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Ark provides two MCP servers for IDE integration:
ServerPurposeAPI Key Required
Docs MCPAI reads Ark documentation and writes correct codeNo
API MCPAI manages domains, sends emails, checks delivery (26 tools)Yes
Start with Docs MCP — it’s free, instant, and gives your AI accurate knowledge of the Ark API. Add the API MCP when you need infrastructure management from your editor.

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Claude Code

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Docs MCP

claude mcp add ark-docs --transport http https://arkhq.io/docs/mcp

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API MCP

claude mcp add ark-email -e ARK_API_KEY=ark_live_your_key_here -- npx -y ark-email-mcp
Or add to .mcp.json in your project root: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ark-email": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ark-email-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ARK_API_KEY": "ark_live_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Scoping Options

ScopeCommand
Projectclaude mcp add ark-email -- npx -y ark-email-mcp
User (global)claude mcp add ark-email --scope user -- npx -y ark-email-mcp
Verify connection: 
claude mcp list

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Claude Desktop

1

Open Settings

Go to Settings → Connectors in Claude Desktop
2

Add Ark Docs

Click Add custom connector and enter:
  • Name: Ark Docs
  • URL: https://arkhq.io/docs/mcp
3

Enable in Chat

When chatting, click the + button and select Ark Docs to enable it for that conversation
For API MCP in Claude Desktop, see the MCP Server page for API key configuration.

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Cursor

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Docs MCP

Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P), search Open MCP settings, and add: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ark-docs": {
      "url": "https://arkhq.io/docs/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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API MCP

Add to the same config: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ark-docs": {
      "url": "https://arkhq.io/docs/mcp"
    },
    "ark-email": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ark-email-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ARK_API_KEY": "ark_live_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Config File Locations

ScopeLocation
Project.cursor/mcp.json in project root
Global (macOS/Linux)~/.cursor/mcp.json
Global (Windows)%USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json
MCP tools only work in Agent mode, not Ask mode. Switch with Cmd+. / Ctrl+..

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VS Code (Copilot)

Add to your VS Code settings.json or .vscode/mcp.json: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ark-docs": {
      "url": "https://arkhq.io/docs/mcp"
    },
    "ark-email": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ark-email-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ARK_API_KEY": "ark_live_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Windsurf

Add to your Windsurf MCP configuration: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ark-docs": {
      "serverUrl": "https://arkhq.io/docs/mcp"
    },
    "ark-email": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ark-email-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ARK_API_KEY": "ark_live_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Available API MCP Tools

26 tools for managing your email infrastructure:
CategoryTools
Email Operationssend_email, send_batch, get_email, list_emails, retry_email, get_deliveries
Domain Managementcreate_domain, list_domains, get_domain, verify_domain, delete_domain
Suppression Managementcheck_suppression, add_suppression, remove_suppression, list_suppressions
Webhooks & Trackingcreate_webhook, list_webhooks, test_webhook, create_tracking_domain, verify_tracking_domain

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Using Environment Variables

Keep your API key out of config files: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ark-email": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ark-email-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ARK_API_KEY": "${env:ARK_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}
Then set ARK_API_KEY in your shell profile or .env file.

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Troubleshooting

  1. Restart your IDE fully after editing config
  2. Check Agent mode (Cursor): MCP only works in Agent mode (Cmd+.)
  3. Check MCP status: Look for green indicator in settings
  4. Node.js 20+: Run node --version to verify
  5. View logs: Check Output panel for MCP errors
  1. Verify your API key has no extra spaces
  2. Ensure key starts with ark_live_ or ark_test_
  3. Check key hasn’t been revoked at arkhq.io/org/credentials
Run the command manually in terminal to see actual errors:
ARK_API_KEY=your_key npx -y ark-email-mcp
If on VPN/corporate network, check for outbound connection restrictions.

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FAQ

No. Docs MCP is free and needs no authentication. You only need an API key for API MCP.
Locally in your MCP config file on your machine. It’s never sent to AI providers — only directly to Ark’s servers over HTTPS.
Docs MCP. It’s free and gives your AI accurate Ark API knowledge. Add API MCP later for infrastructure management.

MCP Server

Full MCP documentation and tool reference

Docs MCP

Documentation MCP details

Domain Setup

Required before sending emails

Quickstart

Send your first email