MCP
Connect AI/ML API to your AI client — Claude Desktop, Claude (web), Cursor, Claude Code, and other MCP-capable apps — over the Model Context Protocol using OAuth.
You sign in with your AI/ML API account in the browser; there is no API key to copy or paste. Once connected, you can discover and compare models, run inference (LLM / image / video / audio / embeddings), manage long-running generation jobs, and check your balance — directly from the client.
Usage is billed to your AI/ML API account, exactly like the REST API.
Prefer to paste an API key instead of signing in? That method is also supported — add an
Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_AIMLAPI_KEY>header instead of using OAuth. This guide covers the OAuth (browser sign-in) flow.
Prerequisites
An AI/ML API account — create one at https://aimlapi.com.
A client that supports remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP with OAuth (all clients below do).
A balance on your account if you plan to run billable inference (top up at https://aimlapi.com/app/billing).
A correct system clock. OAuth tokens are time-sensitive — if your computer's date, time, or time zone is wrong, the sign-in will fail (and some clients won't even start the session). Make sure the clock is set automatically / synced before you begin.
Endpoint
Production
https://mcp.aimlapi.com/mcp
You only ever enter this one URL. Your client discovers everything else (the sign-in page, how to register, how to get a token) automatically.
How the OAuth connection works
When you add the server URL without an API key, your client:
Contacts the MCP server and is told that authentication is required.
Automatically discovers the AI/ML API authorization server.
Registers itself and opens your browser.
You sign in to AI/ML API and approve access; the client receives a token and connects.
You never handle a key. The client stores the token securely and refreshes it for you.
Note on the "Connect" button (Claude Desktop & web). Adding the connector only registers it — it does not sign you in. After you add it, the connector appears with a Connect button; you must click Connect to open the browser and complete the AI/ML API sign-in. Until you click Connect and approve, the connector stays added but not authenticated, and its tools will not work.
Claude Desktop
Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
Name:
AIMLAPI· Remote MCP server URL:https://mcp.aimlapi.com/mcpClick Add. The connector is now registered.
Click Connect on the AIMLAPI connector. A browser window opens → sign in to AI/ML API → approve access.
The connector shows connected, and the AI/ML API tools become available in your chats.
Verify: open a chat and ask "Use AI/ML API to check my account balance." A returned balance confirms the connection and authorization are working.
Remove: Settings → Connectors → AI/ML API → Remove / Disconnect.
Claude (web — claude.ai)
Open Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector (on Team/Enterprise plans this is done by an Owner under Organization settings → Connectors).
Enter the URL
https://mcp.aimlapi.com/mcpand add it.Click Connect on the AIMLAPI connector. A browser flow opens → sign in to AI/ML API → approve → connected.
Verify: ask "Use AI/ML API to check my account balance."
Custom-connector availability depends on your Claude plan.
Remove: Settings → Connectors → AI/ML API → Remove.
Cursor
Add the server to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or .cursor/mcp.json (project). Do not add a headers block — leaving it out is what triggers the OAuth flow:
Then open Cursor Settings → Tools & Integrations and find aimlapi. It usually appears Disabled first — click ···→ Enable, then click Login. A browser opens → sign in to AI/ML API → Allow. The server turns green when connected.
Verify: in an Agent chat, ask "Using aimlapi, check my account balance."
Remove: Cursor cannot delete an MCP server from the UI — the ··· menu only offers Configure / Reload / Enable. To remove it, open ~/.cursor/mcp.json (the Configure dialog shows its path) and delete the aimlapi block, then Reload or restart Cursor. Note: turning off the source toggle only hides the server from the UI — the entry stays in the file until you delete it there.
Claude Code (CLI)
By default this adds the server in local scope — it is only available inside the current folder / project. To make it available everywhere, add --scope user:
Then, inside an interactive Claude Code session, run /mcp, select aimlapi, and choose Authenticate — a browser opens for you to sign in. (Do not pass an --header flag; that switches the client to API-key auth instead of OAuth.)
