# FAQ & troubleshooting

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need to install anything?

No. The Altoviz MCP server is a **remote** server hosted at `https://mcp.altoviz.com`. You add it as a connector in your AI client and authorize it once — there is nothing to download or run.

### Which AI assistants can I use?

Any client that supports remote MCP servers with OAuth, including ChatGPT (Developer mode), Claude (Desktop and web), VS Code, and Cursor. See [Connect your assistant](mcp/connect).

### How do I authenticate?

The server uses **OAuth 2.0**. When a client first connects, you're taken to the Altoviz login page where you paste your **API key**. You never store the key inside the AI client, and you don't have to re-authorize on every restart — tokens are refreshed automatically.

### Where do I get an API key?

From the Altoviz web app. See the [API authentication guide](../api/guides/authentication).

### Which account does the assistant act on?

The account that owns the API key you authorized with. Everything the assistant reads or changes happens on that account, exactly as if you did it in the web app.

### Is it safe to let an assistant make changes?

The assistant can do anything your API key permits — including creating, updating, and deleting records. Treat it like giving access to the web app. Good practice:

- Review what the assistant proposes before confirming destructive or financial actions.
- Remember that **finalizing**, **sending**, and **deleting** invoices, quotes, and credit notes are real operations.
- Most clients ask for confirmation before running a tool — keep that enabled.

### How does this relate to the REST API and CLI?

The MCP server, the [REST API](../api/), and the [CLI](../cli/) all talk to the same Altoviz platform and use the same API keys. The MCP server is the path designed for **AI assistants**; the API and CLI are for direct integration and scripting.

### Is there a cost?

The MCP server is part of Altoviz. See [pricing](https://altoviz.com/pricing). Note that some AI clients (e.g. ChatGPT connectors) require a paid plan on their side.

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## Troubleshooting

### The connection or sign-in fails

- Make sure you entered a valid, active **API key** on the Altoviz login page.
- Confirm the server URL is exactly `https://mcp.altoviz.com` with no trailing path.
- After connecting, ask the assistant to _"test my Altoviz connection"_ — this runs `TestApiKey` and reports whether the key works.

### The client can't discover the server / OAuth

- Your client must support **remote MCP servers** over Streamable HTTP (or SSE) with **OAuth**. Older or unsupported clients won't connect.
- For ChatGPT, make sure **Developer mode** is enabled and the authentication type is set to **OAuth**.

### The assistant says a tool isn't available

- Check that the Altoviz connector is enabled for the current conversation (in ChatGPT, select it from the ⊕ menu).
- See the [list of tools](mcp/tools) to confirm the action is supported.

### A change didn't appear in the web app

- Confirm the assistant actually completed the tool call (it should report a result, not just describe what it would do).
- Remember invoices, quotes, and credits start as **drafts** — they aren't official until finalized.
- Refresh the web app; you should be looking at the same account the API key belongs to.

### Still stuck?

[Contact us](https://altoviz.com/contact) by chat or email — include which client you're using and what the assistant reported.