AITable MCP Server

Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for integrating with AITable platform.

⚠️ Important: AITable has been discontinued. If you're looking to migrate to Bika (the successor platform), check out the Bika MCP Server.

AITable LTD Holders: Claim your free Bika account by filling out this migration form (available only for AITable LTD users).

Overview

This MCP server provides integration with AITable's API, enabling AI assistants to:

Query and filter datasheet records
Create, update, and delete records
Upload and manage attachments
Work with fields, views, and nodes
Create embeddable links

Features

Records Management: Full CRUD operations on AITable records
Fields Management: Create, query, and delete fields
Views & Nodes: Access datasheet views and workspace nodes
Attachments: Upload and manage files
Embed Links: Create and manage embeddable links
Formula Resources: Access AITable formula documentation

Prerequisites

Node.js >= 18.0.0
npm or pnpm
AITable account with API access token

Installation

Option 1: Install via npm (Recommended)

Once published, you can install directly via npx:

# No installation needed! Run directly with npx
npx aitable-mcp

Option 2: Install from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/hamchowderr/aitable-mcp.git
cd aitable-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

Configuration

Environment Variables

The server requires the following environment variables:

Variable	Required	Description
`AITABLE_API_TOKEN`	Yes	Your AITable API access token
`SPACE_ID`	Yes	Your AITable space ID

Setting Environment Variables

Option 1: Environment variables

# Windows
set AITABLE_API_TOKEN=your-api-token-here
set SPACE_ID=your-space-id

# macOS/Linux
export AITABLE_API_TOKEN="your-api-token-here"
export SPACE_ID="your-space-id"

Option 2: Create a .env file

Create a .env file in the project root:

AITABLE_API_TOKEN=your-api-token-here
SPACE_ID=your-space-id

Usage

Option 1: Claude Desktop (Stdio Transport)

The recommended way to use this MCP server is with Claude Desktop using stdio transport.

Configuration File Locations

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

Using npx (Recommended)

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aitable": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "aitable-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "AITABLE_API_TOKEN": "your-token-here",
        "SPACE_ID": "your-space-id"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Local Installation

For development or local installations:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aitable": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:\\absolute\\path\\to\\aitable-mcp\\dist\\stdio-server.js"],
      "env": {
        "AITABLE_API_TOKEN": "your-token-here",
        "SPACE_ID": "your-space-id"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important: Restart Claude Desktop after updating the configuration.

Option 2: Testing with MCP Inspector

Test your server locally with the official MCP Inspector:

# Run the inspector
npm run inspector

# Or run directly
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector dist/stdio-server.js

This will:

Start the MCP server
Launch the inspector web interface at http://localhost:6274
Allow you to test tools, resources, and prompts interactively

Option 3: Running Standalone (Stdio)

Run the server directly for stdio transport:

# Build and start
npm run build
npm start

# Development mode with watch
npm run dev

Option 4: Custom Connector (HTTP Transport via Vercel)

Deploy as a custom connector for HTTP-based MCP access.

Deploy to Vercel

Initial Deployment:

# Install Vercel CLI if needed
npm install -g vercel

# Deploy to Vercel
npx vercel@latest

Production Deployment:
```
npx vercel@latest --prod
```
Set Environment Variables:

In your Vercel project settings (Settings → Environment Variables), add:
- AITABLE_API_TOKEN - Your AITable API token (required for authenticating with AITable)
- SPACE_ID - Your AITable space ID (required)
Important: Ensure both variables are enabled for all environments (Production, Preview, and Development). If Preview is unchecked, preview deployment URLs will fail with "Connection refused".
Disable Deployment Protection (Required for MCP):

In your Vercel project settings (Settings → Deployment Protection):
- Turn OFF "Vercel Authentication"
- This is required for Claude Desktop and other MCP clients to connect
- Your data remains secure through the API token configured in step 3
Configure as Custom Connector in Claude Desktop:

IMPORTANT: Custom connectors must be configured via the Claude Desktop UI, NOT via claude_desktop_config.json.

To add the custom connector:
1. Open Claude Desktop
2. Go to Settings → Connectors
3. Click Add Custom Connector
4. Enter your deployment URL: https://your-project.vercel.app/mcp
5. Save and restart Claude Desktop
Note: Make sure to include /mcp at the end of the URL!

Test the Deployment:

# Test with the test script
node scripts/test-streamable-http-client.mjs https://your-project.vercel.app

Deployment Options

Stdio vs HTTP Transport:

Stdio (Recommended): Lower latency, direct process communication, best for Claude Desktop
HTTP (Custom Connector): Centralized deployment, multiple clients, better for cloud deployments

Which to use?

