# How to integrate Cardly MCP with Autogen

```json
{
  "title": "How to integrate Cardly MCP with Autogen",
  "toolkit": "Cardly",
  "toolkit_slug": "cardly",
  "framework": "AutoGen",
  "framework_slug": "autogen",
  "url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/autogen",
  "markdown_url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/autogen.md",
  "updated_at": "2026-05-12T10:05:45.764Z"
}
```

## Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Cardly to AutoGen using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Cardly agent that can create a new contact list named 'vip clients', list all available artwork for our next campaign, generate a preview of a card using latest artwork through natural language commands.
This guide will help you understand how to give your AutoGen agent real control over a Cardly account through Composio's Cardly MCP server.
Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

## Also integrate Cardly with

- [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/claude-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/claude-code)
- [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/claude-cowork)
- [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/codex)
- [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/openclaw)
- [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/hermes-agent)
- [CLI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/cli)
- [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/google-adk)
- [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/langchain)
- [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/ai-sdk)
- [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/mastra-ai)
- [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/llama-index)
- [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/crew-ai)

## TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:
- Get and set up your OpenAI and Composio API keys
- Install the required dependencies for Autogen and Composio
- Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Cardly
- Wire that MCP URL into Autogen using McpWorkbench and StreamableHttpServerParams
- Configure an Autogen AssistantAgent that can call Cardly tools
- Run a live chat loop where you ask the agent to perform Cardly operations

## What is AutoGen?

Autogen is a framework for building multi-agent conversational AI systems from Microsoft. It enables you to create agents that can collaborate, use tools, and maintain complex workflows.
Key features include:
- Multi-Agent Systems: Build collaborative agent workflows
- MCP Workbench: Native support for Model Context Protocol tools
- Streaming HTTP: Connect to external services through streamable HTTP
- AssistantAgent: Pre-built agent class for tool-using assistants

## What is the Cardly MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Cardly MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Cardly account. It provides structured and secure access to your Cardly workspace, so your agent can create contact lists, generate card previews, manage invitations, and access artwork or credit history for seamless customer engagement tasks.
- Automated contact list creation and management: Easily instruct your agent to set up new contact lists or manage existing ones, streamlining outreach campaigns and personalized mailings.
- Card preview generation and artwork browsing: Let your agent generate watermarked card previews and browse available artwork to help you select the right designs before sending mailers.
- Real-time credit and gift history access: Ask your agent to fetch your credit or gift credit history so you always know your account status and can track usage or plan new campaigns.
- Invitation and webhook management: Direct your agent to handle invitations—listing, deleting, or auditing user invites—or manage webhooks for seamless integration with other systems.
- Font and design asset exploration: Have your agent list available fonts and artwork, making it easier to choose creative assets for your next customer engagement initiative.

