io.usefulapi/ably
REMOTE · ABLY.USEFULAPI.IO · SCANNED SEP 20
MCP server for Ably — channel history, presence, occupancy, stats, publish, and app management.
Available components
How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. How we score → Why this is hard to score →
Endpoint Security78
- The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key. View diagnostics → Pass
- Authorisation is enforced on tool calls, advertised via RFC 9728 protected-resource metadata. Discovery is public, which costs nothing: no tool can be invoked without a token. View diagnostics → Pass
- HTTPS enforcement could not be verified: the plaintext port answered with HTTP 401, which proves neither a plaintext path nor enforcement. View diagnostics → Unverified
- HSTS check failed: the Strict-Transport-Security header is absent. See how to fix → View diagnostics → Fail
- DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC. See how to fix → View diagnostics → Fail
- The authorisation server offers only Dynamic Client Registration (RFC 7591), which MCP 2026-07-28 deprecated in favour of Client ID Metadata Documents. View diagnostics → Partial
Transport & Reachability100
- Verified streamable-http transport via a live MCP handshake. View diagnostics → Pass
Schema Quality & AI Usability82
- AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).Pass
- Tool/resource definitions use about 1261 tokens (~84/item across 15 items; 15 tools + 0 resources), lean.Pass
- Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples. See how to fix → Fail
Stability & Change Management100
- No destabilizing schema changes in the last 30 days.Pass
Tool Coverage100
- 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).Pass
- 100% of tool parameters carry a description.Pass
Tool Safety100
- No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.Pass
- All 1 tool(s) whose name or description implies an irreversible operation declare an MCP destructiveHint annotation.Pass
- An AI judge read all 15 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.Pass
Capabilities60
- Spec-recency check failed: implements MCP spec 2025-06-18; the latest is 2026-07-28. See how to fix → Fail
How do I install the io.usefulapi/ably MCP server?
io.usefulapi/ably is a hosted endpoint at https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.
remote · ably.usefulapi.io
claude mcp add --transport http io-usefulapi-ably 'https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp'
{
"mcpServers": {
"io-usefulapi-ably": {
"url": "https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
} {
"servers": {
"io-usefulapi-ably": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
} [mcp_servers.io-usefulapi-ably] url = "https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp"
{
"$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
"mcp": {
"io-usefulapi-ably": {
"type": "remote",
"url": "https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp",
"enabled": true
}
}
} openclaw mcp add io-usefulapi-ably --url 'https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp' --transport streamable-http
mcp_servers:
io-usefulapi-ably:
url: "https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp" {
"McpServers": {
"io-usefulapi-ably": {
"Transport": "http",
"Url": "https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
} assistant mcp add io-usefulapi-ably -t streamable-http -u 'https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp'
{
"mcpServers": {
"io-usefulapi-ably": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp"
}
}
} The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.
Every change we have recorded for this component, newest first. Security-relevant changes are always shown. ▲ marks a change for the better, ▼ a change for the worse; unmarked changes are neutral.
- 12 Sept 26 +58
- Authorization: unverified → pass ▲ security
- Injection markers: unverified → pass ▲ security
- Stability: unverified → pass ▲ security
- MCP protocol: unverified → fail ▼ functional
- Endpoint reachability: behind authorisation → reachable ▲ functional
- Tool coverage: unverified → 100 ▲ functional
- 10 Sept 26 −59
- Endpoint reachability: reachable → behind authorisation ▼ security
- Authorization: pass → unverified ▼ security
- Stability: pass → unverified ▼ security
- Tool safety: pass → unverified ▼ security
- Capabilities: fail → unverified ▼ functional
- Tool coverage: 100 → unverified ▼ functional
- First check of Schema quality: unverified functional
- 9 Sept 26 +3
- Authorization: fail → pass ▲ security
- 8 Sept 26 −2
- Authorization: pass → fail ▼ security
- 26 Aug 26 0
- We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
- 25 Aug 26 +1
- Stability: 0.97 → pass security
- 23 Aug 26 +1
No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 90 to 93. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 27 days of observed history at the previous scan, 28 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.
- 11 Aug 26 0
- We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
Diagnostic detail from the automated scan of this channel: what the scanner observed at each step, so you can see exactly where a check passed or failed. It is informational only and never changes the trust score.
