How to integrate Grist MCP with Claude Agent SDK

This guide walks you through connecting Grist to the Claude Agent SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Grist agent that can add new sales data to q2 table, create a document for project planning, delete outdated rows from inventory sheet through natural language commands. This guide will help you understand how to give your Claude Agent SDK agent real control over a Grist account through Composio's Grist MCP server. Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

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Introduction

This guide will help you understand how to give your Claude Agent SDK agent real control over a Grist account through Composio's Grist MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

Also integrate Grist with

OpenAI Agents SDK Claude Code Claude Cowork Codex OpenClaw Hermes CLI Google ADK LangChain Vercel AI SDK Mastra AI LlamaIndex CrewAI

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:

Get and set up your Claude/Anthropic and Composio API keys
Install the necessary dependencies
Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Grist
Configure an AI agent that can use Grist as a tool
Run a live chat session where you can ask the agent to perform Grist operations

What is Claude Agent SDK?

The Claude Agent SDK is Anthropic's official framework for building AI agents powered by Claude. It provides a streamlined interface for creating agents with MCP tool support and conversation management.

Key features include:

Native MCP Support: Built-in support for Model Context Protocol servers
Permission Modes: Control tool execution permissions
Streaming Responses: Real-time response streaming for interactive applications
Context Manager: Clean async context management for sessions

What is the Grist MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Grist MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Grist account. It provides structured and secure access to your spreadsheets and documents, so your agent can perform actions like adding records, creating tables, managing documents, and handling attachments on your behalf.

Automated data entry and record management: Instruct your agent to add, update, or delete records in specific Grist tables, streamlining your workflows and reducing manual input.
Table and document creation: Let your agent create new tables or entire documents in your workspaces, helping you quickly set up and expand your data structures as your needs grow.
Attachment and file management: Ask your agent to remove unwanted attachments from Grist documents, keeping your files organized and storage efficient.
Custom webhook integration: Have your agent register or delete webhooks for documents, enabling real-time notifications and integrations with other tools or services you rely on.
User and access provisioning via SCIM: Direct your agent to create or delete SCIM users as needed, making it easy to manage who has access to your Grist environment.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

Composio's Composio SDK helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Composio SDK

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Composio SDK works

The Composio SDK follows a three-phase workflow:

Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Step by step09 STEPS

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

Composio API Key and Claude/Anthropic API Key
Primary know-how of Claude Agents SDK
A Grist account
Some knowledge of Python

Getting API Keys for Claude/Anthropic and Composio

Claude/Anthropic API Key

Go to the Anthropic Console and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models.
Keep the API key safe.

Composio API Key

Log in to the Composio dashboard.
Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.

Install dependencies

npm install @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk @composio/core dotenv

Install the Composio SDK and the Claude Agents SDK.

What's happening:

@composio/core provides Composio integration for Anthropic
@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk is the core agent framework
dotenv/config loads environment variables

Set up environment variables

bash

COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_api_key_here

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's happening:

COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio
USER_ID identifies the user for session management
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY authenticates with Anthropic/Claude

Import dependencies

import 'dotenv/config';
import readline from 'node:readline';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { query, type Options } from "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk";

dotenv.config();

What's happening:

We're importing all necessary libraries including the Claude Agent SDK and Composio
The dotenv.config() function loads environment variables from your .env file
This setup prepares the foundation for connecting Claude with Grist functionality

Create a Composio instance and Tool Router session

async function chat() {
  const { COMPOSIO_API_KEY, USER_ID } = process.env;
  if (!COMPOSIO_API_KEY || !USER_ID) {
    throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID required in .env');
  }

  const composio = new Composio({ apiKey: COMPOSIO_API_KEY });

  // Create Tool Router session for Grist
  const session = await composio.create(USER_ID, {
    toolkits: ['grist'],
  });
  const mcpUrl = session?.mcp.url;

What's happening:

The function checks for the required COMPOSIO_API_KEY environment variable
We're creating a Composio instance using our API key
The create method creates a Tool Router session for Grist
The returned url is the MCP server URL that your agent will use

Configure Claude Agent with MCP

const options: Options = {
  permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions',
  mcpServers: {
    composio: {
      type: 'http',
      url: mcpUrl,
      headers: { 'x-api-key': COMPOSIO_API_KEY }
    }
  },
  systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant with access to Grist tools via Composio.',
  maxTurns: 10,
};

What's happening:

We're configuring the Claude Agent options with the MCP server URL
permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions' allows the agent to execute operations without asking for permission each time
The system prompt instructs the agent that it has access to Grist
maxTurns: 10 limits the conversation length to prevent excessive API usage

