Dead Man's Snitch MCP server

Read Dead Man's Snitch monitors and status; create, tag, pause and unpause snitches. Hosted by usefulapi: connect it to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client.

Connect Dead Man's Snitch50 free tool calls a month

What can I ask?

Turn on the Dead Man's Snitch connector, then ask in plain words. The AI picks the tools.

Which of my scheduled job monitors are failing or late?
Show details of my nightly backup monitor.
List my monitors tagged 'backups' and how often each should check in.
Pause the monitor for my nightly backup job.

What you can do with Dead Man's Snitch in Claude and ChatGPT

For developers and sysadmins who monitor cron jobs and scheduled tasks with Dead Man's Snitch.

Find monitors that are failing or late

The AI lists snitches with their status (pending, healthy, failed, errored, paused), interval, alert type, tags and last check-in. You see which jobs need attention.

Look at the details of one monitor

The AI opens one snitch with its full details, including its check-in URL. The URL is a secret, so share it with care.

Create a monitor for a new scheduled job

The AI creates a new snitch and returns its check-in URL, which the job must call on every run. It fails when the plan's snitch limit is reached.

Changes data

Pause or unpause a monitor during maintenance

The AI pauses a snitch, which silences its alerts, with a setting for when alerting resumes, or unpauses it. A job that stops while paused goes unnoticed.

Changes data

Change a monitor or sort monitors with tags

The AI changes a snitch's fields, such as alert email recipients, and adds or removes tags. You can group monitors, for example backups.

Changes data

How do I connect Dead Man's Snitch?

Before you connect

The login page asks for your Dead Man's Snitch API key.

Create a key on the API Keys page of your Dead Man's Snitch account (the API needs a paid plan). A separate key for this connection makes it easy to revoke. Your key is used only to call the Dead Man's Snitch API on your behalf; it is never shown to anyone.

Claude claude.ai · Desktop

Open Customize → Connectors, then click + Add → Add custom connector.
Enter the name Dead Man's Snitch and this URL, then click Add:
https://dead-mans-snitch.usefulapi.io/mcp
Claude opens the login page: enter your Dead Man's Snitch API key.
In a chat, click + → Connectors and turn on Dead Man's Snitch.

Team and Enterprise: an Owner adds the connector for the organization first.

ChatGPT chatgpt.com

Open Plugins, click +, then Add custom MCP server.
Enter the name Dead Man's Snitch and this URL, choose OAuth as the authentication, confirm the warning and create it:
https://dead-mans-snitch.usefulapi.io/mcp
ChatGPT opens the login page: enter your Dead Man's Snitch API key.
In Plugins, install Dead Man's Snitch, then choose it in a chat.

No Add custom MCP server option? It depends on your account or workspace settings: see OpenAI's guide.

Claude Code

Run this command, then run /mcp in Claude Code to log in:

claude mcp add --transport http dead-mans-snitch https://dead-mans-snitch.usefulapi.io/mcp

Cursor

Add to Cursor or add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dead-mans-snitch": {
      "url": "https://dead-mans-snitch.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Add to VS Code or add this to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "dead-mans-snitch": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://dead-mans-snitch.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Codex

Run these commands. The second one opens the login page:

codex mcp add dead-mans-snitch --url https://dead-mans-snitch.usefulapi.io/mcp

codex mcp login dead-mans-snitch

Other clients

Windsurf, Cline, Zed and other MCP clients: add this URL as a remote MCP server (Streamable HTTP). The client then opens the login page in your browser.

https://dead-mans-snitch.usefulapi.io/mcp

Add only the URL. Do not add an Authorization header or an API key to the client config. The server signs you in with OAuth: the login page asks for your Dead Man's Snitch API key. If the config has such a header, remove it: some clients then send that header instead of the login token, and every call fails with 401.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Limit
Free	$0	50 tool calls / month
Proper user	$9/mo · $90/yr	10,000 tool calls / month
Pro+per user	$39/mo · $390/yr	100,000 tool calls / month

