If you already use Claude Desktop for writing, summarizing, or research, you can also give it access to your WhatsApp Business—no coding, no exotic plugins, and no moving your chats out of Aurora. All you need to do is paste a small configuration block, a key you generate in 30 seconds, and restart the app. From then on, Claude can read conversations, draft replies, create contacts in your CRM, and schedule follow-ups, all within the same window where you ask it to do everything else. This guide walks you through it step by step.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, have the following on hand:
- Claude Desktop installed (download it for free from claude.ai/download). Available for macOS and Windows.
- An Aurora Inbox account Activate. If you don't already have one, open the 14-day free trial — includes everything needed for this guide.
- Your WhatsApp Business number connected within Aurora (via OAuth with Meta or manual registration).
- A key Platform API
ak_live_*generated in the Developer Portal (we explain how to obtain it in the next step). - A plain text editor To edit the configuration file: TextEdit on macOS or Notepad on Windows work perfectly. Avoid using Word—it adds invisible characters that break the JSON.
You don't need to know how to program. If copying and pasting is easy for you, you'll be finished in less than 10 minutes.
Step 1: Generate your key in Aurora
The key is what gives Claude Desktop permission to communicate with your Aurora. It works like a password: treat it with care and don't paste it into public chats or upload it to repositories.
- Open your workspace in
app.aurorainbox.comwith the administrator account. - In the side menu, go to Integrations → Developer Portal (you can also go directly to https://app.aurorainbox.com/integrations/developer-portal).
- Click on Generate new keyGive it a name you can easily recognize later, for example
claude-desktop-mac-alexeitherclaude-desktop-laptop-work. - Copy the entire key — it starts with
ak_live_followed by a long string. Save it in your password manager: it's only shown once. If you lose it, just generate another one and you're good to go.
Each key is associated with a single Aurora workspace. Actions performed by Claude Desktop are recorded in your audit log. keyId That key tells you exactly what happened and when.
Step 2: Edit the Claude Desktop config
Claude Desktop saves its MCP servers in a JSON configuration file. Let's open it, add Aurora, and save.
Find the file
The path varies depending on your operating system:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
The fastest way to open it:
- On macOSOpen Finder, press
Cmd + Shift + Gand paste the complete path:~/Library/Application Support/Claude/Then openclaude_desktop_config.jsonwith TextEdit. - On WindowsOpen File Explorer, paste
%APPDATA%\Claude\in the address bar and press Enter. Openclaude_desktop_config.jsonwith Notepad.
If the file doesn't exist, create it yourself. If it exists but is empty, that's fine too—we'll fill it in.
Paste Aurora's snippet
Replace the file contents with this (or if you already have other MCP servers configured, add the entry) Aurora within the object mcpServers):
{ "mcpServers": { "aurora": { "url": "https://developers.aurorainbox.com/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ak_live_REEMPLAZA_TU_CLAVE" } } } }
Replaces ak_live_REPLACE_YOUR_KEY using the key you copied in the previous step. Make sure the word Bearer Stay there, with the space before the key.
Save the file. If your editor asks if you want to keep the extension. .json, answers yes.
Tip: If you copied and pasted and strange quotation marks appear (
"rather"Replace them manually with straight double quotes. This is the cause of errors #1 when opening Claude Desktop.
Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop and verify
This step seems obvious, but it's where most people get stuck. Closing the window is not enough — Claude Desktop usually continues running in the background, and the configuration file is only reread at startup.
Complete closure
- On macOS: Right-click on Claude's icon in the Dock → Go outOr, with the app active, menu Claude → Exit Claude (
Cmd + Q). - On Windows: Right-click on Claude's icon in the system tray (bottom right corner, next to the clock) → QuitOr use Task Manager to close the process if it doesn't appear.
Once it's completely closed, reopen Claude Desktop like any other app.
Test that it works
Open a new conversation and ask:
What tools do you have available?
If Aurora MCP loaded correctly, Claude should mention tools like search_chats, send_message, list_contacts, create_chatamong others (~30 in total). You'll see a small tools icon in the interface indicating that an MCP server is connected.
