SendPulse auth and connection notes

Official pages

Use these pages as the default public source of truth:

• REST API docs: https://sendpulse.com/integrations/api
• MCP setup guide: https://sendpulse.com/knowledge-base/account-settings/mcp-server
• MCP tools list: https://sendpulse.com/knowledge-base/account-settings/mcp-tools
• MCP product page: https://sendpulse.com/features/mcp

REST API basics

• Root URL: https://api.sendpulse.com
• Transport: HTTPS
• Response format: JSON
• Authorization header for API requests:
• Authorization: Bearer <your_token_or_key>

REST auth option 1 — API key

Use when setup speed and operational simplicity matter most.

Key properties:

• static, long-lived credential
• valid until manually revoked
• generated in SendPulse account settings under API
• up to 5 independent keys
• can be restricted by IP address

Good fit:

• internal integrations
• backend services
• prototypes
• agent workflows where token refresh is unnecessary complexity

REST auth option 2 — OAuth 2.0 client credentials

Use when short-lived access is preferred.

Token request:

• POST https://api.sendpulse.com/oauth/access_token
• required parameters:
• grant_type=client_credentials
• client_id
• client_secret

Behavior:

• returns a Bearer token
• token lifetime is about 1 hour
• request a new token only after expiry

Good fit:

• environments that already handle token refresh
• integrations with stricter secret-lifetime requirements
• work specifically centered on OAuth flows

MCP basics

Official MCP server URL:

• https://mcp.sendpulse.com/mcp

Conceptual flow:

1. user asks the AI assistant for an action
2. client sends the request to the MCP server
3. MCP server calls SendPulse API
4. result returns to the client chat

MCP auth is not the same as REST auth

Do not collapse MCP auth into the API key vs OAuth explanation. Use client-specific setup.

OpenAI-style MCP setup

According to SendPulse docs, the connection flow requires:

• adding a new MCP server in the client
• pasting the SendPulse MCP URL
• using custom headers for auth:
• X-SP-ID
• X-SP-SECRET

The docs say to copy ID and Secret values from Account settings > API.

Cursor setup notes

SendPulse docs show a minimal MCP config that points Cursor to:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sendpulse_mcp_service": {
      "url": "https://mcp.sendpulse.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Then complete authorization in the browser flow if prompted.

First-success validation

REST

Use GET https://api.sendpulse.com/user/info as the default smoke test.

Bundled scripts:

• scripts/rest_api_key_smoke.sh — live-verified with API key on /user/info
• scripts/rest_oauth_smoke.sh — dry-run verified, waiting for live OAuth creds
• scripts/rest_request.sh — live-verified with Bearer auth on /user/info

MCP

Before promising a tool exists:

1. check the client's visible tools list
2. cross-check the official tools page: https://sendpulse.com/knowledge-base/account-settings/mcp-tools
3. run one harmless read-only task first

Useful framing sentence

Use this wording when helpful:

MCP is the fastest way to let an AI assistant operate your SendPulse account, while the REST API remains the canonical surface for direct backend integrations.