You already run your Substack Notes through SubflowAI. This guide shows you how to let an AI assistant, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Claude Cowork, or ChatGPT, drive SubflowAI for you: "check how full my week is and fill the empty slots," "turn this article into five Notes and schedule them," "clean up my drafts." The assistant does the thinking, SubflowAI does the work on your Substack.
There are two ways to connect. Most people want the first one.
Note: SubflowAI and the SubflowAI Substack MCP server are unofficial, independent tools built by GenAI Unplugged. They are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by Substack, Inc. Substack has no official public API, so these tools work through Substack's internal endpoints on your behalf. Use them at your own risk. "Substack" is a trademark of Substack, Inc., used here only to describe compatibility.
Before you start
- SubflowAI installed and set up (you can already schedule Notes with it).
- An active paid SubflowAI license (a trial will not unlock the AI connection).
- An AI client that supports MCP connectors: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Claude Cowork, or ChatGPT.
When you connect, you agree to the SubflowAI, SubstackMCP, and GenAI Unplugged Terms and Privacy Policies. You will confirm this with a checkbox on the sign-in page before pairing.
Mode 1: Relay (recommended, nothing to paste)
This is the zero-setup path. Your Substack login never leaves Chrome. The assistant sends a request, SubflowAI runs it right there in your browser, and sends back the result. The one trade-off: your browser has to be open for a live request to run. (Notes you have already scheduled still publish on time even if Chrome is closed, because Substack schedules them natively.)
Step 1. Add the connector in your AI client. In Claude or ChatGPT, add a connector and point it at:
https://substackmcp.genaiunplugged.com/mcp
Step 2. Click "Connect with SubflowAI".
On the sign-in page that opens, tick the box to agree to the terms, then click the Connect with SubflowAI button. It shows you a short 8-character code (like ABCD-EFGH).
Step 3. Paste the code into SubflowAI. Open SubflowAI, go to Settings → Connect, paste the code into the box, and click Connect. That is it. Return to your AI client and try a command:
"Is my Substack Notes calendar full next week? If not, draft Notes from my last article and fill the open slots."
To disconnect: Settings → Connect → Disconnect all agents. Access is revoked instantly.
Running with Chrome closed (standalone SubflowAI Substack MCP)
The relay above is the only way to use SubflowAI's own tools (calendar planning, AI repurpose and refine), and it runs only while Chrome is open.
If you want something different, either an agent that runs 24/7 with your browser closed (say a Claude Code or Cowork job every morning), or you only need the standard Substack actions (create, schedule, edit, publish, delete Notes, manage drafts, read analytics), use SubflowAI Substack MCP directly. It is the same server, set up as a standalone connection with your own Substack session, so it keeps working when Chrome is closed.
Two things to know before you take this route:
- It does not include the SubflowAI-specific tools. Calendar planning and AI repurpose/refine are relay-only. Standalone SubflowAI Substack MCP gives you the standard Substack toolset only.
- Paid SubflowAI customers are recognized by email. Sign in to SubflowAI Substack MCP with the email you bought SubflowAI with and you get the full paid Substack toolset, even without a paid GenAI Unplugged Substack subscription. (Any GenAI Unplugged Substack subscriber can use it too, free or paid.)
Set it up here: follow the SubflowAI Substack MCP setup guide. It walks through the whole thing step by step, including why AI "custom connectors" cannot pass header keys (so 24/7 setups paste a config block into a desktop config file instead), how to get your session, and how to sign in.
Which should I pick?
| Relay (via the extension) | Standalone SubflowAI Substack MCP | |
|---|---|---|
| SubflowAI tools (calendar, AI repurpose/refine) | Yes | No |
| Standard Substack tools (notes, drafts, analytics) | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Chrome closed | No | Yes |
| Setup | Paste one code | Follow the SubflowAI Substack MCP guide |
| Sign-in | Your paid SubflowAI license | Your email (paid SubflowAI customers included) |
Use the relay for SubflowAI's own tools. Use standalone SubflowAI Substack MCP when you want the standard Substack actions running with Chrome closed.
What you can ask your assistant to do
Once connected, your AI assistant can plan, write, schedule, edit, and clean up your Substack Notes through SubflowAI, plus use SubflowAI's own tools:
"Check my week's capacity, find the open slots, and distribute these five Notes across them."
"Repurpose this article into a set of Notes in my voice, then schedule them one a day."
"List my scheduled Notes and delete the duplicate."
You stay in control. You can watch what it does in SubflowAI, and disconnect any time.