Verify: run claude mcp list (the server should show as connected), or in a session ask "Use the aimlapi MCP to check my account balance."
Remove: claude mcp remove aimlapi (confirm with claude mcp list).
Other MCP clients
Any client implementing the MCP authorization spec (OAuth 2.1 + PKCE with dynamic client registration) works the same way: point it at https://mcp.aimlapi.com/mcp with no API key and complete the browser sign-in. To inspect the flow step by step, use the MCP Inspector:
Set Transport = Streamable HTTP, URL = https://mcp.aimlapi.com/mcp, then use Open Auth Settings → Quick OAuth Flow.
What you can do once connected
Discover models — search and compare the catalog, get a comparable headline price.
Run inference — LLM chat, embeddings, image / video / audio generation.
Manage jobs — submit long-running generations and poll their status/results.
Account — check your balance and usage.
Every call is billed to your AIML API account, just like the REST API.
Example requests
Once connected, you talk to AIML API in plain language from your client. Because AIML API is an aggregator of 1000+ models, you can do things no single-provider MCP can.
Pick the right model for the job (unique to an aggregator)
"Find the cheapest model with function calling and 128k context, and show the cost per 1M tokens."
"Compare GPT-5.6 Sol and Claude Opus 4.8 on price and context window."
"Which AIML API model is best for coding agents?"
"Run this prompt through the top 3 models and show me the answers side by side."
Keep an eye on spend (AI FinOps)
"What's my AIML API balance?"
"How much have I spent this month, and on what?"
"Suggest a cheaper model for my last task."
Discover the catalog
"List the newest LLMs on AIML API."
"Show me all image models and their prices."
Run inference
"Explain OAuth in two sentences."
"Generate an image of a mountain lake at sunset with Nano Banana 2."
"Create embeddings for these three sentences."
Your client picks the right AIML API tool automatically and streams the result back into the chat.
Managing the connection
To stop using AIML API from a client, remove or disconnect the AI/ML API connector — the exact step differs per client:
Claude Desktop
Settings → Connectors → AI/ML API → Remove / Disconnect.
Claude (web)
Settings → Connectors → AI/ML API → Remove.
Cursor
Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json and delete the aimlapi block (cannot be removed from the UI), then Reload / restart Cursor.
Claude Code
claude mcp remove aimlapi.
Clean reinstall. Removing the connector in the client does not always revoke the OAuth token on the AI/ML API side. For a fully clean reinstall — one that shows the sign-in / approval screen again — also revoke the app's access in your AI/ML API account (Authorized apps / Connections → Revoke) before adding the server back.
Troubleshooting
Browser didn't open, or the client is stuck "connecting"
Remove the connector and add it again; make sure you clicked Connect and completed the AI/ML API sign-in in the browser.
Session won't start / "clock is set incorrectly" / sign-in fails immediately
Your system clock is wrong. Set the date, time, and time zone automatically, then retry — OAuth tokens are time-sensitive.
Connector added but tools don't work
You likely didn't click Connect (Desktop / web) or Enable + Login (Cursor). The connector must be authenticated, not just added.
Server shows Disabled in Cursor after editing mcp.json
Open ···→ Enable, then Login to authenticate.
MCP works in one folder but is missing in another (Claude Code)
It was added in local scope. Re-add with --scope user to make it global.
Reinstalled but never asked to sign in again
The old OAuth token is still valid. Revoke the app in AI/ML API → Authorized apps, then reconnect.
Connected, but inference fails with an insufficient-balance error
Top up at https://aimlapi.com/app/billing.
The client connects but never asks you to sign in
You likely added an Authorization header — with a header the client uses API-key auth, not OAuth. Remove the header to use OAuth.
"Sign-in failed" / authorization error
Confirm you're signing in to the correct AI/ML API account, then retry from the client.
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