## Supported Tools

| Tool slug | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `CARDLY_CREATE_CONTACT_LIST` | Create Contact List | Tool to add a new contact list. Use after defining name and optional custom fields, before populating the list with contacts. |
| `CARDLY_CREATE_INVITATION` | Create Invitation | Tool to send an invitation to use your organisation portal. Use when you need to grant access to a new user by their email address. If the email already has access, the API will return an appropriate error. |
| `CARDLY_CREATE_WEBHOOK` | Create Webhook | Tool to create a new webhook subscription. Use when you need Cardly to notify your application via HTTP POST for specific events. |
| `CARDLY_DELETE_INVITATION` | Delete Invitation | Tool to delete an invitation by unique ID, immediately invalidating it for acceptance. Use when you need to revoke a pending invitation using its ID. |
| `CARDLY_DELETE_INVITATION_BY_EMAIL` | Delete Invitation by Email | Deletes a pending invitation by email address, immediately invalidating it and preventing acceptance. This action is idempotent - deleting a non-existent invitation returns success. Use when you need to revoke access before an invitation is accepted, such as when correcting mistakes or revoking access for security reasons. Note: In test mode, the API returns an empty data object instead of the deleted invitation details. |
| `CARDLY_DELETE_USER` | Delete User | Tool to delete a user by unique ID, immediately revoking their access to your organisation portal. Use when removing user access is required. Cannot remove users with administrator privileges - attempting to delete an admin will fail. |
| `CARDLY_DELETE_USER_BY_EMAIL` | Delete User by Email | Deletes a user by email address, immediately revoking their access to your organisation portal. This action cannot remove users with administrator privileges. Use when you need to revoke user access, such as when employees leave or access needs to be terminated. The API returns a 404 if no matching user is found. |
| `CARDLY_DELETE_WEBHOOK` | Delete Webhook | Tool to delete a webhook. Use after confirming the webhook ID to immediately cease all activity and event subscriptions for that webhook. |
| `CARDLY_ECHO_REQUEST` | Echo Request | Tool to echo all request parameters, body, and headers for debugging purposes. Use when validating authentication or testing API connectivity without affecting account data. |
| `CARDLY_GENERATE_PREVIEW` | Generate Preview | Tool to generate a low-quality, watermarked preview document for a card. Use after confirming artwork and template details to estimate costs and delivery. |
| `CARDLY_GET_ARTWORK` | Get Artwork | Tool to retrieve information on a specific piece of artwork by its unique ID. Use when you need to fetch detailed artwork data including preview images, media specifications, and metadata. The ID can be obtained from the List Artwork action. |
| `CARDLY_GET_WEBHOOK` | Get Webhook | Tool to get details on an existing webhook. Use this to retrieve information about a webhook's configuration, including its target URL, subscribed events, status, and metadata. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_ARTWORK` | List Artwork | Tool to retrieve the currently available artwork for your organisation. Use when you need to list and paginate artwork items, optionally filtering to only your own artwork. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_CONTACT_LISTS` | List Contact Lists | Tool to retrieve all active contact lists for your organization. Use when you need to list and paginate contact lists with their custom fields and automation rules. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_CREDIT_HISTORY` | List Credit History | Retrieves the account's credit transaction history showing all credits and debits. Returns a paginated list of balance changes with timestamps, amounts, and descriptions. Use to audit spending, review signup bonuses, track refunds, or investigate balance changes. Filter by date range using effectiveTime parameters. Supports standard pagination with limit and offset. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_DOODLES` | List Doodles | Retrieve your currently available doodles from Cardly. Returns doodle metadata including name and restriction status. Use this to discover available doodle designs before creating cards. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_FONTS` | List Fonts | List available fonts for handwriting and text personalization in Cardly cards. Returns font metadata including name, category, variants, and whether the font supports humanisation. Use this to discover font options before creating cards or generating previews. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_GIFT_CREDIT_HISTORY` | List Gift Credit History | Lists gift credit history records for your organization with pagination and optional time-based filtering. Gift credits are promotional credits that can be applied to orders. This action retrieves a history of gift credit additions, deductions, and balance changes. Returns empty results if no gift credit history exists. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_INVITATIONS` | List Invitations | Tool to retrieve active invitations for your organisation with optional filters. Use when you need to audit invited users and their statuses before sending new invitations or revoking access. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_MEDIA` | List Media | Tool to retrieve the currently available media sizes for product artwork. Use when you need to explore or validate media options before creating artwork. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_ORDERS` | List Orders | Retrieves a paginated list of orders placed by your organization. Returns detailed order information including customer details, costs, items, shipping info, and delivery tracking. Use optional limit and offset parameters to control pagination. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_TEMPLATES` | List Templates | Tool to retrieve your currently available templates from Cardly. Use to list and paginate templates for selection in card sends. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_USERS` | List Users | Tool to retrieve all users associated with your account. Use when you need to list and paginate user accounts. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_WEBHOOKS` | List Webhooks | Retrieves all webhooks configured for your organization, including their status, target URLs, subscribed events, and delivery statistics. Use this to audit existing webhooks, monitor their health, or get webhook IDs for updates/deletions. |
| `CARDLY_LIST_WRITING_STYLES` | List Writing Styles | Tool to list available writing styles. Use when you need to retrieve writing styles available for handwriting personalization. |
| `CARDLY_RETRIEVE_ACCOUNT_BALANCE` | Retrieve Account Balance | Tool to retrieve the current account and gift credit balances for your organisation. Use after authenticating to verify available credit before placing orders. |
| `CARDLY_RETRIEVE_ORDER` | Retrieve Order | Retrieves detailed information about a specific order by its ID. Returns complete order data including customer details, items, costs, delivery information, and tracking details. Use this after obtaining an order ID from the List Orders action or from a known order reference. |
| `CARDLY_RETRIEVE_USER` | Retrieve User | Retrieves detailed information about a specific user account by ID. Returns user profile data including name, email, status, and permissions. Use list_users to get available user IDs first. |
| `CARDLY_UPDATE_WEBHOOK` | Update Webhook | Tool to update a webhook’s settings, including target URL and events. Use after retrieving existing webhook to apply configuration changes. |

