AI assistants & API: how-to

Step-by-step instructions for connecting an AI assistant and accepting the API/MCP terms. For how it works, see AI assistants & API; for problems, see AI assistants & API: troubleshooting.

Find your task

If you’re here because…	Go to
You’re an owner or Admin and your team can’t connect until terms are accepted	Accept the API/MCP terms as an owner or Admin
A team member needs permission to connect (MCP access)	Approve MCP access for a team member
You want to connect Claude (or similar) after terms are accepted	Connect an AI assistant
You’d rather accept the terms while creating a key	Accept the terms by creating an API key
You’re not an owner or Admin	If you’re not an owner or Admin

Accept the API/MCP terms as an owner or Admin

Do this once for your organisation when COHO asks for the current API/MCP terms, or when a colleague is stuck on that message.

Before you start: sign in to COHO as the organisation owner or an Admin (Write for API keys). You only need one of the two options below — not both.

Option A — while connecting an AI assistant (recommended if the team uses Claude)

1. In your AI assistant (for example Claude), start Connect / add the COHO connector again, the same way your team already tried.
2. When COHO opens Connect your AI assistant, sign in if asked, then choose your organisation.
3. Tick I accept the API/MCP terms on behalf of [your organisation]. You can open Read the API/MCP terms first: coho.life/legal/coho-api-mcp-terms.
4. Tick the consent checkbox that authorises the assistant to access your organisation in COHO.
5. Click Connect.

What happens next: the terms are accepted for everyone in the organisation. Colleagues can retry their own connection.

Option B — while creating an API key

1. In COHO, open Users and expand API keys.
2. Click Create API key.
3. Enter a name and choose what the key can do (see Create an API key).
4. Tick I accept the API/MCP terms on behalf of my organisation.
5. Click Create or Generate.

What happens next: the organisation has accepted the terms, whether or not you keep using that key. Your team can then connect AI assistants.

Note

There is no separate Settings screen for these terms. If you don’t see the checkbox, either the terms are already accepted for the current version, or your role can’t accept them — ask an owner or Admin.

Connect an AI assistant

Do this after the terms are accepted (or as the owner/Admin who will accept them in the same step).

1. In the AI assistant, choose Connect / add COHO (MCP).
2. Complete sign-in on the COHO Connect your AI assistant page.
3. Select the correct organisation if you belong to more than one.
4. Accept the API/MCP terms if the checkbox is shown (owners and Admins only).
5. Authorise the assistant and click Connect.

What happens next: the assistant can use COHO with your access. You can revoke the connection later from the AI connector panel under Connections.

Accept the terms by creating an API key

Same as Option B above. Full key steps: Create an API key.

Approve MCP access for a team member

Do this when a colleague who is not an owner or Admin needs to connect an AI assistant. Accepting the API/MCP terms is not enough on its own: MCP access for other team members is off until you approve it.

Before you start: you must be an organisation owner or Admin. The colleague should have already clicked Request access on the connect screen (or you can ask them to).

1. In COHO, open Users.
2. Expand MCP access and check Allow MCP connections is on. If it is off, turn it on and click Save.
3. Expand MCP access requests.
4. Find the pending request and click Approve.

What happens next: the colleague can retry Connect from their AI assistant. You do not need to give them Write for API keys just so they can connect.

If you’re not an owner or Admin

You can’t accept the terms yourself, and you usually need MCP access approved before you can connect.

1. Ask an organisation owner or Admin to follow Accept the API/MCP terms as an owner or Admin.
2. Start Connect from your AI assistant again. If COHO says your organisation requires approval, click Request access.
3. Ask the owner or Admin to approve your MCP access.
4. When they’ve approved you, retry Connect from your AI assistant.

If you only need an API key (not a personal AI connection), ask an owner or Admin to create the key for you.

Send them this page: they need the owner/Admin terms section and Approve MCP access for a team member.