If everything looks good, try a practical question:
List the first 5 contacts from my Aurora Inbox account.
Claude will call the tool list_contactsIt will ask for confirmation the first time (a normal part of Anthropic's security workflow) and return the listing in natural language.
What can you ask of Claude Desktop with Aurora MCP?
Aurora MCP showcases around 30 tools covering the product's functional areas. Here's a summary focused on what a real-world operator would ask of Claude Desktop in their daily work.
| Category | What can Claude do? | Everyday example |
|---|---|---|
| Inbox | Search for chats, open them, mark them, assign them | "Show me today's unanswered chats" |
| Messaging | Send messages (1 per second per account) and internal notes | "Send Maria a friendly follow-up message" |
| Contacts | List, create, update, upsert, delete | "Create Pedro Ramírez with his phone number +52 81 1234 5678" |
| Opportunities | Create, move, and check deals in the funnel | "Open an opportunity of $50,000 MXN with this account" |
| Chatbots | Activate and deactivate automated chatbots via chat | "Pause the chatbot in Daniel's chat while I attend to him" |
| Channels | Works with WhatsApp Cloud (0), WhatsApp Business (1), Messenger (2), Instagram (3) | "Send it to him via WhatsApp Cloud, not Instagram" |
| Webhooks | Create webhooks to receive events in other tools | "Set up a webhook to my Zapier" |
| Diagnosis | Verify connectivity and permissions | Am I connected to Aurora correctly? |
Each tool mirrors a Platform V1 API endpoint in Aurora 1:1. To understand the inner workings, read on. What is MCP and how does AI connect with WhatsApp?.
Five useful prompts to get started
1. Morning triage of the tray
Please review the unanswered WhatsApp chats in Aurora from the last 24 hours. Give me a prioritized list by urgency with a one-line summary for each.
Claude Desktop uses search_chats(unanswered=true) and then get_chat(id) for each one. You get a prioritized view in less than a minute, without opening Aurora.
2. Friendly follow-up to a customer who stopped responding
In Aurora, find the chat with Maria Gonzalez. Read the latest messages and write a short, friendly follow-up asking if she still needs help with the quote. Before sending it, show it to me for approval.
Claude searches the chat, reads the context, drafts a message, and waits for your approval before invoking. send_messageYou are in charge of the tone.
3. Finding someone by their number
Find the contact in Aurora whose phone number ends in 5678. Give me their name, company, and the last message we exchanged.
Claude uses list_contacts with filters and then get_chat For the last message. Useful when someone asks you "who is this number?" in a meeting.
4. Schedule a call with a lead
Create a new opportunity in the "Q3 Sales" funnel for contact Carlos Pérez with an estimated amount of $80,000 MXN. Then send a WhatsApp message inviting him to a call on Thursday at 11:00 AM Mexico time.
Claude chains create_opportunity with amount and then send_messageA single prompt ends with an open opportunity and the client notified.
5. Quick report for your meeting
How many new chats entered Aurora yesterday? Group them by channel (WhatsApp Cloud, WhatsApp Business, Instagram, Messenger) and give me a total.
Claude checks the chats with date filters, counts by channel, and puts together a mini-report. Perfect for a morning stand-up routine.
Troubleshooting
"The JSON is malformed" or Claude Desktop won't start
The most common mistake. Check:
- Straight double quotation marks (
"), no curly quotes (""). Word and some editors convert them automatically. - Commas instead: after each key-value pair minus the last one in each block.
- Balanced keys: all
{must have its}corresponding.
Tip: Paste your entire JSON into https://jsonlint.com — it tells you exactly which line has the problem.
The file path does not exist
If the folder Claude If it doesn't appear, open Claude Desktop at least once. The app creates the folder on the first launch. After that, you can edit the file and restart.
You edited the file, but Claude doesn't see Aurora.
It's almost always because you didn't restart completely. Check that Claude Desktop is no longer running in the background (Dock on macOS, system tray on Windows) before reopening it.
