Mailchimp MCP: Your AI-Powered Mailchimp Assistant

Stop clicking. Start conversing.

Transform Mailchimp from a tool you manage into an intelligent assistant that manages, analyzes, and optimizes your email marketing—all through natural conversation with Claude.

The Problem: Mailchimp's UI is powerful but complex. Campaign analysis takes hours. Account health monitoring is reactive. Campaign creation requires memorizing workflows.

The Solution: Mailchimp MCP makes Mailchimp conversational. Ask Claude to analyze campaigns, monitor account health, or create campaigns—and it happens instantly.

Why It's Different:

• ✅ Local-first: Your data stays on your machine (unlike Zapier/Make)
• ✅ AI-native: Built for Claude, not retrofitted
• ✅ Three-in-one: CSM intelligence + Marketing Analyst + Campaign Execution
• ✅ Free to start: Full read access with AI insights (no credit card)

📚 Documentation: See docs/README.md for complete documentation index.
🚀 Quick Start: See INSTALL.md for installation instructions.

What Is Mailchimp MCP?

Mailchimp MCP is your AI-powered Customer Success Manager, Marketing Analyst, and Campaign Strategist—all in one. Instead of clicking through Mailchimp's interface, you simply have a conversation with Claude:

• "Show me my top performing campaigns this month" → Instant analysis with recommendations
• "Create a product launch campaign for next Tuesday" → Campaign created in minutes
• "Which accounts are at risk of churning?" → Proactive account health insights

Three Ways to Use Mailchimp MCP

🤖 AI CSM (Customer Success Manager)

• For: Agencies and CSMs managing client accounts
• Value: Stop reacting to churn—prevent it. AI CSM monitors client Mailchimp accounts 24/7, flags risks before they become problems, and suggests retention strategies through natural conversation.
• Why Now: Managing 5+ client accounts, need proactive monitoring, want to prevent churn not react to it

📊 AI Analyst (Marketing Intelligence)

• For: Marketers, marketing directors, and growth teams
• Value: Turn 3-hour campaign analysis into 2-minute conversations. Get strategic recommendations, not just data dumps. AI Analyst reads your Mailchimp data and tells you what to do next.
• Why Now: Managing 10+ campaigns/month, spending 5+ hours/week in Mailchimp UI, need faster analysis, want strategic insights

✍️ AI Marketer (Campaign Execution)

• For: Business owners, solo marketers, and marketing managers
• Value: Skip the Mailchimp learning curve. Create campaigns, manage audiences, and automate workflows by simply telling Claude what you want. No UI memorization required.
• Why Now: Solo marketer or small team, want to skip UI learning curve, need campaign creation without complexity

🔒 Security & Privacy

Local-First Architecture: All data processing happens on your machine. No cloud storage of your Mailchimp data.

Privacy Controls: Optional PII masking protects sensitive information in AI conversations.

Best Practices: Use read-only API keys, enable PII masking for sensitive accounts, review conversation history regularly.

Full Security Documentation →

Prerequisites

Before installing Mailchimp MCP, make sure you have:

Quick Checklist:

• [ ] Claude Desktop - Free download, no subscription required (Download)
• [ ] Mailchimp Account - Any plan with API access (free plan works!)
• [ ] Node.js 20+ - Required runtime (Download)
• [ ] Compatible OS - macOS 11+, Windows 10+, or Linux

📚 Need more details? See the Prerequisites and Setup Guide for comprehensive information about:

• Account requirements (Claude Desktop, Mailchimp plans)
• Complementary tools (Canva MCP, Python reporting tools)
• Setting up for immediate "Aha!" moments
• System requirements and optional tools

Quick Start

💡 New to Mailchimp MCP? See INSTALL.md for detailed installation instructions and troubleshooting.

🚀 Installation Options

Option 1: macOS Installer App (Recommended for macOS)

Download the DMG file from GitHub Releases:

1. Download MailchimpMCPInstaller.dmg
2. Open the DMG file
3. Double-click MailchimpMCPInstaller.app
4. Follow the installation wizard
5. Enter your Mailchimp API key when prompted
6. Restart Claude Desktop

The installer will:

• ✅ Check prerequisites (Node.js, npm)
• ✅ Install the package globally
• ✅ Launch the setup UI in your browser
• ✅ Automatically configure Claude Desktop
• ✅ Validate that Claude Desktop will auto-start Mailchimp MCP

Uninstaller: The DMG also includes MailchimpMCPUninstaller.app to completely remove Mailchimp MCP and all associated data.