Create client and start chat loop

const rl = readline.createInterface({
    input: process.stdin,
    output: process.stdout,
    prompt: 'You: '
  });

  console.log('\nChat started. Type "exit" to quit.\n');

  let isProcessing = false;

  async function ask(prompt: string) {
    isProcessing = true;
    rl.pause();

    process.stdout.write('Claude is thinking...');
    const stream = query({ prompt, options });

    let firstChunk = true;
    for await (const msg of stream) {
      const content = (msg as any).message?.content || (msg as any).content;
      if (Array.isArray(content)) {
        for (const block of content) {
          if (block.type === 'text' && block.text) {
            if (firstChunk) {
              process.stdout.write('\r\x1b[K');
              process.stdout.write('Claude: ');
              firstChunk = false;
            }
            process.stdout.write(block.text);
          }
        }
      }
    }
    process.stdout.write('\n\n');

    isProcessing = false;
    rl.resume();
    rl.prompt();
  }

  rl.on('line', async (line) => {
    if (isProcessing) return;

    const input = line.trim();
    if (input === 'exit') {
      rl.close();
      process.exit(0);
    }
    if (input) await ask(input);
    else rl.prompt();
  });

  await ask('What can you help me with?');
}

What's happening:

The readline interface is created to handle user input and output
The query function is used to send the user's input to the agent
The chat loop continues until the user types 'exit' or 'quit'

Run the application

try {
  await chat();
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
  process.exit(1);
}

What's happening:

The chat function is the entry point for the application
The try-catch block is used to handle any errors that occur

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Grist and Claude Agent SDK:

import 'dotenv/config';
import readline from 'node:readline';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { query, type Options } from "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk";

async function chat() {
  const { COMPOSIO_API_KEY, USER_ID } = process.env;
  if (!COMPOSIO_API_KEY || !USER_ID) {
    throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID required in .env');
  }

  const composio = new Composio({ apiKey: COMPOSIO_API_KEY });
  const session = await composio.create(USER_ID, {
    toolkits: ['grist']
  });
  const mcp_url = session?.mcp.url;

  const options: Options = {
    permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions',
    mcpServers: {
      composio: {
        type: 'http',
        url: mcp_url,
        headers: { 'x-api-key': COMPOSIO_API_KEY }
      }
    },
    systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant with access to Grist tools via Composio.',
    maxTurns: 10,
  };

  const rl = readline.createInterface({
    input: process.stdin,
    output: process.stdout,
    prompt: 'You: '
  });

  console.log('\nChat started. Type "exit" to quit.\n');

  let isProcessing = false;

  async function ask(prompt: string) {
    isProcessing = true;
    rl.pause();

    process.stdout.write('Claude is thinking...');
    const stream = query({ prompt, options });

    let firstChunk = true;
    for await (const msg of stream) {
      const content = (msg as any).message?.content || (msg as any).content;
      if (Array.isArray(content)) {
        for (const block of content) {
          if (block.type === 'text' && block.text) {
            if (firstChunk) {
              process.stdout.write('\r\x1b[K');
              process.stdout.write('Claude: ');
              firstChunk = false;
            }
            process.stdout.write(block.text);
          }
        }
      }
    }
    process.stdout.write('\n\n');

    isProcessing = false;
    rl.resume();
    rl.prompt();
  }

  rl.on('line', async (line) => {
    if (isProcessing) return;

    const input = line.trim();
    if (input === 'exit') {
      rl.close();
      process.exit(0);
    }
    if (input) await ask(input);
    else rl.prompt();
  });

  await ask('What can you help me with?');
}

try {
  await chat();
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
  process.exit(1);
}

Conclusion

You've successfully built a Claude Agent SDK agent that can interact with Grist through Composio's Tool Router.

Key features:

Native MCP support through Claude's agent framework
Streaming responses for real-time interaction
Permission bypass for smooth automated workflows

You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom business logic, or building a web interface around the agent.

TOOLS

Supported Tools

Every Grist action and event your agent gets out of the box.

Add Records

Add one or more records to a Grist table.

Create Document

Creates a new Grist document in a specified workspace.

Create SCIM User

Tool to create a new SCIM user.

Create Table

Tool to create tables in a document.

Create Document Webhook

Tool to create a new webhook for a specified document.

Remove Unused Attachments

Remove unused attachments from a Grist document to free up storage space.

Delete Column

Tool to delete a column from a Grist document table.

Delete Grist Table Records

Tool to delete records from a specified Grist table.

Delete SCIM User

Delete a user from the Grist organization by their numeric user ID.

Delete Webhook

Permanently removes a webhook from a Grist document.

Download All Attachments Archive

Download all attachments from a Grist document as a single archive file (.

