How to integrate Zulip MCP with Claude Code

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Introduction

Manage your Zulip 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 Rube - Direct and easiest approach
  2. Via Composio SDK - Programmatic approach with more control

Why Rube?

Rube is a universal MCP server with access to 850+ SaaS apps. It ensures just-in-time tool loading so Claude can access the tools it needs, a remote workbench for programmatic tool calling and handling large tool responses out of the LLM context window, ensuring the LLM context window remains clean.

Connect Zulip to Claude Code with Rube

1. Get the MCP URL

Copy and paste the below command in Claude Code to add Rube MCP.

Terminal

2. Authenticate Rube

Run /mcp to view Rube

bash
/mcp
Run /mcp to view Rube in Claude Code
Click on Rube to authenticate
Authentication flow complete

3. Ensure it's connected

Run /mcp again to verify the connection. Now, do whatever you want with Claude Code and Zulip.

Rube connected successfully

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 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.

Connecting Zulip via Tool Router

Tool Router 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 Zulip) for even more tool search precision. It's secure and reliable.

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:
  • Claude Pro, Max, or API billing enabled Anthropic account
  • Composio API Key
  • A Zulip 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=["zulip"],
)

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 zulip-composio "{COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}" --headers "X-API-Key:{COMPOSIO_API_KEY}"')

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

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 Zulip
  • 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 Zulip MCP to Claude Code

bash
claude mcp add --transport http zulip-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 (zulip-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 Zulip MCP server is properly configured.

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

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

Claude Code MCP list showing the toolkit MCP server

Authenticate Zulip

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

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

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

  • "Post daily standup summary to #team stream"
  • "List unread messages from #support stream"
  • "Reply to the latest thread in #engineering"

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Zulip 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=["zulip"],
)

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 zulip-composio "{COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}" --headers "X-API-Key:{COMPOSIO_API_KEY}"')

Conclusion

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

Key features of this setup:

  • Terminal-native experience without switching contexts
  • Natural language commands for Zulip 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 Zulip 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 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 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 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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