If you use an AI assistant like Claude to draft contracts, proposals, or agreements, you’ve probably hit the same wall: the document looks great, but now you have to leave your chat, open another tab, upload the file, configure the signers, and send it manually. It breaks the flow entirely.
The SignWell MCP changes that. With it, you can send documents for eSignature, track who’s signed, and download completed contracts without leaving your AI assistant.
Here’s what the SignWell MCP is, how it works, and how to get set up.
What Is an MCP, and Why Does It Matter?
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, a standard that lets AI assistants like Claude connect directly to external tools and services. Instead of copying and pasting between apps, your AI can take action on your behalf: searching, creating, sending, and retrieving, all through natural conversation.
The SignWell MCP is a connector that gives your AI assistant direct access to SignWell’s e-signature platform. Think of it as giving Claude a pair of hands that can reach into SignWell and do things for you.
What You Can Do with the SignWell MCP
Once it’s set up, you can ask your AI assistant to:
- Send a document for signature: upload a file or have your AI draft one from scratch and send it in the same conversation
- Use saved templates: reuse contracts, NDAs, or forms you’ve already configured with predefined signing roles
- Track document status: find out who’s signed and who’s still pending
- Download completed documents: retrieve the final signed PDF with its full audit trail
- Send signing reminders: nudge signers who haven’t completed yet
No app switching. No copy-paste. Just ask.
Real-World Use Cases
The Freelancer Who’s Always Between Apps
Maya is a freelance designer who uses Claude to draft project proposals and client contracts. Before the SignWell MCP, her workflow looked like this: finish the draft in Claude, copy it into a Word doc, upload it to SignWell, configure the signer, then send. Five steps across three tools.
Now she tells Claude: “Draft a project agreement for a branding project with client Raj Patel at raj@example.com. Include scope, payment schedule, and revision terms. Add SignWell text tags and send it to Raj for signature.” Claude writes the contract, tags the fields, and hands it off to SignWell in the same conversation. Raj gets an email and signs in from his phone. Maya gets the completed PDF.
The Operations Manager is sending the Same Contracts Over and Over
Marcus manages onboarding at a small staffing agency. Every new placement requires an offer letter, a confidentiality agreement, and a contractor terms form. He used to send each one manually.
With the SignWell MCP, he’s set up templates for all three documents. Now he asks Claude: “Send the contractor onboarding templates to Jordan Lee at jordan@example.com.” All three go out in one shot, with the right signing roles pre-configured. He checks the status later with a single prompt and sends reminders to anyone who hasn’t signed yet.
What You’ll Need Before Getting Started
Before installing the MCP, make sure you have the following:
- A SignWell account on a paid plan requires API access, which is available on paid SignWell plans. Upgrade here.
- Your SignWell API key: log in to SignWell, go to Settings > API, and copy your key.
- Node.js v18 or newer: check your version by running node –version in your terminal. If you need it, download it from nodejs.org.
- An MCP-compatible AI client: supported clients include Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Cursor.
How to Install the SignWell MCP
Option A: One-Command Setup (Recommended)
The fastest way to get started is with the setup wizard. It handles configuration automatically.
Step 1: Run this command in your terminal:
Step 2: Paste your SignWell API key when prompted. The wizard will ask which AI client you use, and it will configure it for you.
Step 3: Restart your AI client. Close it completely and reopen it — the SignWell tools will now be available.
Tip: Want to preview what the wizard will do before it makes any changes? Add –print to the command: npx signwell-mcp setup –print
Option B: Manual Configuration
If you’d rather configure things yourself, you can add the SignWell MCP server directly to your client’s config file.
For Claude Desktop, open your claude_desktop_config.json and add the SignWell server entry (using npx signwell-mcp) inside the “mcpServers” section, along with your API key.
For Claude Code, run:
Then set your API key as an environment variable and restart your client.
Sending Your First Document
Once you’re set up, just tell your assistant what you want in plain language. For example:
“Send my sales agreement to alice@example.com for signature.”
Here’s what happens behind the scenes:
- The assistant opens a file picker so you can select your document.
- It creates a draft in SignWell with the specified signer.
- It returns a link to the draft so you can review, place fields, and send.
Nothing sends without your approval. Every document starts as a draft. You always get a chance to review before anything goes out.
Example Prompts to Try
Send a file:
“I need to send contract.pdf to bob@example.com for signature.”
Use a template:
“Send an NDA using my NDA template to Sarah Chen at sarah@example.com as the Counterparty.”
Draft and send in one step:
“Draft a freelance agreement between Acme Corp and contractor Jane Doe at jane@example.com. Include the scope of work, payment terms, and termination. Add SignWell text tags, then send it to Jane.”
Check document status:
“What’s the status of my Sales Agreement?”
Download a signed document:
“Download the signed PDF for my Sales Agreement.”
Send a reminder:
“Send a reminder to bob@example.com for the Contractor Agreement.”
Using Text Tags for Automatic Field Placement
If you want precise control over where signature, date, and other fields appear in your document, you can use text tags, special codes embedded directly in your document text.
The format is: {{type:signer_number:required}}
| Tag | What It Places |
| {{signature:1:y}} | Required signature field for Signer 1 |
| {{date:1:y}} | Required date field for Signer 1 |
| {{text:1:y:Title}} | Required text field labeled “Title” for Signer 1 |
| {{initial:1:n}} | Optional initials field for Signer 1 |
| {{checkbox:1:n}} | Optional checkbox for Signer 1 |
When you ask your AI to draft a document, you can instruct it to include these tags, which will automatically place fields when the document is created in SignWell.
New to eSignatures altogether?
This step-by-step guide to creating a digital signature walks you through the basics before you dive into the MCP setup.
Start Sending Contracts from Your AI Assistant
The SignWell MCP turns your AI chat into a fully functional contract workflow, from drafting to sending to tracking to downloading, without ever switching apps. Log in to SignWell today to get started.