Each paid plan covers this Dead Man's Snitch server only. Ask your AI to run deadmanssnitch_upgrade and choose Pro or Pro+, billed monthly or yearly (it returns a Stripe Checkout link). If you already have Pro, ask to change it to Pro+. The change requires your confirmation, keeps your billing interval and charges the price difference for the rest of the period immediately. Cancel any time with deadmanssnitch_cancel_subscription: your paid plan continues to the end of the paid period, with no refund for the current period, and asking to resume the same plan with deadmanssnitch_upgrade before then undoes the cancel. Or write to support@usefulapi.io.

Tools 12

Show all 12 tools (the AI picks them for you)

Read only · 2

List snitchesdeadmanssnitch_list_snitches
List the snitches (cron/heartbeat monitors) of the account with status (pending, healthy, failed, errored, paused), interval, alert type, tags and last check-in. Tokens are masked (the token is also the check-in secret); pass the masked token or the name to the other snitch tools. The API has no paging: all snitches come back. Optionally filter by tags (must have all) or status.
Get snitchdeadmanssnitch_get_snitch
One snitch with its full details, including the check-in URL (https://nosnch.in/<token>). The check-in URL is a secret: anyone who has it can check in and so silence the alert; share it only where the job runs.

Changes data · 6

Create snitchdeadmanssnitch_create_snitch
WRITE: create a new snitch (monitor). Returns it with its check-in URL (https://nosnch.in/<token>), which the job must call on every run; keep it secret. Fails with 402 when the plan's snitch limit is reached.
Update snitchdeadmanssnitch_update_snitch
WRITE: change a snitch. Only the fields you pass change. `tags` REPLACES the whole tag list (use deadmanssnitch_add_tags to add) and `alert_email` replaces the alert recipients (an empty list = all team members). Returns the updated snitch with the token masked.
Add tagsdeadmanssnitch_add_tags
WRITE: add one or more tags to a snitch, keeping the existing ones. Returns the snitch's full tag list.
Remove tagdeadmanssnitch_remove_tag
WRITE: remove one tag from a snitch (the snitch itself is untouched). Returns the remaining tags.
Pause snitchdeadmanssnitch_pause_snitch
WRITE: pause a snitch, which SILENCES its alerts: a job that stops running goes unnoticed while it is paused. `until` says when alerting resumes: 'healthy' (default: on the next healthy check-in), 'unpaused' (stays paused until deadmanssnitch_unpause_snitch) or a future ISO 8601 time. A snitch that has never checked in (pending) cannot be paused.
Unpause snitchdeadmanssnitch_unpause_snitch
WRITE: resume alerting for a paused snitch (safe on a snitch that is not paused).

Your usefulapi plan · 4

Usage status (free-tier meter)deadmanssnitch_usage_status
Report the caller's current usage: the plan, calls used this month, the limit of the plan (the free monthly cap or the Pro fair use limit), remaining, and whether the limit is reached. Read-only; does not count against the meter.
Request a missing featuredeadmanssnitch_request_feature
Tell usefulapi that the user needs something the Dead Man's Snitch tools cannot do yet (a missing tool, field or filter). Call it only when the user asks for something none of the tools can do, and tell the user that you send the request. Do not call it for errors or for normal requests. Do not include personal data, credentials or customer records. Stored with the product name and the client type (for example Claude or Cursor), without the user's account. At most 5 requests per day. Does not count against the meter.
Upgrade to Pro or Pro+deadmanssnitch_upgrade
Get a paid plan for Dead Man's Snitch (the free tier caps monthly usage). Pro: 10,000 tool calls a month, for normal use — plan "monthly" ($9/month) or "yearly" ($90/year, 2 months free). Pro+: 100,000 tool calls a month, for automations and heavy use — plan "plus" ($39/month) or "plus_yearly" ($390/year). Without a plan it returns both Pro and Pro+, each with a payment link, for the user to choose; with a plan, one link. An existing Pro subscription changes to Pro+ in place: call without confirm first, as the reply states the exact charge for this account (the price difference for the rest of the period, or in a free Pro trial the full Pro+ price, as the trial ends); then call with confirm: true. Cancel any time: the plan then runs to the end of the paid period, so it also suits a one-time job. A link opens Stripe Checkout in the browser; after payment the account upgrades automatically. Does not count against the meter.
Cancel the Pro subscriptiondeadmanssnitch_cancel_subscription
Cancel the caller's Dead Man's Snitch Pro subscription at the end of the paid period (no refund for the current period; Pro continues until then, then the free tier applies). Requires confirm: true. Run deadmanssnitch_upgrade later to undo the cancel before the period ends. Does not count against the meter.

