How to integrate Zulip MCP with Claude Agent SDK

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Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Zulip to the Claude Agent SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Zulip agent that can post daily standup summary to #team stream, list unread messages from #support stream, reply to the latest thread in #engineering through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your Claude Agent SDK agent real control over a Zulip account through Composio's Zulip 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 Claude/Anthropic and Composio API keys
  • Install the necessary dependencies
  • Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Zulip
  • Configure an AI agent that can use Zulip as a tool
  • Run a live chat session where you can ask the agent to perform Zulip operations

What is Claude Agent SDK?

The Claude Agent SDK is Anthropic's official framework for building AI agents powered by Claude. It provides a streamlined interface for creating agents with MCP tool support and conversation management.

Key features include:

  • Native MCP Support: Built-in support for Model Context Protocol servers
  • Permission Modes: Control tool execution permissions
  • Streaming Responses: Real-time response streaming for interactive applications
  • Context Manager: Clean async context management for sessions

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

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

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Add Alert WordsTool to add alert words to the current user's configuration.
Add APNs Device TokenTool to add an APNs (Apple Push Notification service) device token to Zulip.
Add Default StreamTool to add a channel as a default stream in Zulip.
Add LinkifierTool to add a linkifier to a Zulip realm.
Add Navigation ViewTool to add a navigation view in Zulip.
Add ReactionTool to add an emoji reaction to a Zulip message.
Archive ChannelTool to archive a channel in Zulip.
Check Messages Match NarrowTool to check if specific messages match a narrow filter.
Create BigBlueButton video callTool to create a BigBlueButton video call in Zulip.
Create ChannelTool to create a new channel in Zulip.
Create Channel FolderTool to create a new channel folder in Zulip.
Create custom profile fieldTool to create a custom profile field in Zulip.
Create DraftsTool to create one or more draft messages in Zulip.
Create reusable invitation linkTool to create a reusable invitation link for the Zulip organization.
Create Message ReminderTool to create a message reminder in Zulip.
Create Saved SnippetTool to create a saved snippet in Zulip.
Create Scheduled MessageTool to create a scheduled message in Zulip.
Delete DraftTool to delete a draft in Zulip.
Delete MessageTool to delete a message in Zulip.
Delete Event QueueTool to delete an event queue previously registered via POST /api/v1/register.
Delete ReminderTool to delete a reminder from Zulip.
Delete Saved SnippetTool to delete a saved snippet by its ID.
Delete Scheduled MessageTool to delete a scheduled message in Zulip.
Delete TopicTool to delete a topic from a Zulip channel/stream.
Edit DraftTool to edit an existing draft message in Zulip.
Edit Navigation ViewTool to update a navigation view in Zulip.
Edit Saved SnippetTool to edit a saved snippet by updating its title and/or content.
Export RealmTool to create a Zulip realm data export.
Get alert wordsTool to retrieve all configured alert words for the authenticated user.
Get Another User PresenceTool to get the presence status for a specific user in Zulip.
Get AttachmentsTool to retrieve metadata on files uploaded by the requesting user.
Get Channel FoldersTool to retrieve all channel folders in the organization, sorted by display order.
Get custom emojiTool to retrieve all custom emoji configured in the Zulip realm.
Get custom profile fieldsTool to get all custom profile fields configured for the Zulip realm.
Get draftsTool to fetch all drafts for the authenticated user.
Get EventsTool to get events from a Zulip event queue.
Get file temporary URLTool to get a public temporary URL for an uploaded file in Zulip.
Get realm iconTool to retrieve the URL of the Zulip realm's icon.
Get all invitationsTool to retrieve all unexpired invitations for the Zulip organization.
Get user group membership statusTool to check if a user is a member of a specific user group.
Get linkifiersTool to retrieve all configured linkifiers in the Zulip realm.
Get messageTool to fetch a single message by ID from Zulip.
Get Message HistoryTool to fetch the complete edit history of a Zulip message.
Get MessagesTool to fetch messages from Zulip.
Get Navigation ViewsTool to fetch all navigation views for the authenticated user.
Get own userTool to retrieve the profile information for the authenticated user.
Get Read ReceiptsTool to retrieve read receipts for a message in Zulip.
Get realm export consentsTool to retrieve data export consent state for users in a realm.
Get all data exportsTool to retrieve all data exports for the Zulip organization.
Get Realm PresenceTool to get the presence status for all users in the Zulip realm.