Option 2: Command Line (All Platforms)

For macOS:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/alien-lifestyles/mailchimp-mcp-alien-lifestyles/main/install.sh | bash

For All Platforms (using npx):

npx -y @alien-lifestyles/mailchimp-mcp mailchimp-mcp-install

Manual Install:

npm install -g @alien-lifestyles/mailchimp-mcp && mailchimp-mcp-setup

📝 Step-by-Step Installation

Step 1: Install

npm install -g @alien-lifestyles/mailchimp-mcp

Step 2: Run Setup

mailchimp-mcp-setup

Or use the shorter command:

mailchimp-mcp-config

Or if installed locally:

npm run setup

Step 3: Configure

The setup UI will open in your browser at http://localhost:3000. Enter:

• ✅ Your Mailchimp API key (required)
• ✅ Server prefix (auto-detected from API key)
• ⭐ License key (optional - for paid features)
• 🔒 Privacy settings (PII masking recommended)

Step 4: Restart Claude Desktop

After saving your configuration, restart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect.

Step 5: Test

Ask Claude: "Can you run mc_ping?" to verify the connection.

🗑️ Uninstallation

Mailchimp MCP can be uninstalled cleanly without affecting other MCP servers in your Claude Desktop config.

Quick Uninstall (CLI):

npx -y @alien-lifestyles/mailchimp-mcp mailchimp-mcp-uninstall

Options:

# Remove config and .env files
npx -y @alien-lifestyles/mailchimp-mcp mailchimp-mcp-uninstall --remove-env

# Remove everything including npm package
npx -y @alien-lifestyles/mailchimp-mcp mailchimp-mcp-uninstall --remove-env --remove-package

macOS Uninstaller App: If you installed via the macOS DMG, use MailchimpMCPUninstaller.app from the DMG.

What Gets Removed:

• ✅ Mailchimp MCP entry from Claude Desktop config
• ✅ Old key names (mailchimp-mcp, Mailchimp MCP (Trial), Mailchimp MCP)
• ✅ .env files (if --remove-env flag used)
• ✅ npm package (if --remove-package flag used)

What Gets Preserved:

• ✅ All other MCP servers in your Claude Desktop config
• ✅ Other configuration values

See INSTALL.md for detailed uninstall instructions.

Your First 5 Minutes

After installation, follow this progressive flow to see immediate value:

Minute 1: Verify Connection

• Prompt: "Can you run mc_ping?"
• Expected: Connection confirmation
• Success indicator: "Connected to Mailchimp"

Minute 2: Quick Health Check

• Prompt: "Give me an account health summary"
• Expected: High-level overview
• Success indicator: See audiences, recent campaigns, key metrics

Minute 3: Performance Snapshot

• Prompt: "What's my best performing campaign?"
• Expected: Campaign analysis with metrics
• Success indicator: See open rates, click rates, recommendations

Minute 4: Audience Insights

• Prompt: "How many subscribers do I have and how are they growing?"
• Expected: Audience growth analysis
• Success indicator: See subscriber counts, growth trends

Minute 5: Campaign Analysis

• Prompt: "Analyze my last 5 campaigns and give me recommendations"
• Expected: Strategic insights
• Success indicator: See performance patterns, optimization suggestions

After 5 Minutes: You've seen the power of AI Analyst (free). Ready to create campaigns? Upgrade to Execute.

Pro Tip: Start with read-only queries to understand your data, then explore write capabilities with the paid version.

🔄 Accessing Configuration Anytime

You can access the configuration page at any time to update your API keys, license key, or privacy settings:

mailchimp-mcp-config

Or use the original command:

mailchimp-mcp-setup

Both commands launch the same setup UI in your browser at http://localhost:3000. Changes take effect after you save and restart Claude Desktop.

🔄 Changing API Keys or Switching Accounts

Important: When you change your Mailchimp API key (e.g., switching from a dev account to a production account), Claude Desktop caches MCP resources (like audience names) from the previous API key.

