# Circle setup for PopMCP

You paste one value into PopMCP: an Admin V2 token from Settings, Developers, Tokens in Circle. One token belongs to one community, so there is nothing to choose afterwards. Two more tokens are optional, for acting as a member and for the Data API.

- Auth: API credentials
- Setup time: 2 min
- API base URL: https://app.circle.so/api/admin/v2
- Credentials screen: https://app.circle.so
- Provider docs: https://api.circle.so/apis/admin-api/quick-start

## Approval required before this works

No one reviews you, but Circle's APIs start at the Business plan. The Professional plan does not include them, and Circle answers 403 until the community's plan does.

- Typical wait: None. A token works as soon as the community is on the Business plan and you create it.
- Cost: From Circle's pricing page: Business is $199/month and Scale is $419/month. Business includes 5,000 Admin API requests a month and Scale 30,000, and extra requests cost $.005 each on Business and $.002 on Scale. The optional member tools are measured by monthly active members: 100 on Business, then $0.50 each. The Data API is a paid add-on arranged with Circle's sales team.
- Blocked until approved: Everything through the API. Your community itself keeps working on any plan.
- Works meanwhile: Nothing through the API. You can read Circle's docs and plan what you want the AI to do.

## Before you begin

- A Circle community on the Business plan or higher: the Professional plan does not include Circle's APIs
- Admin access to the community, since only admins can create tokens
- Nothing to apply for: the token works straight away
- This is Circle the community platform at circle.so, not Circle the payments company

## Get your credentials

### 1. Open Developers in your community's settings

Sign in to your Circle community as an admin. Go to Settings, then Developers, then Tokens. The address depends on your community, so go through the menu.

Screen: https://api.circle.so/apis/admin-api/quick-start

### 2. Create an Admin V2 token

Create a new token and set its type to Admin V2. The type matters: Admin V1 and Headless Auth tokens look the same but do not work on this API. Copy the token, and keep it private, because it can read and change everything in your community.

Screen: https://api.circle.so/apis/admin-api/quick-start

### 3. Connect in PopMCP

Paste the token into PopMCP's Circle form and click Connect. PopMCP reads your community's details once to check it, and labels the connection with your community's name.

Screen: https://api.circle.so/apis/admin-api/quick-start

### 4. Check it is connected

The Circle card in PopMCP reads Connected, with your community's name. New connections start read-only, so posting, inviting members and sending messages wait until an owner or admin allows write actions in PopMCP.

### 5. Optional: add the member and data tools

Most people can stop here. Under More options on the form you can add two things. A Headless Auth token with one member's email adds tools that act as that member: their notifications, bookmarks, chats and likes. Each member who uses them counts toward Circle's monthly active member allowance. A Data API token adds your community's event history, and the Data API is a paid add-on you arrange with Circle.

Screen: https://api.circle.so/apis/headless/quick-start

## Fields PopMCP asks for

- Admin V2 token (apiToken) [required]: In Circle: Settings, Developers, Tokens, then create one with the type Admin V2. Stored encrypted.
- Headless Auth token (headlessToken): Adds tools that act as one member: their notifications, bookmarks, chats and likes. A token with the type Headless Auth, from the same page.
- Member to act as (memberEmail): The email of the one member those tools act as. Needed with a Headless Auth token.
- Data API token (dataApiToken): Adds tools that read your community's event history. The Data API is a paid add-on from Circle.

## Verify

PopMCP shows the Circle connector as Connected, labelled with your community's name, after one read of your community's details.

## Troubleshooting

### Circle did not accept this token

Cause: The token's type is Admin V1 or Headless Auth, it was copied only in part, or it was deleted.

Fix: Under Settings, Developers, Tokens, create a token with the type Admin V2, and paste that in full.

### Circle says this community's plan does not include the Admin API

Cause: The community is on the Professional plan. Circle answers 403 until the plan includes its APIs.

Fix: Move to the Business plan or higher in Circle, then connect again.

### Circle found no member with that email

Cause: The email under More options is not a member of this community.

Fix: Use the email that member signs in with, or leave both member fields empty.

### The Headless Auth token belongs to a different community

Cause: The two tokens came from two communities.

Fix: Create both under Settings, Developers, Tokens in the same community.

### A tool answers that it needs a Headless Auth or Data API token

Cause: It is a member or data tool, and those tokens are optional.

Fix: Reconnect Circle and add the token under More options. Most member actions also have an admin tool that needs nothing extra.

### Circle is limiting requests

Cause: Circle allows 2000 requests per 5 minutes from one address, and PopMCP also keeps each connection to a fair share of that.

Fix: Wait a few minutes and try again, and ask for fewer things at once.

### Your request count is higher than expected

Cause: Every call counts toward your plan's monthly requests, including ones Circle refuses, and requests past the allowance are billed. It takes about five minutes to show.

Fix: Watch usage under Settings, Developers. Keep write actions off and ask for what you need with a filter rather than whole lists.

### A post could not be created in a space

Cause: Basic posts go only in discussion spaces. Event, course, chat and image spaces take their own kinds of content.

Fix: Pick a discussion space, or ask for an event, a lesson or an image post instead.

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