FreshBooks MCP server and Claude connector: what it reads, what access it gets, how to connect

FreshBooks hosts a read-only MCP server at mcp.freshbooks.com/v1 that powers its Claude connector: 20 get and list tools, OAuth sign-in. Verified 21 Oct 2026.

Official MCP server · read-only (hosted)
Claude connector · read-only (same server)

Hosting: Remote HTTP, hosted by FreshBooks: https://mcp.freshbooks.com/v1. The Claude connector uses the same server. No local or open-source server.
Auth: OAuth 2.0 browser sign-in with your FreshBooks login, then an Allow Access consent screen. The server takes a bearer token in a header only.
Read / write: Read-only today: 20 tools, all get or list. FreshBooks says create, edit and delete permissions are coming soon.
Works with: Claude.ai and Claude Desktop (documented by FreshBooks). Other MCP clients can point at the URL, but FreshBooks doesn't document them.
Plan requirement: FreshBooks says a free or paid Claude account works. It doesn't state a FreshBooks plan requirement or a price for the connector.
Last changed: 2026-09-25: FreshBooks launched the connector in Claude's directory
Verification: Verified 21 Oct 2026 by theFinanceStack · confidence: high

What can an agent do with FreshBooks through MCP?

An agent can read FreshBooks reports and records through 20 get and list tools. FreshBooks says the connector is read-only, so it can't change anything.

The Claude directory lists 20 tools in three groups.

Group	Tools	What they do
Reports	5	Return the profit and loss, balance sheet, general ledger, trial balance and revenue by client.
Accounting	14	Get or list clients, estimates, expenses, invoices, payments, recurring templates, items and services, and a client's credits.
Businesses	1	Lists the businesses your login can reach.

Writes

No tool creates, sends, edits, deletes or pays anything.
FreshBooks' help article lists optional permissions for revenue, payables, operations and journal entries as coming soon.
The server's OAuth metadata already names matching write scopes. Expect that to change, and re-check before you connect.

Can

Run the profit and loss, balance sheet, general ledger, trial balance and revenue-by-client reports
List and read invoices, estimates, payments and recurring invoice templates
List and read expenses, for spend by category and period
List and read clients, a client's credits, and items and services
List every active business under the signed-in login

Cannot

Create, edit or delete any record in FreshBooks (per FreshBooks)
Send invoices, record payments or move money (no such tool in the published list)
Post journal entries; FreshBooks lists that permission as coming soon
Answer beyond the user's own FreshBooks role (per FreshBooks)

What access does it get?

The connection reads every active business under your FreshBooks login, limited to what your FreshBooks role can see. FreshBooks documents the permission groups, and the server publishes its scope names.

Where	Scopes and permissions (as documented)	Admin requirement
FreshBooks MCP server (mcp.freshbooks.com/v1)	The server's OAuth metadata lists mcp:all:read and offline_access, plus mcp:revenue:write, mcp:payables:write, mcp:operations:write and mcp:books:write. FreshBooks' help article describes the write groups as optional and coming soon. offline_access is the standard OAuth scope for a refresh token, so access carries on between sessions until you click Disconnect under Customize › Connectors (FreshBooks documents that step). Bearer token in a header only.	FreshBooks doesn't document an admin step. Access follows the signed-in user's FreshBooks role.
Claude directory connector	The sign-in screen grants view and search access to core reports, clients, estimates, expenses, invoicing and payments, recurring invoices, and sales and item reporting, across all active businesses. Optional permissions appear as checkboxes.	Not documented by FreshBooks. Claude Team/Enterprise: an Owner adds connectors before members can connect.

How do I connect it?

In Claude, add FreshBooks from the Connectors directory, sign in to FreshBooks and click Allow Access; FreshBooks says no setup is needed on its side.

Open the FreshBooks listing at https://claude.com/connectors/freshbooks and click Add to Claude, or in Claude go to Settings › Customize › Connectors and search for FreshBooks.
Click Connect and log in to FreshBooks if prompted.
Leave optional permissions unticked unless you need them, then click Allow Access.
Check that FreshBooks appears in your connectors list, then open it to review its tool permissions. On first use, choose Allow (Claude asks each time) rather than Always Allow, so the habit is in place before write permissions ship.