To see resources from your new API key:

1. Save your new API key using mailchimp-mcp-config or the native config window
2. Completely quit Claude Desktop (⌘Q on macOS, or close all windows)
3. Reopen Claude Desktop - it will reconnect to the MCP server with your new API key
4. The resource list will refresh with audiences from your new account

Why this happens: Claude Desktop caches MCP resources for performance. When you change API keys, the cache still contains data from the old key until Claude Desktop restarts and reconnects to the MCP server.

Note: If you see old audience names after restarting, verify that:

• Your new API key is correctly saved in claude_desktop_config.json
• Claude Desktop has fully restarted (not just minimized/reopened)
• The MCP server is connecting with the new API key (check Claude Desktop's MCP connection status)

🔧 Manual Configuration (Advanced)

If you prefer manual setup, create a .env file:

# Required
MAILCHIMP_API_KEY=your_api_key_here-us9
MAILCHIMP_SERVER_PREFIX=us9

# Optional
MAILCHIMP_LICENSE_KEY=ALIEN-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
MAILCHIMP_MASK_PII=true

Then manually edit Claude Desktop config at:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mailchimp-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/@alien-lifestyles/mailchimp-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/@alien-lifestyles/mailchimp-mcp",
      "env": {
        "MAILCHIMP_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here-us9",
        "MAILCHIMP_SERVER_PREFIX": "us9",
        "MAILCHIMP_MASK_PII": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Explore vs. Execute

Mailchimp MCP offers two tiers designed for different workflows:

🆓 AI Analyst (Free - Explore) - "The Explorer"

Who: Marketers analyzing performance, CSMs reviewing accounts, business owners understanding data

What you get:

• ✅ Full read-only access to audiences, campaigns, reports
• ✅ AI-powered performance analysis and insights
• ✅ 5 top-value prompts across all personas (Account Manager, Marketer, Business Owner) with visual dashboards
• ✅ Campaign benchmarking and content analysis
• ✅ Account health monitoring (read-only)

Value: Understand your Mailchimp data with AI-powered insights. Full read access, perfect for analysis and reporting.

Limitation: You can see what's happening, but can't make changes.

Upgrade Trigger: When you're ready to act on insights—create campaigns, manage audiences, automate workflows—upgrade to Execute.

💎 AI Marketer + CSM (Paid - Execute) - "The Executor"

Who: Marketers creating campaigns, CSMs managing client accounts, business owners executing strategy

What you get:

• ✅ Everything in AI Analyst, plus:
• ✅ Full write access (create, update, delete)
• ✅ All prompts (CSM, Marketer, Business Owner)
• ✅ Campaign creation and automation
• ✅ Audience and member management
• ✅ Template and file management
• ✅ Account management workflows

Value: From insights to execution. Create campaigns, manage audiences, automate workflows—all through conversation.

Differentiation: Everything in Explorer, plus the power to execute.

Get started: Requires license key from alienlifestyles.com - $10/month

Upgrade Messaging:

• "You've analyzed your data. Now execute on insights."
• "Ready to create campaigns? Upgrade to Execute."
• "From understanding to action—upgrade when ready."

Available Tools

Tools are organized by use case to help Claude select the right tools for your needs.

Account Health Monitoring

| Tool | Description | Tier | |------|-------------|------| | mc_getAccount | Get account overview and settings | Free | | mc_listCampaigns | List all campaigns with filters | Free | | mc_getCampaignReport | Get comprehensive campaign performance analytics including open rates, click rates, revenue, and engagement metrics. Use when analyzing campaign effectiveness or preparing performance reports. Returns detailed metrics with AI-ready data for insights. | Free |

Campaign Creation

| Tool | Description | Tier | |------|-------------|------| | mc_createCampaign | Create new campaign with settings | Paid | | mc_setCampaignContent | Set campaign HTML/content | Paid | | mc_sendCampaign | Send campaign to audience | Paid | | mc_updateCampaign | Update campaign settings | Paid | | mc_deleteCampaign | Delete campaign | Paid |

Audience Analysis

| Tool | Description | Tier | |------|-------------|------| | mc_listAudiences | List all audiences | Free | | mc_getAudience | Get audience details and settings | Free | | mc_listMembers | List members in audience with filters | Free | | mc_getMember | Get member details and activity | Free |

