Rule Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the Rule marketing automation platform. The server provides full access to Rule's REST API v2 for subscriber management, campaigns, transactional messages, and much more.

Features

• Subscriber Management: Create, update, search and manage subscribers with custom fields
• Tag & Segment Management: Organize subscribers with tags and segments
• Campaign Operations: Create, send, schedule and analyze email/SMS campaigns
• Transactional Messages: Send individual emails and SMS
• Template Management: Access and use email templates
• Custom Fields: Define and manage subscriber data structures
• Preferences: Manage subscriber communication preferences
• Journeys: Access automation journey information
• Suppressions: Monitor bounces, spam complaints, and unsubscribes

Prerequisites

• A Rule account at app.rule.io
• Rule API key (Settings → Developer → New API key)
• An MCP-compatible client: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, or similar

Installation

You have two easy ways to run this server:

Option A: Hosted HTTP server

The server is hosted at https://rule-mcp-server-production.up.railway.app. This is the fastest way to get started because there is no setup or cloning required. Just point your MCP client at the endpoint and provide your Rule API key.

Option B: Portable local install with npx

If you prefer to run the server locally, you do not need to clone this repo or hardcode a path. Any computer with Node.js 18+ can run it with:

npx -y rule-mcp-server

This works well for Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and other MCP clients that launch local commands.

Getting Your API Key

1. Log in to app.rule.io
2. Go to Settings → Developer
3. Click New API key
4. Copy and save your API key securely

Connecting your MCP client

Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rule": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://rule-mcp-server-production.up.railway.app/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_RULE_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

Claude Desktop with local npx

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rule": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "rule-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "RULE_API_KEY": "YOUR_RULE_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

This is the easiest local setup because it works on any computer without changing file paths.

Claude Code (CLI)

claude mcp add rule --transport streamable-http --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_RULE_API_KEY" https://rule-mcp-server-production.up.railway.app/mcp

Cursor / other MCP clients

Use the Streamable HTTP transport with:

• URL: https://rule-mcp-server-production.up.railway.app/mcp
• Header: Authorization: Bearer YOUR_RULE_API_KEY

Using multiple Rule API keys

Many teams have more than one Rule account or key, such as Production, Staging, or Client A.

Hosted HTTP clients

Add multiple MCP server entries, one per key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rule-production": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://rule-mcp-server-production.up.railway.app/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer RULE_PRODUCTION_KEY"
      }
    },
    "rule-staging": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://rule-mcp-server-production.up.railway.app/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer RULE_STAGING_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Local npx clients

The server now supports a shared RULE_API_KEYS list plus a selected label via RULE_API_KEY_NAME.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rule-production": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "rule-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "RULE_API_KEYS": "{\"Production\":\"RULE_PRODUCTION_KEY\",\"Staging\":\"RULE_STAGING_KEY\"}",
        "RULE_API_KEY_NAME": "Production"
      }
    },
    "rule-staging": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "rule-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "RULE_API_KEYS": "{\"Production\":\"RULE_PRODUCTION_KEY\",\"Staging\":\"RULE_STAGING_KEY\"}",
        "RULE_API_KEY_NAME": "Staging"
      }
    }
  }
}

Supported formats for RULE_API_KEYS:

• JSON object: {"Production":"key_1","Staging":"key_2"}
• JSON array: [{"name":"Production","key":"key_1"},{"name":"Staging","key":"key_2"}]
• Plain text: Production=key_1;Staging=key_2

Health check

Verify the hosted server is running:

GET https://rule-mcp-server-production.up.railway.app/health
→ {"status":"ok"}

Available Tools

Subscriber Management

rule_create_subscribers

Create one or multiple subscribers with support for:

• Custom fields (text, date, datetime, multiple, json)
• Tag assignment (auto-creates tags)
• Automation trigger control
• Opt-in flow integration
• Update on duplicate

Example:

{
  "subscribers": {
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "phone_number": "+46701234567",
    "language": "sv",
    "fields": [
      {
        "key": "Profile.FirstName",
        "value": "Anna",
        "type": "text"
      },
      {
        "key": "Purchase.LastOrderDate",
        "value": "2024-03-20 12:00:00",
        "type": "datetime"
      }
    ]
  },
  "tags": ["Newsletter", "Customer"],
  "update_on_duplicate": true,
  "automation": "reset"
}

rule_get_subscribers

List all subscribers with pagination (max 100 per page).

rule_get_subscriber

Get detailed subscriber information by email, phone, or ID.

rule_get_subscriber_fields

Get all custom field values for a subscriber organized by groups.

rule_update_subscriber

Update subscriber details including email, phone, language, tags, and custom fields.

rule_delete_subscriber

Permanently remove a subscriber.

Tag Management

rule_add_subscriber_tags

Add tags to a subscriber (creates tags if they don't exist, triggers automations).

rule_get_subscriber_tags

List all tags for a subscriber.

rule_clear_subscriber_tags

Remove all tags from a subscriber (doesn't delete tags).

rule_delete_subscriber_tag

Remove a specific tag from a subscriber.

rule_get_tags

List all tags with pagination.

rule_get_tag

Get tag details with optional subscriber count.

rule_update_tag

Update tag name or description.

rule_delete_tag

Permanently delete a tag.

rule_clear_tag

Remove all subscribers from a tag.