Get remindersTool to fetch all undelivered reminders for the authenticated user.
Get Saved SnippetsTool to fetch all saved snippets for the authenticated user.
Get Scheduled MessagesTool to fetch all scheduled messages for the authenticated user.
Get server settingsTool to retrieve server configuration and available authentication methods.
Get Channel by IDTool to get detailed information about a Zulip channel by its ID.
Get channel email addressTool to retrieve the email address for a Zulip channel.
Get Channel IDTool to get a channel's unique ID by its name.
Get All ChannelsTool to retrieve all channels (streams) in Zulip that match specified filters.
Get stream topicsTool to retrieve all topics in a Zulip channel.
Get Channel SubscribersTool to get all subscribers of a Zulip channel.
Get SubscriptionsTool to retrieve all channels (streams) the authenticated user is subscribed to.
Get subscription statusTool to check whether a specific user is subscribed to a particular channel (stream).
Get user by emailTool to fetch a user by email address from Zulip.
Get user channelsTool to retrieve the list of channel IDs that a specific user is subscribed to.
Get user group membersTool to retrieve all members of a specific user group.
Get user groupsTool to retrieve all user groups in the Zulip organization.
Get user group subgroupsTool to retrieve subgroups of a user group.
Get user statusTool to retrieve the status currently set by a user in the Zulip organization.
Mark All Messages as ReadTool to mark all messages as read for the authenticated user.
Mark Stream as ReadTool to mark all messages in a Zulip channel as read.
Mark Topic as ReadTool to mark all messages in a topic as read.
Mute TopicTool to mute or unmute a topic in a Zulip channel.
Reactivate UserTool to reactivate a deactivated user in Zulip.
Register Push DeviceTool to register an E2EE (end-to-end encrypted) push device for mobile notifications.
Register Event QueueTool to register an event queue for receiving Zulip events.
Remove Alert WordsTool to remove alert words from the current user's configuration.
Remove AttachmentTool to delete an attachment in Zulip.
Remove Code PlaygroundTool to remove a code playground from a Zulip realm.
Remove Default StreamTool to remove a channel from default streams in Zulip.
Remove FCM TokenTool to remove an FCM registration token for Android push notifications.
Remove LinkifierTool to remove a linkifier from a Zulip realm.
Remove Navigation ViewTool to remove a navigation view in Zulip.
Remove ReactionTool to remove an emoji reaction from a Zulip message.
Render MessageTool to render a message to HTML in Zulip.
Reorder Channel FoldersTool to reorder channel folders in Zulip.
Reorder Custom Profile FieldsTool to reorder custom profile fields in Zulip.
Reorder LinkifiersTool to reorder linkifiers in Zulip.
Revoke Email InvitationTool to revoke an email invitation in Zulip.
Revoke reusable invitation linkTool to revoke a reusable invitation link for the Zulip organization.
Send MessageTool to send a message in Zulip.
Send Test NotificationTool to send a test notification to mobile device(s).
Set Typing StatusTool to set typing status in Zulip.
Set Typing Status for Message EditTool to set typing status when editing a message in Zulip.
Subscribe to ChannelTool to subscribe users to one or more Zulip channels.
Test Welcome Bot Custom MessageTool to test welcome bot custom message in Zulip.
Unsubscribe From ChannelTool to unsubscribe from one or more channels (streams) in Zulip.
Update Channel FolderTool to update a channel folder in Zulip.
Update LinkifierTool to update a linkifier in a Zulip realm.
Update MessageTool to edit a message in Zulip.
Update Message FlagsTool to update personal message flags in Zulip.
Update Message Flags for NarrowTool to update personal message flags (e.
Update Realm User Settings DefaultsTool to update realm-level defaults of user settings in Zulip.
Update Scheduled MessageTool to edit a scheduled message in Zulip.
Update SettingsTool to update user settings in Zulip.
Update StatusTool to update your status in Zulip.
Update status for userTool to update the status for a specific user in the Zulip organization.
Update ChannelTool to update a channel in Zulip.
Update SubscriptionsTool to update channel subscriptions by subscribing to new channels or unsubscribing from existing ones.
Update Subscription SettingsTool to update the user's personal settings for channels they are subscribed to.
Update user by emailTool to update a user by email address in Zulip.
Update User TopicTool to update personal preferences for a topic in a Zulip channel.

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:
  • Composio API Key and Claude/Anthropic API Key
  • Primary know-how of Claude Agents SDK
  • A Zulip account
  • Some knowledge of Python

Getting API Keys for Claude/Anthropic and Composio

Claude/Anthropic API Key
  • Go to the Anthropic Console and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models.
  • 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

pip install composio-anthropic claude-agent-sdk python-dotenv

Install the Composio SDK and the Claude Agents SDK.

