Connect Your AI Agent

Step-by-step guides for connecting BankSync to your preferred AI client.

Prerequisites

A BankSync account with at least one connected bank
An API key with all permission scopes (created from Workspace menu → Developers)

ChatGPT Desktop

ChatGPT Desktop supports MCP connectors through its settings UI (requires Pro, Plus, Business, or Enterprise plan).

Open Settings → Apps & Connectors → Advanced settings and enable Developer Mode.
Go to Settings → Connectors → Create.
Enter a name (e.g. “BankSync”) and paste the connector URL below.

Connector URL

https://mcp.banksync.io

Note: ChatGPT connectors use OAuth-based authentication. Custom header authentication (X-API-Key) is not supported natively. ChatGPT will prompt you to authorize during the connector setup flow.

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop supports remote MCP servers via the mcp-remote bridge. Add the following to your configuration file.

Config File Location

Platform	Path
macOS	`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
Windows	`%APPDATA%\\Claude\\claude_desktop_config.json`

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "banksync": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.banksync.io",
        "--header",
        "X-API-Key: ${API_KEY}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "bsk_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tip: The mcp-remote package bridges Claude Desktop's stdio transport to remote HTTP servers. It is downloaded automatically via npx.

Cursor

Add the BankSync server to your Cursor MCP configuration. Create or edit .cursor/mcp.json in your project root or home directory.

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "banksync": {
      "url": "https://mcp.banksync.io",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "bsk_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add the BankSync server to your Windsurf MCP configuration. You can open the config from the MCPs icon in the Cascade panel, or edit the file directly.

Platform	Path
macOS / Linux	`~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`
Windows	`%USERPROFILE%\\.codeium\\windsurf\\mcp_config.json`

mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "banksync": {
      "serverUrl": "https://mcp.banksync.io",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "bsk_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code (Copilot)

GitHub Copilot in VS Code supports MCP servers natively. Create or edit .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace root.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "banksync": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.banksync.io",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "bsk_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Client (TypeScript SDK)

Build your own MCP client using the official @modelcontextprotocol/sdk package.

Custom MCP Client

1import { StreamableHTTPClientTransport } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/client/streamableHttp.js';
2import { Client } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/client/index.js';
3
4const transport = new StreamableHTTPClientTransport(
5  new URL('https://mcp.banksync.io'),
6  { requestInit: { headers: { 'X-API-Key': 'bsk_your_api_key_here' } } }
7);
8
9const client = new Client({ name: 'my-agent', version: '1.0.0' });
10await client.connect(transport);
11
12const { tools } = await client.listTools();
13console.log(`Connected! ${tools.length} tools available`);

Verify Your Connection

After configuring your client, restart it and try these prompts to verify the connection is working:

“List my workspaces”

“What banks do I have connected?”

“What's my checking account balance?”

Troubleshooting

“No tools available” or MCP server not listed

Make sure you restarted your AI client after editing the configuration file.
Verify the JSON is valid (no trailing commas, correct brackets).
Check that the URL is exactly https://mcp.banksync.io.

“Authentication failed” or “Invalid API key”

Confirm the key starts with bsk_ and has not been revoked.
Ensure the key is in the headers object under X-API-Key.
Check for accidental whitespace or newlines around the key value.

Tools are listed but return errors

Verify your API key has the required scopes. For full access, select all scopes when creating the key.
Make sure you have at least one bank connected in the BankSync app.
Check that you are passing the correct workspace ID when prompted.

Connection timeout or network errors

The MCP server uses Streamable HTTP transport. Ensure your network or proxy allows outbound HTTPS connections.
If using a VPN or firewall, allow connections to mcp.banksync.io.
Try the connection from a different network to rule out local issues.