Connect AI Assistants to Your Rivo Data
Use the Rivo Merchant MCP to connect AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT directly to your Rivo data. Ask questions about customers, orders, rewards, and more using natural language.
What is MCP?
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI assistants securely connect to external data sources. With Rivo's Merchant MCP, you can:
Look up customer loyalty status, points balance, and VIP tier
Check order details and points earned
Review earning rules and rewards configuration
Analyze membership tier enrollments
Track referral performance
And more - all through natural conversation
🔒 Security: Your data stays secure. The MCP connection uses a unique API key scoped only to your shop, and all access is read-only.
Prerequisites
Before setting up, you'll need:
A Rivo account with an active program
An MCP API key from your Rivo dashboard
Claude, Claude Code, or ChatGPT (Plus/Pro)
Generate Your API Key
Log in to your Rivo dashboard
Navigate to Settings > Developers > MCP API Keys
Click Generate MCP API Key
Copy and save your API key securely
⚠️ Important! Store your API key securely. You won't be able to view it again after leaving the page.
Setup for Claude
Option A: Claude Desktop (Recommended)
Claude Desktop provides the smoothest MCP experience with native support.
Step 1: Open Claude Desktop settings
macOS:
Claudemenu >Settings>DeveloperWindows:
File>Settings>Developer
Step 2: Click "Edit Config" to open claude_desktop_config.json
Step 3: Add the Rivo MCP server configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"rivo": {
"url": "https://developer-api.rivo.io/merchant-mcp/mcp",
"headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY_HERE" }
}
}
}
Replace YOUR_API_KEY_HERE with your actual API key.
Step 4: Save the file and restart Claude Desktop
Step 5: Verify the connection by asking Claude:
What tools do you have available from Rivo?
Claude should list the available lookup tools.
Option B: Claude Code (CLI)
If you use Claude Code in your terminal:
Step 1: Run the MCP configuration command:
claude mcp add rivo --transport http --url "https://developer-api.rivo.io/merchant-mcp/mcp" --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
Step 2: Verify by asking Claude:
Use the Rivo MCP to show me my shop configuration
Option C: Claude.ai (Web)
Claude.ai supports MCP connections for Pro and Team plans.
Click your profile icon > Settings > Integrations
Click Add Integration > Connect MCP Server
Enter the connection details (see table below)
Click Connect and verify by starting a new chat
Field | Value |
Name |
|
URL |
|
Authentication | Bearer Token |
Token | Your API key |
Setup for ChatGPT
ChatGPT supports MCP through its developer features. This requires ChatGPT Plus or Pro.
Step 1: Enable Developer Mode
Open ChatGPT settings (gear icon)
Navigate to Beta features
Enable Developer mode
Step 2: Add the MCP Connection
Start a new chat
Click the Tools icon (puzzle piece)
Select Add MCP Server
Enter the configuration (see table below)
Field | Value |
Server Name |
|
Server URL |
|
Authentication Type | Bearer Token |
Token | Your API key |
Step 3: Click Save and verify:
Use the Rivo tools to look up my shop information
📝 Note: ChatGPT's MCP support is newer than Claude's. If you experience issues, Claude Desktop is recommended for the most reliable experience.
Available Capabilities
Once connected, you can ask your AI assistant to perform these lookups:
Customer Data
Capability | Example Prompt |
Find customer by email | "Look up the customer [email protected]" |
Check points balance | "What's the points balance for customer ID 12345?" |
View VIP tier status | "What VIP tier is [email protected] in?" |
Transaction history | "Show me the last 10 transactions for this customer" |
Orders & Earnings
Capability | Example Prompt |
Order lookup | "Find order #1234" |
Points earned on order | "How many points did order #5678 generate?" |
Order line items | "Show me the items in order #1234" |
Program Configuration
Capability | Example Prompt |
Shop settings | "What's my current Rivo configuration?" |
Active earning rules | "List all my active earning rules" |
Available rewards | "What rewards are currently enabled?" |
Membership tiers | "Show me my membership tier structure" |
VIP tiers | "What are my VIP tier requirements?" |
Referrals & Subscriptions
Capability | Example Prompt |
Referral status | "Look up referral by advocate email [email protected]" |
Subscription contracts | "Find subscription contract #789" |
Billing attempts | "Show billing history for subscription #789" |
Example Conversations
Investigating a Customer Issue
You: A customer emailed saying they didn't receive points for their last order. Their email is [email protected]. Can you help me investigate?
Claude: I'll look into this. Let me check the customer's account and recent orders.
[Claude uses lookup_customer_tool and lookup_order_tool]
I found the issue. Jane placed order #4521 on January 15th for $89.50, but it shows the order status is still "pending" in our system. Points are only awarded when orders are marked as fulfilled. Once the order is fulfilled in Shopify, the points should automatically apply.
Analyzing Reward Performance
You: Which of my rewards are being redeemed the most?
Claude: Let me pull up your rewards data.
[Claude uses lookup_rewards_tool]
Based on your active rewards, here's what I see:
"$5 Off" discount has 234 redemptions
"Free Shipping" has 156 redemptions
"10% Off" has 89 redemptions
Your flat-dollar discount is the most popular, which is typical - customers often prefer knowing the exact savings amount.
Checking VIP Tier Progress
You: How close is customer [email protected] to reaching the next VIP tier?
Claude: Let me check Alex's VIP status and tier requirements.
[Claude uses lookup_customer_tool and lookup_vip_tiers_tool]
Alex is currently in your "Silver" tier with $1,847 in lifetime spend. Your "Gold" tier requires $2,500, so they need $653 more in purchases to reach the next level. At their current average order value of $125, that's roughly 5-6 more orders.
Troubleshooting
"Authentication failed" or "Invalid token"
Verify your API key is correct (no extra spaces)
Check that your API key is still active in Settings > Developers > MCP API Keys
Generate a new key if needed
"Connection refused" or timeout errors
Ensure you're using
https://(nothttp://)Check your internet connection
Try restarting your AI assistant application
Tools not appearing in Claude/ChatGPT
Restart the application after adding the MCP configuration
In Claude Desktop, check that the config JSON is valid (no trailing commas)
Verify the MCP server is enabled in settings
"No data found" for a customer/order
The MCP only has access to data within your Rivo shop
Verify the customer email or order number is correct
Check if the record exists in your Rivo dashboard
Security & Privacy
Read-only access: The MCP cannot modify your data - it can only look up information
Shop-scoped: Your API key only provides access to your own shop's data
Revocable: You can deactivate API keys anytime from Settings > Developers > MCP API Keys
No data storage: Your data is not stored by Claude or ChatGPT beyond the conversation
API Key Management
Rotating Your Key
If you need to rotate your API key for security:
Go to Settings > Developers > MCP API Keys
Click Regenerate on your existing key, or create a new one
Update your Claude/ChatGPT configuration with the new key
Deactivate the old key
Multiple Keys
You can create multiple API keys if you want to:
Use different keys for different team members
Track usage separately across tools
Rotate keys without downtime
Need Help?
Documentation: help.rivo.io
Support: Email [email protected]
MCP Protocol: modelcontextprotocol.io