Captured 20 Sept 2026 · Probed https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp
TLS valid
Negotiated TLS 1.3 with TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256 .
| Subject | Issuer | Valid from | Valid until | Key | Signature | Serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN=usefulapi.io | CN=WE1,O=Google Trust Services,C=US | 14 Sept 2026 | 13 Dec 2026 | ECDSA 256 | ECDSA-SHA256 | d9e7395d7b8b0eb30e45d2a8717048e8 |
| SANs: usefulapi.io, ably.usefulapi.io, *.ably.usefulapi.io | ||||||
| CN=WE1,O=Google Trust Services,C=US (CA) | CN=GTS Root R4,O=Google Trust Services LLC,C=US | 13 Dec 2023 | 20 Feb 2029 | ECDSA 256 | ECDSA-SHA384 | 7ff31977972c224a76155d13b6d685e3 |
| CN=GTS Root R4,O=Google Trust Services LLC,C=US (CA) | CN=GlobalSign Root CA,OU=Root CA,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BE | 15 Nov 2023 | 28 Jan 2028 | ECDSA 384 | SHA256-RSA | 7fe530bf331343bedd821610493d8a1b |
Background: What to check on a remote MCP endpoint →
DNSSEC insecure
Validation of ably.usefulapi.io. — Not signed
| Zone | DS | Keys | Algorithms | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | trust_anchor | 20326, 38696 | 8, 8 | Verified |
| io. | present | 57355 | 8 | Verified |
| usefulapi.io. | absent | Unsigned (proven) parent-signed NSEC/NSEC3 proves an unsigned delegation |
Authentication Enforced and verified
The endpoint asked for a token and published valid RFC 9728 metadata describing how to get one.
| Result | Enforced and verified |
|---|---|
| Enforced | On tool calls |
| HTTP status | 200 |
WWW-Authenticate challenge Bearer realm="OAuth", resource_metadata="https://ably.usefulapi.io/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource/mcp", error="invalid_token", error_description="Missing or invalid access token"
Bearer realm="OAuth", resource_metadata="https://ably.usefulapi.io/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource/mcp", error="invalid_token", error_description="Missing or invalid access token"Protected resource metadata
| Document | https://ably.usefulapi.io/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource/mcp |
|---|---|
| Retrieved | Yes |
| Resource | https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp |
| Authorisation server | https://ably.usefulapi.io |
Background: How OAuth 2.1 works in the 2026 MCP spec →
Transports 2 probes
| Transport | URL | Outcome | Status | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| streamable-http | https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp | Verified | 200 | |
| http (plaintext) | http://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp | Inconclusive | 401 |
The tools this component advertises to a client, with an estimated token cost for each. Expand a tool to see its parameters and schema. The per-tool counts are indicative and are not scored directly; the schema's total context footprint is one signal in Schema Quality & AI Usability. A tool's description is untrusted text the model reads on every call, which is what makes this list a security surface and not just an inventory: how tool poisoning works →
ably_get_account_stats Get account-level statistics ~141
Retrieve aggregated usage statistics across the whole account, bucketed by time. Account id is resolved from the control token when ABLY_ACCOUNT_ID is unset. Control API: GET /accounts/{account_id}/stats.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| account_id | string | – | Override the account id (defaults to the token's account). |
| end | integer | – | End of range, ms since epoch (inclusive). |
| limit | integer | – | Max buckets (<=1000). Default 100. |
| start | integer | – | Start of range, ms since epoch (inclusive). |
| unit | string | – | Bucket size: minute | hour | day | month. Default minute. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_get_channel_details Get channel details / occupancy ~47
Get status and occupancy metrics for a single channel (connections, publishers, subscribers, presence members). REST: GET /channels/{channel}.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel | string | yes | Channel name. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_get_channel_history Get channel message history ~123
Retrieve historical messages published to a channel, newest-first by default. REST: GET /channels/{channel}/messages.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel | string | yes | Channel name, e.g. 'chat:room1'. |
| direction | string | – | forwards (oldest-first) or backwards (newest-first, default). |
| end | integer | – | Latest message time, ms since epoch (inclusive). |
| limit | integer | – | Max messages (<=1000). Default 100. |
| start | integer | – | Earliest message time, ms since epoch (inclusive). |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_get_presence Get channel presence set ~88
List the members currently present on a channel (who is online now). REST: GET /channels/{channel}/presence.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel | string | yes | Channel name. |
| clientId | string | – | Filter to a specific clientId. |
| connectionId | string | – | Filter to a specific connectionId. |
| limit | integer | – | Max members (<=1000). Default 100. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_get_presence_history Get channel presence history ~108
Retrieve historical presence events (enter/leave/update) for a channel. REST: GET /channels/{channel}/presence/history.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel | string | yes | Channel name. |
| direction | string | – | forwards or backwards (default backwards). |
| end | integer | – | Latest event time, ms since epoch (inclusive). |
| limit | integer | – | Max events (<=1000). Default 100. |
| start | integer | – | Earliest event time, ms since epoch (inclusive). |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_get_service_time Get Ably service time ~40
Return the current Ably service time in ms since epoch. Useful for aligning start/end windows to the server clock. REST: GET /time.