Segments

rule_get_segments

List all sync-at segments with pagination.

Transactions (Individual Messages)

rule_send_transaction

Send individual transactional email or SMS.

Email Example:

{
  "transaction_type": "email",
  "transaction_name": "Password Reset",
  "subject": "Reset Your Password",
  "from": {
    "name": "My Company",
    "email": "[email protected]"
  },
  "to": {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "[email protected]"
  },
  "content": {
    "plain": "UGFzc3dvcmQgcmVzZXQ=",  // Base64 encoded
    "html": "PHA+UGFzc3dvcmQgcmVzZXQ8L3A+"  // Base64 encoded
  }
}

SMS Example (0.40 SEK per message):

{
  "transaction_type": "text_message",
  "from": {
    "name": "My Company"
  },
  "to": {
    "phone_number": "+46701234567"
  },
  "content": "Your verification code is: 123456"
}

Templates

rule_get_templates

List all available email templates.

rule_get_template

Get template details including supported content blocks.

Campaigns

rule_get_campaigns

List campaigns with optional filtering:

• Type (1=email, 2=SMS)
• Creation date range
• Send date range

rule_create_campaign

Create a draft campaign with recipients and content.

rule_get_campaign

Get campaign details including recipients.

rule_get_campaign_statistics

Get campaign performance metrics:

• Sends, opens, clicks
• Bounces (hard/soft)
• Unsubscribes

rule_send_campaign

Send a campaign immediately.

rule_schedule_campaign

Schedule campaign for future delivery.

Example:

{
  "send_at": "2024-12-25 10:00:00",
  "subject": "Holiday Greetings",
  "message_type": "email",
  "language": "sv",
  "from": {
    "name": "My Company",
    "email": "[email protected]"
  },
  "recipients": {
    "tags": [
      { "identifier": "Newsletter" }
    ],
    "segments": [
      { "identifier": "InactiveUsers", "negative": true }
    ]
  },
  "content": {
    "plain": "...",
    "html": "..."
  }
}

rule_delete_campaign

Permanently delete a campaign.

Custom Fields

rule_create_groups_and_fields

Create custom field groups and fields.

Example:

{
  "fields": [
    {
      "key": "Profile.FirstName",
      "type": "text"
    },
    {
      "key": "Orders.LastPurchase",
      "type": "datetime"
    },
    {
      "key": "Preferences.Categories",
      "type": "multiple"
    }
  ]
}

Supported field types:

• text - Text strings
• date - Dates (YYYY-MM-DD)
• datetime - Timestamps (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS)
• time - Time values (HH:MM:SS)
• multiple - Arrays of strings
• json - JSON-encoded data

rule_get_groups

List all custom field groups with their fields.

rule_get_group

Get a specific group's fields.

Suppressions

rule_get_suppressions

List all suppressions (bounces, spam complaints, unsubscribes).

Preferences

rule_get_preference_groups

List all preference groups with available preferences.

rule_get_subscriber_preferences

Get a subscriber's preferences for a specific group.

rule_update_subscriber_preferences

Update subscriber's opt-in/opt-out status.

Example:

{
  "identifier": "[email protected]",
  "preference_group_id": 1,
  "preferences": [
    {
      "preference_id": 1,
      "is_opted_in": true
    },
    {
      "preference_id": 2,
      "is_opted_in": false
    }
  ]
}

Journeys

rule_get_journeys

List automation journeys with optional filtering by name or preference.

Common Use Cases

1. Add Subscriber with Custom Data

// Create subscriber with profile data and order history
{
  "subscribers": {
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "fields": [
      { "key": "Profile.FirstName", "value": "Erik", "type": "text" },
      { "key": "Orders.LastOrder", "value": "2024-03-20", "type": "date" },
      { "key": "Orders.TotalSpent", "value": "2500", "type": "text" }
    ]
  },
  "tags": ["Customer", "HighValue"],
  "update_on_duplicate": true
}

2. Send Transactional Email

// Send order confirmation
{
  "transaction_type": "email",
  "transaction_name": "Order Confirmation",
  "subject": "Your Order #12345",
  "from": {
    "name": "My Shop",
    "email": "[email protected]"
  },
  "to": {
    "name": "Customer Name",
    "email": "[email protected]"
  },
  "content": {
    "plain": btoa("Thank you for your order!"),
    "html": btoa("<h1>Thank you!</h1><p>Your order is confirmed.</p>")
  }
}

3. Create and Send Campaign

// Create campaign
const campaign = await rule_create_campaign({
  "subject": "Spring Sale - 30% Off",
  "message_type": "email",
  "from": { "name": "My Shop", "email": "[email protected]" },
  "recipients": {
    "tags": [{ "identifier": "Newsletter" }]
  },
  "content": { "plain": "...", "html": "..." }
});

// Send immediately
await rule_send_campaign(campaign);

