How to integrate Handwrytten MCP with CrewAI

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Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Handwrytten to CrewAI 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 CrewAI 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 a Composio API key and configure your Handwrytten connection
  • Set up CrewAI with an MCP enabled agent
  • Create a Tool Router session or standalone MCP server for Handwrytten
  • Build a conversational loop where your agent can execute Handwrytten operations

What is CrewAI?

CrewAI is a powerful framework for building multi-agent AI systems. It provides primitives for defining agents with specific roles, creating tasks, and orchestrating workflows through crews.

Key features include:

  • Agent Roles: Define specialized agents with specific goals and backstories
  • Task Management: Create tasks with clear descriptions and expected outputs
  • Crew Orchestration: Combine agents and tasks into collaborative workflows
  • MCP Integration: Connect to external tools through Model Context Protocol

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

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Python 3.9 or higher
  • A Composio account and API key
  • A Handwrytten connection authorized in Composio
  • An OpenAI API key for the CrewAI LLM
  • Basic familiarity with Python

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 crewai crewai-tools[mcp] python-dotenv
What's happening:
  • composio connects your agent to Handwrytten via MCP
  • crewai provides Agent, Task, Crew, and LLM primitives
  • crewai-tools[mcp] includes MCP helpers
  • python-dotenv loads environment variables from .env

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key_here

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's happening:

  • COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio
  • USER_ID scopes the session to your account
  • OPENAI_API_KEY lets CrewAI use your chosen OpenAI model

Import dependencies

python
import os
from composio import Composio
from crewai import Agent, Task, Crew
from crewai_tools import MCPServerAdapter
import dotenv

dotenv.load_dotenv()

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

if not COMPOSIO_API_KEY:
    raise ValueError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set")
if not COMPOSIO_USER_ID:
    raise ValueError("COMPOSIO_USER_ID is not set")
What's happening:
  • CrewAI classes define agents and tasks, and run the workflow
  • MCPServerHTTP connects the agent to an MCP endpoint
  • Composio will give you a short lived Handwrytten MCP URL

Create a Composio Tool Router session for Handwrytten

python
composio_client = Composio(api_key=COMPOSIO_API_KEY)
session = composio_client.create(user_id=COMPOSIO_USER_ID, toolkits=["handwrytten"])

url = session.mcp.url
What's happening:
  • You create a Handwrytten only session through Composio
  • Composio returns an MCP HTTP URL that exposes Handwrytten tools

Initialize the MCP Server

python
server_params = {
    "url": url,
    "transport": "streamable-http",
    "headers": {"x-api-key": COMPOSIO_API_KEY},
}

with MCPServerAdapter(server_params) as tools:
    agent = Agent(
        role="Search Assistant",
        goal="Help users search the internet effectively",
        backstory="You are a helpful assistant with access to search tools.",
        tools=tools,
        verbose=False,
        max_iter=10,
    )
What's Happening:
  • Server Configuration: The code sets up connection parameters including the MCP server URL, streamable HTTP transport, and Composio API key authentication.
  • MCP Adapter Bridge: MCPServerAdapter acts as a context manager that converts Composio MCP tools into a CrewAI-compatible format.
  • Agent Setup: Creates a CrewAI Agent with a defined role (Search Assistant), goal (help with internet searches), and access to the MCP tools.
  • Configuration Options: The agent includes settings like verbose=False for clean output and max_iter=10 to prevent infinite loops.
  • Dynamic Tool Usage: Once created, the agent automatically accesses all Composio Search tools and decides when to use them based on user queries.

Create a CLI Chatloop and define the Crew

python
print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")

conversation_context = ""

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

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

    if not user_input:
        continue

    conversation_context += f"\nUser: {user_input}\n"
    print("\nAgent is thinking...\n")

    task = Task(
        description=(
            f"Conversation history:\n{conversation_context}\n\n"
            f"Current request: {user_input}"
        ),
        expected_output="A helpful response addressing the user's request",
        agent=agent,
    )

    crew = Crew(agents=[agent], tasks=[task], verbose=False)
    result = crew.kickoff()
    response = str(result)

    conversation_context += f"Agent: {response}\n"
    print(f"Agent: {response}\n")
What's Happening:
  • Interactive CLI Setup: The code creates an infinite loop that continuously prompts for user input and maintains the entire conversation history in a string variable.
  • Input Validation: Empty inputs are ignored to prevent processing blank messages and keep the conversation clean.
  • Context Building: Each user message is appended to the conversation context, which preserves the full dialogue history for better agent responses.
  • Dynamic Task Creation: For every user input, a new Task is created that includes both the full conversation history and the current request as context.
  • Crew Execution: A Crew is instantiated with the agent and task, then kicked off to process the request and generate a response.
  • Response Management: The agent's response is converted to a string, added to the conversation context, and displayed to the user, maintaining conversational continuity.

Complete Code

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

python
from crewai import Agent, Task, Crew, LLM
from crewai_tools import MCPServerAdapter
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os

load_dotenv()

GOOGLE_API_KEY = os.getenv("GOOGLE_API_KEY")
COMPOSIO_API_KEY = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
COMPOSIO_USER_ID = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_USER_ID")

if not GOOGLE_API_KEY:
    raise ValueError("GOOGLE_API_KEY is not set in the environment.")
if not COMPOSIO_API_KEY:
    raise ValueError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set in the environment.")
if not COMPOSIO_USER_ID:
    raise ValueError("COMPOSIO_USER_ID is not set in the environment.")

# Initialize Composio and create a session
composio = Composio(api_key=COMPOSIO_API_KEY)
session = composio.create(
    user_id=COMPOSIO_USER_ID,
    toolkits=["handwrytten"],
)
url = session.mcp.url

# Configure LLM
llm = LLM(
    model="gpt-5",
    api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY"),
)

server_params = {
    "url": url,
    "transport": "streamable-http",
    "headers": {"x-api-key": COMPOSIO_API_KEY},
}

with MCPServerAdapter(server_params) as tools:
    agent = Agent(
        role="Search Assistant",
        goal="Help users with internet searches",
        backstory="You are an expert assistant with access to Composio Search tools.",
        tools=tools,
        llm=llm,
        verbose=False,
        max_iter=10,
    )

    print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")

    conversation_context = ""

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

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

        if not user_input:
            continue

        conversation_context += f"\nUser: {user_input}\n"
        print("\nAgent is thinking...\n")

        task = Task(
            description=(
                f"Conversation history:\n{conversation_context}\n\n"
                f"Current request: {user_input}"
            ),
            expected_output="A helpful response addressing the user's request",
            agent=agent,
        )

        crew = Crew(agents=[agent], tasks=[task], verbose=False)
        result = crew.kickoff()
        response = str(result)

        conversation_context += f"Agent: {response}\n"
        print(f"Agent: {response}\n")

Conclusion

You now have a CrewAI agent connected to Handwrytten through Composio's Tool Router. The agent can perform Handwrytten operations through natural language commands.

Next steps:

  • Add role-specific instructions to customize agent behavior
  • Plug in more toolkits for multi-app workflows
  • Chain tasks for complex multi-step operations

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Vercel AI SDK

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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 CrewAI?

Yes, you can. CrewAI 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.

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