Give an AI agent access to one list

Updated Markdown

Any list can get its own private connection that lets Claude, ChatGPT or another AI agent — or a script — read, add, update, tag and enrich rows in that one list, and nothing else in your workspace. It works as both a REST API (a standard web interface any script or Claude can call) and an MCP server (the protocol ChatGPT and other MCP-compatible tools connect through). It's included on every plan, including Basic.

Who can set it up#

Only the owner or an admin of the workspace can create, view and manage a list's API connections. Members work with the list as usual but don't manage its agent access.

Where it lives#

Open the list, click More in the list header, then Automation. A list without a connection yet shows Set up agent access; a list that already has one shows Add API Endpoint. See "Creating and connecting your agent" for the full setup walkthrough.

What an agent can do#

Exactly what's allowed is up to you, set per connection under Permissions (see "API connection: permissions and presets"). Depending on what you turn on, an agent can:

  • Query, count, add, edit, tag, ignore (soft-delete) or organize records into sublists
  • Fill columns using AI, or run ListPlus's free quality checks
  • Look up companies, LinkedIn profiles, verified emails and phone numbers through the enrichment types you allow — billed at the same credit rate as doing it in the app
  • Use free research tools (Google Search, Hacker News Search, Website Scrape) and, if you allow them, paid ones (Reddit Search, Twitter/X Search)

A brand-new connection can add, query, count, tag, ignore and sort records into sublists, look up Company Profiles, and use the research tools, including the paid ones. Editing records, AI column filling and the other enrichment types stay off until you turn them on. Review the Permissions tab before you share the URL.

REST or MCP — which one connects?#

Both point at the same list and obey the same permissions; you don't choose between them, an agent uses whichever it supports:

  • REST — the plain URL. Any script, Zapier/Make/n8n's HTTP modules, or Claude on a paid plan can call it directly once you paste the URL into the chat.
  • MCP — the same connection exposed as an MCP server; this is what ChatGPT connects through (see Creating and connecting your agent).

Cost#

Setting up and calling the connection itself is free. Only the actions an agent performs that would also cost credits in the app — enrichment and paid research — are billed, at the same rate, and they are paid from the workspace owner's credits. See "What agent actions cost and how they're secured" for the details, and "Not enough credits" for what an agent sees if your balance runs out.

A connection only reads and writes its list. To hand records on to a CRM, Slack or your own webhook from ListPlus, use a pipeline instead (see "Pipelines — send records on to your CRM, Slack, e-mail or API").

Related topics: api-connection-setup · api-permissions · api-costs-and-security · zapier-make-n8n · pipelines-overview · roles-and-permissions · billing-in-workspaces · not-enough-credits.

FAQ#

Can I connect Claude, ChatGPT or my own AI agent to ListPlus?#

Yes, on every plan. The workspace owner or an admin opens the list, clicks More in the list header, then Automation, and clicks Set up agent access. You get one connection for that list that works as both a REST API and an MCP server, with permissions you control.

Which plans include the API connection?#

All of them, including Basic — it's not gated to Pro or Premium. Any actions an agent performs that use credits, like enrichment, are billed the same as they would be in the app.

Can the AI agent see my other lists?#

No. A connection is created inside one specific list and only ever reads or writes that list's records; it has no access to your other lists, saved contacts, pipelines or workspace settings.

What's the difference between the REST API and the MCP server?#

They're the same connection with the same permissions, exposed two ways: REST is a plain URL that scripts, webhook tools, and Claude can call directly, while MCP is the protocol ChatGPT (and other MCP-compatible clients) use to connect to outside tools. You don't have to choose — both URLs are available on every connection.

What can an agent actually do once it's connected?#

Only what its permissions allow. By default it can add, query, count, tag and ignore records, look up Company Profiles and use the research tools; editing, AI column filling, quality checks and other enrichment types are separate switches. See "API connection: permissions and presets" for the full list and the ready-made presets.

Does giving an agent access cost credits?#

See "What agent actions cost and how they're secured" — in short, only actions that cost credits in the app too (enrichment, paid research) are billed.

Who in my workspace can create or manage an API connection?#

Only the workspace owner and admins can create, view, change or delete a list's API connections. Members can still work with the list, but ask an owner or admin to set up or change agent access.

Is this the same as the Zapier/Make/n8n webhook in Export?#

No, they're different tools for different jobs. The Export webhook is a one-way push of your current data out to a URL you paste in; the API connection is a two-way, always-on link an AI agent or automation tool uses to read and write that list on its own.

Do I need to write code to use it?#

No. Pasting the URL and the ready-made instruction into Claude or ChatGPT is enough for most uses — the AI reads the schema and figures out the rest. Code samples (curl, Python, JavaScript, and snippets for Zapier, Make and n8n) are also provided for anyone building something custom.