Pica▌
by picahq
Pica is automated workflow software for business process automation, integrating actions across services via a unified i
Integrates with the Pica API platform to discover, configure, and execute actions across dozens of third-party services through a unified interface, handling complex workflows like form data submission, path variable replacement, and authentication management for automating business processes and building multi-platform integrations.
Both formats append explainx.ai attribution and the canonical URL for this MCP server listing.
best for
- / Developers building multi-platform integrations
- / Automating business processes across different services
- / Teams needing unified API access without key management
- / Creating workflows that span multiple third-party platforms
capabilities
- / Execute API actions across 200+ platforms
- / Search and discover available platform actions
- / Generate integration code from natural language prompts
- / Handle complex workflows with form data and authentication
- / Manage multiple connections per platform
- / Process natural language commands directly
what it does
Integrates with 200+ third-party services through a unified API platform, allowing you to execute actions and automate workflows without managing individual API keys.
about
Pica is an official MCP server published by picahq that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Pica is automated workflow software for business process automation, integrating actions across services via a unified i It is categorized under developer tools.
how to install
You can install Pica in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.
license
MIT
Pica is released under the MIT license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.
readme
Pica MCP Server
<img src="https://assets.picaos.com/github/mcp.svg" alt="Pica MCP Banner" style="border-radius: 5px;">A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates with Pica, enabling seamless interaction with various third-party services through a standardized interface. This server provides direct access to platform integrations, actions, execution capabilities, and robust code generation capabilities.
Features
Tools
- list_pica_integrations - List all available platforms and your active connections
- search_pica_platform_actions - Search for available actions for a specific platform
- get_pica_action_knowledge - Get detailed documentation for a specific action including parameters and usage
- execute_pica_action - Execute API actions with full parameter support
Key Capabilities
Platform Integration
- Connect to 200+ platforms through Pica
- Manage multiple connections per platform
- Real-time connection status and discovery
Smart Intent Detection
- Execute actions directly from natural language (e.g. "read my last gmail email", "send a message to the slack channel #general")
- Generate integration code from prompts (e.g. "build a form to send emails using gmail", "create a UI for messaging")
- Automatically distinguishes between execution and code generation intent
Direct Execution
- Support for all HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.)
- Handle form data, URL encoding, and JSON payloads
- Path variable substitution, query parameters, and custom headers
Security
- All requests authenticated and proxied through Pica; no platform API keys to manage
- Secrets never exposed in responses or generated code
- Request configurations sanitized before returning to clients
- Fine-grained access control via permission levels, connection key scoping, and action allowlisting
Getting Started
The fastest way to get up and running is with the Pica CLI. It handles API key configuration and MCP installation for your agent or editor of choice.
npm install -g @picahq/cli
pica init
pica init will prompt you for your API key (get one from the Pica dashboard) and walk you through configuring the MCP server for your environment (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Claude Code, etc.).
Manual Installation
If you prefer to configure the server manually, install the package directly:
npm install @picahq/mcp
Then set the required environment variable:
PICA_SECRET=your-pica-secret-key
Optional: Identity Scoping
You can scope connections to a specific identity (e.g., a user, team, or organization) by setting these optional environment variables:
PICA_IDENTITY=user_123
PICA_IDENTITY_TYPE=user
| Variable | Description | Values |
|---|---|---|
PICA_IDENTITY | The identifier for the entity (e.g., user ID, team ID) | Any string |
PICA_IDENTITY_TYPE | The type of identity | user, team, organization, project |
When set, the MCP server will only return connections associated with the specified identity. This is useful for multi-tenant applications where you want to scope integrations to specific users or entities.
