Zapier MCP for the OpenAI API: setup with a connection token

This page shows how to use Zapier MCP tools in OpenAI API requests using a connection token.

Before you begin

A Zapier account.
An OpenAI account.

Connect the OpenAI API to Zapier MCP

Create an MCP server

Go to mcp.zapier.com.
Click Add MCP server.
Under Choose your AI agent, search for and select OpenAI API.

Generate a connection token

Select the Connect tab.
Under MCP server information, click Generate token.
Copy the token.

The token is only shown once. If you lose it, click Rotate token to get a new one. The previous token stops working straight away, so update anywhere you used it.

Treat your connection token like a password. Anyone with the token, or with a server URL that contains it, can run tools on this server and access your data.

Set your credentials as environment variables

Make sure you have a valid OpenAI API key. To create one, go to the API keys page on the OpenAI platform.Export your OpenAI API key and your Zapier MCP token:

export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
export ZAPIER_MCP_TOKEN="YOUR_ZAPIER_MCP_TOKEN"

Send a request with Zapier as an MCP tool

Add Zapier to the tools array as an mcp tool, with your token in the tool’s Authorization: Bearer header. The request reads your keys from the OPENAI_API_KEY and ZAPIER_MCP_TOKEN environment variables:

cURL
JavaScript
Python

curl --location 'https://api.openai.com/v1/responses' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header "Authorization: Bearer $OPENAI_API_KEY" \
--data '{
    "model": "gpt-4.1",
    "tools": [
        {
            "type": "mcp",
            "server_label": "zapier",
            "server_url": "https://mcp.zapier.com/api/v1/connect",
            "require_approval": "never",
            "headers": {
                "Authorization": "Bearer '"$ZAPIER_MCP_TOKEN"'"
            }
        }
    ],
    "input": "List all of my available tools",
    "tool_choice": "required"
}'

Install the OpenAI SDK:

npm install openai

Or with pnpm:

pnpm add openai

Send the request:

import OpenAI from "openai";

const openai = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY,
});

const response = await openai.responses.create({
  model: "gpt-4.1",
  tools: [
    {
      type: "mcp",
      server_label: "zapier",
      server_url: "https://mcp.zapier.com/api/v1/connect",
      require_approval: "never",
      headers: {
        Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.ZAPIER_MCP_TOKEN}`,
      },
    },
  ],
  input: "List all of my available tools",
  tool_choice: "required",
});

console.log(JSON.stringify(response, null, 2));

Install the OpenAI SDK:

pip install openai

Or with uv:

uv pip install openai

Send the request:

import os

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    # API key defaults to os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY")
)

response = client.responses.create(
    model="gpt-4.1",
    tools=[
        {
            "type": "mcp",
            "server_label": "zapier",
            "server_url": "https://mcp.zapier.com/api/v1/connect",
            "require_approval": "never",
            "headers": {
                "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['ZAPIER_MCP_TOKEN']}",
            },
        }
    ],
    input="List all of my available tools",
    tool_choice="required",
)

print(response)

For request options, check OpenAI’s Responses API documentation.

You’ve now connected the OpenAI API to Zapier MCP.

Next steps

How tools work

What each meta-tool does, and how dynamic tool discovery works.

How connections work

How connection tokens work, and how to manage them.

Last modified on September 24, 2026

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Zapier MCP for the OpenAI API: setup with a connection token

Before you begin

Connect the OpenAI API to Zapier MCP

Next steps

How tools work

How connections work

​Before you begin

​Connect the OpenAI API to Zapier MCP

​Next steps

How tools work

How connections work

Before you begin

Connect the OpenAI API to Zapier MCP

Next steps