Skip to main content

​
What is the MCP Server?

The absentify MCP Server connects AI assistants directly to your absentify workspace. Using the Model Context Protocol — an open standard supported by Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more — your AI assistant can manage absences, list members, approve requests, search documentation, and much more.
API MCP Server URL: https://api.absentify.com/api/mcpThis is the main MCP server. It requires a Plus plan and an API key.

​
What Can the AI Do?

Once connected, your AI assistant can:

Manage Absences

Create, approve, decline, or cancel absence requests. List upcoming absences for your team.

Query Members

Look up team members, check their schedules, view allowances, and manage department assignments.

Search Documentation

Search the full absentify documentation and retrieve detailed guides — built right into the same server.

Configure Workspace

View and update workspace settings, leave types, public holidays, and department configurations.

​
Example Prompts

Here are some things you can ask your AI assistant once connected: Absence Management:
  • “Show me all pending absence requests”
  • “Create a vacation request for next Monday to Friday”
  • “Approve the absence request from Sarah”
  • “How many sick days has the team taken this quarter?”
Team & Members:
  • “List all members in the Engineering department”
  • “What’s the remaining vacation allowance for John?”
  • “Show me who is out of office this week”
Documentation & Help:
  • “How do I configure approval workflows with multiple approvers?”
  • “What are the API rate limits?”
  • “How does calendar synchronization work?”

​
Available Tools

The MCP server provides 40+ tools covering all API endpoints, plus documentation search:
CategoryToolsExamples
Members14 toolsList, get, invite, update, delete members; manage approvers, schedules, representatives
Requests10 toolsList, create, approve, decline, cancel requests; recurring requests
Leave Types6 toolsList, create, update, delete, restore leave types
Departments5 toolsList, create, update, delete departments
Workspace2 toolsGet and update workspace settings
Public Holidays2 toolsList and get public holidays
Absences1 toolList absences per day with filters
Documentation2 toolsSearch docs and query documentation filesystem

​
Setup Guide

​
Requirements

  • A Plus plan subscription with API access
  • An API key (create one in Settings > Integrations > API)
  • An MCP-compatible AI client
The easiest way to connect — just add the URL. A browser window will open where you enter your API key.
1

Open Settings

Click the Claude menu in your system’s menu bar and select Settings…
2

Open Developer Settings

Click the Developer tab in the left sidebar, then click Edit Config
3

Add the absentify MCP Server

Add the following to your configuration file:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "absentify": {
      "url": "https://api.absentify.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}
If you already have other MCP servers configured, add the "absentify" entry inside the existing "mcpServers" object.
4

Restart and Authorize

Restart Claude Desktop. A browser window will open asking for your API key. Enter it and click Authorize. You’re connected!

​
Connect with API Key Header (Alternative)

If your client doesn’t support OAuth, you can pass the API key directly as a header: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "absentify": {
      "url": "https://api.absentify.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

​
Example: Real Conversation

Here’s a real example of what a conversation with an MCP-connected AI looks like: 
You: "Who is out of office this week in the Marketing department?"

AI: Let me check the current absences for the Marketing department.
    [Calls list_absences_per_day tool]

    Here are the Marketing team members currently out:
    - Anna Mueller: Vacation (Mon-Fri)
    - Tom Schmidt: Sick leave (Mon-Wed)
    - Lisa Weber: Working from home (Thu-Fri)

You: "Approve the pending request from Julia for next week"

AI: I found Julia's pending vacation request for May 19-23.
    [Calls approve_request tool]

    Done! Julia's vacation request has been approved.

You: "How many vacation days does our team have left this year?"

AI: Let me look up the remaining allowances.
    [Calls list_members tool with department filter]

    Here's the vacation allowance summary for Marketing:
    - Anna Mueller: 12 of 30 days remaining
    - Tom Schmidt: 18 of 28 days remaining
    - Julia Braun: 22 of 30 days remaining
    - Lisa Weber: 15 of 25 days remaining
No Plus plan? You can still use a free, read-only documentation MCP server at https://absentify.com/docs/mcp — no API key required. It lets your AI assistant search our docs and answer setup questions, but it cannot interact with your workspace.

​
Troubleshooting

  • Make sure you’re using the correct URL: https://api.absentify.com/api/mcp
  • Check your default browser settings
  • Try the API key header method as an alternative
  • Verify your API key is correct in Settings > Integrations > API
  • Make sure you have an active Plus plan subscription
  • Try generating a new API key
  • Check the API Limits — you may be rate limited
  • Verify your API key has the correct permissions
  • Review the Responses documentation for error codes
  • Mention “absentify” in your prompt to help the AI use the right tools
  • Check if the MCP tools icon appears in your client’s interface
  • Try explicitly asking: “Use the absentify tools to…”
  • Restart your AI client after adding the MCP server

​
Next Steps

Get an API Key

Set up API access to start using the MCP server

API Reference

Browse all available API endpoints