Installation Guide

MCP Server for Proposals

Connect Claude Desktop to WHMCS Proposals in 10 minutes

For beginners · No coding required · Step-by-step guide

Last updated: February 2026

View product details & pricing

Before You Start

Estimated time: 10-15 minutes

Level: Beginner · No technical knowledge required

Important: Use Claude Desktop, NOT claude.ai

This guide is for the Claude Desktop app (installed on your computer), NOT the web version at claude.ai. MCP servers only work with Claude Desktop.

If you don't have Claude Desktop installed, download it here first →

What you'll need:

WHMCS installed and running
Proposals Pro addon installed and activated
Admin access to WHMCS
Claude Desktop installedDownload →
MCP Server files (included with Proposals Pro)

Note: Claude Desktop is free to use. No paid Anthropic account required.

Part 1: Install Proposals Addon

Already have Proposals Pro installed? Skip to Part 2: Enable MCP API.

Step 1.1: Upload Files

1.Open your FTP client (FileZilla, Cyberduck, etc.)
2.Connect to your WHMCS server
3.Navigate to: /public_html/whmcs/modules/addons/
4.Extract proposals-pro.zip on your computer
5.Upload the entire proposals/ folder

Expected folder structure:

/whmcs/modules/addons/proposals/
├── proposals.php
├── hooks.php
├── api.php
├── viewer.php
├── download.php
└── lib/
    ├── Database.php
    ├── ProposalService.php
    ├── LicenseManager.php
    └── Api/

Step 1.2: Activate Addon

1.Go to: Setup → Addon Modules
2.Find "Proposals" in the list
3.Click "Activate"
4.
Configure settings:
- • Access Control: Full Administrator
5.Click "Save Changes"

Success check: You should see "Changes Saved Successfully"

Part 2: Enable MCP API

Step 2.1: Enable API Access

1.Go to: Addons → Proposals → Settings → Automation
2.Check Enable MCP API access
3.Click Save Settings

Step 2.2: Generate API Key

1.Still in the Automation tab
2.Click Generate to create an API key
3.Copy the generated key

Important: Copy the API key now

You will need this key for the Claude Desktop configuration in the next step.

Part 3: Configure Claude Desktop

Choose your installation method:

One-Click Install (Recommended)

macOS and Windows only. The easiest way to install.

1.
Locate the .mcpb file from the MCP folder included with Proposals Pro
- • macOS: mcp/macos/proposals-mcp-1.0.0.mcpb
- • Windows: mcp/windows/proposals-mcp-1.0.0-win.mcpb
2.Double-click the file
3.Claude Desktop opens automatically with a configuration screen
4.
Enter your WHMCS details:
- • API URL: https://your-whmcs.com/modules/addons/proposals/api.php
- • API Key: Your key from Step 2.2
5.Click "Install"
6.Restart Claude Desktop (Cmd+Q on Mac, Alt+F4 on Windows) and reopen

No terminal, no config files, no technical knowledge required.

Manual Install (All Platforms)

For Linux users or if the one-click install doesn't work.

Step 1: Find Config File

macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows:

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Linux:

~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Step 2: Download and Extract

1. Locate mcp/other/proposals-mcp-server-1.0.0.zip from the MCP folder
2. Extract to a permanent location:

macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/proposals-mcp-server/

Windows:

C:\proposals-mcp-server\

Linux:

~/.local/share/proposals-mcp-server/

Step 3: Install Dependencies

Open a terminal in the extracted folder and run:

npm install

Step 4: Edit Config File

Copy this configuration (choose your OS):

macOS / Linux:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "proposals": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/Library/Application Support/proposals-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "WHMCS_API_URL": "https://your-whmcs.com/modules/addons/proposals/api.php",
        "WHMCS_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_USERNAME with your macOS username. Run whoami in Terminal to find it.

Windows:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "proposals": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:\proposals-mcp-server\dist\index.js"],
      "env": {
        "WHMCS_API_URL": "https://your-whmcs.com/modules/addons/proposals/api.php",
        "WHMCS_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace these values:

your-whmcs.com → Your WHMCS domain
YOUR_API_KEY → Your API key from Step 2.2

Step 5: Restart Claude Desktop

Close completely (Cmd+Q on Mac, Alt+F4 on Windows) and reopen.

Other AI Clients (Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.)

Any client that supports MCP can use this server. Download and extract the ZIP first (see Option B above for recommended locations).

OpenAI Codex Desktop

macOS only (Apple Silicon). Config file:

~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.proposals]
command = "node"
args = ["/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/Library/Application Support/proposals-mcp-server/dist/index.js"]

[mcp_servers.proposals.env]
WHMCS_API_URL = "https://your-whmcs.com/modules/addons/proposals/api.php"
WHMCS_API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"

TOML format (not JSON). Download Codex Desktop →

Cursor

Config file location:

Global: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
Per project: .cursor/mcp.json in your project folder

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "proposals": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/proposals-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "WHMCS_API_URL": "https://your-whmcs.com/modules/addons/proposals/api.php",
        "WHMCS_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Config file:

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

Same JSON structure as Cursor above.

Cline (VS Code Extension)

Config file:

.vscode/mcp.json

Same JSON structure as Cursor above.

Requirement: Node.js 18+

For manual installation, you need Node.js 18 or higher installed. Download Node.js →

Part 4: Test the Connection

Test 1: Verify Connection

Open Claude Desktop and look for the connection indicator.

Success: You should see "MCP Servers: 1 connected" or a tools icon.

Test 2: First Query

Type this in Claude:

List all my proposals

You should see a list of proposals with titles, statuses, and totals.

Test 3: Create a Proposal

Type this:

Create a new proposal titled "Website Redesign" with a 50% deposit

Check WHMCS. A new draft proposal should appear in Addons → Proposals.

Troubleshooting

Claude doesn't show MCP Servers connected

•Check config file is saved correctly (valid JSON)
•Verify Node.js is installed: run node --version in terminal
•Check Claude logs: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/ (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\ (Windows)
•Restart Claude Desktop completely

"License required" error

•The Proposals addon requires an active Pro license for MCP
•Verify your license in WHMCS Admin → Addons → Proposals
•Contact support if your license is valid but still shows an error

"API disabled" error

•Go to Proposals → Settings → Automation
•Enable "MCP API access"
•Save settings and try again

"Invalid API key" error

•Verify the API key matches what is in WHMCS
•Generate a new key if needed
•Make sure there are no extra spaces when copying

Contact Support Review Checklist

Available Tools

Proposals MCP Server includes 6 tools for managing proposals through natural language.

Tool	Description
proposals_list	List proposals with filters (status, pagination)
proposals_get	Get full proposal details (items, client data, signature)
proposals_create	Create a new draft proposal
proposals_update	Update a draft proposal
proposals_delete	Delete a draft proposal
proposals_send	Send a proposal to the client

Tip: You don't need to remember tool names. Simply describe what you want in natural language and Claude will use the appropriate tool automatically.

You're all set!

Claude can now manage your WHMCS proposals. Try these example prompts:

"List my proposals"

"Show me all accepted proposals"

"Create a proposal for Web Redesign at $2,000 with 50% deposit"

"Send proposal #3 to the client"

"Show details of proposal #5"

"How many proposals are pending?"

View full Proposals documentation →