Audience Management

| Tool | Description | Tier | |------|-------------|------| | mc_createAudience | Create new audience | Paid | | mc_updateAudience | Update audience settings | Paid | | mc_deleteAudience | Delete audience | Paid | | mc_createMember | Add member to audience | Paid | | mc_updateMember | Update member information | Paid | | mc_deleteMember | Delete member from audience | Paid |

Segmentation & Targeting

| Tool | Description | Tier | |------|-------------|------| | mc_createSegment | Create segment with criteria | Paid | | mc_updateSegment | Update segment criteria | Paid | | mc_deleteSegment | Delete segment | Paid | | mc_createTag | Create tag | Paid | | mc_addTagToMember | Add/remove tags from member | Paid | | mc_deleteTag | Delete tag | Paid |

Templates & Files

| Tool | Description | Tier | |------|-------------|------| | mc_createTemplate | Create template with MTL validation | Paid | | mc_updateTemplate | Update template | Paid | | mc_deleteTemplate | Delete template | Paid | | mc_uploadFile | Upload file to File Manager | Paid | | mc_deleteFile | Delete file from File Manager | Paid | | mc_createTemplateFolder | Create template folder | Paid | | mc_deleteTemplateFolder | Delete template folder | Paid | | mc_createFileFolder | Create file folder | Paid | | mc_deleteFileFolder | Delete file folder | Paid |

Domain Management

| Tool | Description | Tier | |------|-------------|------| | mc_listVerifiedDomains | List verified domains | Free | | mc_getVerifiedDomain | Get domain authentication status | Free | | mc_createVerifiedDomain | Add domain for verification | Paid | | mc_deleteVerifiedDomain | Delete verified domain | Paid | | mc_sendDomainVerificationEmail | Send domain verification email | Paid |

Connection & Testing

| Tool | Description | Tier | |------|-------------|------| | mc_ping | Test connection to Mailchimp API | Free |

Write Tools (Paid Only - Additional)

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | Merge Fields | | | mc_createMergeField | Create merge field | Paid | | mc_updateMergeField | Update merge field | Paid | | mc_deleteMergeField | Delete merge field | Paid | | E-commerce Stores | | | mc_deleteStore | Delete e-commerce store (Note: Mailchimp Stores API is read-only - stores must be deleted via web interface) | Paid |

Example Queries

• "List my Mailchimp audiences"
• "How many subscribers do I have?"
• "Show me my recent campaigns"
• "What's my top performing campaign?"
• "Check my domain authentication status"

See USE_CASES.md for more examples.

Top Use Cases by Role

For Marketers:

• Campaign performance analysis and optimization
• Content strategy insights and recommendations
• Audience segmentation and targeting
• ROI measurement and business intelligence

For CSMs:

• Account health monitoring and churn risk detection
• Feature adoption analysis and recommendations
• Automated account reviews and reporting
• Proactive client management

For Business Owners:

• Quick campaign creation through conversation
• Audience growth tracking and insights
• Simple monthly performance summaries
• List health monitoring

For Agencies:

• Scale client account management across multiple Mailchimp accounts
• Proactive churn detection (prevent vs. react)
• Consistent reporting across client accounts
• Time savings = more billable hours

Explore all use cases →

Agency & CSM Adoption

For Agencies

Value Proposition: Manage 10+ client Mailchimp accounts without the manual work. AI CSM monitors account health 24/7, flags churn risks proactively, and generates client-ready reports—all through Claude conversations.

Key Benefits:

• One license, unlimited client accounts - Scale account management efficiently
• Time savings = more billable hours - Automate monitoring and reporting
• Prevent churn = retain clients - Proactive account health monitoring
• Consistent reporting - Generate client-ready reports across all accounts

Use Cases:

• Multi-client account health monitoring
• Proactive churn prevention
• Automated client reporting
• Scalable account management

Pricing Angle: One license covers all your client accounts. Time savings translate directly to more billable hours and better client retention.

For CSMs

Value Proposition: Transform Mailchimp from a marketing tool into a customer success platform. Monitor account health, detect churn risks, and generate retention strategies—all through AI-powered conversations.