4. Manage Subscriber Tags

// Add tags
await rule_add_subscriber_tags({
  "identifier": "[email protected]",
  "tags": ["VIP", "Spring2024Campaign"]
});

// Remove specific tag
await rule_delete_subscriber_tag({
  "identifier": "[email protected]",
  "tag_identifier": "Spring2024Campaign"
});

5. Bulk Import with Automation

// Import subscribers and trigger welcome flow
{
  "subscribers": [
    { "email": "[email protected]", "fields": [...] },
    { "email": "[email protected]", "fields": [...] }
  ],
  "tags": ["Newsletter"],
  "automation": "force",  // Trigger automation flows
  "sync_subscribers": true
}

API Limits & Best Practices

Rate Limits

• Default: 2000 requests per 10 minutes
• Error rate: Max 49% error responses
• If exceeded, wait for the time specified in Retry-After header

Pagination

• Max limit: 100 items per request
• Use the meta.next URL from responses for next page
• Available on: subscribers, tags, segments, campaigns, suppressions

Field Data Size

• Max per group: 65,000 characters (65 KB)
• This is the sum of all field values within one group

Bulk Operations

• Max subscribers per call: 1000
• Async behavior: Automatic for large batches
• Automation limit: Max 100 subscribers when sync_subscribers: true

Content Encoding

• Email content: Must be Base64 encoded (plain and HTML)
• SMS: Plain text, no encoding required
• SMS cost: 0.40 SEK per message

Authentication

The API key can be provided in three ways (this server uses Bearer token):

1. Header: Authorization: Bearer YOUR-API-KEY
2. Query param: ?apikey=YOUR-API-KEY
3. Request body: "apikey": "YOUR-API-KEY"

Error Handling

Common error responses:

// 401 - Not authorized
{ "error": "NotAuthorized" }

// 404 - Resource not found
{ "error": "SubscriberNotFound", "message": "Could not find subscriber" }

// 400 - Validation error
{
  "error": "BadRequest",
  "message": "Some fields could not be validated",
  "fields": {
    "email": ["The email field is required"]
  }
}

// 409 - Duplicate
{ "error": "DuplicateSubscriber", "message": "Subscriber already exists" }

// 429 - Rate limit exceeded
"Too Many Attempts."

Integration Examples

Shopify Order → Rule Subscriber

// When order is created in Shopify
async function syncOrderToRule(order) {
  await rule_create_subscribers({
    subscribers: {
      email: order.customer.email,
      fields: [
        { key: "Orders.LastOrder", value: order.created_at, type: "datetime" },
        { key: "Orders.LastAmount", value: order.total_price, type: "text" },
        { key: "Orders.ProductNames", value: order.line_items.map(i => i.title), type: "multiple" }
      ]
    },
    tags: ["Customer", `Order${order.order_number}`],
    update_on_duplicate: true
  });
}

Abandoned Cart Recovery

// Trigger cart abandonment flow
async function handleAbandonedCart(cart) {
  await rule_create_subscribers({
    subscribers: {
      email: cart.email,
      fields: [
        { key: "Cart.AbandonedAt", value: new Date().toISOString(), type: "datetime" },
        { key: "Cart.Items", value: JSON.stringify(cart.items), type: "json" }
      ]
    },
    tags: ["AbandonedCart"],
    automation: "reset",  // Restart abandoned cart flow
    update_on_duplicate: true
  });
}

Post-Purchase Follow-up

// Schedule follow-up campaign
async function scheduleFollowUp(purchaseData) {
  const followUpDate = new Date();
  followUpDate.setDate(followUpDate.getDate() + 7);

  await rule_schedule_campaign({
    send_at: followUpDate.toISOString().slice(0, 19).replace('T', ' '),
    subject: "How are you enjoying your purchase?",
    message_type: "email",
    from: { name: "My Shop", email: "[email protected]" },
    recipients: {
      tags: [{ identifier: `Order${purchaseData.orderId}` }]
    },
    content: {
      plain: btoa("..."),
      html: btoa("...")
    }
  });
}

Webhooks

Rule can send webhooks for various events. Configure at: https://app.rule.io/#/settings/developer

Available webhook events:

• Transaction sent/opened/clicked
• Campaign sent/opened/clicked
• Subscriber opted in/suppressed/added to tag/bounced
• Import finished
• Preference updated

Example webhook payload (transaction sent):

{
  "message": {
    "id": 111111,
    "transaction_id": 111111,
    "subject": "Password Reset",
    "type": "email",
    "created_at": "2024-03-20 12:00:00"
  },
  "subscriber": {
    "id": 111111,
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "phone_number": "+46701234567"
  }
}

Resources

• API Documentation: https://apidoc.rule.se/
• V3 API Docs: https://app.rule.io/redoc/v3
• Help Center: https://help.rule.io/
• Postman Collection: Available at https://apidoc.rule.se/
• Node.js SDK: https://github.com/rulecom/rule-sdk-node

License

MIT

Support

For issues with the MCP server, please create an issue in the repository.

For Rule API questions, contact: [email protected]