As AI assistants become part of everyday work, Bonusly's MCP Server provides a secure way to connect those tools to your Bonusly account. Once connected, you can retrieve recognition history, review point balances, send recognition, and access account context through the AI applications your organization already uses.
You do not need to remember what "MCP" (Model Context Protocol) stands for. Think of it as a connector between your AI tool and Bonusly.
Quick start
Server URL: https://bonus.ly/mcp
In any AI app that supports custom MCP connectors and OAuth, add that URL and follow the tool's connect flow. Each app handles the setup a little differently, but the pattern is the same: paste the URL, sign in to Bonusly when prompted, and approve access.
The live catalog of everything the connector can do is published here
What is MCP, in plain language?
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI tools talk to other services securely. Bonusly's MCP Server is our side of that conversation: a set of capabilities your AI can use once you authorize it.
Without a connector, your AI only knows what you paste into the chat. With Bonusly's MCP Server connected, it can fetch live data from your account (like recent recognition or your point balance) and take actions you ask for (like sending recognition), always within the same permissions you already have in Bonusly.
This is different from Bizy. Bizy lives in the product. MCP connects the external AI tools you already use outside Bonusly.
What happens when you connect
Connecting takes a minute and follows a familiar sign-in flow:
Your AI tool asks you to sign in to Bonusly and approve access. You'll see a Bonusly login screen, the same kind of secure authorization you use for other apps, and a prompt to allow the connection.
You are delegating your permissions. The AI acts on your behalf. If you cannot see someone's recognition history in Bonusly, your connected AI cannot either.
After approval, the tool receives a token and learns what Bonusly actions are available. Your AI discovers the capabilities exposed by the server (look up recognition, give a shout-out, search the feed, and more).
You ask in plain language, and the AI picks the right capability. You might say "Who recognized me this month?" or "Help me recognize Alex for shipping the launch." The AI chooses the appropriate action behind the scenes.
You stay in control. The connector does not run on its own. It responds when you ask your AI tool to do something with Bonusly.
What you can do
The connector exposes dozens of capabilities. You do not need to memorize their names. Ask your AI in everyday language, and it will map your request to the right action. Below is how those capabilities group for most people.
Your profile and balances
Check who you are logged in as and how many points you have to give or redeem.
Try asking:
"How many points do I have?"
"What's my giving balance this month?"
"How many points have I earned lifetime?"
Representative capabilities: me, getPointsBalance, getCompany
Recognition you gave or received
Look up specific posts or summarize recognition activity over a date range.
Try asking:
"What was I recognized for last month?"
"Show recognition I gave to my team this quarter."
"Pull up the details on a specific recognition post."
Representative capabilities: getRecognitionReceived, getRecognitionGiven, getRecognition, getRecognitionGivenToUsers
You can also edit or delete recognition you gave, within the same time limits and rules as in the app (updateRecognition, deleteRecognition).
Give recognition
Send a shout-out without switching to Bonusly.
Try asking:
"Help me recognize Alex for shipping the launch."
"Give Jordan 10 points for unblocking our customer demo. Use #teamwork."
Representative capabilities: giveRecognition, getGroupRecognitionRecipientCount
For tips on writing recognition that lands, see How to Give Recognition in Bonusly.
Explore the feed
Browse or search recognition across your company, filtered by team, hashtag, or person.
Try asking:
"Show recent recognition on my team."
"Search recognition posts about our product launch hashtag."
"What's on the company feed from this week?"
Representative capabilities: getRecognitionFeed, searchRecognitions, listRecognitionTypes
Rewards
Review rewards you have redeemed and check the status of a specific redemption.
Try asking:
"What rewards have I redeemed?"
"Show me the details on my latest gift card redemption."
Representative capabilities: getMyRedemptions, getRedemption
For more on how rewards work in the product, see Rewards in Bonusly.
People and teams
Find colleagues, look up org structure, and explore departments or locations.
Try asking:
"Who reports to Sarah?"
"Find everyone in the Engineering department."
"Who is on Sarah's team?"
Representative capabilities: getUser, searchUsers, getDirectReports, getManagerChain, getReportingTree, listDepartments, listLocations, listUsersInDepartment, listUsersInLocation
If you're an admin
Admins and people with reporting permissions get additional capabilities: user management, participation reports, award configuration, reward fulfillment, and more. Those tools follow the same permission rules you already have in Bonusly admin.
FAQs
How is Bonusly's MCP Server different from using Bonusly in Microsoft Teams?
They solve different problems and work well together.
Microsoft Teams is where your team gives recognition, sees the feed, gets notifications, and redeems rewards inside Teams channels and chat. It is built for day-to-day participation: posting shout-outs where people already work, celebrating milestones in a shared channel, and recognizing someone during a meeting without leaving the call.
Bonusly's MCP Server connects external AI tools (such as Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT) to your Bonusly account. It is built for individual workflows where you want your AI assistant to look up live Bonusly data, summarize recognition activity, draft a recognition message, or take an action on your behalf. MCP does not post to Teams channels or replace the Teams app. It extends what you can do from the AI tools you choose.
In short: Teams brings Bonusly into your collaboration hub. MCP brings Bonusly into your AI assistant.
Is there an additional cost for MCP?
No. Bonusly's MCP Server is included with your Bonusly subscription at no separate charge. You need an active Bonusly account and a supported AI tool that can connect via MCP and OAuth. Admin-only capabilities follow the same plan and permission rules as the rest of Bonusly.
Your AI provider may have its own subscription or usage costs. Those are separate from Bonusly.
Is this the same as Bizy inside Bonusly?
No. Bizy is Bonusly's built-in AI assistant inside the product. MCP connects external AI tools you use outside Bonusly. Both respect your permissions; they live in different places.
Do I need to be technical to use MCP?
No. Setup is a URL and a sign-in flow in your AI tool. Day-to-day use is plain language: ask your AI to look something up or help you recognize someone. Technical users can go deeper with the available tools at docs.bonus.ly.
Who do I contact if something looks wrong?
Email [email protected]. Include your AI tool, what you asked it to do, and any error message you saw.