## Supported Triggers

None listed.

## Creating MCP Server - Stand-alone vs Composio SDK

The Cardly MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agents and assistants directly to Cardly. Instead of manually wiring Cardly APIs, OAuth, and scopes yourself, you get a structured, tool-based interface that an LLM can call safely.
With Composio's managed implementation, you don't have to create your own developer app. For production, if you're building an end product, we recommend using your own credentials. The managed server helps you prototype fast and go from 0-1 faster.

## Step-by-step Guide

### 1. Prerequisites

You will need:
- A Composio API key
- An OpenAI API key (used by Autogen's OpenAIChatCompletionClient)
- A Cardly account you can connect to Composio
- Some basic familiarity with Autogen and Python async

### 1. Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

OpenAI API Key
- Go to the [OpenAI dashboard](https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/api-keys) and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models, or you can connect to another model provider.
- Keep the API key safe.
Composio API Key
- Log in to the [Composio dashboard](https://dashboard.composio.dev?utm_source=toolkits&utm_medium=framework_docs).
- Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
- Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.

### 2. Install dependencies

Install Composio, Autogen extensions, and dotenv.
What's happening:
- composio connects your agent to Cardly via MCP
- autogen-agentchat provides the AssistantAgent class
- autogen-ext-openai provides the OpenAI model client
- autogen-ext-tools provides MCP workbench support
```bash
pip install composio python-dotenv
pip install autogen-agentchat autogen-ext-openai autogen-ext-tools
```

### 3. Set up environment variables

Create a .env file in your project folder.
What's happening:
- COMPOSIO_API_KEY is required to talk to Composio
- OPENAI_API_KEY is used by Autogen's OpenAI client
- USER_ID is how Composio identifies which user's Cardly connections to use
```bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your-composio-api-key
OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key
USER_ID=your-user-identifier@example.com
```

### 4. Import dependencies and create Tool Router session

What's happening:
- load_dotenv() reads your .env file
- Composio(api_key=...) initializes the SDK
- create(...) creates a Tool Router session that exposes Cardly tools
- session.mcp.url is the MCP endpoint that Autogen will connect to
```python
import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from composio import Composio

from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent
from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient
from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench, StreamableHttpServerParams

load_dotenv()

async def main():
    # Initialize Composio and create a Cardly session
    composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY"))
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["cardly"]
    )
    url = session.mcp.url
```

### 5. Configure MCP parameters for Autogen

Autogen expects parameters describing how to talk to the MCP server. That is what StreamableHttpServerParams is for.
What's happening:
- url points to the Tool Router MCP endpoint from Composio
- timeout is the HTTP timeout for requests
- sse_read_timeout controls how long to wait when streaming responses
- terminate_on_close=True cleans up the MCP server process when the workbench is closed
```python
# Configure MCP server parameters for Streamable HTTP
server_params = StreamableHttpServerParams(
    url=url,
    timeout=30.0,
    sse_read_timeout=300.0,
    terminate_on_close=True,
    headers={"x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")}
)
```

### 6. Create the model client and agent

What's happening:
- OpenAIChatCompletionClient wraps the OpenAI model for Autogen
- McpWorkbench connects the agent to the MCP tools
- AssistantAgent is configured with the Cardly tools from the workbench
```python
# Create model client
model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient(
    model="gpt-5",
    api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY")
)

# Use McpWorkbench as context manager
async with McpWorkbench(server_params) as workbench:
    # Create Cardly assistant agent with MCP tools
    agent = AssistantAgent(
        name="cardly_assistant",
        description="An AI assistant that helps with Cardly operations.",
        model_client=model_client,
        workbench=workbench,
        model_client_stream=True,
        max_tool_iterations=10
    )
```

### 7. Run the interactive chat loop

What's happening:
- The script prompts you in a loop with You:
- Autogen passes your input to the model, which decides which Cardly tools to call via MCP
- agent.run_stream(...) yields streaming messages as the agent thinks and calls tools
- Typing exit, quit, or bye ends the loop
```python
print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n")
print("Ask any Cardly related question or task to the agent.\n")

# Conversation loop
while True:
    user_input = input("You: ").strip()

    if user_input.lower() in ["exit", "quit", "bye"]:
        print("\nGoodbye!")
        break

    if not user_input:
        continue

    print("\nAgent is thinking...\n")

    # Run the agent with streaming
    try:
        response_text = ""
        async for message in agent.run_stream(task=user_input):
            if hasattr(message, "content") and message.content:
                response_text = message.content

        # Print the final response
        if response_text:
            print(f"Agent: {response_text}\n")
        else:
            print("Agent: I encountered an issue processing your request.\n")

    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Agent: Sorry, I encountered an error: {str(e)}\n")
```

## Complete Code

```python
import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from composio import Composio

from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent
from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient
from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench, StreamableHttpServerParams

load_dotenv()

async def main():
    # Initialize Composio and create a Cardly session
    composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY"))
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["cardly"]
    )
    url = session.mcp.url

    # Configure MCP server parameters for Streamable HTTP
    server_params = StreamableHttpServerParams(
        url=url,
        timeout=30.0,
        sse_read_timeout=300.0,
        terminate_on_close=True,
        headers={"x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")}
    )

    # Create model client
    model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient(
        model="gpt-5",
        api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY")
    )

    # Use McpWorkbench as context manager
    async with McpWorkbench(server_params) as workbench:
        # Create Cardly assistant agent with MCP tools
        agent = AssistantAgent(
            name="cardly_assistant",
            description="An AI assistant that helps with Cardly operations.",
            model_client=model_client,
            workbench=workbench,
            model_client_stream=True,
            max_tool_iterations=10
        )

        print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n")
        print("Ask any Cardly related question or task to the agent.\n")

        # Conversation loop
        while True:
            user_input = input("You: ").strip()

            if user_input.lower() in ['exit', 'quit', 'bye']:
                print("\nGoodbye!")
                break

            if not user_input:
                continue

            print("\nAgent is thinking...\n")

            # Run the agent with streaming
            try:
                response_text = ""
                async for message in agent.run_stream(task=user_input):
                    if hasattr(message, 'content') and message.content:
                        response_text = message.content

                # Print the final response
                if response_text:
                    print(f"Agent: {response_text}\n")
                else:
                    print("Agent: I encountered an issue processing your request.\n")

            except Exception as e:
                print(f"Agent: Sorry, I encountered an error: {str(e)}\n")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())
```

## Conclusion

You now have an Autogen assistant wired into Cardly through Composio's Tool Router and MCP. From here you can:
- Add more toolkits to the toolkits list, for example notion or hubspot
- Refine the agent description to point it at specific workflows
- Wrap this script behind a UI, Slack bot, or internal tool
Once the pattern is clear for Cardly, you can reuse the same structure for other MCP-enabled apps with minimal code changes.

