This guide covers the steps to connect the ShiftCare Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to ChatGPT.
The MCP feature is only available on the ShiftCare Premium subscription plan
ShiftCare is not a native ChatGPT connector. It will not appear in the default Apps list. A ChatGPT Workspace Admin must first enable Developer Mode and add ShiftCare as a custom connector before team members can connect their individual accounts.
Developer Mode is only available on ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, and Education plans at the organisational level. Individual Plus/Pro users can enable it for personal use only.
Add ShiftCare as a Custom Connector (Admin Only)
This is a one-time setup performed by a ChatGPT Workspace Admin. Developer Mode must be enabled before custom MCP connectors can be added.
Go to chatgpt.com, click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner, and select Settings.
Open the Apps tab and click 'Advanced Settings'.
Toggle Developer Mode on.
Confirm the warning prompt to allow adding unverified custom apps.
Click 'Add New App'.
Fill in the connection details based on your region:
Name: ShiftCare [Your Region] (e.g., ShiftCare AU)
Description: ShiftCare care management platform
Authentication: OAuth
MCP Server URL: Enter the URL for your specific region:
Check 'I understand and want to continue'.
Click 'Create'. ChatGPT will verify the connection and display the list of available tools.
Go to Workspace Settings > Apps and find ShiftCare under Drafts.
Click 'Publish'.
Review the safety warnings and confirm.
Once published, ShiftCare AU (or your region) will appear in the Apps list for all members of your workspace.
Alternative Method: Command Line Setup (OpenAI Codex)
For developers and technical users, you can connect the MCP server directly via OpenAI Codex.
Tip: You can ask your AI to help you set this up. Just pass these instructions directly to your prompt:
Append to ~/.codex/config.toml (globally) or in .codex/config.toml in a directory (locally), replacing <region> with the account’s country code (au, uk, us, or ca):
[mcp_servers.shiftcare-au]
url = "https://mcp.au.shiftcare.com/mcp"
Then, run the following command in your terminal:
codex mcp login shiftcare
Connect Your ShiftCare Account (All Team Members)
Once the Admin has published the connector, each team member must link their own ShiftCare credentials to ChatGPT. You will only need to do this once.
Go to chatgpt.com and click your profile icon, then select Settings.
Open the Apps tab.
Find the ShiftCare connector in the list and click 'Connect'. An OAuth browser window will open. Choose your region when prompted.
Enter your ShiftCare email and password and approve the access request.
You will be redirected back to ChatGPT once authentication is complete.
Once authenticated, ChatGPT will not ask you to log in again until your session expires. If you have access to multiple ShiftCare accounts, ChatGPT will ask you to choose which one to use when you first run a query.
Using ShiftCare in a ChatGPT Conversation
After connecting, you must explicitly activate the ShiftCare connector at the start of your chat sessions.
Start a new chat in ChatGPT.
Click the + (Add files and more) button in the chat input area.
Select ShiftCare from the list.
The app is now active for this entire conversation.
Important: Always mention "in ShiftCare" or "via ShiftCare" so ChatGPT knows to use the connector. ChatGPT will decide when and how to call the ShiftCare MCP tools on your behalf.
Example Prompts:
"Show me my shifts for this week in ShiftCare"
"List all active clients in ShiftCare"
"What staff members are available in ShiftCare this weekend?"
If you're looking to use a different AI assistant, read our guides on Connecting ShiftCare MCP to Claude or Connecting ShiftCare MCP to Microsoft Copilot.
Need inspiration for what to ask? Check out our ShiftCare MCP Prompt Library for a comprehensive cheat sheet of questions and commands you can use to fetch, analyse, and update your data.
For further assistance with Connecting ShiftCare MCP to ChatGPT, please contact our Support team using online chat when you're logged into ShiftCare or email our Support team at support@shiftcare.com.