Getting Started

Connect supported AI assistants and automation tools to Cumulus through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

This guide covers prerequisites, API credentials, host configuration, authentication, example requests, and troubleshooting.

Quick links: Get started · Troubleshoot

What is the Cumulus MCP Server?

The Sherweb Cumulus MCP Server lets supported AI assistants and automation tools access Cumulus data through MCP. Depending on your account permissions, you can ask about organizations, subscriptions, the product catalog, billing, audit logs, and renewal details.

Your MCP host discovers the tools available to your account. The host and selected AI model influence how requests are interpreted and how answers are presented. Verify important decisions and results in Cumulus.

Before you begin

• An active Sherweb Cumulus partner account
• API access enabled for your account
• A compatible MCP host application
• A Client ID and Client Secret from Cumulus API settings
• A redirect URI registered in Cumulus when using interactive sign-in
• The Cumulus permissions required for the information or action you need

Protect your credentials: Treat your Client Secret and access tokens like passwords. Do not include them in support tickets, screenshots, recordings, or chat messages.

Create an API credential

1. Sign in to Cumulus and open Security > APIs.
2. Create an API credential or select an existing one.
3. Record the Client ID and store the Client Secret securely.
4. For interactive sign-in, register the redirect URI required by your MCP host. The host usually provides this URI during setup.

For screenshots and the Cumulus-specific walkthrough, see the Sherweb setup article.

Configure your MCP host

The server is available at https://mcp.sherweb.com. Host setup varies, so follow the instructions for your chosen application and confirm its required redirect URI and authentication options.

Other MCP-compatible hosts may work. Refer to the host’s documentation for its current remote MCP and OAuth setup.

VS Code and Cursor

Add the remote HTTP server to your MCP configuration, for example in .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "sherweb-cumulus": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.sherweb.com"
    }
  }
}

When prompted, complete authentication with your Cumulus API credentials. Register the redirect URI requested by the host in Cumulus > Security > APIs before starting interactive sign-in. See the VS Code MCP documentation for host-specific configuration details.

Microsoft Copilot Studio

1. Open your agent and go to Tools > Add a tool > Add a new MCP.
2. Enter a server name and description of your choice.
3. Set the server URL to https://mcp.sherweb.com.
4. Choose OAuth 2.0 with manual configuration.
5. Enter the Client ID and Client Secret from your Cumulus API credential.
6. Configure the OAuth endpoints and scopes below.
7. After creating the connection, register the redirect URI generated by Copilot Studio for that credential in Cumulus.
8. Authenticate and confirm the agent can discover its available tools.

Keep the redirect URI registered in Cumulus identical to the one generated by Copilot Studio. For screenshots, see the Sherweb setup article.

Claude Desktop and Claude Code

Configure a remote MCP server at https://mcp.sherweb.com using the host’s current MCP configuration instructions. Complete the OAuth sign-in when prompted and register the redirect URI required by the host in Cumulus. The exact configuration differs between Claude Desktop and Claude Code versions; consult the Claude Code MCP documentation or the Claude Desktop documentation for the application you use.

Authenticate

Choose the flow that matches your scenario. Your MCP host guides you through sign-in or credential entry.

After authentication, refresh or reconnect the host if needed. Confirm that it discovers the Cumulus tools available to your account.

Try your first requests

Start with a focused, read-only question. Include an organization, date range, product, or other relevant filter.

• Which subscriptions are expiring within the next 30 days?
• List product offers that include a Copilot SKU.
• Give me a breakdown of charges for organization ABC over the last 3 months.
• Show the recent audit history for a specific subscription.
• Summarize the subscriptions for a specific organization.
• Which of my organizations do not have a backup product?
• Show me recently cancelled subscriptions.

If an answer is too broad or incomplete, narrow the request with an organization, subscription, product, status, or date range. For long lists, ask for a smaller result or the next page. Verify important information in Cumulus.

Available Cumulus areas

Use actions safely

Some tools may perform actions in Cumulus. An action is available only when supported by the tool and permitted by your assigned permissions and authorization controls.

• Review the requested action and its target before approving it.
• Start with read-only requests until you are familiar with the experience.
• If an order, cancellation, or other change has an unclear outcome, check Cumulus before trying again.
• Contact Sherweb if an action is unexpected or appears to affect the wrong organization or subscription.

Troubleshooting

Get help

Use your normal Sherweb support channel. Include details that help the team investigate:

• Your partner name and Cumulus account or tenant identifier
• The MCP host application and version
• The authentication flow you selected
• The exact prompt or workflow, expected result, and actual result
• The date and time of the issue, including your time zone
• The error message and a screenshot, if available
• Whether the request was read-only or attempted to make a change

Before sharing diagnostics, remove Client Secrets, passwords, access tokens, authorization headers, and other sensitive values from screenshots, logs, configuration files, and recordings.