# Fix AI tool connection problems

What to do when ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex CLI, n8n or another AI tool won't connect to Heropost, saves nothing or stops working, with the exact messages each one shows.

Last checked: Oct 8, 2026 on the live app. Source: https://heropost.ai/docs/ai-tools/troubleshooting/

**Where:** Home → **Connect your AI tools**. Owners and Admins.

## Start here

Most problems are fixed by these steps, in this order:

1. In Heropost, open **Your tools** and press **New link** on the tool. Copy the whole link.
2. In your AI tool, replace the old address with the new link, starting `https://mcp.heropost.io/mcp/hp_ag_`, with nothing added or cut off.
3. Set authentication to none: **No authentication** in ChatGPT, **No sign-in** in Claude, **None** in n8n. Never OAuth.
4. Restart or reload your AI tool, and start a new chat.
5. Ask "Show my Heropost accounts".
6. In Heropost, the tool's row should change to **Connected · used just now**.

[Screenshot: The Your tools tab with the Connections and Actions this month meters and two tools, one connected and one waiting for its first call]

## In Heropost

| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No **Connect your AI tools** button | Only workspace owners and Admins see it. On phones it's in the **Workspace** sheet, and only when no conversation is open. | Ask the owner or an Admin. On a phone, press **+** for a new conversation, then tap the status line under the greeting. |
| "No workspace is open yet. Pick a workspace, then connect the tool." | No workspace is selected. | Choose a workspace, then connect. |
| "Couldn't create a link for {tool}" with "All {N} AI tool connections on your plan are in use — …" | Every connection on the owner's plan is in use. They're counted across all the owner's workspaces, and the message says where. | Press **Switch to {workspace}** or **See your tools**, remove a tool you don't use, then **Try again**. Or move to a bigger plan. |
| **Copy** does nothing, or "Your browser blocked the copy. Select the text above and copy it by hand." | The browser blocked copying. | Select the link and copy it yourself. |
| The link shows as dots | Links are shown once. | Press **New link**. The old link stops working. |
| "Waiting for {tool}'s first call — this turns green by itself." doesn't change | Your AI tool hasn't reached Heropost. | Check the whole link went in, with no authentication. Save the file (Cursor, VS Code), restart the app (Claude for Mac), then ask "Show my Heropost accounts". |
| The tool's row says **Connected · used 200 d ago**, but the tool fails | The link expired after 180 days without use. | Press **New link** and update your tool. |

## In your AI tool, while connecting

| AI tool | What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | "does not implement OAuth" | **Authentication** was left on OAuth. | Add Heropost again with **Authentication** set to **No authentication**. |
| ChatGPT | No **Developer mode** under **Settings → Security and login** | It needs ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business or Enterprise. In some cases it doesn't appear in a computer's browser. | Turn it on from chatgpt.com in your phone's browser, then use Heropost in the ChatGPT desktop app. |
| ChatGPT | In the computer's browser, ChatGPT says no Heropost tools are available | In some cases, ChatGPT in a computer's browser doesn't use Heropost, while the desktop app does. | Use the ChatGPT desktop app. Start a new chat and ask "Show my Heropost accounts". |
| ChatGPT | Heropost isn't in the chat's Plugins, + or @ menus | It doesn't need to be. | Start a new chat and ask "Show my Heropost accounts". |
| ChatGPT app for Mac | It asks for a launch command | **Type** is on STDIO. | Set **Type** to **Streamable HTTP**. |
| Claude | Heropost is missing in the Claude app for Mac | The app's list hasn't refreshed. | Quit and reopen the app. |
| Claude | It asks you to sign in | Authentication isn't on **No sign-in**. | Add it again and leave **No sign-in** selected. |
| Cursor | Nowhere to add it on cursor.com | The dashboard has no MCP settings. | Use the Cursor app: **Customize → MCPs → New MCP Server**. |
| Cursor | heropost shows **Error** on the MCPs page | `mcp.json` isn't valid, or isn't saved. | Make it exactly the snippet (starts with `{`, ends with `}`) and save. **Show Output** says what's wrong. |
| VS Code | Copilot doesn't use Heropost | Copilot isn't signed in, the chat isn't in **Agent** mode, or the server isn't running. | Sign in to Copilot, switch to **Agent** mode, and press **Start** above heropost in `mcp.json`. |
| Codex CLI | "MCP startup failed … relative URL without a base" | Something other than your link was pasted. | Run `codex mcp remove heropost`, then add it again with the whole link in quotes. |
| n8n | The agent doesn't answer | The **AI Agent** has no **Chat Model**. | Add a Chat Model, then ask "List my Heropost accounts". |
| Any tool | It asks for OAuth, a client ID or a token | Heropost doesn't use them: the key is in the link. | Choose no authentication. |
| Any tool | There's only a way to add local (stdio) servers | Heropost is a remote server over HTTP. | Use a client that supports remote MCP servers. |
| Zapier | Nowhere to paste the link | Zapier's MCP feature lets AI tools connect to Zapier, not the other way round. | Zapier can't connect. Use n8n, or an AI tool that has both connected. |
| Make | "Failed to connect to remote server." | Make's MCP Client didn't connect in our tests. | Use n8n. |

