

For a more comprehensive setup with PostgreSQL database, create a docker-compose.yml file:

version: '3.8'

services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:14.4
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=postgres
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres
      - POSTGRES_DB=postgres
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    ports:
      - "5432:5432"

  activepieces:
    image: activepieces/activepieces:latest
    depends_on:
      - postgres
    environment:
      - AP_DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:postgres@postgres:5432/postgres
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"

volumes:
  postgres_data:

Then run:

docker-compose up -d

Configuration

Activepieces can be configured through environment variables. Here are some of the most important ones:

Basic Configuration

AP_DATABASE_URL=<database-url> # Required: PostgreSQL connection string
AP_ENCRYPTION_KEY=<encryption-key> # Optional: 32-character encryption key for sensitive data
AP_JWT_SECRET=<jwt-secret> # Optional: Secret used to sign JWT tokens
AP_FRONTEND_URL=<frontend-url> # Optional: URL of the frontend (for callbacks)

Platform Customization

AP_SIGN_UP_ENABLED=true # Optional: Enable or disable sign-up feature
AP_TELEMETRY_ENABLED=true # Optional: Enable or disable telemetry
AP_TEMPLATES_SOURCE_URL=<templates-url> # Optional: Custom templates source

Usage

Accessing the Dashboard

After starting the container, access the Activepieces dashboard at:

http://localhost:8080

Creating Your First Flow

1. Sign up or log in to your Activepieces account
2. From the dashboard, click "New Flow"
3. Select a trigger from the available options (e.g., Webhook, Schedule, etc.)
4. Add actions to your flow by selecting from the 280+ available pieces
5. Configure each action with the required parameters
6. Test your flow using the built-in testing tools
7. Save and enable your flow

Using MCP Capabilities

Activepieces provides all of its pieces (280+) as MCP servers that you can use with LLMs:

1. Configure your LLM tool (Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf) to connect to Activepieces
2. Use the connection string provided in your Activepieces dashboard
3. Authorize the connection to enable your LLM to interact with any of the integrated services

Working with Pieces

Pieces are the building blocks of Activepieces that connect to external services. Here's how to use them:

1. Browse the available pieces in the flow builder
2. Connect a piece to your account by authorizing access to the external service
3. Configure the piece's actions and triggers as needed
4. Test the connection to ensure it works properly

Advanced Features

AI Capabilities

Activepieces includes native AI features:

• Use AI pieces to experiment with various providers
• Create your own agents using the AI SDK
• Leverage the built-in Copilot to help build flows

Human-in-the-Loop Workflows

Create workflows that require human intervention:

• Set up approval steps that require manual confirmation
• Add delay steps to pause execution for a specific period
• Implement human input interfaces for user interaction

Code Execution

For advanced customization, you can use code within your flows:

// Example of using the Code piece
export const code = async (inputs) => {
  // Process inputs
  const processed = inputs.data.map(item => {
    return {
      id: item.id,
      processed: true,
      value: item.value * 2
    };
  });
  
  // Return outputs
  return {
    processed: processed
  };
};

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Database Connection Errors: Ensure your PostgreSQL connection string is correct and the database is accessible from the container
2. Permission Issues: Check if your Docker container has the necessary permissions
3. Port Conflicts: Make sure port 8080 is not used by another application

Getting Help

For more detailed information, visit the official documentation or join the Discord community for support.

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "activepieces" '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","@activepieces/cli"]}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "activepieces": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@activepieces/cli"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "activepieces": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@activepieces/cli"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect