How to integrate Dovetail MCP with Claude Code

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Introduction

Manage your Dovetail directly from Claude Code with zero worries about OAuth hassles, API-breaking issues, or reliability and security concerns.

You can do this in two different ways:

  1. Via Composio Connect - Direct and easiest approach
  2. Via Composio SDK - Programmatic approach with more control

Also integrate Dovetail with

Why use Composio?

  • Only one MCP URL to connect multiple apps with Claude Code with zero auth hassles.
  • Programmatic tool calling allows LLMs to write its code in a remote workbench to handle complex tool chaining. Reduces to-and-fro with LLMs for frequent tool calling.
  • Handling Large tool responses out of LLM context to minimize context rot.
  • Dynamic just-in-time access to 20,000 tools across 1000+ other Apps for cross-app workflows. It loads the tools you need, so LLMs aren't overwhelmed by tools you don't need.

Connecting Dovetail to Claude Code using Composio

1. Add the Composio MCP to Claude

Terminal

2. Start Claude Code

bash
claude

3. Open your MCP list

bash
/mcp

4. Select Composio and click on Authenticate

Select Composio and click Authenticate

5. This will redirect you to the Composio OAuth page. Complete the flow by authorizing Composio and you're all set.

Composio OAuth authorization page
Composio authorization complete
Ask Claude to connect to your account and authenticate via the link

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Create ChannelCreates a new channel in Dovetail to organize and collect feedback data.
Create ContactTool to create a new contact in Dovetail.
Create DataTool to create a data item in a Dovetail project with text content, title, and/or structured fields.
Create Data PointTool to create a data point within a channel.
Create DocTool to create a doc in a Dovetail project with text content, title and/or custom fields.
Create InsightCreates a new insight in Dovetail to store synthesized research findings, observations, or conclusions.
Create NoteTool to create a note in a Dovetail project with text content, title and/or custom fields.
Create ProjectTool to create a new project in your Dovetail workspace.
Create TopicTool to create a new topic in a Dovetail channel.
Delete ChannelTool to delete an existing channel.
Delete DataTool to delete an existing data item.
Delete DocTool to delete an existing doc.
Delete InsightTool to delete an existing insight.
Delete NoteTool to delete an existing note.
Delete TopicTool to delete an existing topic.
Export DataTool to export data in HTML or Markdown format.
Export DocTool to export a doc in HTML or Markdown format.
Export InsightTool to export an insight in HTML or Markdown format.
Export NoteTool to export a note from Dovetail in HTML or Markdown format.
Get ContactTool to retrieve details of a specific contact.
Get DataTool to retrieve details of a specific data item by ID.
Get DocTool to retrieve details of a specific doc by ID.
Get FileTool to retrieve details of a specific file by its ID.
Get FolderTool to retrieve details of a specific folder.
Get InsightTool to retrieve details of a specific insight by ID.
Get NoteTool to retrieve details of a specific note.
Get ProjectTool to retrieve details of a specific project.
Get Token InfoRetrieves information about the current API token, including its unique identifier and the associated workspace subdomain.
Import Data FileTool to import a public URL of a file as new data in Dovetail.
Import Doc FileTool to import a public file URL as a new doc in Dovetail.
Import Insight from FileTool to import a file from a public URL as a new insight in Dovetail.
Import Note FileTool to import a file from a public URL as a new note in Dovetail.
List ContactsRetrieves a paginated list of contacts from a Dovetail workspace.
List DataTool to list data items in Dovetail.
List DocsTool to list docs in a Dovetail workspace with optional filtering, sorting, and pagination.
List FoldersTool to get a list of folders associated with a workspace.
List HighlightsList highlights from your Dovetail workspace with optional filtering and pagination.
List InsightsTool to get a list of insights associated with a workspace.
List NotesList notes in Dovetail workspace with optional pagination and sorting.
List ProjectsTool to list all projects in Dovetail.
List TagsList all tags in the authenticated Dovetail workspace.
List User DocsTool to get a list of docs associated with a user in Dovetail.
List User InsightsList personal insights for a user in Dovetail.
Magic SearchTool to perform a magic search across workspace data.
Update ChannelTool to update an existing channel's title or context.
Update ContactTool to update an existing contact in Dovetail.
Update DataTool to update a data item in Dovetail.
Update DocTool to update a doc in Dovetail.
Update InsightUpdates an existing insight in Dovetail, allowing you to modify the title and custom fields.
Update NoteTool to update an existing note in Dovetail.
Update TopicTool to update an existing topic.

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

The Dovetail MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Dovetail account. It provides structured and secure access to your research workspace, so your agent can perform actions like creating insights, managing contacts, organizing channels, and retrieving research notes on your behalf.

  • Automated insight creation: Let your agent synthesize findings and store new insights in your Dovetail projects, streamlining your research analysis workflow.
  • Channel and topic management: Easily create, organize, or delete channels and topics to keep your research data structured and accessible.
  • Contact management and retrieval: Automatically add new research contacts or list all contacts in your workspace for better respondent tracking.
  • Research note access: Ask your agent to fetch detailed information about specific notes, giving you instant access to key research materials.
  • Data point recording and classification: Capture and categorize new data points within channels, ensuring every piece of feedback or observation is logged and ready for analysis.

Connecting Dovetail via Composio SDK

Composio SDK is the underlying tech that powers Rube. It's a universal gateway that does everything Rube does but with much more programmatic control. You can programmatically generate an MCP URL with the app you need (here Dovetail) for even more tool search precision. It's secure and reliable.

