# Install Finbolt (instructions for AI agents)

You are an AI agent. Your human asked you to set up Finbolt, a remote MCP server with 113 financial
data tools (stock quotes, fundamentals, technicals, news sentiment, FX, crypto,
commodities, macro). Follow these steps in order. Each one is a plain HTTP call or a config edit.

## 1. Get an API key

Ask your human for their email address if you don't already know it. Never invent one.

Before signing up, show your human the Terms (https://getfinbolt.com/terms) and Privacy Policy
(https://getfinbolt.com/privacy), and only continue if they agree. Use only an email address your
human controls.

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.getfinbolt.com/api/signup \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email": "HUMAN_EMAIL"}'
```

The response looks like `{"success": true, "api_key": "fbt_sk_...", "session_token": "..."}`.

- The API key is returned only once. Store it right away (step 2).
- Keep `session_token` too; you need it to upgrade or check usage.
- `409 User already exists`: the human already has an account. Ask them to sign in at
  https://getfinbolt.com/login (a sign-in link arrives by email) and copy their key from the dashboard.
- `429`: too many signups from this network today. Try again tomorrow.

Store the key in your own client config (step 2), then show it to your human once, in a private
message, so they have a copy. Never post it in a shared channel such as a public Slack channel.

## 2. Install the MCP server

Endpoint: `https://api.getfinbolt.com/mcp` (Streamable HTTP). Auth header on every request:
`Authorization: Bearer fbt_sk_...`. Pick the section for the client you run in.

**Claude Code**

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http finbolt https://api.getfinbolt.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
```

**Cursor** (`~/.cursor/mcp.json`) and other clients that take `url` + `headers`

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "finbolt": {
      "url": "https://api.getfinbolt.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}
```

**VS Code** (`.vscode/mcp.json`)

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "finbolt": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.getfinbolt.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}
```

**Codex** (`~/.codex/config.toml`, key read from the `FINBOLT_API_KEY` environment variable)

```toml
[mcp_servers.finbolt]
url = "https://api.getfinbolt.com/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "FINBOLT_API_KEY"
```

**Claude Desktop** (`claude_desktop_config.json`, needs Node for `mcp-remote`)

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "finbolt": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-remote", "https://api.getfinbolt.com/mcp", "--header", "Authorization:${FINBOLT_AUTH}"],
      "env": { "FINBOLT_AUTH": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}
```

Most clients load new MCP servers only after a restart. Tell your human if one is needed.

**No MCP support (Slack bots, scripts, custom agents)**: call the endpoint directly with
JSON-RPC over HTTP. No session or handshake is needed.

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.getfinbolt.com/mcp \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"analyze_stock","arguments":{"symbol":"AAPL"}}}'
```

Use `"method":"tools/list"` to see the default tools and their arguments. Start with the composite
tools (`analyze_stock`, `compare_stocks`); use `find_tool` to search the other 100+ data tools.

## 3. Check that it works

Call `analyze_stock` with `{"symbol": "AAPL"}`. It uses one of the 5 free composite calls for the
day. Metrics in the result mean you are done. Then tell
your human, in one or two sentences, that Finbolt is installed, which plan they are on, and give
an example question they can ask you.

## 4. Plans and upgrading

- Free: 25 tool calls/day, 1/sec, including up to 5 composite calls. Stocks, fundamentals, technicals, FX, crypto, commodities, macro.
- Pro: $29/month. 500 tool calls/day, 10/sec, composite calls included. Adds Alpha Intelligence (news
  sentiment, top gainers/losers, insider transactions). Options data is not offered on any plan.

If your human wants Pro, or a tool returns `Premium feature ... requires a paid subscription`:

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.getfinbolt.com/api/upgrade \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer SESSION_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"success_url": "https://getfinbolt.com/success", "cancel_url": "https://getfinbolt.com/cancel"}'
```

Send the returned `checkout_url` to your human. Only a human pays. The same key is upgraded
automatically once payment succeeds.

## Errors

- `Authentication required` / `Invalid API key`: check the Authorization header (step 1).
- `Daily rate limit exceeded` / `Per-second rate limit exceeded`: wait, or upgrade.
- Time series tools accept `max_data_points`, `start_date` and `end_date`; set them to keep
  responses small.

Data is for research and education, not investment advice. More: https://getfinbolt.com/llms.txt
Terms: https://getfinbolt.com/terms · Privacy: https://getfinbolt.com/privacy