Quickstart

The fastest way to start using the WhoisXML API MCP Server is through the hosted service. There's nothing to install, no API keys to paste into configuration files, and no server to manage. You point your AI client at the hosted URL and authenticate through your browser.

No Installation Required

The hosted service at https://mcp-hosted.whoisxmlapi.com/mcp is fully managed by the WhoisXML API team. It's always up-to-date and requires zero maintenance on your part.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you'll need:

  • A WhoisXML API account — sign up or log in at whoisxmlapi.com and have your API key ready
  • One of the supported AI clients listed below

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop connects to remote MCP servers through its Connectors UI.

Steps

  1. Open Claude Desktop and go to Settings
  2. Navigate to Connectors and click Add
  3. Select Streamable HTTP as the transport type
  4. Enter the server URL:
    https://mcp-hosted.whoisxmlapi.com/mcp
  5. Click Open Auth Settings to configure OAuth2 authentication
  6. A browser window will open — enter your WhoisXML API key to authorize
  7. Return to Claude Desktop and start using the tools

Remote Servers Use the UI

Remote MCP servers in Claude Desktop are configured through the Connectors UI, not the claude_desktop_config.json file. The JSON config file is only used for local (stdio) servers.

Claude Code

Claude Code supports remote MCP servers with a single command.

Steps

  1. Run the following command in your terminal:

    claude mcp add --transport http whoisxmlapi https://mcp-hosted.whoisxmlapi.com/mcp

  2. Start a Claude Code session:

    claude

  3. Run /mcp inside the session and authenticate when prompted. A browser window will open for you to enter your WhoisXML API key.

Project-Scoped Configuration

To share the MCP server config with your team via .mcp.json, add the --scope project flag:

claude mcp add --transport http --scope project whoisxmlapi https://mcp-hosted.whoisxmlapi.com/mcp

Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI has native OAuth2 support for remote MCP servers. It automatically discovers the OAuth endpoints and handles the authentication flow.

Option A: CLI Command

gemini mcp add --transport http whoisxmlapi https://mcp-hosted.whoisxmlapi.com/mcp

Option B: Manual Configuration

Add the following to ~/.gemini/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "whoisxmlapi": {
      "httpUrl": "https://mcp-hosted.whoisxmlapi.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Authenticate

Start Gemini CLI with gemini. On first connection, it will receive a 401 response, automatically open your browser for authentication, and store the tokens for future sessions.

To manually trigger authentication at any time, run inside a Gemini session:

/mcp auth whoisxmlapi

Codex

OpenAI's Codex CLI supports remote MCP servers through its configuration file.

Codex Is Relatively New

Codex's MCP integration is newer and may evolve. Check the official Codex documentation for the latest configuration details.

Steps

  1. Add the server to ~/.codex/config.toml:

    [mcp_servers.whoisxmlapi]
url = "https://mcp-hosted.whoisxmlapi.com/mcp"

  2. Authenticate with OAuth:

    codex mcp login whoisxmlapi

  3. A browser window will open for you to enter your WhoisXML API key. Once authenticated, start using Codex normally.

ChatGPT Desktop

ChatGPT Desktop supports MCP servers through its Connectors feature.

Paid Plan Required

MCP connectors in ChatGPT require a Plus, Pro, Team, Enterprise, or Edu plan. Developer Mode must be enabled to add custom MCP servers.

Steps

  1. Open ChatGPT Desktop and go to Settings
  2. Navigate to Connectors > Advanced settings
  3. Toggle on Developer Mode
  4. Click Create to add a new connector
  5. Fill in the details:
    • Name: WhoisXML API
    • URL: https://mcp-hosted.whoisxmlapi.com/mcp
    • Auth: Select OAuth
  6. Complete the OAuth flow in your browser when prompted

Transport Compatibility

ChatGPT may use SSE (Server-Sent Events) transport rather than Streamable HTTP. If you encounter connection issues, verify the hosted server's transport compatibility with ChatGPT's requirements.

Verify It Works

Once connected, test the setup by asking your AI client:

Look up the WHOIS information for example.com

You should see the tool being called and returning domain registration data, nameservers, and other WHOIS details.

Next Steps

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