APIFold

Getting Started

Welcome to APIFold! This guide walks you through converting your first OpenAPI spec into a live MCP server.

Prerequisites

  • An APIFold account (sign up at the dashboard)
  • An OpenAPI 3.0/3.1 or Swagger 2.0 spec (URL or file)

Quick Start

1. Sign Up

Create an account at the APIFold dashboard. We use Clerk for authentication, so you can sign up with email, Google, or GitHub.

2. Import Your Spec

Navigate to Dashboard > Import Spec and provide your OpenAPI spec:

  • URL: Paste a publicly accessible link to your raw JSON or YAML spec
  • File Upload: Drag and drop your openapi.json, openapi.yaml, or swagger.json file

APIFold parses the spec, extracts all operations, and generates MCP tool definitions automatically.

3. Configure Your Server

After import, you'll see a preview of the detected operations. Click Import to create the spec, then create an MCP server from it:

  • Choose an auth mode (none, api_key, or bearer)
  • Set the upstream base URL
  • Optionally configure rate limits

4. Connect an AI Client

Copy the generated configuration snippet for your preferred client:

Claude Desktop — Add to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "your-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sse-client", "https://your-domain.com/mcp/your-server/sse"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor — Add to .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "your-server": {
      "url": "https://your-domain.com/mcp/your-server/sse"
    }
  }
}

5. Start Using Tools

Restart your AI client. Your API tools will appear in the tool picker, ready for the AI to call on your behalf.

Next Steps

Next

Import an API Spec

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