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Connect your AI

Connect to Codex CLI

Add the OpenBudget MCP server to the OpenAI Codex CLI with one command — ask about your finances right in your terminal.

Codex CLI, OpenAI's terminal coding agent, speaks the Model Context Protocol (MCP), connecting to remote servers so it can pull your live transactions and balances from OpenBudgetwhile it works. Add the server once and it's available in your terminal from then on.

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 OpenBudget MCP server

Two interchangeable ways to register OpenBudget — use whichever you prefer.
Run this once in your terminal. It registers OpenBudget as a remote (streamable-HTTP) MCP server in Codex.
codex mcp add openbudget --url https://api.openbudget.sh/mcp

Either way you need a recent Codex — check with codex --version and update via npm i -g @openai/codex or brew upgrade codexif remote servers aren't picked up. Older builds also require experimental_use_rmcp_client = true under [features].

Authenticate with OpenBudget

Codex opens your browser — sign in with the same account you used to connect your banks and approve read-only access, then it stores the token for you.
codex mcp login openbudget

The OAuth callback uses localhost, so run this on a machine with a browser. On a headless or SSH session the login can't complete.

Verify the connection

Confirm OpenBudget is registered and authenticated.
codex mcp list

Inside the Codex TUI you can also run /mcp to see active servers and their tools.

Now just ask.

You're all set. Open Codex in any project and ask about your spending, subscriptions, or budgets — it'll call OpenBudget as needed, right alongside your work.

Codex CLI calls OpenBudget automatically — no special prefix needed.

Try asking

Lives in your terminal

Works with recent Codex builds that support remote MCP servers. Data is read live while you work.

Read-only by design

Your bank credentials stay with Plaid, never Codex. 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.