Team/Enterprise: an Owner must add the connector first. To remove it, open the connector under Customize › Connectors and click Disconnect.

What should a finance team watch for?

The connection is read-only and reaches every active business under the login. FreshBooks has announced write permissions, so watch what you tick at sign-in.

One login, many businesses: the connection covers all active businesses you can access. FreshBooks suggests a separate chat per business so Claude doesn't mix up data.
Write permissions are coming: FreshBooks lists four optional groups as coming soon. Revenue covers invoices, estimates, credit notes, payments and recurring templates, so it touches cash records. Payables covers expenses and bills. Operations covers clients, projects, team members, time entries and items. "Manage Books and Uploads" covers journal entries. If they appear at sign-in, leave them unticked unless you need them.
Answers come from live data. FreshBooks remains the source of truth, so tie any figure back to the FreshBooks report before you rely on it. A receivables list Claude builds from invoices should be checked against the invoice list in FreshBooks.
Invoice notes, expense descriptions and client names are free text, so they can carry an injected instruction. Today that can only distort an answer. Once write permissions ship, it could push the agent to create or change records, so keep per-action approval on.
FreshBooks says your data is "never used to train FreshBooks AI models" and points to Anthropic's Trust Center for Claude. Read both providers' terms for retention.
FreshBooks doesn't document rate limits, row caps or a FreshBooks plan requirement for the connector.

How could finance teams and accounting firms use it?

Every tool is read-only, so it suits questions and reporting: pulling reports, comparing periods and summarising records without an export.

Inside a company

Ask for this quarter's profit and loss against last quarter, or expenses by category, without exporting reports.
List invoices and ask Claude to pick out unpaid and overdue ones before a cash meeting, then summarise who owes what.
Rank clients by revenue with the revenue-by-client report and spot concentration.
Draft a first pass of monthly commentary from the P&L and balance sheet, then edit it yourself.

At an accounting firm

Summarise a client's period results and largest expense movements before a review meeting.
Pull the trial balance and general ledger to scan for unusual balances before month-end sign-off.
Check recurring invoice templates and estimates for anything stale or mispriced.
Keep one chat per client business, as FreshBooks suggests, so figures don't mix. These uses assume the firm's FreshBooks login already reaches the client's business; FreshBooks doesn't document accountant use.

Whatever the use, keep a person approving anything that changes the books, and treat AI-written figures as drafts until they tie to the FreshBooks report.

Want FreshBooks connected to Claude for your team?

We set up scoped connections, with a review step before anything changes your books, for a fixed fee.

Book a 30-minute setup call

Change log

Date	Change	Source
2026-09-25	FreshBooks announced its connector in Claude's connector directory	www.freshbooks.com/press/releases/freshbooks-anthropicmcpcon
2026-09	FreshBooks connector listed in the Claude directory: 20 read-only tools, server mcp.freshbooks.com/v1, Anthropic verified	claude.com/connectors/freshbooks

FAQ

Is this official?

Yes. FreshBooks hosts the server, documents the connector in its help centre, and the Claude listing names FreshBooks as the maker, marked Anthropic verified.

Is it free?

FreshBooks says a free or paid Claude account works and doesn't mention a charge for the connector. It doesn't state which FreshBooks plans include it.

Does it change data in FreshBooks?

No. FreshBooks says the connector is read-only and all 20 tools only get or list. FreshBooks lists optional write permissions as coming soon.

Is my data used to train models?

FreshBooks says your data is never used to train FreshBooks AI models, and points to Anthropic's Trust Center for Claude. Check FreshBooks' privacy policy and Anthropic's terms.

Can my accountant use it on my behalf?

FreshBooks doesn't document accountant use. It says the connection covers every active business under the signed-in login and shows only what that user's role allows.

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll email you when it's fixed.

Sources

Verified by theFinanceStack, 21 Oct 2026. Vendor list on the CFO Software Market Map courtesy of Jason Staats; AI connectivity data by theFinanceStack. Not tax, compliance or financial advice.