MCP Server Setup - Babou.ai

Prerequisites

Before setting up the Babou MCP server, ensure you have:

A Babou account and API key (get one here)
An MCP-compatible AI assistant (Claude Desktop recommended)

Setup with Claude Desktop

The easiest way to use Babou’s MCP server is through Claude Desktop.

Get Your API Key

Log in to babou.ai
Go to Settings → API Keys
Click Create New API Key
Copy the key (starts with sk-bab-)

Configure Claude Desktop

Add the Babou MCP server to your Claude Desktop configuration:Location:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "babou": {
      "url": "https://api.babou.ai/mcp",
      "apiKey": "sk-bab-your-api-key-here"
    }
  }
}

Replace sk-bab-your-api-key-here with your actual API key. Keep this file secure!

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop to load the new configuration.

Verify Connection

In Claude Desktop, ask:

Can you check what Babou tools are available?

Claude should respond with a list of available tools like CreateProject, AddChapter, etc.

Build your first video

Try a real flow:

Create a project called "Pricing Page Refresh" and build a 30-second
product launch ad for our new Team tier. Lead with the headline from
our latest release notes, drop in the new pricing screenshot, and
resolve brand colors and type from the catalog.

Claude will use the Babou MCP tools to create the project, add a chapter, submit the prompt, and return the result.

Authentication Options

Option 1: API Key (Recommended)

The simplest method - include your API key directly in the configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "babou": {
      "url": "https://api.babou.ai/mcp",
      "apiKey": "sk-bab-your-api-key-here"
    }
  }
}

Option 2: OAuth (Advanced)

For enhanced security, use OAuth authentication:

Contact support to set up OAuth for your account
Configure with OAuth credentials:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "babou": {
      "url": "https://api.babou.ai/mcp",
      "oauth": {
        "clientId": "your-client-id",
        "clientSecret": "your-client-secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration Options

Basic Configuration

Minimal configuration with just an API key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "babou": {
      "url": "https://api.babou.ai/mcp",
      "apiKey": "sk-bab-your-api-key-here"
    }
  }
}

Custom Name

Change the server name in Claude:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "babou-video-creator": {  // Custom name
      "url": "https://api.babou.ai/mcp",
      "apiKey": "sk-bab-your-api-key-here"
    }
  }
}

Multiple Environments

Set up different keys for development and production:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "babou-dev": {
      "url": "https://api.babou.ai/mcp",
      "apiKey": "sk-bab-dev-key-here"
    },
    "babou-prod": {
      "url": "https://api.babou.ai/mcp",
      "apiKey": "sk-bab-prod-key-here"
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Claude doesn't see the Babou tools

Possible causes:

Configuration file has syntax errors (validate JSON)
Claude Desktop wasn’t restarted after config changes
Wrong file path for the configuration file
API key is invalid or expired

Solutions:

Validate your JSON configuration (use a JSON validator)
Restart Claude Desktop completely (quit and reopen)
Verify the config file location for your OS
Generate a new API key and update the config

Authentication errors

Error: Unauthorized - Invalid API keySolutions:

Check your API key is correct (no typos or extra spaces)
Ensure the key starts with sk-bab-
Verify the key hasn’t expired in your dashboard
Generate a new API key if needed

Tools are slow or timing out

Possible causes:

Network connectivity issues
Large video processing taking time
Rate limiting

Solutions:

Check your internet connection
Be patient - video creation takes 30-90 seconds
Avoid making too many rapid requests

Can't find configuration file

macOS:

# Create directory if it doesn't exist
mkdir -p ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude

# Edit configuration
open -e ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows:

# Create directory if it doesn't exist
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "$env:APPDATA\Claude"

# Edit configuration
notepad "$env:APPDATA\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json"

Security Best Practices

Your API key provides full access to your Babou account. Keep it secure!

Never share your API key
- Don’t commit it to version control
- Don’t share screenshots with the key visible
- Don’t post it in support tickets (we’ll never ask for it)
Use separate keys for different purposes
- Development key for testing
- Production key for real usage
- Team keys for shared access
Rotate keys regularly
- Create new keys periodically
- Delete old keys after rotation
- Update configurations promptly
Monitor key usage
- Check your dashboard for unexpected activity
- Review API usage logs
- Set up alerts for unusual patterns

Testing Your Setup

Once configured, test the MCP server with these commands in Claude:

1. "List my Babou video projects"
   (Should return your existing projects or an empty list)

2. "Create a test project called 'MCP Test'"
   (Should create a new project and return its ID)

3. "What tools do you have for Babou?"
   (Should list all 6 available tools)

Next Steps

Tool Reference

Learn about all available tools

Examples

See complete workflow examples

MCP Overview

Understand how MCP works

REST API

Use the REST API directly

​Prerequisites

​Setup with Claude Desktop

​Authentication Options

​Option 1: API Key (Recommended)

​Option 2: OAuth (Advanced)

​Configuration Options

​Basic Configuration

​Custom Name

​Multiple Environments

​Troubleshooting

​Security Best Practices

​Testing Your Setup

​Next Steps

Tool Reference

Examples

MCP Overview

REST API

Prerequisites

Setup with Claude Desktop

Authentication Options

Option 1: API Key (Recommended)

Option 2: OAuth (Advanced)

Configuration Options

Basic Configuration

Custom Name

Multiple Environments

Troubleshooting

Security Best Practices

Testing Your Setup

Next Steps