usefulapiRotaCloud MCP server
Read RotaCloud shifts, attendance, leave, availability and payroll; create shifts and handle leave. Hosted by usefulapi: connect it to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client.
What can I ask?
Turn on the RotaCloud connector, then ask in plain words. The AI picks the tools.
- Who is working tomorrow and at which location?
- Who is clocked in right now and is anyone late?
- Which leave requests are waiting for my decision?
- Create a draft shift for Jane Smith at our Main site next Tuesday, 9am to 5pm.
What you can do with RotaCloud in Claude and ChatGPT
For managers who schedule staff and approve leave in RotaCloud.
See who works when and where
The AI lists rota shifts for a time range, filtered by location, role or user, and shows open shifts. You get a plain view of who is working and which shifts have no one.
Check who is clocked in and who is late
The AI reads who is clocked in right now, with location, role, minutes late and break state. It can also check past attendance records for a time range.
Handle leave requests
The AI lists leave requests that wait for a decision and reads the dates, leave type and employee message. It can approve or deny a request when you say so.
Changes dataCreate and publish shifts
The AI creates shifts with times, location and role, assigned or open, then publishes them so employees see them. It checks availability and days off first.
Changes dataClean up short open shifts
The AI finds open shifts shorter than a set time, shows a preview, and deletes them only after you confirm. Assigned shifts can be skipped.
Changes dataReview payroll for a pay period
The AI reads payroll per employee for a pay period: attendance worked, paid and unpaid leave, overtime and pay totals. It sums up the period for you.
How do I connect RotaCloud?
Before you connect
The login page asks for your RotaCloud API key.
Create one in RotaCloud → Settings → Integrations → API (an account admin can do this; available on all plans). Calls run with admin permissions. Your key is used only to call the RotaCloud 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 RotaCloud and this URL, then click Add:https://
rotacloud. usefulapi. io/ mcp - Claude opens the login page: enter your RotaCloud API key.
- In a chat, click + → Connectors and turn on RotaCloud.
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 RotaCloud and this URL, choose OAuth as the authentication, confirm the warning and create it:https://
rotacloud. usefulapi. io/ mcp - ChatGPT opens the login page: enter your RotaCloud API key.
- In Plugins, install RotaCloud, 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:
Cursor
Add to Cursor or add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"rotacloud": {
"url": "https://rotacloud.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
} VS Code
Add to VS Code or add this to .vscode/mcp.json:
{
"servers": {
"rotacloud": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://rotacloud.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
} Codex
Run these commands. The second one opens the login page:
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.
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 RotaCloud 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.
Guides
- Build next week's RotaCloud rota from ChatGPT
ChatGPT or Claude can copy a week of RotaCloud shifts as drafts, skip people on leave or days off, and publish the rota after you review it.
23 October 2026
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 50 tool calls / month |
| Proper account | $9/mo · $90/yr | 10,000 tool calls / month |
| Pro+per account | $39/mo · $390/yr | 100,000 tool calls / month |
Each paid plan covers this RotaCloud server only. Ask your AI to run rotacloud_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 rotacloud_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 rotacloud_upgrade before then undoes the cancel. Or write to support@usefulapi.io.
Tools 32
Show all 32 tools (the AI picks them for you)
Read only · 21
- List accounts
rotacloud_list_accountsThe RotaCloud account(s) this API key belongs to: name, plan, time zone, employee count. - List users
rotacloud_list_usersList employees (users) with their level, roles, locations, contact details and pay settings. Use it to map user ids in shifts, leave and attendance to names. - Get user
rotacloud_get_userOne employee by id. - List locations
rotacloud_list_locationsList locations (sites/branches) with address, time zone and managers. - List roles
rotacloud_list_rolesList job roles (positions) with colour, default break and pay rate. - List shifts
rotacloud_list_shiftsList rota shifts in a time range: start/end times (Unix seconds), break, assigned user (null = open shift), location, role, notes, published and acknowledged state. Filter by users, locations, roles, open or published. - Get shift
rotacloud_get_shiftOne shift by id. - List shift swap requests
rotacloud_list_swap_requestsList shift swap requests with their status, the shifts and the users involved. - List day notes
rotacloud_list_day_notesList day notes (notices pinned to rota dates, e.g. events or deliveries), optionally for one location. - List attendance records
rotacloud_list_attendanceList time & attendance records (clock-in/out times, breaks, minutes late, hours, approval state) in a time range. - List clocked-in users
rotacloud_list_clocked_inWho is clocked in right now: user, location, role, clock-in time, minutes late and break state. - List leave
rotacloud_list_leaveList booked leave (holiday, sickness, etc.) with type, user, dates, hours and status. Filter by date range or leave year, users and leave types; pending/denied/expired requests are excluded unless asked for. - List leave requests
