AI assistants

Connect an AI assistant to BiblioScan

BiblioScan ships an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server: Claude or any compatible assistant can use your account the way the app does — view and manage your scans, inventory and lists, and run scans that use your credits — authenticated with an API key you can revoke anytime.

Create an API keySee the steps
Server
https://biblioscan.ai/api/mcp
Transport
HTTP (JSON-RPC 2.0)
Auth
Bearer bsk_…
Tools
81 (read and write)
01

Connect in 3 steps

Works with MCP clients that accept an API key in the Authorization header: Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and other file-configured clients.

  1. 01

    Create an API key

    In Settings → AI assistants (MCP), create a key (1-year expiration recommended) and copy it right away — it will never be shown again.

  2. 02

    Configure your assistant

    Add the server https://biblioscan.ai/api/mcp with your key in the Authorization header — one command in Claude Code, or a few lines of config elsewhere.

  3. 03

    Ask a first question

    Ask your assistant something about your BiblioScan data to check the connection works.

Claude Code (terminal)

One command is all it takes — replace bsk_YOUR_KEY with your key:

Add BiblioScan to Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http biblioscan https://biblioscan.ai/api/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer bsk_YOUR_KEY"

Clients with a JSON config file

For Claude Desktop and other file-configured clients, declare the server under mcpServers:

Config snippet — mcpServers block
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "biblioscan": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://biblioscan.ai/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer bsk_YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}
Heads up: unlike BiblioScan's REST API, the MCP server expects the key behind a Bearer prefix.

Test the connection

Try something like:

"List my latest BiblioScan scans and give me the 5 most valuable books"
Some consumer MCP clients only accept OAuth for remote connectors (no custom header). Those can't connect yet — OAuth support is on the roadmap.
02

What the assistant can do

The server exposes 81 tools, all scoped to your account's data. The ones that write go through the same routes as the app: same validation, same billing, same refunds.

AreaTools
Photo scansList and open your shelf scans, search them for a book, create a scan and upload photos to it, rename, share, merge or delete it, add notes to a book, or report a misread spine.list_scansget_scansearch_scan_bookscreate_scanupload_scan_photo· 1 scan creditfinalize_scanrename_scanset_scan_favoriteset_scan_placeshare_scanmerge_scansdelete_scanset_book_notesreport_spine· 1 credit with ISBN
Barcode, cover, Buy BoxThe price sheet for an ISBN you already scanned, your barcode history, a new scan by barcode or cover photo, and a book's Buy Box.lookup_booklist_barcode_scansscan_barcode· 1 creditget_barcode_scanlist_barcode_groupslookup_cover· 1 creditselect_cover_candidateget_buybox· 2 creditsget_saved_buybox
BuylistsCreate, rename and delete your buylists, add or remove books, and attach a sourcing spot and notes.list_booklistsget_booklistcreate_booklistrename_booklistset_booklist_placeadd_to_booklistremove_from_booklistset_booklist_notesdelete_booklist
InventoryView, add, edit and delete inventory items, turn on market watch, read alerts, and assign each book a storage location.list_stockget_stock_itemcreate_stock_itemupdate_stock_itemdelete_stock_itemset_stock_watch· 1 credit per checkremove_stock_watchlist_stock_alertsmark_stock_alerts_seenset_stock_locationset_stock_locationsremove_stock_location
StorageYour storage layout: rooms, shelving units and unit templates.get_storage_layoutcreate_storage_roomupdate_storage_roomdelete_storage_roomcreate_storage_unitupdate_storage_unitdelete_storage_unitcreate_storage_templatedelete_storage_template
Sourcing spotsFind spots near you or by name, manage your spots, see their stats, and clear the location saved on your scans.search_placesnearby_placeslist_my_placesget_placeget_place_statscreate_placeupdate_placedelete_placepurge_scan_locations
BadgesYour badges, stats and gems.get_achievementslist_pepitesmark_achievements_seen
Amazon sellerSeller account status, marketplace, selling restrictions, sales history, FBA inventory and Amazon fees.amazon_statusamazon_set_marketplaceamazon_check_restrictionsamazon_sales_historyamazon_fba_inventoryamazon_refresh_fba_inventoryamazon_feesamazon_fees_batchamazon_fba_resyncamazon_disconnect
AccountYour profile and remaining credits (editable except email and phone), referrals, payments, subscriptions, and invoices.get_profileupdate_profileget_referralslist_paymentslist_subscriptionsget_invoice
Tools marked with a cost use your credits, just like in the app ("credit" = barcode credit, "scan credit" = photo scan credit).
03

Security

The assistant acts on your account the way the app does. Here's what keeps that in check.

Confirmation before acting

Paid tools and deletions are flagged as such to the MCP client, and the server tells the assistant to ask for your confirmation before using them. A good MCP client shows you each action before running it — read it before you approve.

Revocable anytime

Delete the key in Settings and the connection stops working immediately — without logging you out or touching your other keys.

One key per assistant

Create a dedicated key per assistant: the "Last used" column shows who actually uses what, and revocation stays surgical.

The key stays in your MCP client

Paste the key only into your client's configuration — never into a conversation, a Git repo, or public code.

Out of the assistant's reach

  • Login, password and two-factor authentication
  • API key management
  • Deleting or resetting your account
  • Canceling a subscription
  • Changing your email or phone number
  • Amazon account connection
04

Limits and errors

The server enforces a limit of 120 requests per minute per key. Errors worth knowing:

CodeWhenWhat to do
401 UnauthorizedKey missing, invalid, expired, or revoked.Create a new key in Settings and update your assistant's configuration.
403 ForbiddenDisallowed origin — the request comes from a third-party browser page.Go through an MCP client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop…), not a web page.
429 Too Many RequestsThe assistant exceeds 120 requests per minute.Wait a few seconds — most assistants retry on their own.

Ready to connect your assistant?

Create your API key in Settings, paste it into your MCP client — that's it.

Create my API keyREST API documentation

https://biblioscan.ai/api/mcp