Getting Started

Get up and running with the LookC MCP server in minutes. This guide covers authentication setup, initial configuration, and your first successful connection.

Prerequisites

Before connecting to the LookC MCP server, ensure you have the following:

System Requirements

• Network Access: HTTPS connectivity to api.lookc.io
• Protocol Support: MCP version 2024-11-05 or later
• Transport: HTTP/HTTPS client with JSON-RPC 2.0 support

Authentication

The LookC MCP server uses API key authentication with bearer token authorization.

Obtaining Your API Key

Your account manager will provide:

• API Key: Your unique authentication token
• Account Scope: Specific data access permissions
• Rate Limits: Request quotas and throttling information

Secure Key Storage

Store your API key securely using your preferred method:

export LOOKC_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"

MCP Inspector

The MCP Inspector is an essential tool for exploring and testing MCP servers during development.

Installation

Install the MCP Inspector to explore available tools and test connections:

npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/inspector

Connecting to LookC

Launch the inspector with your LookC MCP server configuration:

mcp-inspector https://api.lookc.io/mcp \
  --auth-header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Inspector Features

The MCP Inspector provides:

• Tool Discovery: Browse all available LookC tools and their parameters
• Interactive Testing: Execute tools with custom parameters and view responses
• Schema Validation: Verify parameter types and required fields
• Error Debugging: Detailed error messages and troubleshooting guidance

First Connection

Let's establish your first connection to the LookC MCP server and verify everything is working correctly.

Basic Connection Test

curl -X POST https://api.lookc.io/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "id": 1,
    "method": "tools/list",
    "params": {}
  }'

Expected Response

A successful connection will return the available tools:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "result": {
    "tools": [
      {
        "name": "get_employee_list",
        "description": "Retrieve employees for an organization with filtering options",
        "inputSchema": {
          "type": "object",
          "properties": {
            "org_id": {
              "type": "string",
              "description": "LookC organization UUID"
            }
          },
          "required": ["org_id"]
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Testing Tools

Once connected, test the available tools to ensure proper functionality.

Organization ID Lookup

Start by converting a LinkedIn URL to a LookC organization ID:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 2,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "get_organization_ids",
    "arguments": {
      "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/openai"
    }
  }
}

Employee List Retrieval

Use the organization ID to retrieve employee information:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 3,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "get_employee_list",
    "arguments": {
      "org_id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
      "title_regex": "engineer",
      "limit": 5
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Common issues and their solutions:

For additional debugging guidance, see our Debugging documentation.

Next Steps

Now that you have a working connection:

1. Explore Integration Options: Choose your preferred integration method
2. Review Available Tools: Study the complete tools documentation
3. Build Your First Agent: Follow our inspiration guide for use case examples

Ready to integrate with your preferred platform? Check out our platform-specific guides:

• Claude Desktop Integration
• CrewAI Framework Setup
• Custom Agent Development