## How to build Cardly MCP Agent with another framework

- [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/claude-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/claude-code)
- [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/claude-cowork)
- [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/codex)
- [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/openclaw)
- [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/hermes-agent)
- [CLI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/cli)
- [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/google-adk)
- [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/langchain)
- [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/ai-sdk)
- [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/mastra-ai)
- [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/llama-index)
- [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cardly/framework/crew-ai)

## Related Toolkits

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- [Active campaign](https://composio.dev/toolkits/active_campaign) - ActiveCampaign is a marketing automation and CRM platform for managing email campaigns, sales pipelines, and customer segmentation. It helps businesses engage customers and drive growth through smart automation and targeted outreach.
- [ActiveTrail](https://composio.dev/toolkits/active_trail) - ActiveTrail is a user-friendly email marketing and automation platform. It helps you reach subscribers and automate campaigns with ease.
- [Ahrefs](https://composio.dev/toolkits/ahrefs) - Ahrefs is an SEO and marketing platform for site audits, keyword research, and competitor insights. It helps you improve search rankings and drive organic traffic.
- [Amcards](https://composio.dev/toolkits/amcards) - AMCards lets you create and mail personalized greeting cards online. Build stronger customer relationships with easy, automated card campaigns.
- [Beamer](https://composio.dev/toolkits/beamer) - Beamer is a news and changelog platform for in-app announcements and feature updates. It helps companies boost user engagement by sharing news where users are most active.
- [Benchmark email](https://composio.dev/toolkits/benchmark_email) - Benchmark Email is a platform for creating, sending, and tracking email campaigns. It's built to help you engage audiences and analyze results—all in one place.
- [Bigmailer](https://composio.dev/toolkits/bigmailer) - BigMailer is an email marketing platform for managing multiple brands with white-labeling and automation. It helps teams streamline campaigns and simplify integration with Amazon SES.
- [Brandfetch](https://composio.dev/toolkits/brandfetch) - Brandfetch is an API that delivers company logos, colors, and visual branding assets. It helps marketers and developers keep brand visuals consistent everywhere.
- [Brevo](https://composio.dev/toolkits/brevo) - Brevo is an all-in-one email and SMS marketing platform for transactional messaging, automation, and CRM. It helps businesses engage customers and streamline communications through powerful campaign tools.
- [Campayn](https://composio.dev/toolkits/campayn) - Campayn is an email marketing platform for creating, sending, and managing campaigns. It helps businesses engage contacts and grow audiences with easy-to-use tools.
- [ClickSend](https://composio.dev/toolkits/clicksend) - ClickSend is a cloud-based SMS and email marketing platform for businesses. It streamlines communication by enabling quick message delivery and contact management.
- [Crustdata](https://composio.dev/toolkits/crustdata) - CrustData is an AI-powered data intelligence platform for real-time company and people data. It helps B2B sales teams, AI SDRs, and investors react to live business signals.
- [Curated](https://composio.dev/toolkits/curated) - Curated is a platform for collecting, curating, and publishing newsletters. It streamlines content aggregation and distribution for creators and teams.
- [Customerio](https://composio.dev/toolkits/customerio) - Customer.io is a customer engagement platform for targeted messaging across email, SMS, and push. Easily automate, segment, and track communications with your audience.
- [Cutt ly](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cutt_ly) - Cutt.ly is a URL shortening service for managing and analyzing links. Streamline your workflows with quick, trackable, and branded short URLs.
- [Demio](https://composio.dev/toolkits/demio) - Demio is webinar software built for marketers, offering both live and automated sessions with interactive features. It helps teams engage audiences and optimize lead generation through detailed analytics.
- [Doppler marketing automation](https://composio.dev/toolkits/doppler_marketing_automation) - Doppler marketing automation is a platform for creating, sending, and tracking email campaigns. It helps you automate marketing workflows and manage subscriber lists for better engagement.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Cardly MCP?

With a standalone Cardly MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Cardly tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Cardly and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

### Can I use Tool Router MCP with Autogen?

Yes, you can. Autogen fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Cardly tools.

### Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Cardly while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Cardly scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

### How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Cardly data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

---
[See all toolkits](https://composio.dev/toolkits) · [Composio docs](https://docs.composio.dev/llms.txt)