Key Benefits:

• Prevent one churn = 10x ROI - Proactive monitoring prevents revenue loss
• Proactive vs. reactive = better retention - Flag risks before they escalate
• Automated monitoring = scalable CSM - Monitor more accounts with less effort
• Use Mailchimp as retention system - Leverage email engagement data for success metrics

Use Cases:

• Account health monitoring
• Churn risk detection before escalation
• Feature adoption analysis
• Retention strategy generation

Pricing Angle: Prevent one churn and the ROI pays for itself. Automated monitoring scales your CSM efforts without scaling costs.

Environment Variables

| Variable | Description | Required | Default | |----------|-------------|----------|---------| | MAILCHIMP_API_KEY | Mailchimp API key (with datacenter suffix) | Yes | - | | MAILCHIMP_SERVER_PREFIX | Datacenter prefix (e.g., us9) | Yes | us21 | | MAILCHIMP_LICENSE_KEY | License key for paid version | No | - | | MAILCHIMP_MCP_BACKEND_URL | Backend API URL for license validation and OAuth | No | http://localhost:3001 | | MAILCHIMP_READONLY | Enable read-only mode | No | true | | MAILCHIMP_MASK_PII | Mask email addresses and PII | No | false |

FAQ

Can I upgrade from AI Analyst to AI Marketer + CSM later?

Yes! You can upgrade at any time. Simply subscribe to AI Marketer + CSM and all features will be immediately available. Start with AI Analyst (free) to explore, then upgrade when ready to execute campaigns.

Is AI Marketer + CSM a monthly subscription?

Yes! AI Marketer + CSM is $10/month and can be cancelled anytime. You'll have access to all features as long as your subscription is active.

What's the difference between "Explore" and "Execute"?

AI Analyst (Explore) gives you read-only access to analyze your Mailchimp data with AI insights—perfect for understanding performance and getting recommendations. AI Marketer + CSM (Execute) adds full write access so you can create campaigns, manage audiences, set up automation, and execute your email marketing strategy through conversation.

Which tier is right for me?

If you primarily need to analyze campaigns and understand your data, start with AI Analyst (free). If you need to create campaigns, manage audiences, set up automation, or manage client accounts, upgrade to AI Marketer + CSM.

What prompts are included with each tier?

AI Analyst includes 5 top-value prompts across all personas (Account Manager, Marketer, Business Owner) with visual dashboards and consistent reports. AI Marketer + CSM includes all prompts organized by persona covering account management, campaign creation, audience analysis, and more.

Troubleshooting

API Key Invalid

• Verify API key is correct and active in Mailchimp
• Ensure datacenter prefix matches (e.g., us9 in key and MAILCHIMP_SERVER_PREFIX)
• Use full, unmasked API key including datacenter suffix

Claude Desktop Connection Issues

• Verify paths in claude_desktop_config.json are correct
• Ensure dist/index.js exists (run npm run build)
• Check Claude Desktop logs: Settings → Developer → View Logs
• Restart Claude Desktop after configuration changes

Still Stuck?

• Check the Installation Guide for detailed troubleshooting
• Review Security Documentation for configuration issues
• Open an issue on GitHub

Development

npm run dev           # Development mode with watch
npm run build         # Build project
npm start             # Run built server
npm run setup         # Launch setup UI
npm run build:installer  # Build macOS installer and uninstaller apps (requires Xcode)

📚 Documentation Navigation

New to Mailchimp MCP? → Start with Quick Start Guide or Installation Guide

Ready to explore use cases? → See Use Cases organized by role (Marketer, CSM, Business Owner)

Installing for the first time? → Follow Installation Guide for step-by-step instructions

Security concerns? → Review Security Documentation for comprehensive security information

Want to understand the architecture? → Check Documentation Index for technical details

Security

• Never commit your .env file
• Enable PII masking (MAILCHIMP_MASK_PII=true)
• Use read-only API keys when possible
• Review SECURITY.md for comprehensive security documentation
• Claude Desktop stores conversation history locally

Contributing

Contributions welcome. Ensure code follows TypeScript best practices and includes proper input validation.

License

MIT

Support

• Check Troubleshooting section
• Review SECURITY.md
• Open an issue on GitHub