How to Use the HotDocs MCP in Claude Code

Q: Can Claude Code handle HotDocs template versioning?

Yes. You instruct the agent to run listtemplateversions before starting a batch job. This guarantees your scripts use the active template package.

Q: How do I know if a batch assembly failed?

Have the agent call getunansweredvariables on the specific work item. It lists exactly which XML tags were missing from your payload.

Automate batch document assembly from your terminal using Claude Code and the HotDocs API.

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Setup HotDocs with Claude Code

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Batch Processing via CLI

The `update_answers` tool accepts valid XML payloads to populate template variables. You write a quick shell script that pipes a CSV file into Claude Code, which then formats the data and pushes it into active work items. This makes bulk document generation trivial. The agent iterates through your records, calls `create_work_item` for each row, submits the answers, and triggers the final assembly without you ever touching a browser.

Audit HotDocs MCP Server Activity

The `list_work_items` tool retrieves your entire document generation history. You filter the results by user ID or date range to find specific jobs that stalled or failed. For tighter timeframes, the agent runs `list_work_items_by_date`. You pass an ISO 8601 string, and it returns a clean JSON array of every contract generated during that window. Perfect for end-of-month reporting.

Headless Document Retrieval

The `list_documents` tool grabs the IDs and metadata for all files attached to a completed assembly. Claude Code uses this to find the exact PDF or Word file you need. Once it has the ID, the agent executes `get_document_content`. It downloads the raw file content and saves it directly to your local filesystem or pipes it to an AWS S3 bucket via your existing CLI tools.

Setup guide

Set up HotDocs MCP in Claude Code

Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Run the add command

Open your terminal and run the command shown on the right. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com. Use --scope user to make it available across all projects.
2

Verify the connection

Start a Claude Code session and type /mcp to list connected servers. You should see hotdocs-mcp with a green status indicator.
3

Start using tools

Ask Claude Code something like "Check my latest HotDocs transactions." It will automatically discover and invoke the available HotDocs tools.

Terminal

claude mcp add --transport http hotdocs-mcp https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

Get your connection token →

Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open the config file

Create or edit .mcp.json in your project root for project-level scope, or ~/.claude.json for user-level scope.
2

Add the HotDocs MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Restart Claude Code

Start a new Claude Code session. Type /mcp to confirm the server is connected. The tools will be automatically available in your conversation.

.mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hotdocs-mcp": {
      "type": "url",
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by HotDocs Advance. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about HotDocs MCP in Claude Code

Run claude mcp add --transport http hotdocs-mcp -- . Make sure you put all flags before the server name. Verify the installation by running claude mcp list.

Yes. You instruct the agent to run list_template_versions before starting a batch job. This guarantees your scripts use the active template package.

Have the agent call get_unanswered_variables on the specific work item. It lists exactly which XML tags were missing from your payload.

Your API credentials likely expired. Tell the terminal agent to run get_auth_token to check the connection. Update your ~/.claude.json if the token is invalid.

The infrastructure is built on a V8 Isolate Sandbox that processes your XML payloads ephemerally. Vinkius never logs the contents of your generated PDFs or the variables passed during the MCP Server session.

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