API Copilot MCP is an AI-powered assistant available through the Shell Developer Portal that helps to integrate Shell APIs directly from the coding environment instead of manually searching through documentation. It is a Shell API expert available inside your IDE, capable of explaining APIs, generating code, implementing authentication, troubleshooting issues, and building integrations using Shell API context.
The solution integrates with VS Code, Cursor, and Claude Code, enabling developers to work with Shell APIs using natural language prompts.
How to get started
- Navigate to the SDK page for the Shell API you want to use:
- Select your preferred programming language.
- Click Install to add the Shell API MCP server connection to your AI coding tool.
- Start prompting the assistant to generate code, explain endpoints, implement authentication, troubleshoot issues, or build integrations using the selected Shell API
Real impact observed during testing
During testing, we were able to create a working proof of concept application, including both backend and frontend components, in under an hour using just a few prompts.
The process was simple:
- Describe the application requirements and desired functionality.
- Provide API credentials if live API calls and real data retrieval are required.
- Let the AI assistant generate the application, including API integration, authentication, and user interface components.
- Refine the solution with additional prompts to adjust functionality or improve the look and feel.
In one test scenario, a complete fuel card management application was created from concept to working proof of concept using only a handful of prompts. This was possible because the assistant had direct access to high-quality Shell API documentation and integration guidance through the MCP connection.
What traditionally takes days or weeks of reading documentation, writing integration code, and troubleshooting can often be reduced to hours.
