tinkabot
Created by Lauren Tan
Build an agent plugin around an API, with MCP tools and reusable skills.
Our developer take
Turning APIs into agent tools
Start with one useful API operation and an example response. This is a promising fit for an indie developer exposing a SaaS to coding agents: define a small tool surface, inspect the scaffold, and prove it locally before expanding.
A practical first workflow
How to use tinkabot
Turn one read-only API endpoint into a locally testable agent tool.
An AI IDE List walkthrough based on the linked template. These are suggested tasks and review criteria, not results from a hands-on test.
First, add this Bot
Open the official tinkabot template, choose Import Bot, and finish adding it in the Grok Bot app. Open its conversation, then follow the workflow below. If you have not set up the app, follow our installation and connection guide.
What to prepare
- API documentation and one endpoint to expose, such as listing projects.
- A redacted example response and the authentication method.
- The intended plugin host and a project folder for the scaffold.
Define one tool
Share the endpoint, inputs, and sample response. Ask for a proposed tool name and schema before generating files.
Review the API mapping
Check pagination, required fields, and error responses against your docs. Tell the Bot which credential handoff your API supports.
Generate the smallest scaffold
Request the MCP tool, a usage skill, and a README with setup and test commands for your chosen host.
Prove one call locally
Follow the generated host-specific instructions using a test account. Compare the tool result with your example before adding more endpoints.
First-run example
Replace every [BRACKETED_VALUE] with your details, attach the required files, then send this in the Bot's conversation.
Build a plugin for [PLUGIN_HOST] around the list-projects endpoint in [API_DOCS_URL]. Sample response: [REDACTED_JSON]. Authentication: [AUTH_METHOD]. First propose one read-only tool with its input and output schema. After I review it, scaffold the MCP tool and a usage skill in [PROJECT_FOLDER]. Include pagination and an authentication-failure case, plus exact setup and test commands for that host. Finish with a local verification checklist. Ask before publishing.
What you should get
Use this checklist to review the first result and request anything missing.
- One tool schema that matches the documented API.
- Plugin files and a README explaining setup and a sample invocation.
- A verifiable test result, or the exact step still blocked by access.
For the next run
Add a second endpoint only after the first call works. Keep the same schema and error-handling conventions.
If the first run gets stuck
If installation fails, check the target host first. The listing treats local Cursor testing and Grok Bot marketplace installation as different paths.
What the template includes
Official sourceSummarized from the public listing. The labels below describe capabilities; exact installed skill and connector names are not always published.
Integrations & inputs
- Cursor / Agent Plugins
- MCP
- pstack
Skills & playbooks
Plugin scaffolding · API modeling · Local verification
Routines
No schedule documented in the public listing.
What to consider
The listing distinguishes local Cursor plugin testing from Grok Bot installation through the marketplace. Verify the intended host before shipping.