An assistant connected to Beebole acts as you: it sees only the data your role allows, and its actions are recorded like your own. This page is about connecting external assistants to your data — Beebole’s built-in AI features are covered in Beebole AI.
What a connected assistant can do
The server exposes a set of tools grouped around the things people actually do in Beebole, always bounded by your permissions. The list below covers the main ones rather than every tool:
So you can ask your assistant things like “log 2 hours on Website Redesign for today”, “what did I track this week?”, “how much of the Acme budget is left?”, or — if you’re an approver — “approve the timesheets waiting on me”.
Each tool tells your assistant whether it only reads data or changes it, and which changes are destructive, so a well-behaved assistant asks before deleting anything. Everything runs through the same rules as the app: the lock date, entry restrictions, approval status, and your role all apply, and a refusal comes back to the assistant as the reason Beebole gives.
Find your server URL and API key
Everything you need is on the Assistant page — click Assistant in the sidebar:- Server URL — the address of your Beebole MCP server, with a Copy button.
- API key — click Show my API key to reveal it, then Copy. Only needed for developer tools; hosted connectors sign in instead.
Connect a hosted assistant (claude.ai, ChatGPT)
1
Copy the server URL
On the Assistant page, copy the Server URL.
2
Add it as a custom connector
In claude.ai or ChatGPT, add the URL as a custom connector.
3
Sign in and authorize
You are asked to sign in to Beebole and authorize the access — no API key needed. This is a standard OAuth 2.1 sign-in, so the assistant never sees your credentials and receives an access token it has to refresh. Once authorized, the assistant appears under Connected apps.
Connect a developer tool
- Claude Code
- Cursor / Claude Desktop
Run this command, replacing
YOUR_API_KEY with your API key and the URL with your Server URL:Review and disconnect connections
Assistants you authorized through sign-in appear on the Assistant page under Connected apps, with the app’s name and when it was connected. Click Disconnect to revoke a connection — the assistant loses access immediately and must be authorized again to reconnect. Tools connected with your API key are not listed there; they stop working when you Reset the key.Related content
Beebole AI
Beebole’s built-in AI: suggested entries, report builder, and approval review.
Beebole API
Query and mutate your Beebole data programmatically with GraphQL.
Roles & permissions
What your role allows — and therefore what a connected assistant can do as you.
Webhooks
Push Beebole events to external systems in real time.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI assistants work with Beebole?
Which AI assistants work with Beebole?
Any assistant that supports the MCP standard. Hosted assistants like claude.ai and ChatGPT connect through a custom connector with a sign-in flow, while developer tools like Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and Cursor connect with your Beebole API key.
What data can a connected assistant access?
What data can a connected assistant access?
Exactly what you can. The connection carries your permissions, so the assistant sees the projects, tasks, and timesheets your role allows — nothing more. It records time on your own timesheet by default, and on someone else’s only where your role already lets you do that; it can act on approvals only if you are an approver. There is no separate permission layer for the assistant: Beebole refuses whatever you could not do yourself, and the assistant gets the refusal.
How do I revoke an assistant's access to Beebole?
How do I revoke an assistant's access to Beebole?
For hosted assistants, click Disconnect next to the app under Connected apps on the Assistant page. For tools connected with your API key, click Reset next to the key — every tool using the old key loses access immediately.
Do I need an API key to connect claude.ai or ChatGPT?
Do I need an API key to connect claude.ai or ChatGPT?
No. Hosted connectors use a sign-in flow: add Beebole’s server URL as a custom connector, sign in, and authorize the access. The API key is only for developer tools that can’t open a sign-in window.