usefulapi

Ably MCP server. MCP server for Ably — channel history, presence, occupancy, stats, publish, and app management.

Claude

  1. Open Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector
  2. Paste this URL:
    https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp
  3. Authenticate with Ably when prompted

Cursor · VS Code · Windsurf · Cline

Add to your MCP config, then reload & authorize:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ably": {
      "url": "https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}
live17 toolsFree 100 tool calls / monthPro $9/mo · $90/yr

Tools 17

ToolTypeWhat it does
ably_get_channel_historyread
Get channel history
Retrieve the historical messages published to a channel, filterable by time window and direction, newest-first by default.
ably_get_presenceread
Get presence
List the members currently present on a channel — who is online right now — optionally filtered by clientId or connectionId.
ably_get_presence_historyread
Get presence history
Retrieve the historical presence events (enter, leave, update) for a channel over a chosen time window.
ably_get_channel_detailsread
Get channel details
Get the live status and occupancy metrics for a single channel, including connection, publisher, subscriber, and presence-member counts.
ably_list_channelsread
List channels
Enumerate the channels currently active in the app, optionally filtered by name prefix and returned as ids or full detail.
ably_get_statsread
Get stats
Retrieve message, connection, and channel usage statistics for the app tied to the API key, bucketed by minute, hour, day, or month.
ably_get_service_timeread
Get service time
Return the current Ably service time in milliseconds since epoch, useful for aligning history and stats windows to the server clock.
ably_whoamiread
Whoami
Return the account, user, and capabilities the configured Control API token belongs to — a good first call to confirm control-plane access.
ably_list_appsread
List apps
List every app in the account with its id, name, status, and TLS-only flag, resolving the account id automatically from the control token.
ably_list_keysread
List keys
List an app's API keys along with the capabilities granted to each, without exposing the full key secret.
ably_list_namespacesread
List namespaces
List the channel namespaces (channel-rule prefixes) configured for an app, including their persistence and push settings.
ably_list_queuesread
List queues
List the Ably Queues (AMQP/STOMP message queues) provisioned for an app, with their state and messaging statistics.
ably_list_rulesread
List rules
List the integration rules (reactor webhooks and AWS, Kafka, Pulsar, and similar targets) configured for an app.
ably_get_account_statsread
Get account stats
Retrieve aggregated usage statistics across the entire account, bucketed by minute, hour, day, or month.
ably_publish_messagewrite
Publish message
Publish a message to a channel so every connected subscriber receives it in real time — a real outward-facing side effect, so confirm the channel and payload first.
ably_usage_statusmeta
Usage status (free-tier meter)
Report the caller's current free-tier usage this month: calls used, monthly limit, remaining, and whether the cap is reached. Read-only; does not count against the meter.
ably_upgrademeta
Upgrade to Pro (unlimited)
Subscribe to the Pro plan for UNLIMITED Ably tool calls (the free tier caps monthly usage). Choose monthly ($9/month) or yearly ($90/year — 2 months free) billing. Returns a Stripe Checkout link to open in your browser; after payment your account upgrades automatically. Read-only; does not count against the meter.

Pricing

PlanPriceLimit
Free$0100 tool calls / month
Pro$9/mo · $90/yrUnlimited

This is a Model Context Protocol endpoint — meant to be connected from an AI client, not opened in a browser. An invalid_token response at the URL is the auth gate working as designed; clients authenticate automatically.