Basecamp
Connect Basecamp to run projects, to-dos, message boards, card tables, schedules, documents and Campfire chats, and see what is on your plate.
Nothing is typed into PopMCP. You click Authorize with Basecamp, sign in, pick your account and approve PopMCP on Basecamp's page. PopMCP is already a registered Basecamp client, so there is no developer app, API key or callback URL to set up. If your account offers personal access tokens, one can go under More options instead, and a company that wants its own app can register one at Launchpad.
- Setup time
- 1 min
- Auth
- OAuth authorization
- API base URL
- https://3.basecampapi.com
Before you begin
- A Basecamp account on any plan. Basecamp 3, 4 and 5 all work; Basecamp 2 and Basecamp Classic do not
- Pop-up blockers must allow the Basecamp sign-in window to open
- Only if the AI should change anything: an owner or admin in PopMCP to allow write actions
Get your credentials
Start the connection from PopMCP
Open the Basecamp connector in PopMCP and click Authorize with Basecamp. There are no fields to fill in: no API key, no developer app and nothing to register. To keep the connection strictly read-only, open More options first and untick Allow changes.
Sign in to Basecamp in the pop-up
The window opens on Basecamp's sign-in page. Sign in with the Basecamp login the AI should act as: it sees and does only what that person can in Basecamp.
Sign in to Basecamp
Sign in to continue to PopMCP.
PopMCP never sees your Basecamp password. Basecamp hands back a token once you approve.
Pick your account and approve PopMCP
Basecamp names PopMCP and asks for two things. Pick the account to connect, then choose Full access so the AI can add and change things once write actions are allowed, or Read-only access so it can look around but never change anything. Approve.
Connect PopMCP to Basecamp
PopMCP is asking to use your Basecamp account.
PopMCP sees only what you can see in Basecamp, and does only what you can do.
Confirm the account in PopMCP
Back in PopMCP, if your login reaches more than one account, tick the one this connection is for and choose its workspace. Each PopMCP workspace holds one Basecamp account, and a call aimed at another account is refused.
Or use a personal access token instead
Prefer a token? Where your account offers them, open app.basecamp.com/my/access_tokens in Basecamp and make one. In PopMCP open More options, paste it into Personal access token and connect: the sign-in step is skipped. A token has no refresh step, so when it ends or is revoked, make a new one and reconnect.
Access tokens
Tokens act as you, with your access.
Not every account offers tokens. If you do not see this page, sign in instead: it needs nothing else.
Or register your own app (optional)
Company rules ask for your own app? Open launchpad.37signals.com/integrations, click Register another application, name it, tick Basecamp under products and set the redirect URI to https://app.popmcp.com/api/providers/basecamp/callback. Copy its Client ID and Client Secret into More options in PopMCP and click Authorize. Most people never need this.
Register your application
An app of your own, instead of PopMCP's sign-in.
Check that Basecamp is connected
The Basecamp card in PopMCP reads Connected, with the account name and who signed in. Every Basecamp endpoint is a tool, plus one-call jobs such as basecamp_get_project_overview and basecamp_add_todo that take a project's name. Adding, editing, moving and trashing wait until an owner or admin allows write actions in PopMCP.
Basecamp
- Status
- Connected
- Account
- Acme
- Signed in as
- You
- Access
- Read only until write actions are allowed
Connect in PopMCP
Open your workspace, choose Basecamp in the marketplace, and fill in the connect dialog:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| How you connectpreset | Click Authorize, sign in to Basecamp, pick your account and approve. There is nothing to copy or paste. |
| Permissionschecklist | Reading is always included. Changes are only used once write actions are allowed on the connection. |
| Personal access token (instead of signing in)secret | Only if you prefer a token: make one at app.basecamp.com/my/access_tokens, where your account offers them, and paste it here. The sign-in step is skipped.Encrypted with AES-256-GCM on save and never shown again. |
| Your own app's client ID (instead of signing in through PopMCP)text | Only if your company wants its own app: register one at launchpad.37signals.com/integrations with the redirect URI https://app.popmcp.com/api/providers/basecamp/callback, then paste its client ID and secret. |
| Your own app's client secretsecret | —Encrypted with AES-256-GCM on save and never shown again. |
PopMCP verifies the credential against Basecamp immediately. On success the connection flips to Verified and its MCP tools are provisioned.
Permissions to request
PopMCP asks Basecamp for exactly the permissions you tick in the connect form. Unticked permissions leave their tools listed but failing, so keep the defaults unless you have a reason to narrow them.
Basecamp grants exactly what you tick. 0 of 1 are on by default.
Basecamp
fullAllow changesAdd and edit to-dos, messages, cards, documents and everything else your Basecamp account may change. Untick for read-only.
Verify it worked
The Basecamp card in PopMCP shows Connected with the account name. Asking the AI for the connection profile (basecamp_connection_profile) names the account and the person, and asking for your projects (basecamp_list_projects) lists them rather than an authorization error.
Troubleshooting
The sign-in window never opens
Why: A pop-up blocker is stopping the Basecamp sign-in window.
Fix: Allow pop-ups for PopMCP in your browser and click Authorize with Basecamp again.
"Your Basecamp sign-in has ended..."
Why: PopMCP was disconnected in Basecamp, or Basecamp signed the login out after seeing an old sign-in used again.
Fix: Reconnect Basecamp in PopMCP: one click on Authorize with Basecamp and approve.
"Basecamp did not accept that token"
Why: The token was copied in part, was revoked, or has passed its expiry.
Fix: Make a new token at app.basecamp.com/my/access_tokens, copy all of it and connect again, or sign in instead.
"That Basecamp login has no Basecamp accounts it can reach"
Why: The login signed in has no Basecamp account: it belongs only to another 37signals product, or the person was removed.
Fix: Sign in with the Basecamp ID that belongs to your account, or ask an admin to add you.
"Basecamp could not find this account for this login"
Why: The account's trial or subscription has ended, or this person was removed from it. Basecamp answers 404 for all of these.
Fix: Check the account in Basecamp, then connect again.
A change answers 403
Why: Either Read-only access was chosen on Basecamp's page or Allow changes was unticked, or the person may not do this in Basecamp (some changes are for admins, owners or the item's creator).
Fix: Reconnect Basecamp and choose Full access, or ask someone who is allowed. An owner or admin must also allow write actions in PopMCP.
An item you can see in Basecamp answers 404
Why: Basecamp hides what a person cannot see: a 404 means deleted, a wrong id, or not on that project.
Fix: Check the person is on the project in Basecamp. basecamp_search finds items by their words.
Launchpad refuses the redirect for your own app
Why: A company's own app was registered with a different redirect URI.
Fix: At launchpad.37signals.com/integrations set the redirect URI to exactly https://app.popmcp.com/api/providers/basecamp/callback, or leave the client fields empty and sign in with one click.
Reference
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