Spendesk MCP connects to your AI tools — but knowing how to set it up is just the first step. This guide explains how to use it in your daily workflow: install skills, automate reports, build Slack alerts, and use Claude as a thinking partner.
📚 Full version of this guide available at: spendesk-mcp-production.up.railway.app/guide
📥 Chapter 1 — Install a Claude Skill
A skill is an instruction file (.md) that Claude reads automatically to know which MCP tools to call and how to format the output. No coding, no complex setup.
How it works:
Download a skill from the skills library
Place it in the
.claude/folder of your project (or~/.claude/to make it available across all your projects)Claude picks it up automatically the next time you ask a matching question
💡 Where to start? AP Managers → "Invoice Payment Status" skill / CFOs → a multi-entity cash flow skill
💬 Chapter 2 — Use a Skill in a Conversation
No commands to memorize — just describe your need in plain language. Claude identifies the right skill and calls the appropriate MCP tools in the background.
Examples by persona:
CFO: "Give me a cash overview across all our entities"
AP Manager: "Which invoices are overdue this week?"
Controller: "Check for duplicate invoices this month"
Procurement: "Which purchase orders don't have an invoice yet?"
The key advantage: you can refine your request throughout the conversation — filter by entity, cost center, or time period — without starting over each time.
⏰ Chapter 3 — Automate Reports with Routines
A routine is a scheduled task in Claude Code that automatically replays a question on a fixed schedule — daily, weekly, monthly. Spendesk MCP provides the data on demand; the routine handles the triggering.
Example prompt:
"Every weekday at 8am, run the overdue invoice tracking skill and summarize invoices due within the next 3 days, sorted by amount."
Typical schedules:
Daily (AP Manager) — payment priority list for the day
Weekly (CFO) — 4-week cash flow forecast
Monthly (Controller) — month-end closing checklist
📣 Chapter 4 — Build Slack Alerts with Claude
Spendesk MCP has no real-time push notifications — but by combining a routine with Claude's Slack connector, you can automatically push a summary to any channel.
What you can cover:
Overdue invoices — weekly digest to
#finance-alertsBlocked approvals — purchase requests pending for more than N days
Missing invoices — POs with no invoice attached
Prompt template to get started:
"Every [Monday at 9am], send to the Slack channel [#channel-name] a summary of [invoices overdue by more than 15 days], using spendesk_get_due_invoices. Include the total amount and the 3 most critical cases."
⚠️ These alerts run on the routine's schedule — not in real time.
🧭 Chapter 5 — Use Claude as a Thinking Partner
Before assuming a use case is possible (or not), ask Claude to assess MCP coverage for your specific need. Claude knows exactly which tools are available and can tell you whether your request is fully covered, partially covered, or out of scope — and suggest a workaround if needed.
Known MCP limitations:
No
get_budgets— no native budget vs. actual comparisonNo
get_payable_events— no detailed invoice audit trailNo
get_bank_transactions— no direct bank reconciliationNo write tools — read-only access only
Universal prompt to copy:
"Here is my need: [describe your situation in 2-3 sentences — persona, frequency, goal]. Based on the available Spendesk MCP tools: 1. Which tools would you use? 2. Is this need fully covered? 3. If not, suggest a workaround. 4. Write me a reusable skill."
📚 Full Guide
For detailed walkthroughs, the full skills library by persona, and hands-on examples: