Learn how to connect Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude Code or Cursor Desktop to Tanda using the official MCP connector, what Tanda data it can access, the permissions involved, and how to fix common problems.

What this guide covers:

Overview
Before You Start
Connecting Apps
Check It's Working
Example Questions
What It Can Access and Permissions
Working Across Several Organisations
Troubleshooting
FAQs

Overview

You can connect Claude or Cursor to your Tanda account and ask questions about your workforce in plain English, such as "Who's rostered on next Monday?", "How much leave does Sam have?" or "What changed between the last two pay runs?". Your AI assistant gets the answers directly from Tanda.

The connection uses Tanda's official MCP server, called Tanda Payroll & HR. It's built and run by Tanda and is live for all Tanda accounts. MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect securely to other software.

The connector is read-only. It can look things up, but it can't change anything in Tanda. It can't approve timesheets, edit rosters or run pay.

Before You Start

Supported apps. The connector works with Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude Code and the Cursor desktop app. ChatGPT and Cursor web or background agents are not supported yet.
Server URL. You'll need this URL: https://my.tanda.co/mcp
Sign in with your Tanda login. There's no API token, key or client ID to set up. You add the URL, then sign in to Tanda in the window that opens. Your AI app never sees your Tanda password.
You only see what you can already see. The connector uses your existing Tanda permissions. For example, if you can't view staff wages or payroll in Tanda, Claude can't either.
You approve the connection. When you connect, Tanda shows a screen listing the access your AI app is asking for, such as rosters, timesheets, leave, payroll and staff details. Click Authorise to continue, or Deny to cancel.
Claude plan. Custom connectors in Claude.ai and Claude Desktop may need a paid Claude plan. On Claude Team or Enterprise plans, an owner may need to add the connector for your workspace first.

Note: Connecting an AI app doesn't give you any extra permissions in Tanda. You can only access information your Tanda account already lets you view.

Connecting Apps

Connect in Claude.ai

In Claude.ai, go to Settings > Connectors.
Click + Add > Add custom connector.
Enter a name for the connector, such as Tanda.
Enter this URL: https://my.tanda.co/mcp and click Continue.
Adjust the authentication settings if necessary and click Add, then Connect.
You'll be taken to Tanda. Log in if prompted.
Review the access Claude is asking for, then click Authorise.
You'll return to Claude.ai, where the Tanda connector will show as connected.

To use the connector, start a new chat and make sure Tanda is switched on in the tools menu. You can also adjust the Tool permissions here.

Once connected, you can ask Claude a question about your workforce.

Connect in Claude Desktop

If you've already added Tanda in Claude.ai, it may already be available in Claude Desktop when you're signed in to the same Claude account:

If not:

Open Claude Desktop and go to Settings > Connectors.
Click + Add > Add custom connector.
Enter the name Tanda and the URL https://my.tanda.co/mcp and click Continue.
Adjust the authentication settings if necessary and click Add, then Connect.
You'll be taken to the web. Click Continue Connecting.
You'll be taken to Tanda. Log in if prompted.
Review the access Claude is asking for, then click Authorise.
You'll be redirected back to the desktop app where you can start using Claude to ask questions about information in Tanda.

Connect in Claude Code

In your terminal, run:

claude mcp add --transport http tanda https://my.tanda.co/mcp

Start Claude Code and enter /mcp.
Choose Tanda, then select Authenticate.

A browser window will open.
Log in to Tanda if you haven't already and click Authorise:
Return to your terminal and start using Claude to ask questions about information in Tanda.

You can now ask Claude Code questions about the Tanda information you have permission to access.

Connect in Cursor

These steps are for the Cursor desktop app. Cursor web and background agents are not supported yet.

