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MCP Server

Connect Claude, Cursor, Codex, and any MCP-compatible agent directly to your SimpleBackups account. Inspect failures, trigger runs, and prep restores from the chat window.

Server URLhttps://mcp.simplebackups.ai/mcp

Introduction

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets AI agents call tools and pull data from external systems. The SimpleBackups MCP server exposes your backups, storages, servers, and run history as tools any compatible agent can use — so a model can answer "which backups failed last night?" or run "pause every MySQL backup for an hour" without leaving the chat.

Available on the free trial and all paid plans. Point your client at the server URL below and approve the OAuth prompt. Manage your connections from Settings → MCP.

Update
SimpleBackups is now listed in Claude's official Connector Directory. You can add it with one click from there, with no server URL to enter by hand.

Server URL

The server speaks the streamable-http transport. Point any MCP client at:

https://mcp.simplebackups.ai/mcp

Authentication

The MCP server uses OAuth 2.1 with Dynamic Client Registration — no API keys to copy or paste. On first connection the agent opens your browser, you sign in to SimpleBackups and approve access, and the client receives a short-lived access token scoped to a single team. Subsequent sessions refresh silently.

  • Tokens are scoped to one team — switch teams by reconnecting.
  • Revoke any connection from Settings → MCP.
  • Action tools (run-backups, pause-backups, resume-backups) prompt the user to confirm before they run.

Setup

On claude.ai and Claude Desktop, the Connector Directory is the fastest route. Everywhere else, point the client at the server URL. Every flow ends with an OAuth window: sign in once and you're done.

Claude Connector Directory (fastest)

SimpleBackups is listed in Claude's official Connector Directory, so there is no server URL to enter by hand. This is the recommended path for claude.ai and Claude Desktop.

  1. Open claude.ai/directory/simplebackups.
  2. Click Add to install the connector.
  3. Approve the OAuth prompt and pick the team you want the connection scoped to.

Claude Desktop & claude.ai (manual)

If you would rather not go through the directory, or you are on a managed workspace where the directory is restricted, add the server as a custom connector:

  1. Open Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
  2. Name it SimpleBackups.
  3. Paste the server URL below and save.
  4. Approve the OAuth prompt that opens in your browser.
https://mcp.simplebackups.ai/mcp

Claude Code

Claude Code does not read the Connector Directory. Add the server with a single CLI command:

claude mcp add --transport http simplebackups https://mcp.simplebackups.ai/mcp

Then start Claude Code and type /mcp to authenticate the MCP tools and verify the connection.

# Start Claude Code
claude

# Authenticate the MCP tools by typing /mcp
/mcp

Cursor

  1. Open Settings → MCP → Add new MCP server.
  2. Choose the HTTP transport.
  3. Paste the server URL and save.

Or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json directly:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "simplebackups": {
      "url": "https://mcp.simplebackups.ai/mcp"
    }
  }
}

OpenAI Codex CLI

Add the server with the Codex CLI:

codex mcp add simplebackups --url https://mcp.simplebackups.ai/mcp

Other MCP clients

Any MCP-compatible client that supports the streamable-http transport and OAuth 2.1 with Dynamic Client Registration can connect — including Windsurf, Zed, VS Code (with MCP extension), and others. Use the standard JSON shape:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "simplebackups": {
      "url": "https://mcp.simplebackups.ai/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Available tools

The server exposes 14 tools covering inspection, scheduling, and restore prep.

ToolDescription
whoamiReturns the connected user, team, role and plan, support id, and dashboard URLs.
get-backups-overviewSingle-call account health: aggregate counts plus a sample of failing or stale backups.
list-backupsPaginated listing with filters on type, status, server, storage, or name.
find-failing-backupsReturns backups with an error run in the lookback window, even if a later run succeeded.
get-backupCompact summary for one backup, including the latest run status. Does not include schedules or full configuration.
get-backup-logsRecent run history for a single backup.
get-backup-runs-timelinePer-day status grid across many backups in a single call.
get-run-outputConsole output (stdout/stderr) for a single run, including the exact error lines a failed run printed.
list-storagesStorage destinations with type, usage in GB, and connection status.
list-serversServers and sources with connection type, status, and latest agent status. Hostnames are not returned.
run-backupsTriggers on-demand runs for up to 20 backups per call.
pause-backupsPauses one or many backups so they stop running on schedule.
resume-backupsResumes paused backups so they run on schedule again.
restore-prepPrepares a restore and provides type-specific restore instructions.

Example prompts

Once connected, ask your agent things like:

  • ›Any backups failed in the last 7 days?
  • ›Draw me a status grid of all my production backups for the last 14 days.
  • ›Why did backup #28491 fail last night? Show me the error.
  • ›Trigger the staging database backup now — I'm about to deploy.
  • ›Pause every MySQL backup for the next hour, I'm doing maintenance.
  • ›Give me a restore link for the latest successful run of backup #28491.
SimpleBackups MCP Server