Quickstart

Get the ShowHub MCP server running in your AI client in under two minutes.

Prerequisites

• A ShowHub account with at least one podcast (or you can create one via the MCP)
• Node.js 18+ installed
• An MCP-compatible client (Cursor, Claude Desktop, Windsurf, etc.)

1. Build the package

The package isn’t on npm yet. From the ShowHub monorepo, build it:

pnpm --filter @showhub/mcp-server build

This produces packages/mcp-server/dist/index.js, which your client runs with node. Once the package is published, you’ll be able to use npx -y @showhub/mcp-server instead.

2. Generate an API key

API key management isn’t in the dashboard yet. Until it is, contact ShowHub support to get a key. The full key is shown only once, so store it somewhere safe.

The key starts with shub_ and looks like:

shub_a1b2c3d4e5f6...

See API Keys for details on managing keys.

3. Configure your client

Cursor

Open Settings → MCP Servers (or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json directly) and add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "showhub": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/show-hub/packages/mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "SHOWHUB_API_KEY": "shub_your_key_here",
        "SHOWHUB_CONVEX_URL": "https://your-deployment.convex.site"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Edit the Claude config at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "showhub": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/show-hub/packages/mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "SHOWHUB_API_KEY": "shub_your_key_here",
        "SHOWHUB_CONVEX_URL": "https://your-deployment.convex.site"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add to your Windsurf MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "showhub": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/show-hub/packages/mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "SHOWHUB_API_KEY": "shub_your_key_here",
        "SHOWHUB_CONVEX_URL": "https://your-deployment.convex.site"
      }
    }
  }
}

4. Test the connection

Once configured, ask your agent:

“Check my ShowHub status.”

The agent should call the get_status tool and return your account info, including your email, display name, and list of podcasts.

If you see an authentication error, double-check your API key and Convex URL.

Environment variables

How it works

The MCP server runs as a local stdio process that your AI client manages. When the agent calls a tool:

1. The MCP server receives the tool call from your AI client.
2. It sends an authenticated HTTP request to the ShowHub API (/api/mcp/v1).
3. The API validates your key, checks ownership, and executes the operation.
4. The result flows back to your agent.

Agent ↔ MCP Server (local stdio) ↔ ShowHub API (Convex HTTP)

All requests are authenticated with your API key and scoped to podcasts you own. The MCP server never stores your key on disk. It reads it from the environment at startup.

Next

• API Keys: managing and rotating keys
• Tool Reference: complete list of available tools
• Examples: common prompts and workflows