rotacloud_list_leave_requestsList leave requests awaiting a decision (and past ones): user, leave type, dates, half days, the employee's message. - Get leave request
rotacloud_get_leave_requestOne leave request by id, with the per-day breakdown. - List leave types
rotacloud_list_leave_typesList leave types (Holiday, Sickness, Unpaid, ...) with id, short name and whether employees can request them. - List holiday allowances
rotacloud_list_holiday_allowancesEvery employee's holiday allowance for a leave year (default and custom allowance, unit, carried over). - Get availability
rotacloud_get_availabilityEmployees' availability per date in a range (available / unavailable times). - List days off
rotacloud_list_days_offEmployees' scheduled days off per date in a range. - List pay periods
rotacloud_list_pay_periodsList pay periods overlapping a date range (id, name, start/end date, locked). - Get payroll for a pay period
rotacloud_get_payrollPayroll for one pay period, per employee: pay settings, attendance worked, paid/unpaid leave, overtime and pay totals. Contains pay data. - Find shifts
rotacloud_find_shiftsFind shifts in a time range by open/assigned state, published state, location, role and ELAPSED duration (end − start; the break is not subtracted). It reads page after page, so it is the way to select shifts for a bulk change such as rotacloud_delete_shifts: e.g. open shifts shorter than 3 hours = open: true, shorter_than_minutes: 180 (a shift of exactly 180 minutes does not match). Deleted shifts never match. Returns up to max_results matches (shift_ids plus a summary each: UTC times, elapsed_minutes, user, location, role, published). complete: true = the whole range was read. Otherwise pass next_offset as offset to continue — but after deleting or changing shifts, search again from offset 0, because the list positions move.
Changes data · 7
- Create shift
rotacloud_create_shiftWRITE: create a shift on the rota. Leave user_id out for an open shift. Unpublished by default (employees see it once published). - Update shift
rotacloud_update_shiftWRITE: change a shift's times, assignee, location, role, break, notes or published state. Only the fields you pass change. - Publish shifts
rotacloud_publish_shiftsWRITE: publish shifts so the assigned employees see them (and get notified). - Delete shifts
rotacloud_delete_shiftsWRITE — deletes shifts from the rota (assigned employees lose the shift). Delete 1-100 shifts by id; select them first with rotacloud_find_shifts. Without confirm it only previews: it reads each shift and deletes nothing. Show the preview to the user, then call again with confirm: true. Guards re-check each shift right before its delete and skip it if it no longer qualifies: require_open (skip assigned shifts), require_shorter_than_minutes (skip shifts whose elapsed duration is not strictly less). After each delete the shift is read again to verify it is gone. - Request leave
rotacloud_create_leave_requestWRITE: submit a leave request on behalf of an employee (sent as that user, for a manager to approve). POST /leave_requests with the User header. - Approve leave request
rotacloud_approve_leave_requestWRITE: approve a pending leave request (it becomes booked leave and the employee is notified). - Deny leave request
rotacloud_deny_leave_requestWRITE: deny a pending leave request (the employee is notified).
Your usefulapi plan · 4
- Usage status (free-tier meter)
rotacloud_usage_statusReport 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 feature
rotacloud_request_featureTell usefulapi that the user needs something the RotaCloud 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+
rotacloud_upgradeGet a paid plan for RotaCloud (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 subscription
rotacloud_cancel_subscriptionCancel the caller's RotaCloud 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 rotacloud_upgrade later to undo the cancel before the period ends. Does not count against the meter.
FAQ
What can I do with RotaCloud in Claude or ChatGPT?
See who works when and where. Check who is clocked in and who is late. Handle leave requests. Create and publish shifts. Clean up short open shifts. Review payroll for a pay period. See what you can do for the details.
Is this an official RotaCloud product?
No. usefulapi is an independent service. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by RotaCloud. The server calls the RotaCloud API with your own RotaCloud access, so it sees only the data that your account can see.
Can I connect RotaCloud 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 RotaCloud API key. See Before you connect for where to find it.
Do I put my RotaCloud 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 RotaCloud 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 RotaCloud credentials?
The login stores them encrypted in the authorization grant of your connection. The server uses them to call the RotaCloud 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 RotaCloud.
Can the AI change my RotaCloud data?
Yes, if you approve it. 7 of the 28 RotaCloud tools can create or change data. The other 21 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 RotaCloud server only. Cancel any time: your paid plan then runs to the end of the paid period. Run rotacloud_usage_status to see how many calls you used.
How do I subscribe or cancel?
Ask the AI to run rotacloud_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 rotacloud_cancel_subscription. Your paid plan continues to the end of the paid period.
What if a RotaCloud tool that I need is missing?
Tell the AI what you wanted to do. It can send the request with rotacloud_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.