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ChatGPT Integration

Connect your MCP bundles to ChatGPT to give it access to real-world tools and APIs.

Requirements

  • ChatGPT Plus or Team account (free tier doesn't support MCP)
  • A bundle enabled in your MCPBundles dashboard
  • Credentials connected for the providers in your bundle

Time to complete: 3-5 minutes


Step-by-Step Setup

1. Get Your Bundle URL

  1. Log in to MCPBundles Dashboard
  2. Click on the bundle you want to use
  3. Copy the MCP Server URL (looks like https://mcp.mcpbundles.com/...)

Keep this URL handy—you'll need it in step 5.


2. Open ChatGPT Settings

  1. Go to ChatGPT
  2. Click your profile icon (bottom left)
  3. Select Settings
  4. Navigate to Apps (in the left sidebar)

ChatGPT Enabled Apps


3. Enable Developer Mode

  1. In the Apps page, scroll to Advanced settings section
  2. Click "Create app" button
  3. In the Developer mode section, toggle Developer mode to ON
  4. This unlocks the ability to add custom MCP servers

Note: Developer mode is required to add external MCP URLs. Without it, you can only use pre-approved apps.

ChatGPT Developer Mode


4. Create a New App

  1. Click "Create app" button (in Advanced settings or top right)

  2. Fill out the form:

    • Name: Your bundle name (e.g., "Marketing Automation")
    • Description (optional): Brief description of what it does
    • MCP Server URL: Paste your bundle URL from step 1
    • Authentication: Select OAuth
  3. Check the box: "I understand and want to continue" (acknowledging the security warning)

  4. Click "Connect" or "Create"

ChatGPT New App

Security Warning: ChatGPT will show a warning that OpenAI hasn't reviewed this MCP server. This is expected for custom MCP servers. Click "I understand and want to continue" to proceed.


5. Test the Connection

  1. Start a new chat in ChatGPT
  2. Type: "What tools do you have access to?"
  3. ChatGPT should list all the tools from your bundle

Example response:

"I have access to the following tools from your Marketing Automation bundle:

  • list_campaigns - Get all email campaigns
  • create_contact - Add a new contact
  • send_message - Send a Slack message ..."

Your app should now appear in the "Enabled apps" section, showing "Manage enabled apps ChatGPT can use in your chats."


Using Tools in ChatGPT

Once connected, ChatGPT can automatically use your tools when relevant.

Example Prompts

Check campaign performance:

"Check my Smartlead campaigns and tell me which one has the best reply rate"

Create CRM contacts:

"Add these 3 people to HubSpot: 
- John Doe, john@example.com, CEO
- Jane Smith, jane@example.com, CTO
- Bob Johnson, bob@example.com, VP Sales"

Automate workflows:

"Check my GitHub repos, find any with open PRs, and send me a summary"

ChatGPT will automatically call the relevant tools, get the data, and format a response.


Configuration Details

App Settings

When creating an app in ChatGPT, here's what each field means:

FieldValueNotes
NameYour bundle nameDisplayed in tool calls, can be anything
DescriptionOptional brief descriptionHelps identify the app later
MCP Server URLhttps://mcp.mcpbundles.com/...From your dashboard, must include https://
AuthenticationOAuthRequired for MCPBundles

Authentication Flow

The first time ChatGPT calls a tool that needs credentials:

  1. ChatGPT will prompt you to authenticate
  2. A popup opens to MCPBundles
  3. You authorize ChatGPT to use your bundle
  4. Popup closes, tool call proceeds
  5. Subsequent calls don't require re-auth

Note: You must have connected provider credentials in your MCPBundles dashboard before ChatGPT can use those tools.


Troubleshooting

"App validation failed" or "Connection failed"

Cause: The MCP Server URL is invalid or unreachable.

Fix:

  • Double-check you copied the full URL including https://
  • Make sure there are no extra spaces
  • Verify the bundle is enabled in your dashboard
  • Try copying the URL again
  • Make sure Developer mode is enabled

"Authentication required" when calling a tool

Cause: Provider credentials aren't connected.

Fix:

  1. Go to your MCPBundles Dashboard
  2. Find the provider for that tool (e.g., Smartlead, GitHub)
  3. Click Connect and complete OAuth or enter your API key
  4. Try the tool again in ChatGPT

See Provider Credentials Guide for details.


Tools disappeared after working

Cause: ChatGPT might have disconnected the app.

Fix:

  1. Go to Settings → Apps
  2. Check if your app is still listed in "Enabled apps"
  3. If missing, add it again (steps 2-4 above)
  4. If present, click it and verify the URL is correct

ChatGPT says "I don't see any tools"

Possible causes:

  1. Bundle not enabled

    • Go to Dashboard → Bundles
    • Click your bundle
    • Make sure it shows "Ready - Credentials valid" or "Setup Required"
    • If disabled, click "Enable"
  2. App not added

    • Follow steps 2-4 above to create the app
    • Make sure it appears in "Enabled apps" section
  3. Wrong URL

    • Make sure you're using the MCP Server URL, not the bundle dashboard URL
  4. Developer mode not enabled

    • Go to Settings → Apps → Advanced settings
    • Make sure Developer mode toggle is ON

Tool fails with "Insufficient permissions"

Cause: OAuth scopes missing for the provider.

Fix:

  1. Dashboard → Providers
  2. Find the provider
  3. Click Reconnect
  4. Approve ALL permissions in the OAuth flow
  5. Try the tool again

See Scope Mismatch for details.


Limitations

ChatGPT MCP Constraints

  • One app at a time: ChatGPT can only use one MCP app per conversation
  • No parallel tool calls: Tools execute sequentially, not in parallel
  • Response token limit: Large tool results might be truncated
  • Rate limits: External API rate limits still apply

Bundle Readiness

ChatGPT can only use tools from bundles with valid credentials:

  • Ready - Credentials valid (all providers configured and working)
  • Setup Required (needs provider configuration for some tools)

If your bundle shows "Connection Error":

  1. Go to Dashboard → Bundles → Your bundle
  2. Look for "Configuration Required" section
  3. Click "Configure" next to each provider with issues
  4. Add or update credentials in the credential panel
  5. Select validation tool and click "Validate Now"
  6. Restart ChatGPT after credentials are verified

Advanced Tips

Multiple Bundles

To use multiple bundles:

  1. Add each as a separate app in Settings → Apps
  2. In a chat, ChatGPT will only use one app at a time
  3. To switch, start a new chat or manually specify which bundle

Better approach: Create a combined bundle with all the tools you need.


Tool Call Visibility

To see when ChatGPT is calling tools:

  1. Look for "Using [tool name]" messages in the chat
  2. ChatGPT shows tool calls in expandable sections
  3. You can see parameters passed and results returned

Useful for debugging when tools don't work as expected.


Performance Optimization

Tools can be slow if:

  • External APIs have high latency
  • Tools return large amounts of data
  • Multiple tools are called in sequence

Tips:

  • Ask specific questions to minimize tool calls
  • Use filters in tool parameters to reduce data returned
  • Break complex requests into smaller steps

Next Steps


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