How the Hoist Connector fits your AI tool
The Hoist Connector is the agent-facing access layer. It works through three surfaces:
- MCP (Model Context Protocol) - the primary integration path for AI agents, assistants, and agent-runtime tools that support MCP. The MCP server lives at
https://mcp.assets.hoistai.com/mcp. - REST API - for API clients, backends, and workflows that prefer direct HTTP. S2-gate target. Not live today.
- CLI - for terminal workflows and CI pipelines. S2-gate target. Not live today.
The table below covers the MCP integration path, which is the live surface at S1-gate. REST API and CLI surfaces follow at S2-gate. Custom agents that cannot use MCP can still connect to the REST API when it ships.
Host status table
Status meanings:
- Available, OAuth tested - install guide published, OAuth flow confirmed working, fixture Evidence Packs returned in testing.
- Available, guide published - install guide published, MCP endpoint reachable, OAuth flow not yet independently tested for this host.
- Planned - host is on the documented roadmap. No install guide published yet.
- Via API/CLI (S2-gate) - host does not support MCP. REST API or CLI path planned for S2-gate.
| Host | Connection type | Status | Install guide | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Desktop | MCP (stdio or SSE) | Available, OAuth tested | Claude Desktop guide | Recommended path for local agent workflows. Config-file install. |
| Claude.ai (web) | MCP (remote SSE) | Available, guide published | Claude.ai guide | Remote MCP support requires Claude.ai Team or Pro plan. Connect at https://mcp.assets.hoistai.com/mcp. |
| ChatGPT | MCP (remote) | Available, guide published | ChatGPT guide | OpenAI MCP support available in ChatGPT desktop and API. OAuth flow uses standard PKCE. |
| Cursor | MCP (stdio or SSE) | Available, guide published | Cursor guide | Cursor MCP is configured in .cursor/mcp.json per project or globally. |
| Cline | MCP (stdio or SSE) | Available, guide published | Cline guide | Cline (VS Code extension) supports MCP servers with OAuth. Add via Cline settings. |
| Codex CLI | MCP (stdio) | Available, guide published | Codex CLI guide | OpenAI Codex CLI supports MCP servers. Add Hoist to your codex.json config. |
| Gemini CLI | MCP (stdio) | Available, guide published | Gemini CLI guide | Google Gemini CLI supports MCP. Add Hoist to your .gemini/settings.json. |
| curl / direct HTTP | HTTP (direct) | Available, guide published | Direct HTTP guide | Send MCP-formatted JSON over HTTP to https://mcp.assets.hoistai.com/mcp. Useful for testing and scripted workflows. Production REST API at S2-gate. |
| Custom agents (MCP-capable) | MCP (any transport) | Planned | Docs pending | Any agent runtime that supports MCP can connect to https://mcp.assets.hoistai.com/mcp. OAuth 2.0 PKCE required. Dynamic Client Registration (DCR) supported. Guide publishing S2-gate. |
| Custom agents (API/CLI) | REST API or CLI | S2-gate target | REST API and CLI docs at S2-gate | Agents that cannot use MCP can connect through the REST API at api.assets.hoistai.com/v1/ (S2-gate) or the CLI (S2-gate). OpenAPI spec will be at /.well-known/openapi.json. |
OAuth and authentication
All MCP connections require OAuth 2.0 with PKCE. The authorization server is at https://mcp.assets.hoistai.com. Discovery at /.well-known/oauth-authorization-server.
Dynamic Client Registration (DCR) is supported. Hosts that implement DCR (such as Claude Desktop and Cursor) can register automatically. For hosts that do not, use the manual client credentials from your account settings (available at S2-gate when account management ships).
The OAuth flow requires a human to grant access in the browser at /oauth/authorize. This step is one-time per host. After granting, the host stores the token and sends it with every subsequent MCP request.
My host is not listed
If your AI tool or agent runtime supports MCP, it can connect to Hoist through the MCP endpoint. The endpoint implements the MCP specification and OAuth 2.0. Most MCP-capable hosts work with a standard remote server URL and OAuth redirect flow.
If your runtime does not support MCP, the REST API will be the connection path when it ships at S2-gate. You can contact us to get on the notify list for REST API access.
If you are building a custom agent or integration, reach the team at [email protected].
A note on model compatibility
Hoist is not a Claude product or a ChatGPT product. It is a connector for any AI agent, assistant, or workflow that can call tools. The MCP protocol handles the transport. The model running inside your AI tool does not affect how Hoist operates.
What matters is whether the host (the runtime that wraps the model) supports MCP and can handle OAuth. The table above lists hosts where Hoist is documented and tested. Other hosts may work without modification if they implement the MCP spec.
Ready to connect your AI tool of choice?