List programs, applications, evaluations and sessions; create and update users in OpenWater. For award, grant and scholarship programs that review applications in OpenWater. Hosted by usefulapi — connect from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or any MCP client.
Team and Enterprise: an Owner adds the connector for the organization first.
Run this command, then run /mcp in Claude Code to log in:
Add to Cursor or add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"openwater": {
"url": "https://openwater.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
}Add to VS Code or add this to .vscode/mcp.json:
{
"servers": {
"openwater": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://openwater.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
}No Add custom MCP server option? It depends on your account or workspace settings: see OpenAI's guide.
Run these commands. The second one opens the login page:
Other MCP clients (Windsurf, Cline, Zed and more): add the URL as a remote MCP server (Streamable HTTP). The client then opens the login page in your browser. Do not add an Authorization header: see Before you connect.
List the programs to find a program ID, then list the applications, filtered by time, to see recent submissions.
openwater_list_programs openwater_list_applications
List the judge evaluations of an application, with scores and notes. Then read the application to see its round status.
openwater_list_evaluations openwater_get_application
List the sessions of a program, filtered by session chair, to see which panels each chair runs.
openwater_list_programs openwater_list_sessions
List the grant and award budgets of the organization to review them.
openwater_list_funds
Create a user for an applicant. No e-mail is sent unless suppress_emails is set to false. Update the name or e-mail address later if needed.
Changes data · openwater_create_user openwater_update_user
The login page asks for your OpenWater domain and OpenWater API key.
Your OpenWater domain is the address you sign in to, for example yourorg.secure-platform.com. Create the API key under System Settings → Permissions → API Keys. The key acts as the admin user it belongs to. It is used only to call the API on your behalf and is never shown to anyone.
Add only the URL. Do not add an Authorization header or an API key to the client config. The server signs you in with OAuth: the login page asks for your OpenWater domain and OpenWater API key. If the config has such a header, remove it: some clients then send that header instead of the login token, and every call fails with 401.
Turn on the OpenWater connector, then ask in plain words. The AI picks the tools.
| Tool | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
openwater_list_programs | read | List programs List the programs (awards, grants, scholarships or events) of this organization, with their rounds and categories. Good first call to find a programId. OpenWater API: GET /v2/Programs. |
openwater_get_program | read | Get a program Get one program by id, with its rounds and application categories. OpenWater API: GET /v2/Programs/{id}. |
openwater_list_applications | read | List applications List applications (submissions), optionally for one program. Filter by time to find recent or finalized ones. OpenWater API: GET /v2/Applications. |
openwater_get_application | read | Get an application Get one application by id: its program, applicant, category, collaborators and per-round submission status. OpenWater API: GET /v2/Applications/{id}. |
openwater_list_users | read | List users List users (applicants, judges, session chairs and staff) with optional filters. Passwords are never returned. OpenWater API: GET /v2/Users. |
openwater_get_user | read | Get a user Get one user by id, with role flags and profile field values. OpenWater API: GET /v2/Users/{id}. |
openwater_create_user | write | Create a user Create a user (for example an applicant). Adds a new record. Sends no e-mail unless suppress_emails is false. OpenWater API: POST /v2/Users. |
openwater_update_user | write | Update a user Change the name, e-mail or your own third-party id of one user. Only the fields you pass are sent. Passwords cannot be set here. OpenWater API: PATCH /v2/Users/{id}. |
openwater_list_evaluations | read | List evaluations List judge evaluations (scores and notes) for a program, round, application or judge. OpenWater API: GET /v2/Evaluations. |
openwater_list_sessions | read | List sessions List the sessions (event slots or panels) of a program, optionally for one session chair. OpenWater API: GET /v2/Sessions. |
openwater_list_funds | read | List funds List the funds (grant or award budgets) of this organization. OpenWater API: GET /v2/Funds. |
openwater_usage_status | Usage status (free-tier meter) Report the caller's current usage: the plan, calls used this month, the limit of the plan (the free monthly cap or the Pro fair use limit), remaining, and whether the limit is reached. Read-only; does not count against the meter. | |
