Ask questions about City Council.

Connect Windowbox to Claude or ChatGPT to find discussions, read meeting transcripts, and get links to the recording. You can set it up through the app's menus, with no code to write.

Before you start

You need a Claude or ChatGPT account and an internet connection. Windowbox requires no account, password, or API key. Your app’s plan limits and workplace settings still apply.

The connection uses MCP, short for Model Context Protocol. It lets your AI app request public meeting information from Windowbox as you ask questions. It can read the archive but cannot change or delete anything in it.

Both apps need this server URL:

https://mcp.portland.windowbox.app/mcp

Select and copy the whole address, including /mcp at the end. You will paste it into a settings field, rather than open it as a web page. Choose your app below.

Claude Desktop

Claude calls this connection a custom connector. It is available on Free, Pro, and Max plans; Free accounts can have one custom connector. For Team or Enterprise accounts, an owner must add it for the organization first.

1. Open Claude Desktop and sign in.
2. Open Customize → Connectors. Some versions show Connectors under Settings.
3. Select +, then Add custom connector.
4. Enter Windowbox as the name and paste the server URL above. Leave the advanced OAuth fields empty; Windowbox does not use a login.
5. Select Add.
6. Start a new chat. Select + beside the message box, open Connectors, and enable Windowbox.
7. Send the first question below. If Claude asks to use a Windowbox tool, review the request and allow it to continue.

If the menu is missing, try Claude in your browser with the same account. Remote connectors belong to your Claude account and can be used in Claude Desktop too. See Claude’s connector setup guide for account and organization details.

ChatGPT desktop app

1. Open ChatGPT on your computer and sign in.
2. Open Settings → MCP servers.
3. Select Add server and enter Windowbox as the name.
4. Choose Streamable HTTP as the connection type. This option connects to Windowbox over the internet.
5. Paste the server URL above into the URL field. Leave any token or sign-in fields empty.
6. Save the server, then select Restart.
7. In a new conversation, type /mcp in the message box to check that Windowbox appears as a connected server.
8. Send the first question below.

These steps follow OpenAI’s desktop MCP guide. If your app has no MCP servers setting, check for an app update or use the browser steps below. Desktop MCP settings do not automatically carry over to ChatGPT on the web.

ChatGPT in a browser

This route uses a setting called Developer mode. OpenAI currently lists it for Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education accounts on the web, subject to workspace policy. It is not a Free-plan setup route.

1. Sign in at chatgpt.com.
2. Open Settings → Security and login and turn on Developer mode.
3. Open Plugins and select +.
4. Name the connection Windowbox. For its description, enter “Search Portland City Council meeting transcripts.”
5. Under Connection, enter the server URL above as a public endpoint. Choose No Authentication for the login method.
6. Create the connection and review the tools it finds.
7. Start a new chat, select + → Developer mode, and select Windowbox.
8. Send the first question below.

OpenAI’s connection guide and Developer mode guide describe these controls. If Developer mode is unavailable, ask your workspace administrator about access or use Windowbox search.

Try your first question

Copy this into your connected app:

Use Windowbox to list the three most recent meetings in its archive. Include each meeting’s date, title, and Windowbox link.

You should see the app use Windowbox and return meeting links. Open one to check that the date and title match. After that, try a question such as:

Use Windowbox to find mentions of “housing.” Give me three relevant passages, with the speaker, meeting date, and a link to each moment in the recording.

You can follow up with “Read the discussion around the second passage and explain what was proposed and what was decided.” Ask for source links with each answer.

Windowbox only covers meetings published in its archive. Its search matches words and phrases, so try another term if a search finds nothing. A missing result does not prove that the Council never discussed a topic. Transcripts and AI answers can contain errors; check the recording before quoting a passage or relying on a vote count.

If something does not work

The app cannot connect

Check that the address starts with https:// and ends with /mcp, with no spaces before or after it. Windowbox does not need an API key or OAuth credentials. If the app asks for a login method, choose No Authentication. Try again in a new chat after saving the connection.

The answer does not use Windowbox

Make sure Windowbox is enabled for the conversation. Ask “Use Windowbox to list meetings” and look for a Windowbox tool request. Pasting the server URL into a chat by itself does not create a connection.

A setting is missing or blocked

App menus and account access can change. Check the official guides linked above and your app’s version. A work or school account may need an administrator to allow the connection. You can always search the archive directly.

If you still need help, email info@windowbox.app with the app name, the step that failed, and the error message. Do not include passwords or access tokens.

Privacy and disconnecting

Your AI provider processes your conversation under its own privacy settings and terms. When it calls Windowbox, it sends the details needed for that request, such as search words, a meeting ID, or a speaker filter. Windowbox returns public meeting information. See our privacy policy for hosting and request processing details.

To stop using Windowbox, disable or remove it in the same connector, MCP server, or plugin settings where you added it. Removing the connection does not delete conversations you already had with the app.

Setup instructions checked against the providers’ documentation on September 16, 2026.