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Connect Claude, ChatGPT and AI Apps with the MCP Server

The InstaCharts MCP server lets AI apps such as Claude, ChatGPT and Claude Code work with your InstaCharts account. Once connected, you can ask your AI assistant to turn data into a sheet, build a chart from it, check how the chart looks and get a share link or embed code, all from the chat window.

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that AI apps use to connect to outside tools. InstaCharts runs a remote MCP server, so there is nothing to install. You add the server address to your AI app and sign in with your InstaCharts account.

MCP server URL: https://api.instacharts.io/mcp

Prerequisites

  • An InstaCharts account on a paid plan
  • A workspace on a paid plan where you have edit access
  • An AI app that supports remote MCP servers (ex: Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code)

What you can do with the MCP server

The MCP server gives your AI assistant 14 tools. Each one is described in the MCP Tools Reference. With these tools, an AI assistant can:

  • Create sheets from data - paste a table into the chat, or describe the data, and the assistant creates an InstaCharts sheet with column types (text, number, date, percent, currency) detected from the values.
  • Import data files from a link - give the assistant a link to a public CSV, Excel or JSON file (ex: an open data portal export, a raw file on GitHub, a Google Sheet published to the web as CSV) and InstaCharts downloads it directly.
  • Upload large or local files - for big datasets, the assistant creates a one-time upload link and sends the file to it, so the full dataset reaches the sheet without being summarized first.
  • Read and edit sheet data - read rows, add new rows, change cells and delete rows. Charts built on the sheet update with the new data.
  • Build and edit charts - create any of the InstaCharts chart types, then change the columns, aggregation, date grouping, sorting, titles, colors and size.
  • See the chart - render the chart as an image so the assistant can check how it looks and adjust it.
  • Share and embed charts - make a chart public and get its share link and iframe embed code for a website or blog.

Charts made through the MCP server use your workspace’s saved theme, fonts, colors and locale, the same as charts made in the InstaCharts app. Everything the assistant creates appears in your workspace, where you can keep editing it with the full chart editor.

Connect InstaCharts to Claude

In Claude (claude.ai or the Claude desktop app):

  1. Open Settings and go to Connectors.
  2. Choose Add custom connector.
  3. Enter a name (ex: InstaCharts) and the URL https://api.instacharts.io/mcp.
  4. Select Connect. An InstaCharts sign in page opens.
  5. Sign in to InstaCharts and review the permissions, then continue.

After you sign in, you return to Claude and the InstaCharts tools are ready to use in your chats.

Connect InstaCharts to Claude Code

Claude Code can add the InstaCharts MCP server from the terminal:

Terminal window
claude mcp add --transport http instacharts https://api.instacharts.io/mcp

Then run /mcp inside Claude Code and choose instacharts to sign in to your InstaCharts account.

Claude Code can run commands, so it can send local data files straight to InstaCharts with an upload link. This makes it a good fit for charting CSV and Excel files that are on your computer.

Connect InstaCharts to ChatGPT

ChatGPT adds remote MCP servers as custom connectors from its Settings menu, under apps and connectors. Depending on your ChatGPT plan, custom connectors may need to be turned on by an admin or through developer mode.

  1. Add a new custom connector.
  2. Enter a name (ex: InstaCharts) and the MCP server URL https://api.instacharts.io/mcp.
  3. Choose OAuth for authentication.
  4. Sign in to InstaCharts when the sign in page opens, and review the permissions.

Connect other AI apps

Any AI app or agent framework that supports remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP with OAuth can connect to InstaCharts. Give the app the URL https://api.instacharts.io/mcp. The app registers itself with InstaCharts, then opens the InstaCharts sign in page so you can approve the connection.

Permissions

When an AI app connects, the InstaCharts sign in page lists what the app will be able to do:

PermissionWhat it allows
View your workspaces, sheets and chartsList workspaces, sheets and charts, read sheet data and render chart images. Always granted.
Create and edit your sheets, charts and embedsCreate sheets, import and upload files, add, change and delete rows, create and edit charts, and share charts.

AI apps that connect through MCP register themselves with InstaCharts, so the sign in page shows the edit permission as a checkbox. Uncheck it to give the app view access only. With view access, the app only sees the tools that read data and render chart images.

The AI app works with the same access you have. It can only see the workspaces you belong to, and it can only make changes in workspaces where you have edit access. See Workspace Members for the member roles.

Tasks and limits

Each change the AI app makes counts as one task against the workspace’s monthly task limit. This includes creating a sheet, importing or uploading a file, adding, changing or deleting rows, creating or editing a chart, sharing a chart, and rendering a chart image. Listing items, reading sheet data and creating an upload link are free.

The workspace’s plan also sets the limits on rows, columns and file size for sheets the AI app creates, the same as sheets created in the app. These changes are logged in Task History in your workspace’s left sidebar.

Example prompts

Once InstaCharts is connected, you can ask your AI assistant things like:

  • “Make a bar chart in InstaCharts of monthly sales from this table, and give me the embed code.”
  • “Import the CSV at this link into my Marketing workspace and chart signups by week.”
  • “Read my Revenue sheet and build a grouped line chart of revenue by region over time.”
  • “Add these five new orders to my Orders sheet.”
  • “Show me the chart image, then switch it to a horizontal bar chart sorted from largest to smallest.”
  • “Share the chart publicly and give me the link.”

Remove an AI app’s access

To disconnect an AI app, open your InstaCharts login settings. The Third Party Apps section lists every app connected to your account. Open the menu next to the app and choose Remove Access.

Changing your InstaCharts password also signs out every connected AI app, so each one has to connect again.

Frequently asked questions

Is the InstaCharts MCP server free?

The MCP server is included with paid InstaCharts plans. Each change an AI app makes uses one task from the workspace’s monthly task pool.

Which AI apps work with InstaCharts?

Any AI app that supports remote MCP servers with OAuth sign in can connect, including Claude, Claude Code and ChatGPT.

Does my data pass through the AI chat?

Data you paste into the chat is sent to InstaCharts by the AI app. When you use a link import or an upload link, the file goes straight to InstaCharts, so the full dataset ends up in the sheet without passing through the conversation.

Can I edit charts the AI app created?

Sheets and charts made by an AI app are regular InstaCharts sheets and charts. Open them in your workspace to change chart text, labels, annotations and every other chart setting, or add them to a dashboard.