MCP Server

Overview

The Shippo MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server lets AI assistants and LLMs interact with the Shippo API in natural language: compare carrier rates, buy shipping labels, track packages, validate addresses, handle customs for international shipments, and process batches. To connect, point any MCP-compatible client at Shippo’s hosted server, https://mcp.shippo.com, and authorize with your Shippo account. Nothing to install, no API key to manage. In Claude (claude.ai and Claude Desktop) and in ChatGPT, you can add Shippo directly from the directory in one click, with the Shippo icon.

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol, developed by Anthropic, that standardizes how AI applications connect to external tools and data. The Shippo MCP Server implements it, making Shippo’s shipping capabilities available to MCP-compatible clients such as Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor.

Features

The Shippo MCP Server provides access to core Shippo API functionality:

Address Management

Validate addresses: verify and standardize shipping addresses
Create address records: store addresses for future use
Address book: manage sender and recipient addresses

Shipping Operations

Create shipments: set up shipments with origin, destination, and parcel details
Get rates: compare shipping rates across multiple carriers
Generate labels: purchase shipping labels for your shipments
Track packages: monitor shipment status and location

Carrier Accounts

List carrier accounts: view all connected carrier accounts
Manage carriers: add or update carrier account settings
Multi-carrier support: works with USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and more

International Shipping

Customs declarations: create customs documentation for international shipments
Customs items: define items for customs processing
Multi-country support: ship internationally with proper documentation

Advanced Features

Batch operations: process multiple shipments at once
Pickups: schedule carrier pickups
Manifests: generate end-of-day manifests
Webhooks: set up event notifications

Connect to the hosted server

Connect any MCP-compatible client to https://mcp.shippo.com. The first time you use it, your client opens a Shippo sign-in window. Authorize it once and you are connected.

Setting	Value
Server URL	`https://mcp.shippo.com`
Transport	Remote MCP over streamable HTTPS
Authentication	Sign in to Shippo (OAuth)

There is no API key to configure for the hosted server: authentication is handled by signing in to your Shippo account. The hosted server operates against your live Shippo account; see Live account and charges.

Quick add (one click). Each button configures your client with the hosted server, https://mcp.shippo.com; you still complete the Shippo sign-in on first use. If your client is not listed, follow the per-client steps below.

Cursor

VS Code

LM Studio

Goose

Claude and ChatGPT both let you add Shippo in one click from their directories; see their per-client sections below.

Claude (claude.ai and Claude Desktop)

Shippo is a published connector in Claude’s directory, so you add it by name (with the Shippo icon) rather than pasting a URL. The directory is shared across claude.ai (web), Claude Desktop, and Claude mobile, so the steps are the same on each.

Shippo in the Claude connector directory

Open Connectors

On claude.ai, open Customize in the sidebar and go to Connectors. In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.

Browse the directory

Click +, choose Browse connectors, and find Shippo in the list.

Connect

Click Connect on the Shippo listing, then complete the Shippo sign-in when prompted. The connector uses the hosted server https://mcp.shippo.com; there is nothing to install and no API key to enter.

Team and Enterprise admins can enable Shippo for the whole organization: in Admin settings → Connectors, click Browse connectors, find Shippo, and add it for your organization. Enabling it lists Shippo for members but does not sign them in; each member connects it under Customize → Connectors and completes the Shippo sign-in on first use. On Team plans, members who cannot add connectors see a Request button that notifies an admin instead.

If you do not see Shippo in the directory (for example, if your organization limits directory connectors), you can still add it as a custom connector: click +, choose Add custom connector, name it Shippo, paste the server URL https://mcp.shippo.com, leave the advanced OAuth fields blank, and click Add. Same hosted server, same sign-in.

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http shippo https://mcp.shippo.com

Then run /mcp, select the Shippo server, and complete the browser sign-in to authorize.

ChatGPT

Shippo is available in ChatGPT’s app directory, so you can add it by name instead of pasting a URL. In the ChatGPT sidebar, open the Apps tab, find Shippo, click Connect, and complete the Shippo sign-in. This works on free and paid plans.

Shippo in the ChatGPT directory

If your workspace does not show Shippo in the directory (some Business and Enterprise workspaces limit which apps appear, and an admin may need to allow it first), you can still add it manually: open Settings and go to the connectors area (labeled Apps, Connectors, or Plugins depending on your plan and version; some versions require turning on a developer or advanced option first), add a connector named Shippo with the server URL https://mcp.shippo.com and Authentication set to OAuth, then complete the Shippo sign-in. Same hosted server, same sign-in.

To use Shippo in a conversation, mention it with @Shippo or open the + menu in the message box and select Shippo. Then ask in natural language, for example: “What are the cheapest rates to ship a 2 lb box from San Francisco to Austin, TX?”

Cursor

Add a remote MCP server in .cursor/mcp.json (project) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shippo": {
      "url": "https://mcp.shippo.com"
    }
  }
}

Cursor supports OAuth for remote MCP servers. After saving the config, open Settings → Tools & Integrations, find Shippo, and complete the sign-in prompt.

Other MCP clients

Any client that supports a remote MCP server over HTTP with OAuth can connect: use the URL https://mcp.shippo.com and complete the Shippo authorization when prompted. The server is also listed in the official MCP Registry as com.shippo/shippo-mcp, so clients with registry-based discovery can find and add it by name.

Stdio-only clients (npm bridge)

Use the bridge only when your client cannot connect to remote MCP servers. If your client supports remote MCP with OAuth, connect to https://mcp.shippo.com directly (see above): same account, same tools, one less moving part.

