What credentials do I need to connect HotDocs Advance to this MCP server?

You need four pieces of information: (1) your **Tenancy Moniker** (the subdomain in your HotDocs URL, e.g., 'mycompany' from mycompany.hotdocsadvance.com), (2) the **API Client Display Name** you created in Manage API Credentials, (3) the **Service Principal Name** you added to that client, and (4) the **Service Principal Password** (which is shown only once during creation). All of these are obtained from the HotDocs Advance Auth portal.

Can I assemble documents automatically without going through the interview UI?

Yes! Use the `create_work_item` tool to initialize a work item, then use `update_answers` to inject your data as HotDocs answer XML, and finally call `complete_assembly` to trigger document generation. This fully automated bypasses the interactive interview UI entirely, perfect for batch processing or integrating with external data sources.

How do I find and download documents that have already been assembled?

Use the `list_documents` tool with your workItemId to see all assembled documents and their IDs. Then use `get_document_content` with the workItemId and documentId to retrieve the actual file content. The response includes both the raw content and a direct download URL for easy access to your PDFs or Word documents.

What is a work item and why is it important?

A work item is a unique container in HotDocs Advance that holds interview answers, template associations, and assembled documents for a specific case. Think of it as a 'file folder' for each document automation request. It's identified by a unique ID you assign (like 'contract-john-doe-2024') and persists all data so you can revisit, update, and reassemble documents at any time.

HotDocs MCP Server for Claude Code 14 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: HotDocs
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code

Built by Vinkius GDPR 14 Tools CLI

Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development. Add HotDocs as an MCP server in one command and Claude Code will discover every tool at runtime. ideal for automation pipelines, CI/CD integration, and headless workflows via Vinkius.

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

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About HotDocs MCP Server

Connect your HotDocs Advance tenancy to any AI agent and take full control of your document automation workflows through natural conversation.

Claude Code registers HotDocs as an MCP server in a single terminal command. Once connected, Claude Code discovers all 14 tools at runtime and can call them headlessly. ideal for CI/CD pipelines, cron jobs, and automated workflows where HotDocs data drives decisions without human intervention.

What you can do

Template Discovery — List all template packages and their versions available in your HotDocs tenancy
Work Item Management — Create, inspect, and manage work items that hold interview data and assembled documents
Interview Sessions — Initialize interview sessions programmatically for interactive data collection
Automated Document Assembly — Inject answers via XML and trigger document generation without manual UI interaction
Document Retrieval — List and download assembled documents (PDFs, Word docs) directly from the agent
Validation & Auditing — Check unanswered variables, list work items by date range or user, and audit assembly history

The HotDocs MCP Server exposes 14 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Claude Code in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect HotDocs to Claude Code via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the HotDocs MCP Server with Claude Code.

Install Claude Code

Run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code if not already installed

Add the MCP Server

Run the command above in your terminal

Verify the connection

Run claude mcp to list connected servers, or type /mcp inside a session

Start using HotDocs

Ask Claude: "Using HotDocs, show me...". 14 tools are ready

Why Use Claude Code with the HotDocs MCP Server

Claude Code provides unique advantages when paired with HotDocs through the Model Context Protocol.

Single-command setup: `claude mcp add` registers the server instantly. no config files to edit or applications to restart

Terminal-native workflow means MCP tools integrate seamlessly into shell scripts, CI/CD pipelines, and automated DevOps tasks

Claude Code runs headlessly, enabling unattended batch processing using HotDocs tools in cron jobs or deployment scripts

Built by the same team that created the MCP protocol, ensuring first-class compatibility and the fastest adoption of new protocol features

HotDocs + Claude Code Use Cases

Practical scenarios where Claude Code combined with the HotDocs MCP Server delivers measurable value.

