Connect a Leaderboard to Claude, ChatGPT & Cursor (MCP)

Every board has its own MCP server address. Add it to your AI assistant and you can ask it things like “who's leading?” or “give Priya 5 points and Marcus 3”, and the live board updates on the spot.

1. Copy your board's MCP address

In the board editor, open Share → Editing access. Under Developer API, click Copy MCP address. It looks like this:

https://maketheboard.com/api/mcp/<your-board-token>

If editing access is off, click Create a management link first. The address contains the same secret as the management link, so anyone who has it can change scores. Regenerating or turning off the link disconnects the assistant too.

2. Add it to your assistant

Claude (web and desktop)

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http maketheboard https://maketheboard.com/api/mcp/<your-board-token>

ChatGPT

Turn on developer mode under Settings → Apps & Connectors → Advanced, then create a connector with the MCP address and No authentication.

Cursor

Add it to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "maketheboard": { "url": "https://maketheboard.com/api/mcp/<your-board-token>" }
  }
}

VS Code

Add it to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "maketheboard": { "type": "http", "url": "https://maketheboard.com/api/mcp/<your-board-token>" }
  }
}

What the assistant can do

The server gives your assistant two tools:

• get_leaderboard reads the board: title, type, and everyone's rank and score. It changes nothing.
• update_scores sets a new total or adds and subtracts points, for one person or many in a single call. Names are matched regardless of capitals. It never adds new people, so add everyone on the board first.

Things you can ask:

• “Who's in the top three right now?”
• “Add 10 points to the Blue team and take 5 from Red.”
• “Here are tonight's quiz results, update the board.” (paste a list or a screenshot)
• “Set everyone's score from this CSV.”
• “How far is second place behind first?”

Every change shows up instantly on the public board, its embeds, and the TV display.

Good to know

• One address controls one board. To manage several, add one connector per board.
• Assistants usually ask before running update_scores, because it changes data. That's expected.
• The server accepts up to 120 calls a minute per board and 500 score changes per call, far more than a conversation needs.
• Participant names come from your board, and if you let people sign themselves up, from them. The server tells the assistant to treat names as data, never instructions, but keep an eye on the confirmation step before scores change.
• Building your own agent or tool? The plain-text reference at /developers.md covers the API and the MCP server in one file.