How to integrate Handwrytten MCP with Autogen

Framework Integration Gradient
Handwrytten Logo
AutoGen Logo
divider

Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Handwrytten to AutoGen using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Handwrytten agent that can send a thank you card to john doe, schedule a handwritten birthday note delivery, list all pending handwrytten orders through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your AutoGen agent real control over a Handwrytten account through Composio's Handwrytten MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

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 Handwrytten
  • Wire that MCP URL into Autogen using McpWorkbench and StreamableHttpServerParams
  • Configure an Autogen AssistantAgent that can call Handwrytten tools
  • Run a live chat loop where you ask the agent to perform Handwrytten 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 Handwrytten MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Handwrytten MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Handwrytten account. It provides structured and secure access so your agent can perform Handwrytten operations on your behalf.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Add RecipientTool to add a recipient address to the user's addressbook in Handwrytten.
Calculate Order TaxesTool to calculate taxes for Handwrytten basket orders.
Check AuthenticationTool to verify API key authentication validity for Handwrytten.
Clear BasketTool to clear all items from the shopping basket.
Create TemplateTool to create a new template for the current user.
Create User AddressTool to create a new user address in Handwrytten.
Delete Custom ImageTool to delete a custom image/logo from Handwrytten.
Delete Recipient AddressTool to delete one or more recipient addresses from user's profile.
Delete TemplateTool to delete a user's template by its ID.
Get Basket (New Method)Tool to retrieve the user's basket using the new method.
Get Basket CountTool to retrieve the count of items currently in the basket.
Get Basket ItemTool to retrieve a basket item by its ID from Handwrytten.
Get Card DetailsTool to get detailed information about a specific card in the Handwrytten catalog.
Get List of AddressesTool to retrieve a list of all addresses associated with the user's account.
Get Random CardsTool to retrieve random cards from Handwrytten.
Get Template DetailsTool to get detailed information about a card text template in the Handwrytten catalog.
Get Current User InfoTool to retrieve information about the currently authenticated user.
Get User AddressTool to retrieve the authenticated user's address and billing information.
List Basket Orders GroupedTool to list all basket orders grouped by basket.
List Past BasketsTool to retrieve a list of user's past baskets.
List CardsTool to retrieve a list of available Handwrytten cards with optional filtering and pagination.
List CategoriesTool to retrieve the list of available card categories from Handwrytten.
List CountriesTool to retrieve the list of countries available in Handwrytten.
List Credit CardsTool to list all credit cards associated with the Handwrytten account.
List FontsTool to retrieve the list of available handwriting fonts.
List Fonts for CustomizerTool to list fonts available for use with the card customizer.
List Gift CardsTool to retrieve the list of available gift cards with their denominations and pricing.
List Custom User ImagesTool to retrieve a list of custom user images uploaded to Handwrytten.
List InsertsTool to retrieve a list of available inserts from Handwrytten.
List OrdersTool to retrieve a list of user's past orders from Handwrytten.
List Orders GroupedTool to retrieve the user's order history grouped by basket.
List Past OrdersTool to retrieve a list of user's past orders from Handwrytten API.
List RecipientsTool to retrieve a list of recipient addresses that the user has previously saved.
List SignaturesTool to retrieve the list of available signatures for use in card orders.
List StatesTool to retrieve the list of states/provinces available in Handwrytten.
List Template CategoriesTool to retrieve the list of available template categories from Handwrytten.
List TemplatesTool to retrieve a list of card text templates from Handwrytten.
Logout UserTool to logout user from Handwrytten application.
Place Order in BasketTool to add an order to the basket in Handwrytten.
Register UserTool to register a new Handwrytten user account.
Request Password ResetTool to request a password reset email for a Handwrytten account.
Set Default AddressTool to set a default return address for the user in Handwrytten.
Set Test ModeTool to set test mode for the current Handwrytten user.
Update Basket ItemTool to update an existing basket item in Handwrytten.
Update Billing InformationTool to update user billing information (country, zip, address) for tax calculations in Handwrytten.
Update RecipientTool to update a recipient address in the user's addressbook in Handwrytten.
Update TemplateTool to update an existing user template in Handwrytten.
Upload Custom LogoTool to upload a custom image (logo or cover) to Handwrytten for use with custom cards.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Tool Router?

Composio's Tool Router helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Tool Router

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Tool Router works

The Tool Router 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

You will need:

  • A Composio API key
  • An OpenAI API key (used by Autogen's OpenAIChatCompletionClient)
  • A Handwrytten account you can connect to Composio
  • Some basic familiarity with Autogen and Python async

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

OpenAI API Key
  • Go to the OpenAI dashboard 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.
  • Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
  • Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.

Install dependencies

bash
pip install composio python-dotenv
pip install autogen-agentchat autogen-ext-openai autogen-ext-tools

Install Composio, Autogen extensions, and dotenv.

What's happening:

  • composio connects your agent to Handwrytten via MCP
  • autogen-agentchat provides the AssistantAgent class
  • autogen-ext-openai provides the OpenAI model client
  • autogen-ext-tools provides MCP workbench support

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your-composio-api-key
OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key
USER_ID=your-user-identifier@example.com

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 Handwrytten connections to use

Import dependencies and create Tool Router session

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 Handwrytten session
    composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY"))
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["handwrytten"]
    )
    url = session.mcp.url
What's happening:
  • load_dotenv() reads your .env file
  • Composio(api_key=...) initializes the SDK
  • create(...) creates a Tool Router session that exposes Handwrytten tools
  • session.mcp.url is the MCP endpoint that Autogen will connect to

Configure MCP parameters for Autogen

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")}
)

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

Create the model client and agent

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 Handwrytten assistant agent with MCP tools
    agent = AssistantAgent(
        name="handwrytten_assistant",
        description="An AI assistant that helps with Handwrytten operations.",
        model_client=model_client,
        workbench=workbench,
        model_client_stream=True,
        max_tool_iterations=10
    )

What's happening:

  • OpenAIChatCompletionClient wraps the OpenAI model for Autogen
  • McpWorkbench connects the agent to the MCP tools
  • AssistantAgent is configured with the Handwrytten tools from the workbench

Run the interactive chat loop

python
print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n")
print("Ask any Handwrytten 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")
What's happening:
  • The script prompts you in a loop with You:
  • Autogen passes your input to the model, which decides which Handwrytten 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

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Handwrytten and AutoGen:

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 Handwrytten session
    composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY"))
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["handwrytten"]
    )
    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 Handwrytten assistant agent with MCP tools
        agent = AssistantAgent(
            name="handwrytten_assistant",
            description="An AI assistant that helps with Handwrytten 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 Handwrytten 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 Handwrytten 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 Handwrytten, you can reuse the same structure for other MCP-enabled apps with minimal code changes.

How to build Handwrytten MCP Agent with another framework

FAQ

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

With a standalone Handwrytten MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Handwrytten tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Handwrytten 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 Handwrytten tools.

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

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

Used by agents from

Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai
Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai
Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai

Never worry about agent reliability

We handle tool reliability, observability, and security so you never have to second-guess an agent action.