MCP or API: which should I use?
MCP and the API can both do everything your dashboard can do. The difference is how they connect, and what each one is good at.
Start with MCP. Use the API only when you need something on the API side of the table below.
| MCP | API | |
|---|---|---|
| Works in the Claude or ChatGPT app | Yes | No. It needs to save your key in a .env file on your computer, and chat apps can't do that. |
| Works in Claude Code and Codex | Yes | Yes |
| How it signs in | Your LinkHaven login. No key to handle. | A key you create, saved in a .env file on your computer. |
| Runs on its own | No. It acts when you ask it in a chat. | Yes. Your scripts and scheduled jobs run without you. |
| Big batch jobs (hundreds of changes) | Slow. Your AI makes each change one at a time. | Fast. A script does them in seconds. |
| Files on your computer | From a web address, or upload them in the page editor (it gives you the link). | Uploads them straight from your computer. |
You can use both on the same account.
To connect either one, open the MCP & API screen in your dashboard. Connect LinkHaven to your AI walks through it.