## After it connects

| What happens | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The tool says it drafted a post, but nothing is in Heropost | It wrote the text in the chat and didn't save it. | Ask "Use Heropost to save that as a draft". **Activity** should show **create post · 1 action**. Drafts are in **Content → Drafts**. |
| "This agent key is draft-only — it can't publish or schedule posts. …" | **Publish and schedule** is off. | Switch it on under **Your tools → Permissions**, or schedule the draft yourself. |
| "This workspace requires human approval before posts can be scheduled or published. …" | Your workspace requires approval. | The tool sends the post for approval. Approve it in **Team → My Approvals**. |
| An account is missing from its list | It isn't in **Which accounts**, it needs reconnecting (listed apart), or it's in another workspace. | Check **Your tools → Permissions**, reconnect the account, or connect the tool in the other workspace. |
| "Agent inbox access requires an agent add-on plan (Agent Growth or higher). …" | The owner's plan doesn't let AI tools read the inbox. | Move to Growth or higher in **Billing**. |
| "This agent key doesn't have inbox access. …" | **Read the inbox** is off. | Switch it on under **Your tools → Permissions**. |
| "Agent inbox replies require the Agent Pro or Agent Agency add-on. …" or "This agent key can't reply or react in the inbox. …" | Replies need Pro or Agency, and **Reply in the inbox** on. | Upgrade if needed, then switch it on. |
| Posts are saved at the wrong time | No time zone was given, so Heropost used the workspace's. | Say the time zone in your request, or check the workspace's time zone. See [Workspaces](/docs/social-accounts/workspaces/). |
| Creating posts fails with "An unexpected error occurred while processing your request." | Usually the month's AI actions are used up. | Check **Actions this month** under **Your tools**. See [Limits](/docs/ai-tools/limits-and-errors/#when-the-months-actions-run-out). |
| "Rate limit reached for this agent connection (300 calls per minute). …" | The tool made too many calls, often in a loop. | Wait a minute. For many posts, ask for one batch. |
| It worked before, and now gets "This link expired …", "This link was removed …" or "That is not a Heropost link …" | The link expired, was replaced with **New link**, or was removed. | Use the newest link, press **New link**, or connect the tool again. |
| Scheduling fails with "Unable to post because Instagram requires media." or a similar message | The post breaks a network's rules. | Fix what the message says. See [Every error message, explained](/docs/troubleshooting/error-index/). |
| "Media URL has no file extension, so its type can't be determined: …" or media links fail | Links must be public and point straight at the file. | Use a link that opens the file itself, ending in .jpg, .png or .mp4. |
| A Pinterest or Reddit video post made by the tool doesn't work | Videos added from a link have no cover image. | Add the video in the post editor instead. |

Every message your AI tool can get: [Limits, rate limits and error messages](/docs/ai-tools/limits-and-errors/).

## Still stuck?

[Contact support](/docs/troubleshooting/get-help/) and include:

1. **Where it broke:** the link was refused, it connected but shows no tools, a question failed, or nothing was saved.
2. **The exact error text,** or a screenshot. Mask your link as `hp_ag_xxxx…`.
3. **Whether your screen matched our steps.** AI tools change their menus; a screenshot of yours lets us update the steps.
4. **Your AI tool,** whether it's the app or the browser, and roughly when it happened.

## Questions

**After pressing New link, do I have to set the tool up again?**

Only the address changes. Edit it in your AI tool, or remove Heropost there and add it again with the new link. Permissions stay as they were.


**Heropost works on my phone's browser but not in ChatGPT on my computer. Why?**

In some cases, ChatGPT in a computer's browser doesn't use Heropost. Use the ChatGPT desktop app, in a new chat.


**My tool answers questions about my accounts but never saves a post. Is the connection broken?**

No. Reading works, so the connection is fine. Ask with "Use Heropost to create a draft…", then check **Activity** for **create post · 1 action**.


**Can I connect the same AI tool to two workspaces?**

Yes. Connect it in each workspace: each gets its own link and uses a connection. In your AI tool, give the second one a different name. See [Set up your AI tool](/docs/ai-tools/set-up/#connect-more-than-one-workspace).