Connect the MCP in three steps

The MCP has a simple onboarding: one key, one snippet, one restart. Once it's connected, it stays connected — you won't need to repeat this for every project. Here's the whole flow.

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[Image: the three-step MCP onboarding — Get your MCP key, Connect your tool, Ask your AI]

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Step 1 — Generate your MCP key

Open your MCP setup page and click Generate MCP key. This key authenticates your AI tool against your BYQ account, so the components and design systems it can reach match your plan.

The key is shown once. Store it like a password — in a password manager or somewhere safe — because once you refresh the page it's gone. You can always generate a new one if you lose it (the old one stops working), and you can manage your keys anytime under Settings → Developers.

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Step 2 — Connect your tool

Pick your editor, copy the snippet the setup page gives you, and paste it where that tool keeps its MCP settings. The setup page already has the real address and your key filled in — so in practice this is copy, paste, done. For Claude Code, the snippet is a single terminal command:

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claude mcp add --transport http byq-supply https://app.byq.supply/api/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

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Claude Code registers the server globally, so it works in every project. Copy the exact snippet from the setup page rather than typing it by hand — it already includes your key. Other tools (Cursor, Lovable, and more) use a slightly different format, all covered in the next chapter.

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Step 3 — Ask your AI

Restart your tool so it picks up the new server, then just mention BYQ in any prompt. Your AI will use the connection to find the right component or design system and apply it. A few prompts to start with:

• "Add a pricing section with 3 tiers from BYQ Supply."
• "Find a hero with a video background in BYQ and drop it in."
• "Search BYQ for a minimal dark SaaS design system and apply it."

You don't have to name exact components or tool functions — describe what you want, and the AI maps it to the right search.

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If it doesn't connect

Nine times out of ten it's a missed restart — most tools only load a new server when they start up, so restart and try again. If it still can't see BYQ, the next-likeliest culprit is a mistyped key, so regenerate it and re-paste. Full per-tool setup and a few more checks are in Connecting your AI tool.