FAQ

What can I do with Dead Man's Snitch in Claude or ChatGPT?

Find monitors that are failing or late. Look at the details of one monitor. Create a monitor for a new scheduled job. Pause or unpause a monitor during maintenance. Change a monitor or sort monitors with tags. See what you can do for the details.

Is this an official Dead Man's Snitch product?

No. usefulapi is an independent service. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dead Man's Snitch. The server calls the Dead Man's Snitch API with your own Dead Man's Snitch access, so it sees only the data that your account can see.

Can I connect Dead Man's Snitch to Claude or ChatGPT?

Yes. In Claude, add this server's URL as a custom connector. In ChatGPT, add it as a custom MCP server in Plugins. Then log in once. Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code and Codex work too. See the setup steps.

What do I need to connect?

The login page asks for your Dead Man's Snitch API key. See Before you connect for where to find it.

Do I put my Dead Man's Snitch key or an Authorization header in the client config?

No. Add only the URL. Do not add an Authorization header or an API key to the client config. The server signs you in with OAuth: the login page asks for your Dead Man's Snitch API key. If the config has such a header, remove it: some clients then send that header instead of the login token, and every call fails with 401.

How do you keep my Dead Man's Snitch credentials?

The login stores them encrypted in the authorization grant of your connection. The server uses them to call the Dead Man's Snitch API for you and to derive a private account id for usage metering. usefulapi does not show them on any page or in any reply. To stop all access, remove the connector and change or delete these credentials in Dead Man's Snitch.

Can the AI change my Dead Man's Snitch data?

Yes, if you approve it. 6 of the 8 Dead Man's Snitch tools can create or change data. The other 2 are marked read-only. Most MCP clients ask you to approve a tool call before it runs.

What does it cost?

The Free plan gives 50 tool calls / month. Pro costs $9/mo or $90/yr, with 10,000 tool calls / month. Pro+ costs $39/mo or $390/yr, with 100,000 tool calls / month. Each subscription covers this Dead Man's Snitch server only. Cancel any time: your paid plan then runs to the end of the paid period. Run deadmanssnitch_usage_status to see how many calls you used.

How do I subscribe or cancel?

Ask the AI to run deadmanssnitch_upgrade and choose Pro or Pro+, billed monthly or yearly: it returns a Stripe Checkout link. If you already have Pro, ask to change it to Pro+. After you confirm, your existing subscription changes in place, keeps its billing interval and charges the price difference for the rest of the period immediately. To cancel, run deadmanssnitch_cancel_subscription. Your paid plan continues to the end of the paid period.

What if a Dead Man's Snitch tool that I need is missing?

Tell the AI what you wanted to do. It can send the request with deadmanssnitch_request_feature. We store the text with the server name, the type of AI client and the tool you tried, not with your account, and read every request when we plan new tools. You can send up to 5 requests per day.

Which AI clients can I use?

Any client that supports remote MCP servers (Streamable HTTP) with OAuth login: Claude (web and desktop), Claude Code, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf and others.

This is a Model Context Protocol endpoint — meant to be connected from an AI client, not opened in a browser. An invalid_token response at the URL is the auth gate working as designed; clients authenticate automatically.

Need a tool this server does not have, or a connection to another system? We build custom integrations and MCP servers.

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