Connect other AI apps (open-source MCP clients)

TickForge speaks MCP (Model Context Protocol), the open standard for letting an AI assistant use external tools. Claude Desktop is the easiest way in (see Connect Claude Desktop), but any MCP-capable desktop AI app can connect to TickForge the same way — so you can ask about your account, positions, the market, and your charts in plain English, and place orders by describing them (you always approve each one).

This page is for people running an open-source or third-party MCP desktop client — a Claude Desktop alternative. The idea is identical: point your client at the small tickforge-mcp bridge that ships inside TickForge, and it appears as a set of tools.

Before you start

The connection is local to your computer. Your AI app talks to your own running copy of TickForge over a private, token-protected channel on 127.0.0.1 — nothing about your account is sent to a TickForge server to make this work. Because of that:

1. Open TickForge and sign in.
2. Go to Settings → Connection and turn on "Claude Desktop (MCP)" (off by default — the same toggle powers every MCP client, not just Claude Desktop).
3. Leave TickForge running. If it's closed or you're signed out, your AI app will simply say it can't connect — nothing breaks.

Same machine only. Your AI app must run on the same computer as TickForge. The connection is local-loopback, so it does not work from cloud/VM-sandboxed assistants, browser-based chat, or mobile apps — only a desktop client running next to TickForge.

Add TickForge to your MCP client

Most MCP clients are configured with a small JSON block that lists "servers" to launch. Add TickForge as a stdio server whose command is the absolute path to the bundled tickforge-mcp binary:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tickforge": {
      "command": "<absolute path to tickforge-mcp for your OS — see below>"
    }
  }
}

Use the path for your operating system:

Linux note: TickForge materializes the bridge to that stable path the first time you enable the toggle (the AppImage's own mount path changes every launch, so a path inside it can't be used). Enable Settings → Connection → Claude Desktop (MCP) once, then point your client at ~/.local/share/tickforge/tickforge-mcp.

If your client uses a different config format (TOML, YAML, or a settings UI) the three pieces are the same everywhere: a server name (tickforge), a transport (stdio / "command"), and the command (the path above, with no extra arguments). Restart the client after adding it, then ask it about your account.

What you can do

• Ask about your account — "What are my open positions and total P&L right now?"
• Get a market briefing — "Summarize today's news for everything I'm holding."
• Analyze a setup — "Talk me through the AAPL chart — where's support and my risk?"
• Place orders by describing them — "Place a limit buy for 100 AAPL at 220." You approve every order yourself (see below).
• Set Smart Alerts — "Tell me when AAPL reclaims VWAP." TickForge watches the live market and notifies you; alerts only notify, they never trade.

Built-in safety

The same safeguards apply no matter which MCP client you use — this is real money, so the integration is conservative on purpose:

• You approve every order. The assistant can propose a trade, but it can never place one on its own. When it tries, TickForge pops a confirmation dialog showing the exact order — symbol, side, quantity, price — and who requested it. Nothing reaches your broker until you click approve; ignore it and it cancels itself.
• Everything stays on your machine. The bridge is local and token-protected; your positions and account data aren't sent to any TickForge server to make this work.
• No secrets exposed. The integration never hands your AI app your password or login tokens.
• Turn it off any time. Flip the Settings toggle off and the connection closes immediately.
• A Smart Alert firing never places an order. It only notifies you; acting on it still goes through the order tools and your approval.

Troubleshooting

• "Can't connect to TickForge" / no tickforge tools appear. Make sure TickForge is running, you're signed in, and Settings → Connection → Claude Desktop (MCP) is on. Then restart your AI app so it re-reads its config.
• The path doesn't exist. Double-check the per-OS path above against where TickForge is actually installed. On Linux, enable the toggle once first so the bridge is materialized.
• It works in a desktop app but not in a browser/cloud assistant. That's expected — the connection is same-machine only (see the note above).

What it can't do

• It is not an automated trading bot. Every action is something you asked for and then approved — including anything prompted by a Smart Alert.
• It needs the app open. Close TickForge or sign out and the tools (and your Smart Alerts) stop until you're back.
• It is not financial advice. The assistant is a knowledgeable second opinion reasoning over your data — not an oracle, and not a guarantee. Your decisions and your risk rules are yours.