What's happening:

  • composio-anthropic provides Composio integration for Anthropic
  • claude-agent-sdk is the core agent framework
  • python-dotenv loads environment variables

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_api_key_here

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's happening:

  • COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio
  • USER_ID identifies the user for session management
  • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY authenticates with Anthropic/Claude

Import dependencies

import asyncio
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeSDKClient, ClaudeAgentOptions
import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()
What's happening:
  • We're importing all necessary libraries including the Claude Agent SDK and Composio
  • The load_dotenv() function loads environment variables from your .env file
  • This setup prepares the foundation for connecting Claude with Zulip functionality

Create a Composio instance and Tool Router session

async def chat_with_remote_mcp():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    if not api_key:
        raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set")

    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)

    # Create Tool Router session for Zulip
    mcp_server = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["zulip"]
    )

    url = mcp_server.mcp.url

    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Session URL not found")
What's happening:
  • The function checks for the required COMPOSIO_API_KEY environment variable
  • We're creating a Composio instance using our API key
  • The create method creates a Tool Router session for Zulip
  • The returned url is the MCP server URL that your agent will use

Configure Claude Agent with MCP

# Configure remote MCP server for Claude
options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
    permission_mode="bypassPermissions",
    mcp_servers={
        "composio": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": url,
            "headers": {
                "x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
            }
        }
    },
    system_prompt="You are a helpful assistant with access to Zulip tools via Composio.",
    max_turns=10
)
What's happening:
  • We're configuring the Claude Agent options with the MCP server URL
  • permission_mode="bypassPermissions" allows the agent to execute operations without asking for permission each time
  • The system prompt instructs the agent that it has access to Zulip
  • max_turns=10 limits the conversation length to prevent excessive API usage

Create client and start chat loop

# Create client with context manager
async with ClaudeSDKClient(options=options) as client:
    print("\nChat started. Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")

    # Main chat loop
    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()
        if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit"}:
            print("Goodbye!")
            break

        # Send query
        await client.query(user_input)

        # Receive and print response
        print("Claude: ", end="", flush=True)
        async for message in client.receive_response():
            if hasattr(message, "content"):
                for block in message.content:
                    if hasattr(block, "text"):
                        print(block.text, end="", flush=True)
        print()
What's happening:
  • The Claude SDK client is created using the async context manager pattern
  • The agent processes each query and streams the response back in real-time
  • The chat loop continues until the user types 'exit' or 'quit'

Run the application

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(chat_with_remote_mcp())
What's happening:
  • This entry point runs the async chat_with_remote_mcp() function using asyncio.run()
  • The application will start, create the MCP connection, and begin the interactive chat session

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Zulip and Claude Agent SDK:

import asyncio
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeSDKClient, ClaudeAgentOptions
import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

async def chat_with_remote_mcp():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    if not api_key:
        raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set")

    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)

    # Create Tool Router session for Zulip
    mcp_server = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["zulip"]
    )

    url = mcp_server.mcp.url

    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Session URL not found")

    # Configure remote MCP server for Claude
    options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
        permission_mode="bypassPermissions",
        mcp_servers={
            "composio": {
                "type": "http",
                "url": url,
                "headers": {
                    "x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
                }
            }
        },
        system_prompt="You are a helpful assistant with access to Zulip tools via Composio.",
        max_turns=10
    )

    # Create client with context manager
    async with ClaudeSDKClient(options=options) as client:
        print("\nChat started. Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")

        # Main chat loop
        while True:
            user_input = input("You: ").strip()
            if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit"}:
                print("Goodbye!")
                break

            # Send query
            await client.query(user_input)

            # Receive and print response
            print("Claude: ", end="", flush=True)
            async for message in client.receive_response():
                if hasattr(message, "content"):
                    for block in message.content:
                        if hasattr(block, "text"):
                            print(block.text, end="", flush=True)
            print()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(chat_with_remote_mcp())

Conclusion

You've successfully built a Claude Agent SDK agent that can interact with Zulip through Composio's Tool Router.

Key features:

  • Native MCP support through Claude's agent framework
  • Streaming responses for real-time interaction
  • Permission bypass for smooth automated workflows
You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom business logic, or building a web interface around the agent.

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FAQ

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

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

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Claude Agent SDK?

Yes, you can. Claude Agent SDK 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 Zulip tools.

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

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

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