Optional: Access Control
Fine-tune what the MCP server can see and do by setting these optional environment variables:
PICA_PERMISSIONS=read
PICA_CONNECTION_KEYS=conn_key_1,conn_key_2
PICA_ACTION_IDS=action_id_1,action_id_2
PICA_KNOWLEDGE_AGENT=true
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
PICA_PERMISSIONS | read | write | admin | admin | Filter actions by HTTP method. read = GET only, write = GET/POST/PUT/PATCH, admin = all methods |
PICA_CONNECTION_KEYS | * or comma-separated keys | * | Restrict visible connections and platforms to specific connection keys |
PICA_ACTION_IDS | * or comma-separated IDs | * | Restrict visible and executable actions to specific action IDs |
PICA_KNOWLEDGE_AGENT | true | false | false | Remove the execute_pica_action tool entirely, forcing knowledge-only mode |
All defaults preserve current behavior. If no access control env vars are set, the server starts with full access and all tools available.
Manual Configuration
If you used pica init, the configuration below is already done for you. These examples are for reference or manual setups.
Standalone
npx @picahq/mcp
Claude Desktop
On MacOS: ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
On Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"pica": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@picahq/mcp"],
"env": {
"PICA_SECRET": "your-pica-secret-key"
}
}
}
}
Cursor
In the Cursor menu, select "MCP Settings" and add the following:
{
"mcpServers": {
"pica": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@picahq/mcp"],
"env": {
"PICA_SECRET": "your-pica-secret-key"
}
}
}
}
Remote MCP Server
The remote MCP server is available at https://mcp.picaos.com.
Docker
docker build -t pica-mcp-server .
docker run -e PICA_SECRET=your_pica_secret_key pica-mcp-server
All environment variables listed in the Setup section can be passed as -e flags.
Examples for Inspiration
Integration Code Generation
Build Email Form:
"Create me a React form component that can send emails using Gmail using Pica"
Linear Dashboard:
"Create a dashboard that displays Linear users and their assigned projects with filtering options using Pica"
QuickBooks Table:
"Build a paginatable table component that fetches and displays QuickBooks invoices with search and sort using Pica"
Slack Integration:
"Create a page with a form that can post messages to multiple Slack channels with message scheduling using Pica"
Direct Action Execution
Gmail Example:
"Get my last 5 emails from Gmail using Pica"
Slack Example:
"Send a slack message to #general channel: 'Meeting in 10 minutes' using Pica"
Shopify Example:
"Get all products from my Shopify store using Pica"
Error Handling
All tool inputs are validated against Zod schemas before execution. Path variables are checked for completeness; missing or empty values throw descriptive errors rather than producing malformed requests. API failures from upstream platforms are caught and returned as structured MCP error responses with actionable messages. The server never surfaces raw stack traces to clients.
Security
All requests to third-party platforms are authenticated and proxied through Pica's API. The MCP server never handles OAuth tokens or platform API keys directly. The PICA_SECRET key is the sole credential required, and it is automatically redacted from all response payloads returned to clients. Sensitive headers are stripped from logged and returned request configurations.
For fine-grained control, the server supports permission levels (PICA_PERMISSIONS), connection key scoping (PICA_CONNECTION_KEYS), action allowlisting (PICA_ACTION_IDS), and a knowledge-only mode (PICA_KNOWLEDGE_AGENT) that removes execution capabilities entirely. See the Access Control section above for details.
License
MIT
Support
For support, please contact [email protected] or visit https://picaos.com
FAQ
- What is the Pica MCP server?
- Pica is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server profile on explainx.ai. MCP lets AI hosts (e.g. Claude Desktop, Cursor) call tools and resources through a standard interface; this page summarizes categories, install hints, and community ratings.
- How do MCP servers relate to agent skills?
- Skills are reusable instruction packages (often SKILL.md); MCP servers expose live capabilities. Teams frequently combine both—skills for workflows, MCP for APIs and data. See explainx.ai/skills and explainx.ai/mcp-servers for parallel directories.
- How are reviews shown for Pica?
- This profile displays 69 aggregated ratings (sample rows for discoverability plus signed-in user reviews). Average score is about 4.6 out of 5—verify behavior in your own environment before production use.