CI/CD integration: embed HotDocs tool calls in your deployment pipeline to validate configurations or fetch secrets before shipping

Headless batch processing: schedule Claude Code to query HotDocs nightly and generate reports without human intervention

Shell scripting: pipe HotDocs outputs into other CLI tools for data transformation, filtering, and aggregation

Infrastructure monitoring: run Claude Code in a cron job to query HotDocs status endpoints and alert on anomalies

HotDocs MCP Tools for Claude Code (14)

These 14 tools become available when you connect HotDocs to Claude Code via MCP:

complete_assembly

This processes all collected answers and assembles the final documents based on the template configuration. After calling this, the assembled documents become available for download via list_documents and get_document_content. You must have already created a work item, created a version/session, and provided answers (via interview or update_answers). The workItemId and versionId must match an existing work item and its version. Complete document assembly for a work item version

create_interview_session

This endpoint prepares the system to collect answers for the template variables. The response contains interview data needed to render the HotDocs interview UI. Use this before displaying the interview to the user or before assembling documents. The versionId should be unique for each interview session (e.g., v1, v2, or a UUID). Create a new interview session for a work item

create_work_item

A work item is associated with a specific template package and holds answers provided during interviews. You must provide a unique workItemId (alphanumeric identifier you choose) and optionally a templatePackageId. The workItemId becomes the reference for all subsequent operations (interview, assembly, download). IMPORTANT: workItemId must be unique and URL-safe (letters, numbers, hyphens only). Create a new work item in HotDocs Advance

get_auth_token

This is primarily a utility function for debugging authentication issues. The token is used internally by all other tools automatically. If other tools fail with auth errors, verify your credentials are correct. Get a fresh HotDocs API access token

get_document_content

Use this to download the final generated document (PDF, Word, etc.) after assembly is complete. You need the workItemId and the documentId (obtained from list_documents). The response includes the document content and a download URL for direct access. Download/get content of an assembled document

get_template_package

Use the template package ID obtained from list_template_packages. This helps understand the template structure before creating work items. Get details of a specific template package

get_unanswered_variables

This shows which template variables were not provided answers during the interview process. Useful for validating interview completeness before or after document assembly. Requires the workItemId and documentId (from list_documents). The response includes the list of unanswered variables and assembly results. Get unanswered variables from an assembled document

get_work_item

Use this to inspect a work item before or after conducting interviews or assembling documents. The workItemId is the unique identifier you assigned when creating the work item. Get details of a specific work item

list_documents

After completing assembly, this shows all generated documents with their IDs, names, and metadata. Use the document IDs returned here to download individual documents via get_document_content. Each document entry includes filename, creation date, and assembly results information. List all assembled documents for a work item

list_template_packages

Template packages define the structure of documents that can be assembled. Each package contains interview questions and document output configurations. Use this to discover what templates are available for document assembly. The response includes package IDs which are required for creating work items. List all available template packages in HotDocs Advance

list_template_versions

Each template can have multiple versions over time. This shows version history and helps identify which version is currently live/active. Use the package_id from list_template_packages to query versions. List all versions of a template package

list_work_items

You can filter by user ID and/or date range to find specific work items. Leave all parameters empty to list all work items. This is useful for auditing, tracking progress, or finding existing work items to continue working on. Date format should be ISO 8601 (e.g., 2024-01-15 or 2024-01-15T10:30:00). List work items with optional filters

list_work_items_by_date

This is optimized for date-based filtering and auditing. Both fromDate and toDate are required for this tool. Use ISO 8601 date format (e.g., 2024-01-01 or 2024-01-01T00:00:00 for datetime). This is useful for generating reports on document assembly activity over time periods. List work items filtered by a specific date range

update_answers

The answer_xml parameter must contain valid HotDocs answer XML format that matches the template variables. This is useful for automated/batch document assembly where you already have the data. You can call this multiple times to incrementally add answers. Answer XML format example: <AnswerSet><A v="VariableName"><V>Answer Value</V></A></AnswerSet> Update answers for a work item using XML answer format

Example Prompts for HotDocs in Claude Code

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Claude Code agent to start working with HotDocs immediately.

"List all available template packages in my HotDocs tenancy."

"Create a new work item 'contract-2024-001' using the employment contract template and assemble a document with these details: employee name is John Smith, position is Software Engineer, start date is March 1st 2024, salary is $95,000."

"Show me all work items created in the last 30 days and check if there are any unanswered variables in the documents."