Input schema present but exposes no named parameters.
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_get_stats Get app statistics ~119
Retrieve message/connection/channel usage statistics for the app tied to the API key, bucketed by time. REST: GET /stats.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| direction | string | – | forwards or backwards (default backwards). |
| end | integer | – | End of range, ms since epoch (inclusive). |
| limit | integer | – | Max buckets (<=1000). Default 100. |
| start | integer | – | Start of range, ms since epoch (inclusive). |
| unit | string | – | Bucket size: minute | hour | day | month. Default minute. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_list_apps List Ably apps ~74
List all apps in the account (id, name, status, tls-only). Account id is resolved automatically from the control token when ABLY_ACCOUNT_ID is unset. Control API: GET /accounts/{account_id}/apps.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| account_id | string | – | Override the account id (defaults to the token's account). |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_list_channels List active channels ~97
Enumerate channels that are currently active in the app. Requires the API key to have the 'channel-metadata' capability. REST: GET /channels.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| by | string | – | Return channel ids only ('id', default) or full details ('value'). |
| limit | integer | – | Max channels per page (<=1000). Default 100. |
| prefix | string | – | Only return channels whose name starts with this prefix. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_list_keys List an app's API keys ~56
List the API keys for an app, including their capabilities (but not the full secret). Control API: GET /apps/{app_id}/keys.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| app_id | string | yes | App id (from ably_list_apps). |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_list_namespaces List an app's channel namespaces ~62
List the channel namespaces (channel-rule prefixes) configured for an app, e.g. persistence and push settings. Control API: GET /apps/{app_id}/namespaces.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| app_id | string | yes | App id (from ably_list_apps). |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_list_queues List an app's queues ~66
List the Ably Queues (AMQP/STOMP message queues) provisioned for an app, with their state and messaging stats. Control API: GET /apps/{app_id}/queues.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| app_id | string | yes | App id (from ably_list_apps). |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_list_rules List an app's integration rules ~69
List the integration rules (reactor rules: webhooks, AWS Lambda/SQS/Kinesis, Kafka, Pulsar, etc.) configured for an app. Control API: GET /apps/{app_id}/rules.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| app_id | string | yes | App id (from ably_list_apps). |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_publish_message Publish a message to a channel ~125
WRITE: publish a message to a channel. Every connected subscriber receives it in real time. This is a real, outward-facing side effect — confirm the channel and payload before calling. REST: POST /channels/{channel}/messages.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel | string | yes | Channel name to publish to, e.g. 'chat:room1'. |
| clientId | string | – | Optional clientId to attribute the message to. |
| data | string | yes | Message payload (string; send JSON as a stringified value). |
| name | string | – | Optional event name for the message. |
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
ably_whoami Get control token / account info ~46
Return details about the configured control token: the account and user it belongs to and its capabilities. Good first call to confirm control-plane access. Control API: GET /me.
Input schema present but exposes no named parameters.
No output schema declared.
No examples provided.
What is the io.usefulapi/ably MCP server?
io.usefulapi/ably is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as io.usefulapi/ably. MCP server for Ably, channel history, presence, occupancy, stats, publish, and app management. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://ably.usefulapi.io/mcp).
Is the io.usefulapi/ably MCP server safe to use?
io.usefulapi/ably scores 86 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.
What tools does the io.usefulapi/ably MCP server expose?
io.usefulapi/ably exposes 15 tools: ably_get_channel_history, ably_get_presence, ably_get_presence_history, ably_get_channel_details, ably_list_channels, and 10 more. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 1,261 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.
Does the io.usefulapi/ably MCP server require authentication?
Yes. io.usefulapi/ably asked us for credentials when we connected, so you will need to authorise it in your MCP client before it can do anything.
Is the io.usefulapi/ably MCP server still maintained?
io.usefulapi/ably is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 20 September 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.