AI Integrations (MCP & Claude)
Rentablez offers two separate ways to put AI to work on your rental business, and both live under Settings → Integrations. They sound similar but do different jobs, so this page explains what each one is and when to use it.
Two AI Settings — Which Is Which?
| Setting | What it does | You need |
|---|---|---|
| AI Integration | Connects the Claude Desktop app to your account over MCP, so you can ask about your live data in plain language from outside Rentablez. | The Claude Desktop app installed on your computer |
| Claude (Anthropic) | Powers the in-app Rentablez AI chatbot using your own Anthropic API key. Usage is billed to your Anthropic account. | An Anthropic API key |
Think of it this way: AI Integration lets Claude Desktop reach into Rentablez, while Claude (Anthropic) brings Claude’s brainpower into the Rentablez app for everyone on your team.
Both settings require the Settings Write permission. Without it, the buttons and input fields on these pages are disabled.
AI Integration (Claude Desktop over MCP)
The AI Integration tab connects the Claude Desktop app to your Rentablez account using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Once connected, you can ask Claude Desktop questions like “which excavators are free next week?” and it reads your live Assets, Orders, Customers, and Service & Repair data to answer — no clicking through screens.
To set it up, you open Settings → Integrations → AI Integration, click Generate Config, copy the generated claude_desktop_config.json, and paste it into Claude Desktop.
For the full step-by-step walkthrough, see How to Connect Claude Desktop (MCP)?.
Keep your connection token private. The generated config contains an authorization token tied to your workspace. Anyone who has it can query your data through Claude Desktop. You can click Generate Config again at any time to mint a fresh token.
Claude (Anthropic) — Power the In-App Chatbot
The Claude (Anthropic) tab lets you connect your own Anthropic API key so the in-app Rentablez AI chatbot runs on Claude. This is a bring-your-own-key setup: usage on the key is billed directly to your Anthropic account, not through Rentablez.
Before You Start
- You’ll need the Settings Write permission. Without it, the API key field and Save button are disabled.
- You’ll need an Anthropic API key. The page links to the Anthropic console where you can generate one.
Step 1 — Get an Anthropic API key
If you don’t already have one, click Get an API key at console.anthropic.com on the page. This opens the Anthropic console, where you can create a new key. Anthropic API keys start with sk-ant-.
Usage on this key is billed to your Anthropic account. Manage spending limits and billing from the Anthropic console.
Step 2 — Paste and save your key
- Go to Settings → Integrations → Claude (Anthropic).
- Paste your key into the Anthropic API key field. Use the eye icon to show or hide the key while you check it.
- Click Save. On success you’ll see an API key saved confirmation.
Once saved, the card shows a Connected badge and displays your Active key as a masked value (only the last few characters are visible) — Rentablez never shows the full key back to you.
Step 3 — Test the connection
Click Test connection to confirm the key works. Rentablez makes a quick check against Anthropic and reports back success or the error message it received. The Test connection button is only available once a key has been saved.
If the test fails, double-check that you copied the whole key and that it’s active in the Anthropic console. A common cause is a key that has been revoked or has hit its billing limit.
Replacing or removing the key
- Replace — with a key already saved, the field prompts you to paste a new
sk-ant-…to overwrite. Paste the new key and click Save to swap it in. - Remove — click Remove and confirm. This deletes the saved key from your workspace, and the in-app chatbot will no longer use Claude until you add a key again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need both settings? No. They’re independent. Set up AI Integration if you want to query Rentablez from Claude Desktop. Set up Claude (Anthropic) if you want the in-app chatbot to run on Claude. You can use either, both, or neither.
Who pays for the AI usage? For Claude (Anthropic), you do — usage on your API key is billed to your Anthropic account. The AI Integration (MCP) connection uses the Claude Desktop app on your own machine.
Is my API key safe? Rentablez stores the key securely and only ever shows it back to you as a masked value. Treat the key like a password and remove it if it’s ever exposed.