Open your Cursor MCP settings file (through Customize > MCPs > + New MCP Server, or in the JSON file directly):
- ~/.cursor/mcp.json to use Tanda in all your projects, or
- .cursor/mcp.json inside a project to use it in that project only.
Add Tanda to the file:
```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tanda": {
      "url": "https://my.tanda.co/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```
If the file already lists other servers, add the "tanda" entry inside the existing "mcpServers" section.
Save the file.
On the Customize > MCPs page, click Authenticate next to tanda. A browser window will open.
Log in to Tanda if you haven't already and click Authorise:
Return to Cursor. Tanda should now show as connected.

You can now ask questions about Tanda in Cursor's chat.

Check It's Working

Once you're connected, try one of these:

Ask "Who am I in Tanda?" Your assistant should reply with your name and details from your Tanda profile.
Ask "Which Tanda organisations can I access?" You should see the business accounts you can log in to.

Your AI app may show that it's using a Tanda tool (such as get_users_me or get_roster) before it answers, and it may ask you to allow the tool the first time. Choose Allow to continue.

You can also check the connection status:

Claude.ai and Claude Desktop: Tanda shows as connected in Settings > Connectors.
Claude Code: enter /mcp and check that tanda shows as connected.
Cursor: in your MCP settings, tanda shows as connected with its tools listed.

Example Questions

You could ask:

Rosters and schedules

"Show me next week's roster and the total cost per day."
"Who is rostered on at the downtown location this Saturday?"
"Who has scheduled days off next week?"
"Who is on call tonight?"

Timesheets

"Show me last week's timesheets for the front-of-house team."
"Which shifts ran longer than they were rostered yesterday?"
"How many hours did each person work this pay period?"

Leave

"How much sick leave does Alex Chen have left?"
"List all pending leave requests for this month."
"Who is on leave over the long weekend?"

Payroll and payslips

"Summarise the biggest differences between this pay run and the last one."
"Pull my payslips for the last three pay periods."

People and teams

"List all active staff at the north location."
"Who left the business in the last 90 days?"
"What changed on Priya's profile in the last three months?"
"Which team members have a first aid qualification that expires this quarter?"

What It Can Access and Permissions

What you can ask about

Area	What's included
People	Active and inactive staff, your own profile, and an employee's change history
Rosters and schedules	Rosters, scheduled shifts, on-calls, sleepovers and rostered (scheduled) days off
Time and attendance	Worked shifts and timesheets
Leave	Leave balances and leave requests
Payroll	Payslips, and comparisons between pay runs
Setup	Locations, teams, pay rules (award templates and award tags), qualifications and customer organisations
Training	Training assigned to staff and their records

Access you approve

When you connect, your AI app asks for access to these areas (called scopes): user, me, timesheet, leave, payroll, organisation, roster, cost, department, qualifications, settings, financial and training.

Note: Some information also needs the matching Tanda permission, such as permission to view staff costs, wages or payroll.

Usage limit

Each user can make up to 100 requests per minute.

Tools

The connector has 23 tools. All of them are read-only.

Tool	What it does
`compare_pay_runs`	Compares two pay runs and shows what changed.
`get_award_tags`	Lists the award/classification tags in staff pay conditions.
`get_award_templates`	Lists the award templates set up in your account.
`get_payslips`	Gets payslips for employees and pay periods.
`get_leave_balances`	Gets current leave balances.
`get_leave_requests`	Lists leave requests and their status.
`get_locations`	Lists your business locations.
`get_on_calls`	Lists on-call shifts for users.
`get_customer_organisations`	Lists customer organisations linked to your account (partner accounts only)
`get_qualifications`	Lists the organisation's qualifications and maximum hours for each.
`get_roster`	Gets the roster for a given period.
`get_rostered_days_off`	Lists rostered (scheduled) days off for users.
`get_schedules`	Gets scheduled shifts.
`get_shifts`	Gets worked shifts from timesheets.
`get_sleepovers`	Lists sleepover shifts for users.
`get_teams`	Lists teams (departments).
`get_timesheets`	Gets timesheets for a pay period.
`get_trainings`	Lists training records.
`get_user_versions`	Shows the change history of an employee's record.
`get_users`	Lists active staff.
`get_users_inactive`	Lists inactive or former staff.
`get_users_me`	Gets your own details.
`list_my_organisations`	Lists the Tanda organisations you can access.

Working Across Several Organisations

If you have access to more than one Tanda organisation, for example as an accountant or partner managing client accounts, you can ask:

"Which organisations can I access?"

and then name the one you want:

"Show me the roster for Acme Café next week."

If you don't name an organisation, your assistant uses your default one.

Troubleshooting

The Tanda sign-in window didn't open, or the connection failed

Check that the URL is exactly https://my.tanda.co/mcp, then try connecting again. If your browser blocks pop-ups, allow them for your AI app and try again.

My AI app isn't listed as supported

The connector currently works with Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude Code and the Cursor desktop app. ChatGPT and Cursor web or background agents are not supported yet.

Claude isn't using Tanda to answer my question

Make sure the Tanda connector is switched on in the chat's tools menu. It can also help to mention Tanda in your question, for example "Using Tanda, show me next week's roster."

Cursor shows Tanda, but it isn't connected

Click Authenticate next to Tanda in your MCP settings and sign in again. If that doesn't work, check your mcp.json file matches the example above exactly (including the brackets and quote marks), save it and restart Cursor.

My assistant says I don't have access to something

Your Tanda account may not include the permission needed, for example to view staff costs, wages or payroll. Ask your Tanda administrator about your permissions.

I'm getting a "rate limit" error

Each user can make up to 100 requests per minute. Wait a minute, then try again.

I'm getting an error saying Tanda can't find a user for my access token

Disconnect the connector, then reconnect it and sign in using the Tanda account you normally use.

FAQs

Is this an official Tanda connector?

Yes. Tanda Payroll & HR is Tanda's official MCP server. It's built and run by Tanda, so there's nothing to install or host yourself, and it's live for all Tanda accounts.

Can it change anything in Tanda?

No. All 23 tools are read-only. Your assistant can look up rosters, timesheets, leave, payroll and staff information, but it can't create, edit, approve or delete anything.

Do I need an API token?

No. You only add the URL https://my.tanda.co/mcp to your AI app and sign in with your Tanda login.

Is my data safe?

The connection is read-only, and you sign in through Tanda using OAuth with PKCE, so your AI app never sees your Tanda password. Your assistant can't access more than your Tanda permissions allow.

Can I disconnect?

Yes.

In Claude.ai or Claude Desktop, remove the connector from Settings > Connectors.
In Claude Code, run: claude mcp remove tanda
In Cursor, remove the "tanda" entry from your mcp.json file, or turn it off in your MCP settings.

Which AI tools can I use?

Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude Code and the Cursor desktop app work today. ChatGPT and Cursor web or background agents are not supported yet.

Is there a usage limit?

Yes. Each user can make up to 100 requests per minute.

Connect Your AI Assistant to Tanda (MCP Connector)