# ActiveCampaign setup for PopMCP

You end up pasting two values that sit one above the other on a single ActiveCampaign page: your account's API URL, which looks like https://your-account.api-us1.com, and the API Key beneath it.

- Auth: API credentials
- Setup time: 3 min
- API base URL: https://your-account.api-us1.com/api/3
- Credentials screen: https://youraccount.activehosted.com/app/settings/developer
- Provider docs: https://developers.activecampaign.com/reference/authentication

## Before you begin

- ActiveCampaign account on any plan
- A user login that can open Settings. The key shown is per user, so the connection inherits that user's permissions.
- Admin rights if you want to create a dedicated integration user instead of using your own key

## Get your credentials

### 1. Open Settings

Sign in to ActiveCampaign and click Settings, the gear icon at the bottom of the left sidebar above your name.

Screen: https://youraccount.activehosted.com/app/settings

### 2. Go to the Developer tab

Click Developer in the Settings sub-navigation. The direct address is `https://youraccount.activehosted.com/app/settings/developer`, where `youraccount` is your ActiveCampaign subdomain.

Screen: https://youraccount.activehosted.com/app/settings/developer

### 3. Copy the URL and the Key

Under API Access, click Copy beside URL and paste it into the PopMCP API URL field, then copy Key into the PopMCP API Key field. Copy the URL exactly, because the region segment is not always `api-us1`.

Screen: https://youraccount.activehosted.com/app/settings/developer

### 4. Save the connection in PopMCP

Check both fields are filled in PopMCP and click Save. PopMCP sends the key as the `Api-Token` header against `<your API URL>/api/3/`.

## Fields PopMCP asks for

- API URL (apiUrl) [required]: In ActiveCampaign go to Settings → Developer. Copy the URL under "API Access" (it looks like https://your-account.api-us1.com). You can paste your app URL (…activehosted.com) too, and we'll convert it. This is the account the MCP is locked to.
- API Key (apiKey) [required]: Settings → Developer → API Access → Key. Copy it exactly. It's sent as the Api-Token header and stored encrypted; used server-side only.

## Verify

PopMCP shows the ActiveCampaign connector as Connected and reports the account it is locked to. Asking for your lists or a contact count returns real data from that account.

## Troubleshooting

### 403 Forbidden, "You do not have permission to access this resource"

Cause: The API Key is correct but the API URL points at a different account, or the key belongs to a user without access.

Fix: Re-copy the URL and the Key together from **Settings** then **Developer** while signed in as the intended user.

### Requests 404 or the connection never validates

Cause: You pasted the app URL ending in activehosted.com, or you assumed api-us1 when the account sits in another region.

Fix: Use the exact URL shown under **API Access** on the Developer tab. PopMCP converts an app URL for you, but the Developer value is authoritative.

### The key stops working after a staff change

Cause: The key belonged to a user who was deactivated or deleted.

Fix: Create a dedicated integration user, take that user's Developer key and reconnect.

### 429 Too Many Requests

Cause: More than 5 requests per second on the account.

Fix: Back off for the number of seconds in the Retry-After header and watch RateLimit-Remaining to stay under the cap.

---

Source: https://www.docs.popmcp.com/docs/integrations/activecampaign/