NS1 Connect MCP server

Read NS1 zones, records, monitors, data feeds and usage; create or update one DNS record. Hosted by usefulapi: connect it to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client.

Connect NS1 Connect50 free tool calls a month

What can I ask?

Turn on the NS1 Connect connector, then ask in plain words. The AI picks the tools.

Which DNS zones do I have, and how many records does my account use in total?
How many DNS queries did acme-example.com get in the last 30 days?
Find every DNS record with 'shop' in its name across my zones.
Which health checks do I have set up, and are any of them failing?

What you can do with NS1 Connect in Claude and ChatGPT

For DevOps and network engineers who manage DNS and traffic steering with NS1 Connect.

Find DNS records by name across your zones

The AI searches zones and records by name, such as every record with shop in it, and can include the answers. It also opens one zone or record for TTL and answers.

Check DNS query counts and traffic

The AI reads query counts for the account, a zone or one record over 1 hour, 24 hours or 30 days, plus current queries per second.

See which health checks are failing

The AI lists monitoring jobs with type, regions, frequency and current status, and the notifier lists that alerts go to. Credentials are redacted.

Review data sources and feeds used for steering

The AI lists data sources with their status and feeds, and opens one feed. You see what drives traffic steering.

Compare account resource use with limits

The AI reads the account summary with utilization against limits, the records used in this billing cycle, and billable queries between two dates.

Add or change one DNS record

The AI creates one plain record such as A, CNAME, MX or TXT, or updates one record's answers or TTL. These changes affect live DNS.

Changes data

How do I connect NS1 Connect?

Before you connect

The login page asks for your NS1 Connect API key secret.

In NS1 Connect open User Settings → Users & teams → API keys → Create API key, grant only the permissions you need (for read-only use: view zones, view monitoring jobs, view data sources), and copy the key secret (it is shown once). Create a new key only for this server: IBM advises not to share API key secrets between multiple users or third-party integrations. A key with an IP allow list may connect but then fail on every call, because this server's address is not on the list. Your key is used only to call the NS1 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 NS1 Connect and this URL, then click Add:
https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp
Claude opens the login page: enter your NS1 Connect API key secret.
In a chat, click + → Connectors and turn on NS1 Connect.

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 NS1 Connect and this URL, choose OAuth as the authentication, confirm the warning and create it:
https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp
ChatGPT opens the login page: enter your NS1 Connect API key secret.
In Plugins, install NS1 Connect, 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 ns1 https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp

Cursor

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ns1": {
      "url": "https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}

VS Code

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

{
  "servers": {
    "ns1": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Codex

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

codex mcp add ns1 --url https://ns1.usefulapi.io/mcp

codex mcp login ns1

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://ns1.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 NS1 Connect API key secret. 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 NS1 Connect server only. Ask your AI to run ns1_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 ns1_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 ns1_upgrade before then undoes the cancel. Or write to support@usefulapi.io.

Tools 22

Show all 22 tools (the AI picks them for you)

