# Cardly MCP

> Cardly MCP automates your entire physical mail workflow. Use it to send custom greeting cards, manage contact lists, and handle artwork details directly from any AI client. It lets you place live orders for personalized gifts—whether tracking a bulk corporate thank-you or sending single anniversary notes—all without logging into the Cardly portal. Manage contacts, check designs, and track shipments right where your agent is running.

## Overview
- **Category:** productivity
- **Price:** Free
- **Tags:** greeting-cards, direct-mail, customer-appreciation, physical-mail, gifting, order-management

## Description

This MCP connects your AI client to physical card printing services. You run natural language prompts to manage everything from contact lists to actual orders. Need to send a thank you note? Your agent handles the whole flow: finding the recipient's details, selecting the perfect design, generating a preview for verification, and placing the final order across multiple global regions. It’s built for marketing, HR, or sales teams who need reliable, paper-based communication at scale.

When you connect this MCP through Vinkius, your AI client gains direct access to these workflows. You don't have to jump between dozens of tabs in a web browser; the entire process happens conversationally. This means automating follow-up thank-you cards for sales reps or coordinating birthday sends for HR departments—all from your existing workflow tool.

## Tools

### add_contact_to_list
Adds a new person's contact details to a specified list.

### find_contact
Searches an existing contact list and returns the details for a specific email address.

### get_account_info
Retrieves core account-level information from your Cardly setup.

### get_artwork_details
Pulls specific metadata for one particular piece of digital artwork or design.

### list_card_artwork
Lists all the available greeting card designs and their IDs in your account library.

### list_contact_lists
Retrieves a list of every contact group or mailing segment you maintain.

### place_greeting_card_order
Finalizes and places an actual, paid order for physical greeting cards to be printed and shipped.

### preview_greeting_card
Generates a watermarked PDF preview of a card without creating or placing any real order.

### verify_api_connection
Checks if the API key connection is active and working correctly for testing purposes.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
List all the available greeting card designs in my account.
```

**Response:** 
```
I've retrieved your artwork. You have several designs available, including 'Birthday Balloon' (ID: art_1) and 'Thank You Floral' (ID: art_2).
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Preview a card with artwork art_1 and message 'Happy Birthday John!'.
```

**Response:** 
```
Preview generated! You can view the card layout here: [Link]. It looks great! Would you like to place the actual order now?
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Send a thank you card to Jane Smith in Australia.
```

**Response:** 
```
I've initiated the order for Jane Smith. I'll need her full address in Australia and your preferred artwork ID to finalize the send.
```

## Capabilities

### Send physical card orders
The agent places a live order for custom greeting cards, specifying designs and recipient details.

### Manage contact lists
You can list available contact groups or add new individuals to your address book by email.

### Find specific contacts
The agent searches existing lists and retrieves details for a recipient using their email address.

### Review artwork designs
You can browse your entire library of available card designs and pull up detailed metadata on any piece.

### Verify order layouts
The agent generates a watermarked PDF preview of the final card, letting you check the content before committing to an order.

## Use Cases

### Sending end-of-year client thank yous.
A sales manager needs to send 50 personalized cards. They use `list_contact_lists` to find the 'Tier One Clients' group, then ask their agent to execute `place_greeting_card_order` for that list, specifying a standard artwork and message.

### Updating an address or contact record.
The HR team gets new employee records. They use the agent to `add_contact_to_list` with the new person's details, keeping their main mailing list accurate for future anniversary cards.

### Reviewing a complex custom card design.
A marketing specialist needs to check if a specific artwork file meets print requirements. They use `get_artwork_details` first, then run `preview_greeting_card` to see the exact watermarked layout.

### Sending a single card globally.
A business owner needs one card sent to an international recipient (e.g., Australia). They use their agent to find the contact via `find_contact`, and then trigger the final send with `place_greeting_card_order`.

## Benefits

- Streamlined Contact Management: Use `list_contact_lists` to see all your groups, then use `find_contact` to pull a specific person's data for an individual send. No manual searching required.
- Risk-Free Design Verification: Before you commit funds, run the `preview_greeting_card` tool. This generates a watermarked PDF so you can verify layout and content without placing a real order.
- Centralized Gifting Campaigns: Automate entire campaigns by having your agent use `place_greeting_card_order`, handling recipient lists, artwork IDs, and global shipping details in one go.
- Full Artwork Oversight: Get detailed metadata for any design using `list_card_artwork` and `get_artwork_details`. This keeps your marketing collateral accurate and ready to use.
- Guaranteed Connectivity: Use `verify_api_connection` early on. It instantly confirms your API key status, so you know the connection works before writing complex workflows.

## How It Works

The bottom line is you automate physical mailing campaigns using natural language prompts instead of manual web portal clicks.

1. First, connect your Cardly API key (test or live) credentials.
2. Next, use a tool like `list_contact_lists` to identify the target group and retrieve necessary artwork IDs.
3. Finally, instruct your agent to run `place_greeting_card_order`, providing all required recipients, designs, and messages.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**How do I check if my connection works with the Cardly MCP?**
Run `verify_api_connection`. This tool quickly checks your API key status and confirms that you can communicate with the service without placing a single card.

**Can I send cards to multiple countries using place_greeting_card_order?**
Yes. The MCP handles global shipping, allowing you to target recipients in multiple regions like the US, UK, and Australia with one order command.

**What tool do I use to see what artwork designs are available?**
Run `list_card_artwork`. This retrieves a list of all current designs you have on file, giving you the necessary IDs for ordering.

**How does add_contact_to_list help with my mailing campaigns?**
Use `add_contact_to_list` to ensure new employees or clients are immediately added to a dedicated group, making them available for future automated sends.

**What does the `preview_greeting_card` tool do?**
It generates a watermarked PDF preview of your card without placing an actual order. This lets you verify content, layout, and spelling before committing to printing and sending.

**How can I get more technical details using `get_artwork_details`?**
The tool pulls detailed metadata for a specific piece of art. You retrieve specs like dimensions or required assets, ensuring your design meets Cardly's printing standards.

**If I want to see all the groups available, should I use `list_contact_lists`?**
Yes, `list_contact_lists` displays every contact list in your account. You can select the correct group of recipients before running any mailing campaigns.

**Which tool should I use to check my core platform status? (Using `get_account_info`)**
Use `get_account_info` for a high-level overview of your Cardly account. This gives you quick access to essential operational metrics and overall profile details.

**Can I see a preview of the card before sending it?**
Yes! Use the `preview_greeting_card` tool with your message and artwork ID. Your agent will return a preview URL (usually a PDF) so you can verify everything looks perfect.

**How do I find the correct artwork ID for a design?**
Simply ask the agent to `list_card_artwork`. It will retrieve all the available designs from your account, including their titles and unique IDs or slugs.

**Does the integration support international shipping?**
Yes. When using the `place_greeting_card_order` action, you can specify the country code (e.g., 'UK', 'AU', 'US'). Cardly handles the local printing and postage automatically.