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Connect your AI

Connect to ChatGPT

Set up the OpenBudget MCP server to give ChatGPT live access to your bank transactions, balances, and spending data.

ChatGPT by OpenAI supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which lets it connect directly to your bank accounts through OpenBudget. Here's how to set it up in under 5 minutes.

How to connect

Connect your bank accounts

Sign up for OpenBudget and securely link your bank accounts and credit cards through Plaid. This takes about 2 minutes.

Connect banks

Currently available for United States banking institutions.

Add the server to ChatGPT

Follow the steps below to paste your MCP server URL into ChatGPT. It works the same on ChatGPT web and desktop.

Open Advanced Settings

Go to chatgpt.com, open Settings, then navigate to "Apps" in the sidebar. Click "Advanced settings" at the bottom.

Open settings

Enable Developer Mode

Toggle on "Developer mode". This allows you to add custom MCP server connections. You only need to do this once.

Create a new App

Go back to the Apps page. You'll now see a "Create app" button. Click it to set up the OpenBudget connection.

Configure the MCP connection

Name the app "OpenBudget", paste the MCP Server URL below, select "OAuth" for authentication, then click "Create".

https://api.openbudget.sh/mcp

Authorize when prompted

The first time you ask ChatGPT about your finances, it will redirect you to OpenBudget to sign in and authorize access. This uses OAuth — sign in with the same account you used to connect your banks, then click "Authorize". You only need to do this once.

Now just ask.

Start your message with @OpenBudget and ask about your money — ChatGPT answers with real numbers, not guesses.

Start a chat

Try asking

Works with ChatGPT Plus and Team

Works on ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise with MCP enabled. Data is read live, always current.

Read-only by design

Your bank credentials stay with Plaid, never ChatGPT. The MCP server is read-only — it can't move money or change any account.

Troubleshooting

My AI doesn't see OpenBudget's tools
Make sure the connector is added andenabled, and that you finished the OAuth sign-in. If it still won't use them, ask it directly to “use the OpenBudgetMCP server.” In ChatGPT, start the message with @OpenBudget.
It can't find my transactions
The MCP server only sees accounts you've linked. Open your transactions, confirm your banks are connected and finished their initial sync, then ask again. Make sure you signed in to OpenBudget with the same account you used to link your banks.
The sign-in window didn't open
Authorization happens in your browser. If it didn't open automatically, allow pop-ups and try again, or copy the URL your client shows and open it manually. In Claude Code, run /mcp and choose Authenticate; in the Codex CLI, run codex mcp login openbudget.
It says “needs login” or stopped working
Sign-in tokens can expire. Re-authorize from your client's connector settings, or remove and re-add the OpenBudget server and sign in again — that resolves most connection issues.
Connection failed or the server is unreachable
Confirm the URL is exactly https://api.openbudget.sh/mcp and that you chose the Streamable HTTP transport (not stdio). Make sure your client is up to date — the older SSE transport is deprecated in favor of HTTP.
Still stuck?
Email support@openbudget.sh and we'll help you get connected.

Disclosures

Informational only — not financial advice

OpenBudget surfaces your own financial data, not recommendations. Nothing here is investment, legal, or tax advice — do your own research.

How your data is accessed

OpenBudget connects through Plaid; your bank credentials are never stored by OpenBudget. Data may contain errors or delays and is provided “as is” — verify against your bank.

Read-only access

The OpenBudget MCP server is read-only — it cannot move money, place trades, or modify any account.

Third-party AI clients

Your prompts and the data returned are processed by your AI client (Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor) under its own terms. AI can be wrong — verify before acting.

Authorization

Connecting grants read access via OAuth; revoke it anytime from your client's settings. Use is governed by our Terms and Privacy Policy.