Read only · 16

List zonesns1_list_zones
List the DNS zones in the account: name, id, TTL/SOA settings, primary/secondary setup, linked zones and tags. If next_page is not null, call again with its after/offset to get more.
Get zonens1_get_zone
One zone with its settings and its record list (each record: domain, type, TTL, short answers, linked/tier info). Large zones are paged: if next_page is not null, call again with its after/offset to get the next records. TSIG secrets are redacted.
Get recordns1_get_record
One DNS record by zone, domain and type: TTL, answers (with per-answer metadata), filter chain (traffic steering), linked record and region settings.
Search zones and recordsns1_search
Search the account's zones and records by name (substring match). Returns matching zones and/or records with their answers when expand is true.
List monitoring jobsns1_list_monitoring_jobs
List the account's NS1 monitoring jobs (health checks that feed traffic steering): id, name, type, regions, frequency, rules, current status, active flag and notify list id. Request header values and credentials are redacted.
Get monitoring jobns1_get_monitoring_job
One monitoring job by id with its configuration, rules, regions and status. Header values and credentials are redacted.
List notifier listsns1_list_notify_lists
List the notifier lists that monitoring alerts are sent to: id, name and the notifier types and labels (email, Slack, PagerDuty, webhook). Notifier settings (webhook URLs, tokens, service keys, addresses) are redacted.
List data sourcesns1_list_data_sources
List the data sources (connections to third-party monitoring or custom push sources used for traffic steering): id, name, source type, status and their feeds. Connection settings and credentials are redacted.
Get data sourcens1_get_data_source
One data source by id with its feeds. Connection settings and credentials are redacted.
List data feeds of a sourcens1_list_data_feeds
List the feeds of one data source (each feed is one monitored item, e.g. one server's health) with id, name and settings.
Get data feedns1_get_data_feed
One data feed of a source by id.
Get account summaryns1_get_account_summary
The account's subscription, resources and utilization (queries, records, filter chains, monitors, ... against the plan limits).
Get query usage statisticsns1_get_usage_stats
DNS query counts for the whole account, one zone, or one record (give zone, or zone + domain + type). period is 1h, 24h or 30d; aggregate, expand, limit and after apply to the account and zone levels only (a record takes just period). If next_page is not null, call again with its after/limit.
Get queries per secondns1_get_qps_stats
Current queries per second for the whole account, one zone, or one record (give zone, or zone + domain + type).
Get records usage (billing)ns1_get_billing_records
How many DNS records the account uses against its plan limit in the current billing cycle.
Get query usage (billing)ns1_get_billing_queries
Billable DNS query usage between two Unix timestamps.

Changes data · 2

Create DNS recordns1_create_record
WRITE: creates ONE new DNS record and CHANGES LIVE DNS for that name as soon as NS1 serves it; a wrong answer can take a site or mail offline. Plain records only (A, AAAA, ALIAS, CAA, CNAME, MX, PTR, SRV, TXT; no NS/SOA, no traffic-steering filters or metadata). Refuses when the record already exists (use ns1_update_record). Answers are lists of rdata fields: A ["192.0.2.10"], MX [10, "mail.example.com."], TXT ["v=spf1 -all"], SRV [10, 5, 5060, "sip.example.com."], CAA [0, "issue", "letsencrypt.org"].
Update DNS recordns1_update_record
WRITE: changes ONE existing DNS record and CHANGES LIVE DNS for that name immediately. Giving answers REPLACES all current answers of the record (send the complete new set); giving only ttl changes just the TTL. Plain records only (A, AAAA, ALIAS, CAA, CNAME, MX, PTR, SRV, TXT): when answers are given, a record that uses traffic-steering filters, links or per-answer metadata is refused (edit it in the NS1 portal). Fails if the record does not exist.

Your usefulapi plan · 4

Usage status (free-tier meter)ns1_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 featurens1_request_feature
Tell usefulapi that the user needs something the NS1 Connect 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+ns1_upgrade
Get a paid plan for NS1 Connect (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 subscriptionns1_cancel_subscription
Cancel the caller's NS1 Connect 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 ns1_upgrade later to undo the cancel before the period ends. Does not count against the meter.

FAQ

What can I do with NS1 Connect in Claude or ChatGPT?

Find DNS records by name across your zones. Check DNS query counts and traffic. See which health checks are failing. Review data sources and feeds used for steering. Compare account resource use with limits. Add or change one DNS record. See what you can do for the details.

Is this an official NS1 Connect product?

No. usefulapi is an independent service. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by NS1 Connect. The server calls the NS1 Connect API with your own NS1 Connect access, so it sees only the data that your account can see.

Can I connect NS1 Connect 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 NS1 Connect API key secret. See Before you connect for where to find it.

Do I put my NS1 Connect 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 NS1 Connect API key secret. 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 NS1 Connect credentials?

The login stores them encrypted in the authorization grant of your connection. The server uses them to call the NS1 Connect 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 NS1 Connect.

Can the AI change my NS1 Connect data?

Yes, if you approve it. 2 of the 18 NS1 Connect tools can create or change data. The other 16 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 NS1 Connect server only. Cancel any time: your paid plan then runs to the end of the paid period. Run ns1_usage_status to see how many calls you used.

How do I subscribe or cancel?

Ask the AI to run ns1_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 ns1_cancel_subscription. Your paid plan continues to the end of the paid period.

What if a NS1 Connect tool that I need is missing?

Tell the AI what you wanted to do. It can send the request with ns1_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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