Bowlly MCP Server

MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for Bowlly cat food product search and ingredient analysis. Enables Claude Desktop to search, analyze, and compare cat food products.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 22+ - Required for running the MCP server
• Claude Desktop - Download here if not installed
• Bowlly API key - Required for Agent API access (currently private/beta; no self-serve issuance yet)

Quick Start

Option 1: One-Command Setup (Recommended)

npx @bowlly/mcp-server --setup

The setup wizard can optionally save your BOWLLY_API_KEY into your Claude Desktop config. After running, restart Claude Desktop and you're ready to go!

Option 2: Manual Configuration

1. Edit your Claude Desktop config at the appropriate path for your OS:

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

2. Add the Bowlly server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bowlly": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@bowlly/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "BOWLLY_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Save the file and restart Claude Desktop

Available Tools

| Tool | Description | | -------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | search_products | Search by ingredients, conditions, form | | get_product_detail | Full product info with ingredients | | compare_products | Side-by-side comparison | | analyze_nutrition | Ingredient breakdown & carb analysis | | get_curation_list | Best-of category recommendations |

Example Natural Language Queries

"Find grain-free dry cat foods"
"Show me wet foods without chicken"
"Analyze the nutrition of Blue Buffalo Wilderness"
"Compare Orijen and Acana cat foods"
"What are the best low-carb options?"
"Show me foods for cats with sensitive stomachs"

Configuration

Config File Locations by Platform

| Platform | Path | | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json | | Windows | %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json | | Linux | ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json |

Verification

To confirm the MCP server is working:

1. Restart Claude Desktop (required after configuration changes)
2. Open the tools menu - Look for the hammer icon in the bottom left
3. Verify Bowlly tools appear - You should see 5 tools listed
4. Test with a query: Try asking "Find grain-free dry cat foods"

Troubleshooting

Tools not showing in Claude?

• Restart Claude Desktop - Configuration changes require a restart
• Check the config file path - Ensure you're editing the correct file for your OS
• Verify JSON syntax - Use a JSON validator if unsure
• Check Claude Desktop logs:
  • macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/
  • Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/Logs/
  • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/Logs/

"Command not found" errors?

• Ensure Node.js 22+ is installed: node --version
• Try with npx: npx @bowlly/mcp-server --setup
• Global install fallback: npm install -g @bowlly/mcp-server

Configuration not persisting?

• Check file permissions - Ensure you have write access to the config directory
• Use absolute paths - Relative paths may not resolve correctly
• Validate JSON format - Missing commas or brackets are common issues

License

MIT