openwater_request_feature | Request a missing feature Tell usefulapi that the user needs something the OpenWater tools cannot do yet (a missing tool, field or filter). Call it only when the user asks for something none of the tools can do, and tell the user that you send the request. Do not call it for errors or for normal requests. Do not include personal data, credentials or customer records. Stored with the product name and the client type (for example Claude or Cursor), without the user's account. At most 5 requests per day. Does not count against the meter. | |
openwater_upgrade | Upgrade to Pro (unlimited*) Get Pro: unlimited tool calls (fair use limit: 10,000 a month) on OpenWater (the free tier caps monthly usage). Plans: "monthly" — $9/month; "yearly" — $90/year (2 months free). Cancel any time: Pro then runs to the end of the paid period, so it also suits a one-time job. *A fair use limit applies. For heavy use (near Pro's limit): "plus" or "plus_yearly" — Pro+, $39/month or $390/year, unlimited tool calls (fair use limit: 100,000 a month); an existing Pro subscription changes to Pro+ in place (needs confirm: true; the price difference for the rest of the period is charged at once). Otherwise returns a short link to open in your browser (it opens Stripe Checkout); after payment the account upgrades automatically. Does not count against the meter. | |
openwater_cancel_subscription | Cancel the Pro subscription Cancel the caller's OpenWater Pro subscription at the end of the paid period (no refund for the current period; Pro continues until then, then the free tier applies). Requires confirm: true. Run openwater_upgrade later to undo the cancel before the period ends. Does not count against the meter. |
| Plan | Price | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 50 tool calls / month |
| Proper user | $9/mo · $90/yr | Unlimited* |
*Pro fair use limit: 10,000 tool calls a month on this server. For more, write to [email protected].
Pro covers this OpenWater server only. Subscribe with openwater_upgrade (it returns a Stripe Checkout link). Cancel any time with openwater_cancel_subscription: Pro continues to the end of the paid period, with no refund for the current period, and running openwater_upgrade before then undoes the cancel. Or write to [email protected].
Track the applications of one program. Read the scores of one application. List the sessions of a session chair. Review the funds of the organization. Add an applicant without sending e-mail. See what you can do for the details.
No. usefulapi is an independent service. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by OpenWater. The server calls the OpenWater API with your own OpenWater access, so it sees only the data that your account can see.
Yes. In Claude, add this server's URL as a custom connector. In ChatGPT, add it as a custom MCP server in Plugins. Then log in once. Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code and Codex work too. See the setup steps.
The login page asks for your OpenWater domain and OpenWater API key. See Before you connect for where to find them.
No. Add only the URL. Do not add an Authorization header or an API key to the client config. The server signs you in with OAuth: the login page asks for your OpenWater domain and OpenWater API key. If the config has such a header, remove it: some clients then send that header instead of the login token, and every call fails with 401.
The login stores them encrypted in the authorization grant of your connection. The server uses them to call the OpenWater API for you and to derive a private account id for usage metering. usefulapi does not show them on any page or in any reply. To stop all access, remove the connector and change or delete these credentials in OpenWater.
Yes, if you approve it. 2 of the 11 OpenWater tools can create or change data. The other 9 are marked read-only. Most MCP clients ask you to approve a tool call before it runs.
The Free plan gives 50 tool calls / month. Pro costs $9/mo or $90/yr, with unlimited tool calls (fair use limit: 10,000 tool calls a month), for this OpenWater server only. Cancel any time: Pro then runs to the end of the paid period. Run openwater_usage_status to see how many calls you used.
Ask the AI to run openwater_upgrade: it returns a Stripe Checkout link. To cancel, run openwater_cancel_subscription. Pro continues to the end of the paid period.
Tell the AI what you wanted to do. It can send the request with openwater_request_feature. We store the text with the server name, the type of AI client and the tool you tried, not with your account, and read every request when we plan new tools. You can send up to 5 requests per day.
Any client that supports remote MCP servers (Streamable HTTP) with OAuth login: Claude (web and desktop), Claude Code, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf and others.
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.
Need a tool this server does not have, or a connection to another system? We build custom integrations and MCP servers.