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Connect DoorSpot to Claude with a custom connector

Connect Claude Desktop to your DoorSpot account as a custom connector so it can answer questions and take action using your live data — units, contacts, reservations, invoices, service requests, and more. Setup takes about five minutes.

Before you begin

  • A DoorSpot API key with Use with AI turned on — see "Create and manage an API key." Treat it like a password.

  • The DoorSpot MCP server address: https://api.doorspot.com/mcp

  • A paid Claude plan with custom connectors enabled — if Add custom connector is missing from Claude's settings, your plan or organization hasn't turned this on yet.

  • Only Claude Desktop is supported right now — Claude in a browser isn't supported yet.

Steps

  1. In Claude Desktop, go to Customize > Connectors. Click Add, then select Add custom connector.

    Claude Desktop's Customize > Connectors screen, with the Add button open showing the Add custom connector option.

  2. Name the connector — DoorSpot works well — and paste https://api.doorspot.com/mcp into the URL field. Click Continue.

    The Add custom connector modal with a Name field and a URL field, and a Continue button.

  3. Claude shows an advanced settings screen, with Authentication and OAuth client both already set and marked Detected — meaning DoorSpot's server requires its own sign-in and Claude will register itself automatically. Leave both as detected, scroll down, and click Add.

    The connector's advanced settings screen, with Authentication and OAuth client both set to Detected.

  4. Claude opens the new connector's page, showing "You are not connected to DoorSpot yet." Click Connect.

    The new connector's page showing it is not connected yet, with a Connect button.

  5. A DoorSpot "Authorize Claude" page opens, asking for your API Key. Paste the key from step 1 above and click Authorize (or Deny to cancel).

    DoorSpot's Authorize Claude page with an API Key field and Authorize / Deny buttons.

  6. DoorSpot confirms with "Authorization Complete — you have authorized the application." Close that window and return to Claude Desktop.

    DoorSpot's Authorization Complete confirmation screen.

  7. Back in Claude, the connector loads its list of available tools — a brief spinner appears. If the tool list looks empty, open the ⋮ menu on the connector and choose Refresh tools list.

    The connector's page with the ⋮ menu open, showing Refresh tools list, and no tools available yet.

  8. Scroll to Tool permissions and decide what Claude may do on its own. Tools are grouped into Read-only tools and Write/delete tools, each with its own dropdown — Always allow, Needs approval, or Blocked — plus individual toggles per tool for finer control. A good starting point: Always allow for read-only tools, Needs approval for anything that creates, updates, or deletes a record.

    The Tool permissions screen, showing Read-only tools and Write/delete tools groups with Always allow and Needs approval dropdowns and per-tool rows.

  9. Start a new chat and ask something only DoorSpot would know, like "What's the occupancy rate in August for all units?" Approve any Needs approval prompt, and Claude will call the matching DoorSpot tool and answer from your live data.

    Example chat asking Claude for the August occupancy rate, with Claude finding and calling the matching DoorSpot tool.

Good to know

  • The connector can only reach what your API key can reach — scope the key's permissions before connecting (see "Create and manage an API key"). Tool permissions in Claude default to match those scopes, but you can restrict individual tools further from the connector's page.

  • Use Disconnect (top right of the connector's page) to pause the connector without losing its setup, or the ⋮ menu to remove it entirely.

Troubleshooting

Won't connect: check the URL for typos (must be exactly https://api.doorspot.com/mcp). Authorize page rejects the key: confirm you copied the full API key and that it hasn't been revoked. Connected but no tools: use Refresh tools list from the ⋮ menu, or disconnect and reconnect. Claude never uses DoorSpot: confirm the tools you need aren't set to Blocked, and the connector is turned on for that chat.

Related articles

  • Connect an AI agent to the DoorSpot API

  • Create and manage an API key

  • Security best practices for API connections

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