Connect Franklin to Claude (MCP) | Franklin Help Center

Before you start

Connecting Franklin to Claude lets you ask Claude about your card transactions and attach receipts, right in a chat. It uses Franklin's MCP server, which is in beta.

You need:

Franklin API access switched on for your company. Ask your admin to switch it on in Settings or contact Franklin support and we'll enable it. It is included on every plan.
A Claude plan with custom connectors. Custom connectors are available on Claude's Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans (Claude Help Center). On Team and Enterprise, only an Owner can add a custom connector.
A Franklin API key for each company you want to connect (Step 1).

Quick answers

Question		Answer
MCP server URL		`https://api.hifranklin.com/mcp`
How it authenticates		Your Franklin API key as a bearer token: `Authorization: Bearer <key>`. Sign-in with your Franklin login is not available yet
Does it work on mobile		Yes, when added as a connector with a request header (Step 2)
Several companies		Each API key belongs to one company, so add one connector per company
Full API reference		api.hifranklin.com/docs

Step 1: Create an API key in Franklin

In Franklin, go to Settings → API keys and create a key. Give it an expiry date if you want one.
Copy the key and keep it somewhere safe. Each key belongs to one company.

Step 2: Add Franklin as a connector in Claude

Add Franklin once and it works everywhere you are signed in to Claude, including the mobile app.

Open claude.ai or the Claude desktop app and go to Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
Name it Franklin and paste the URL https://api.hifranklin.com/mcp.
Under authentication, choose No sign-in. If Claude suggests signing in, switch to No sign-in.
Open Request headers, choose Authorization as the header name and enter Bearer YOUR_API_KEY as the value. Include the word Bearer and a space before the key.
Click Add, then turn the connector on. Franklin now shows in your Connectors list.
On mobile: open the Claude app signed in to the same account and turn Franklin on from the tools menu in a chat.

Good to know: Request headers is a beta feature in Claude, so not every account has it yet. If you don't see it, use the alternative below. The key can't be edited after saving; to change it, remove the connector and add it again. On Claude Team and Enterprise, only an Owner can add custom connectors.

Alternative: Claude Code or Claude Desktop config

Use this if your Claude account doesn't show Request headers yet. It works only on the computer where you set it up.

Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http franklin https://api.hifranklin.com/mcp \ --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Claude Desktop config file (requires Node.js): open Settings → Developer → Edit Config, add the entry below under mcpServers, and restart Claude Desktop.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "franklin": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://api.hifranklin.com/mcp",
               "--header", "Authorization:${FRANKLIN_AUTH}"],
      "env": { "FRANKLIN_AUTH": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Working with several companies

Each API key is locked to one company and can never see another. To use Claude with several companies, create one key per company in Franklin and add one connector per company in Claude, named after the company, for example Franklin – Twelve50Five and Franklin – NUORI.

Mention the company in your request so Claude uses the right connector. In the Claude Desktop config file, add one entry per company, each with its own key:

"franklin-companyA": { ...same as above, with company A's key... },
"franklin-companyB": { ...same as above, with company B's key... }

Sign-in with your Franklin login, where one connection covers all your companies, is on the way. We'll update this guide when it's available.

Try it

Start a new chat with Franklin turned on and ask something like:

"Which transactions from the last 30 days are missing a receipt?"
"Do any suppliers look like they charged us twice this month?"
"Attach this receipt to the Shopify transaction from 3 October."

What Claude can do: list and read your transactions, read receipt details, and attach receipts (JPEG, PNG or PDF).

What it cannot do yet: set the bookkeeping account or VAT code on a transaction, see transactions older than 90 days or hidden in the app, show your account balance, see cards or top-ups, or download receipt files. Setting the bookkeeping account works through the REST API today (docs). Claude never moves money and never sees full card numbers.

Troubleshooting and security

Problem		What to do
No API keys page in Franklin settings		API access is not enabled for your company yet. Contact Franklin support
No Request headers section in Claude		The feature is still rolling out on Claude. Use Claude Code or the Claude Desktop config instead
"Add custom connector" is missing		On Claude Team or Enterprise, ask your Claude Owner to add it
Connector added but has no tools		The key wasn't accepted. Check the value is `Bearer` followed by the key, then remove the connector and add it again
Franklin does not appear on mobile		Sign in to the same Claude account and turn Franklin on in the chat's tools menu
Claude says it has no access to a company		That connector's key belongs to another company, or your Franklin role doesn't allow it

Keep keys secret. Treat an API key like a password and never paste it into a chat. If a key is lost or shared, revoke it under Settings → API keys and create a new one.

Disconnect anytime. Remove Franklin under Settings → Connectors in Claude, or revoke the key in Franklin.

Still stuck? Contact Franklin support and tell us which option you used.