Download Attachment

Download a file attachment from a Grist document.

Fetch Document Metadata

Tool to fetch metadata for a specified Grist document.

Fetch Table Metadata

Tool to retrieve metadata for a specified table in a Grist document.

Get Org Access

Retrieves the list of users who have access to a Grist organization along with their access roles (owners, editors, viewers).

Get Users

Tool to retrieve a list of users via SCIM v2.

List Attachments

Tool to list all attachments in a Grist document.

List Columns

Tool to list all columns in a specified Grist table.

List Organizations

Tool to list all organizations accessible to the authenticated user.

List Records

Tool to retrieve records from a specified table within a Grist document.

List Tables

Tool to list all tables within a specified document.

List Webhooks

List all webhooks configured for a Grist document.

List Workspaces

Tool to list all workspaces and documents accessible to the authenticated user on the current site.

Run SQL Query

Tool to execute a read-only SQL SELECT query on a Grist document.

Update Column Metadata

Updates metadata (label, type, description, formula, etc.

Update Document Metadata

Tool to update metadata for a specified Grist document.

Update Records

Update existing records in a Grist table by their row IDs.

Update Table Metadata

Update metadata properties for a table in a Grist document.

Update Webhook

Update an existing webhook configuration for a Grist document.

Upload Attachment

Upload one or more file attachments to a Grist document.

FRAMEWORKS

How to build Grist MCP Agent with another framework

OpenAI Agents SDK

Use Grist MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

Claude Code

Use Grist MCP with Claude Code

Claude Cowork

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Codex

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OpenClaw

Use Grist MCP with OpenClaw

Hermes

Use Grist MCP with Hermes

CLI

Use Grist MCP with CLI

Google ADK

Use Grist MCP with Google ADK

LangChain

Use Grist MCP with LangChain

Vercel AI SDK

Use Grist MCP with Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI

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LlamaIndex

Use Grist MCP with LlamaIndex

CrewAI

Use Grist MCP with CrewAI

MORE TOOLKITS

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Toolkit marketplace

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Airtable

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Airtable combines the flexibility of spreadsheets with the power of a database for easy project and data management. Teams use Airtable to organize, track, and collaborate with custom views and automations.

Asana

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

With a standalone Grist MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Grist tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Grist and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Yes, you can. Claude Agent SDK fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Grist tools.

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Grist scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Grist data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

Start with Grist.It takes 30 seconds.

Managed auth, hosted MCP servers, and every Grist tool your agent needs.Free to start.

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Customer stories

Teams ship real agents on Composio

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Karan skipped his own birthday party to fix our critical issue. It was 10pm and he diverted his Waymo to help us instead. This really sets the bar — it shows the commitment you need when users rely on your software.

Harsha Gaddipati

Co-founder, Slashy

A lot of students tell us that the moment their connected tools start talking to each other inside Opennote feels almost magical. The agent just knows them, and it's immensely helped keep new users on the platform.

Abhi Arya

Co-founder, Opennote

We chose Composio over Pipedream because it delivered depth where it mattered — niche tools and tricky edge cases other platforms simply ignored. That gave us confidence to scale without compromising.

Nirman Dave

CEO, Zams

As a solo builder, shipping fast is life or death. The only way I can outcompete incumbents is by outmanoeuvring them. Getting bogged down managing agent auth would have been a death sentence.

Ryan Yu

Founder, Extra Thursday

Before Composio, adding tool integrations was slow and resource-intensive. Each one could take weeks of engineering time, and maintaining them meant constantly keeping up with API changes.

Tomisin Jenrola

Founder & CEO, SwarmZero

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

Jerome Leclanche

Co-Founder, Ingram Technologies

How to integrate Grist MCP with Claude Agent SDK

Connect Grist without auth hassles

Introduction

Also integrate Grist with

TL;DR

What is Claude Agent SDK?

What is the Grist MCP server, and what's possible with it?

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

How the Composio SDK works

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Getting API Keys for Claude/Anthropic and Composio

Install dependencies

Set up environment variables

Import dependencies

Create a Composio instance and Tool Router session

Configure Claude Agent with MCP

Create client and start chat loop

Run the application

Complete Code

Conclusion

Supported Tools

How to build Grist MCP Agent with another framework

OpenAI Agents SDK

Claude Code

Claude Cowork

Codex

OpenClaw

Hermes

CLI

Google ADK

LangChain

Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI

LlamaIndex

CrewAI

Explore Other Toolkits

Google Sheets

Notion

Airtable

Asana

Frequently asked questions

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Grist MCP?+

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Claude Agent SDK?+

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Grist while using Tool Router?+

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?+

Start with Grist.It takes 30 seconds.

Teams ship real agents on Composio