How the Composio SDK works

The Composio SDK follows a three-phase workflow:

  1. Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
  2. Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
  3. Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Claude Pro, Max, or API billing enabled Anthropic account
  • Composio API Key
  • A Dovetail account
  • Basic knowledge of Python or TypeScript

Install Claude Code

bash
# macOS, Linux, WSL
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

# Windows PowerShell
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

# Windows CMD
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

To install Claude Code, use one of the following methods based on your operating system:

Set up Claude Code

bash
cd your-project-folder
claude

Open a terminal, go to your project folder, and start Claude Code:

  • Claude Code will open in your terminal
  • Follow the prompts to sign in with your Anthropic account
  • Complete the authentication flow
  • Once authenticated, you can start using Claude Code
Claude Code initial setup showing sign-in prompt
Claude Code terminal after successful login

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here

Create a .env file in your project root with the following variables:

  • COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio (get it from Composio dashboard)
  • USER_ID identifies the user for session management (use any unique identifier)

Install Composio library

pip install composio-core python-dotenv

Install the Composio Python library to create MCP sessions.

  • composio-core provides the core Composio functionality
  • python-dotenv loads environment variables from your .env file

Generate Composio MCP URL

import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

COMPOSIO_API_KEY = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
USER_ID = os.getenv("USER_ID")

composio_client = Composio(api_key=COMPOSIO_API_KEY)

composio_session = composio_client.create(
    user_id=USER_ID,
    toolkits=["dovetail"],
)

COMPOSIO_MCP_URL = composio_session.mcp.url

print(f"MCP URL: {COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}")
print(f"\nUse this command to add to Claude Code:")
print(f'claude mcp add --transport http dovetail-composio "{COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}" --headers "X-API-Key:{COMPOSIO_API_KEY}"')

Create a script to generate a Composio MCP URL for Dovetail. This URL will be used to connect Claude Code to Dovetail.

What's happening:
  • We import the Composio client and load environment variables
  • Create a Composio instance with your API key
  • Call create() to create a Tool Router session for Dovetail
  • The returned mcp.url is the MCP server URL that Claude Code will use
  • The script prints this URL so you can copy it

Run the script and copy the MCP URL

python generate_mcp_url.py

Run your Python script to generate the MCP URL.

  • The script connects to Composio and creates a Tool Router session
  • It prints the MCP URL and the exact command you need to run
  • Copy the entire claude mcp add command from the output

Add Dovetail MCP to Claude Code

bash
claude mcp add --transport http dovetail-composio "YOUR_MCP_URL_HERE" --headers "X-API-Key:YOUR_COMPOSIO_API_KEY"

# Then restart Claude Code
exit
claude

In your terminal, add the MCP server using the command from the previous step. The command format is:

  • claude mcp add registers a new MCP server with Claude Code
  • --transport http specifies that this is an HTTP-based MCP server
  • The server name (dovetail-composio) is how you'll reference it
  • The URL points to your Composio Tool Router session
  • --headers includes your Composio API key for authentication

After running the command, close the current Claude Code session and start a new one for the changes to take effect.

Verify the installation

bash
claude mcp list

Check that your Dovetail MCP server is properly configured.

  • This command lists all MCP servers registered with Claude Code
  • You should see your dovetail-composio entry in the list
  • This confirms that Claude Code can now access Dovetail tools

If everything is wired up, you should see your dovetail-composio entry listed:

Claude Code MCP list showing the toolkit MCP server

Authenticate Dovetail

The first time you try to use Dovetail tools, you'll be prompted to authenticate.

  • Claude Code will detect that you need to authenticate with Dovetail
  • It will show you an authentication link
  • Open the link in your browser (or copy/paste it)
  • Complete the Dovetail authorization flow
  • Return to the terminal and start using Dovetail through Claude Code

Once authenticated, you can ask Claude Code to perform Dovetail operations in natural language. For example:

  • "Summarize all data points for project X"
  • "Create a new insight from interview notes"
  • "List every contact added this month"

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Dovetail and Claude Code:

import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

COMPOSIO_API_KEY = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
USER_ID = os.getenv("USER_ID")

composio_client = Composio(api_key=COMPOSIO_API_KEY)

composio_session = composio_client.create(
    user_id=USER_ID,
    toolkits=["dovetail"],
)

COMPOSIO_MCP_URL = composio_session.mcp.url

print(f"MCP URL: {COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}")
print(f"\nUse this command to add to Claude Code:")
print(f'claude mcp add --transport http dovetail-composio "{COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}" --headers "X-API-Key:{COMPOSIO_API_KEY}"')

Conclusion

You've successfully integrated Dovetail with Claude Code using Composio's MCP server. Now you can interact with Dovetail directly from your terminal using natural language commands.

Key features of this setup:

  • Terminal-native experience without switching contexts
  • Natural language commands for Dovetail operations
  • Secure authentication through Composio's managed MCP
  • Tool Router for dynamic tool discovery and execution

Next steps:

  • Try asking Claude Code to perform various Dovetail operations
  • Add more toolkits to your Tool Router session for multi-app workflows
  • Integrate this setup into your development workflow for increased productivity

You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom workflows, or building automation scripts that leverage Claude Code's capabilities.

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FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Dovetail MCP?

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

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Claude Code?

Yes, you can. Claude Code 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 Dovetail tools.

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

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Dovetail 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 Dovetail data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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