If your client can only launch a local MCP server (stdio), use the @shippo/shippo-mcp npm package. It is a thin local bridge to the same hosted server: the first request opens the Shippo sign-in in your browser, and tool discovery and execution happen on the hosted server, so its tools always match the connector above. Requires Node.js 18+.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shippo": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@shippo/shippo-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Skills and knowledge for AI assistants

The connector gives your assistant Shippo’s tools, the actions above. To also give it Shippo know-how, so it picks the right service, formats addresses and customs data correctly, and follows shipping best practices, add Shippo’s skills and reference knowledge as context. Shippo maintains ready-to-use skills and assistant integrations in the open-source goshippo/ai repository:

Claude: install the Shippo plugin, which bundles this MCP connector together with Shippo’s skills.
- Claude Code: run /plugin marketplace add goshippo/ai, then /plugin install shippo@shippo.
- Claude apps (claude.ai and Desktop): download the Shippo plugin from the latest release and add it in the Plugins UI. A Team or Enterprise admin can install it for everyone under Organization settings → Plugins.
ChatGPT, Cursor, and other assistants: download the Shippo knowledge pack and add it as context (a Project file, a custom GPT’s knowledge, or an attached document), then connect the MCP server above so the assistant can act on it.

Knowledge plus the connector is the full experience: the assistant understands how to ship and can actually do it. Knowledge on its own lets it advise you and draft API requests; add the connector when you want it to fetch live rates, buy labels, or track packages.

Usage examples

Once connected, you can interact with Shippo through natural language:

Create a shipping label

Create a shipping label from:
123 Main St, San Francisco, CA 94105

To:
456 Market St, New York, NY 10001

Package dimensions: 10x8x6 inches, 2 lbs

Track a package

Track package with tracking number: 1Z999AA10123456784

Validate an address

Validate this address:
215 Clayton St, San Francisco, CA 94117

Compare shipping rates

Get shipping rates for a 5lb package (12x10x8 inches)
from Los Angeles, CA 90001 to Chicago, IL 60601

Actions that buy a label or otherwise change your account ask for confirmation before they run.

Live account and charges

The hosted MCP server authorizes your live Shippo account, so:

Read operations are free: comparing rates and validating addresses do not charge your account, and tracking packages purchased through Shippo is free too. Tracking a package purchased outside Shippo is a billable action.
Buying a label is a live action that charges your account. Write actions such as purchasing a label ask for confirmation before they run.

The hosted MCP server has no separate test mode. If you need test labels and mock tracking for development, use a test API key (shippo_test_) directly against the Shippo API, see Testing the Shippo API. Test and live data (and object IDs) are completely separate.

Security

Requests are sent to Shippo’s hosted MCP server over HTTPS, authenticated by your per-user Shippo authorization, and forwarded to the Shippo API on your behalf. There is no API key to store and no local process in the path. To disconnect, remove the Shippo connector from your client’s settings and revoke access from your Shippo account if desired.

Troubleshooting

Shippo isn’t in your directory: the listing may still be rolling out to your client, or your workspace limits directory connectors. Add it as a custom connector with the URL https://mcp.shippo.com (see the Claude or ChatGPT steps above).
Shippo doesn’t appear in the connector or tool picker: confirm the server was added and the Shippo sign-in completed. Reopen your client’s connector settings to check its status.
You’re asked to sign in again: the authorization session expired. Re-authorize from the connector settings (in Claude Code, run /mcp).
The sign-in window is blocked: allow pop-ups for your client and retry.

Resources

Support

For questions or issues:

About Shippo

Connect with multiple carriers, get discounted shipping labels, track parcels, and much more with just one integration. You can use your own carrier accounts or take advantage of Shippo’s discounted rates. Shippo simplifies carrier integrations, rate shopping, tracking, and the entire shipping workflow.

Overview

Get started

AI & agents

Guides

Concepts

Overview

What is MCP?

Features

Connect to the hosted server

Cursor

VS Code

LM Studio

Goose

Claude (claude.ai and Claude Desktop)

Shippo in the Claude connector directory

Claude Code

ChatGPT

Shippo in the ChatGPT directory

Cursor

Other MCP clients

Stdio-only clients (npm bridge)

Skills and knowledge for AI assistants

Usage examples

Create a shipping label

Track a package

Validate an address

Compare shipping rates

Live account and charges

Security

Troubleshooting

Resources

Support

About Shippo

​Overview

​What is MCP?

​Features

​Connect to the hosted server

Cursor

VS Code

LM Studio

Goose

​Claude (claude.ai and Claude Desktop)

Shippo in the Claude connector directory

​Claude Code

​ChatGPT

Shippo in the ChatGPT directory

​Cursor

​Other MCP clients

​Stdio-only clients (npm bridge)

​Skills and knowledge for AI assistants

​Usage examples

​Create a shipping label

​Track a package

​Validate an address

​Compare shipping rates

​Live account and charges

​Security

​Troubleshooting

​Resources

​Support

​About Shippo

Overview

What is MCP?

Features

Connect to the hosted server

Claude (claude.ai and Claude Desktop)

Claude Code

ChatGPT

Cursor

Other MCP clients

Stdio-only clients (npm bridge)

Skills and knowledge for AI assistants

Usage examples

Create a shipping label

Track a package

Validate an address

Compare shipping rates

Live account and charges

Security

Troubleshooting

Resources

Support

About Shippo