Use Cases▌
Extended AI Capabilities
Add new capabilities to Claude beyond text generation
Example
Access external data sources, execute code, interact with tools and services
Transform Claude from chatbot to action-taking agent
Context Enhancement
Provide Claude with access to relevant context and data
Example
Load project documentation, access knowledge bases, query databases
Get more accurate, context-aware responses
Workflow Automation
Automate multi-step workflows combining AI and external tools
Example
Research → Summarize → Create document → Send notification
Complete complex tasks end-to-end without manual steps
Implementation Guide▌
Prerequisites
- ›Claude Desktop 0.7.0+ or Cursor IDE with MCP support
- ›Basic understanding of MCP architecture and capabilities
- ›Access credentials for integrated services (if required)
- ›Willingness to experiment and iterate on configuration
Time Estimate
15-60 minutes depending on server complexity
Installation Steps
- 1.Install MCP server: npm install -g [package-name] or via GitHub
- 2.Add server configuration to ~/.claude/mcp.json
- 3.Provide required credentials and configuration
- 4.Restart Claude Desktop to load new server
- 5.Test basic functionality with simple prompts
- 6.Explore capabilities and experiment with use cases
- 7.Document successful patterns for reuse
Troubleshooting
- ⚠MCP server not loading: Check config syntax, verify installation
- ⚠Connection errors: Check network, firewall, credentials
- ⚠Feature not working: Read server docs, check required parameters
- ⚠Performance issues: Monitor resource usage, check for network latency
- ⚠Conflicts with other servers: Check port assignments, namespace collisions
Best Practices▌
✓ Do
- +Read server documentation thoroughly before setup
- +Start with simple use cases to validate functionality
- +Test in non-production environment first
- +Monitor resource usage and performance
- +Keep servers updated for bug fixes and new features
- +Document configuration for team members
- +Use environment variables for sensitive configuration
✗ Don't
- −Don't grant overly permissive access to MCP servers
- −Don't skip reading security considerations in docs
- −Don't expose sensitive data without proper controls
- −Don't run untrusted MCP servers without code review
- −Don't ignore error messages—investigate root cause
💡 Pro Tips
- ★Combine multiple MCP servers for powerful workflows
- ★Create custom MCP servers for your specific needs
- ★Share successful configurations with team
- ★Use MCP inspector for debugging
- ★Join MCP community for tips and troubleshooting
Technical Details▌
Architecture
Model Context Protocol standardizes how AI hosts (Claude, Cursor) communicate with external tools and data sources through server implementations.
Protocols
- Model Context Protocol (MCP)
- JSON-RPC 2.0
- stdio or HTTP transport
Compatibility
- Claude Desktop
- Cursor IDE
- Custom MCP clients
When to Use This▌
✓ Use When
Use when you need Claude to access external data, execute actions, or integrate with tools. Best for extending AI capabilities beyond conversation.
✗ Avoid When
Avoid when native integrations exist (use official APIs directly), for real-time critical systems, or when security/compliance requires zero external dependencies.
Integration▌
- →Tool composition: Chain multiple MCP tools in workflows
- →Context augmentation: Provide AI with relevant external data
- →Action delegation: Let AI execute tasks on external systems
- →Bidirectional sync: Keep AI context and external systems in sync
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
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Ratings
4.6★★★★★69 reviews- ★★★★★Nikhil Abebe· Dec 24, 2024
Pica is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory — install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.
- ★★★★★Hana Li· Dec 20, 2024
Pica is among the better-indexed MCP projects we tried; the explainx.ai summary tracks the official description.
- ★★★★★Shikha Mishra· Dec 16, 2024
Pica has been reliable for tool-calling workflows; the MCP profile page is a good permalink for internal docs.
- ★★★★★Kiara Menon· Dec 12, 2024
Pica has been reliable for tool-calling workflows; the MCP profile page is a good permalink for internal docs.
- ★★★★★Sofia Gonzalez· Nov 15, 2024
We wired Pica into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.
- ★★★★★Kabir Chen· Nov 11, 2024
We evaluated Pica against two servers with overlapping tools; this profile had the clearer scope statement.
- ★★★★★Rahul Santra· Nov 7, 2024
Pica reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.
- ★★★★★Noor Khanna· Nov 3, 2024
Pica reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.
- ★★★★★Pratham Ware· Oct 26, 2024
We wired Pica into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.
- ★★★★★Kaira Srinivasan· Oct 22, 2024
We wired Pica into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.
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