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Zoho Books MCP Server

This read-only MCP Server allows you to connect to Zoho Books data from Claude Desktop through CData JDBC Drivers. For full CRUD support, check out the first managed MCP platform: CData Connect AI (https://www.cdata.com/ai/).

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

View docs

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cdatasoftware-zoho-books-mcp-server-by-cdata": {
      "command": "java",
      "args": [
        "-jar",
        "/PATH/TO/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar",
        "/PATH/TO/Salesforce.prp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

You set up a local, read-only MCP server that exposes Zoho Books data through a simple MCP interface. It lets you ask natural-language questions and get live data without writing SQL, leveraging the CData JDBC Driver for Zoho Books. This server is ideal when you want quick, read-only access for AI assistants and analysis workflows.

How to use

After you start the MCP server, your AI client can discover and interrogate Zoho Books data through built‑in tools. You don’t need to write SQL; you simply ask questions like “What are my open invoices this month?” or “Show opportunities by industry.” The server presents data in a structured way and responds to queries using natural language prompts.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need Java and a build tool to prepare the MCP server jar, plus the CData JDBC Driver for Zoho Books installed and licensed on your machine.

Additional setup steps

# 1) Clone the project and build the MCP server
git clone https://github.com/cdatasoftware/zoho-books-mcp-server-by-cdata.git
cd zoho-books-mcp-server-by-cdata
mvn clean install

# This creates the JAR: CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar

# 2) Install the CData JDBC Driver for Zoho Books
# Visit the CData driver download page and install the driver on your system

Run the MCP server

To run the MCP server on its own, use the following command. This starts the server in stdio mode, which means it runs on the same machine as the client.

java -jar /PATH/TO/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar /PATH/TO/Salesforce.prp

MCP configuration example

Use a local configuration object to register the MCP server with your client. The example below shows a stdio configuration for the zoho_books MCP server. Copy this into your client’s configuration file and adjust paths as needed.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zoho_books": {
      "command": "java",
      "args": [
        "-jar",
        "/PATH/TO/CDataMCP-jar-with-dependencies.jar",
        "/PATH/TO/Salesforce.prp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Configuration file snippets

If you need a separate .prp file for the JDBC connection, you can create zoho-books.prp with the following structure. This connects to Zoho Books via the CData JDBC Driver. Adjust the paths and values to match your environment.

Prefix=zohobooks
ServerName=CDataZohoBooks
ServerVersion=1.0
DriverPath=PATH\TO\cdata.jdbc.zohobooks.jar
DriverClass=cdata.jdbc.zohobooks.ZohoBooksDriver
JdbcUrl=jdbc:zohobooks:InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;
Tables=

Notes on security and access

This server is designed as a local, read-only interface to Zoho Books data. Ensure you keep the MCP server process on a trusted machine and control access to the client configuration. If you need full read/write access, look for the version of the MCP server that supports such capabilities.

Troubleshooting

If the MCP server does not appear in your client, ensure you have fully stopped and restarted the client after starting the server. Verify the Java process is running and that the path to Salesforce.prp is correct. If data cannot be retrieved, check that the JDBC connection string was generated correctly and that the Zooho Books connection is reachable from your machine.

License

This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. You may use, modify, and distribute it in accordance with the MIT terms.

Available tools

zoho_books_get_tables

Retrieves a list of tables available in the Zoho Books data source. The output is returned in CSV format with column headers on the first line.

zoho_books_get_columns

Retrieves a list of columns for a specified table. The output is returned in CSV format with headers on the first line.

zoho_books_run_query

Executes a SQL SELECT query against the Zoho Books data source via the MCP server.