"Authentication error" or "401 Unauthorized"
The key was not pasted completely, or it has spaces at the beginning or end. Go back to the Developer Portal, copy the complete key (ak_live_ and everything that follows (without line breaks) and paste it back into the JSON.
"The password has expired" or it no longer works
The keys don't expire automatically, but an admin can revoke them from the Developer Portal. Generate a new one, replace the old one in the JSON, save, and restart.
The tools are not appearing even though everything looks fine
Close Claude Desktop completely. Wait 10 seconds. Reopen it. If the problem persists, open a terminal and run:
curl https://developers.aurorainbox.com/.well-known/mcp.json
You should see a JSON file with the server description. If not, report it to support.
How Aurora MCP does it
Connecting an AI agent directly to Meta's WhatsApp Cloud API requires being an authorized BSP, handling incoming webhooks, controlling rate limits, and building your own CRM behind the scenes. Aurora does all that for you and gives Claude Desktop a clean interface.
- Simple Auth: a key
ak_live_*It reuses the Platform API system you're already paying for. There's no three-legged OAuth or expiring tokens. - Native audit log: each call is associated with
keyIdthat originated it, so you know what Claude did and when. - Rate limits per workspace:
send_messageIt is limited to 1 message per second per account to protect number quality with Meta. Claude respects this automatically. - Multi-channel: The same key works for WhatsApp Cloud, WhatsApp Business, Messenger, and Instagram — Claude chooses the channel with the parameter
channelType. - CRM behind: Each chat is already linked to a contact and can generate opportunities. It's not just "sending a message," it's "running your business from within Claude."
Recommended plan to start with: Aurora IA $179 USD/month ($3,200 MXN) which includes GPT-5, native RAG, onboard scheduling and the unrestricted MCP server.
Start your 14-day free trial and connect Claude Desktop in less than 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aurora MCP free?
The MCP server is included in all paid Aurora Inbox plans: Aurora CRM $99 USD/month ($1,800 MXN), Aurora IA $179 USD ($3,200 MXN), and Aurora IA Plus $329 USD ($6,000 MXN). The 14-day trial also includes it without restrictions.
Is my conversation with Claude being sent to Aurora?
No. Claude Desktop continues to process your messages using Anthropic's models (Claude Sonnet or Opus) on its infrastructure. The only thing that travels to Aurora are the invocations of specific tools (for example, "search this chat" or "send this message"). The rest of your conversation with Claude doesn't involve Aurora.
Can I connect multiple Aurora accounts to the same Claude Desktop?
Yes. In the configuration file you can add multiple servers with different names:
{ "mcpServers": { "aurora-prod": { "url": "https://developers.aurorainbox.com/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ak_live_PRODUCCION" } }, "aurora-staging": { "url": "https://developers.aurorainbox.com/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ak_live_STAGING" } } } }
Each one appears as an independent MCP server and Claude chooses the correct one according to the context of the prompt.
Can I use the same key on my Mac and my Windows at the same time?
Yes. One key ak_live_* It works from any machine, and all calls are recorded in the same audit log. Even so, It is recommended to generate one key per device. (claude-desktop-mac-alex, claude-desktop-windows-alex) so you can revoke one without affecting the other if you lose a laptop or change equipment.
What happens if I edit the JSON file incorrectly?
Claude Desktop simply won't load the faulty MCP server and displays a warning when you open the app. Your Aurora account is not at risk. Correct the JSON file, restart, and you're good to go. If you want to revert to the previous state, delete the file. claude_desktop_config.json And Claude Desktop works again as if you had never touched anything.
Do other agents use the same key?
Yes. Aurora MCP supports MCP protocol version 2025-03-26 about transport streamable-httpwhich is an open standard. The same key works in Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor and VS Code with CopilotEach client has their own configuration file, but Aurora on the other side is the same. For ideas on what to build, check out the 10 Use Cases for Agents in WhatsApp with Aurora MCP.