Use stdio for local Claude Desktop integration
Use HTTP for centralized deployments, multiple users, or cloud-based AI clients

Security

Authentication Overview

This MCP server uses different authentication strategies depending on the transport:

Stdio Transport (Recommended for Personal Use)

Uses environment variables for AITable API authentication
No client authentication required (local process, no network exposure)
Most secure for personal use
Configure via claude_desktop_config.json

HTTP Transport (Custom Connector)

Deployed to Vercel as a serverless function
Requires disabling Vercel Deployment Protection
CORS-enabled for browser-based access
Environment variables stored securely in Vercel

Security Best Practices

IMPORTANT:

⚠️ Keep your AITABLE_API_TOKEN secret - it grants full access to your AITable data
⚠️ Keep your deployment URL private - share only with trusted users
⚠️ Disable Vercel Deployment Protection for MCP clients to connect
✅ Use environment variables in Vercel (never commit tokens to git)
✅ Rotate your API token periodically
✅ Monitor access logs in Vercel dashboard
✅ For personal use, prefer stdio transport over HTTP

Architecture

This MCP server supports dual transport following official MCP patterns:

Stdio Transport (src/stdio-server.ts)

Primary entry point for Claude Desktop
Direct process communication via stdin/stdout
Low latency, perfect for local development
Executable via npx or node dist/stdio-server.js

HTTP Transport (api/server.ts)

Vercel serverless function with CORS support
Uses mcp-handler library for HTTP transport
Supports custom connector deployments
All requests handled at root path with catch-all routing

Both transports share the same core business logic while providing different communication mechanisms.

Project Structure

aitable-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── stdio-server.ts    # Stdio entry point
│   ├── http-server.ts     # Local HTTP server for testing
│   ├── aitable-tools.ts   # MCP tool implementations
│   ├── formula-resource.ts # Formula documentation provider
│   ├── types.ts           # TypeScript type definitions
│   └── *.md               # Formula documentation files
├── api/
│   └── server.ts          # HTTP entry point (Vercel)
├── public/
│   └── index.html         # Landing page
├── scripts/
│   ├── test-client.mjs                    # SSE transport tester
│   └── test-streamable-http-client.mjs    # HTTP transport tester
├── dist/                  # Compiled output
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
├── vercel.json            # Vercel configuration
└── README.md

Available Tools (16)

The MCP server provides comprehensive AITable integration tools:

Records Management

get_records - Query records with filtering, sorting, and pagination
create_records - Create new records (max 10 per request)
update_records - Update existing records (max 10 per request)
delete_records - Delete records (max 10 per request)

Fields Management

get_fields - Get field metadata from datasheets
create_field - Create new fields in datasheets
delete_field - Delete fields from datasheets

Views & Datasheets

get_views - Get views from datasheets
create_datasheet - Create new datasheets with custom fields

Attachments

upload_attachment - Upload files to datasheets

Nodes & Workspace

get_node_list - Get list of files in workspace
search_nodes - Search nodes by type, permissions, and keywords
get_node_detail - Get detailed information about specific nodes

Embed Links

create_embed_link - Create embeddable links for nodes
get_embed_links - List all embed links for a node
delete_embed_link - Delete/disable embed links

Available Resources (8)

Formula reference documentation:

formula_overview - Quick reference guide to AITable formulas
formula_operators - AITable formula operators
formula_numeric - AITable numeric functions
formula_string - AITable string functions
formula_logical - AITable logical functions
formula_date - AITable date/time functions
formula_array - AITable array functions
field_colors - AITable field color reference

Development

# Clean build artifacts
npm run clean

# Build TypeScript
npm run build

# Watch mode for development
npm run dev

# Test HTTP server locally
npm run dev:http

# Test with Vercel dev server
npm run dev:vercel

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please ensure your changes maintain the dual-transport architecture.

For AI-Assisted Development

If you're using Claude Code or other AI assistants to work on this codebase, run /init to generate a CLAUDE.md file with architectural guidance and development patterns specific to this project.

License

MIT

Related Projects

Bika MCP Server

AITable has been discontinued. For the successor platform, check out the Bika MCP Server. It provides similar MCP integration for Bika.ai, making it easy to migrate your workflows.

Resources

AITable
Bika.ai - AITable successor platform
Model Context Protocol
TypeScript SDK
Bika MCP Server - MCP server for Bika.ai integration

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
api		api
images		images
public		public
scripts		scripts
src		src
.env.example		.env.example
.gitattributes		.gitattributes
.gitignore		.gitignore
.npmrc		.npmrc
.vercelignore		.vercelignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
package.json		package.json
pnpm-lock.yaml		pnpm-lock.yaml
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json
vercel.json		vercel.json

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AITable MCP Server

Overview

Features

Prerequisites

Installation

Option 1: Install via npm (Recommended)

Option 2: Install from Source

Configuration

Environment Variables

Setting Environment Variables

Usage

Option 1: Claude Desktop (Stdio Transport)

Configuration File Locations

Using npx (Recommended)

Using Local Installation

Option 2: Testing with MCP Inspector

Option 3: Running Standalone (Stdio)

Option 4: Custom Connector (HTTP Transport via Vercel)

Deploy to Vercel

Deployment Options

Security

Authentication Overview

Security Best Practices

Architecture

Stdio Transport (src/stdio-server.ts)

HTTP Transport (api/server.ts)

Project Structure

Available Tools (16)

Records Management

Fields Management

Views & Datasheets

Attachments

Nodes & Workspace

Embed Links

Available Resources (8)

Development

Contributing

For AI-Assisted Development

License

Related Projects

Bika MCP Server

Resources

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