Chatfuel MCP Troubleshooting
Fixes for Chatfuel MCP problems - sign-in loops, read-only connections, missing tools, a bot that stays silent after the AI is on, and requests MCP can't do.
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Most Chatfuel MCP problems come from four causes: an expired or revoked sign-in, a read-only connection, a task that only the Chatfuel dashboard does, or a bot that is muted by its own settings. Find your symptom below. For a silent bot, the fastest check is to ask the assistant "Why doesn't my bot reply?": it runs a diagnosis and names the first blocking cause.
How to check what's wrong with the connection
Ask the assistant "Show me my bots." If the assistant lists them, the connection works and the problem is in the request or the bot's settings. If the assistant asks you to sign in or reports an error, follow the matching issue below. Setup steps for each assistant are in how to connect Chatfuel to AI assistants with MCP.
Common issues
The assistant keeps asking me to sign in
The Chatfuel sign-in has expired or was revoked in Connected apps in the Chatfuel dashboard. Reconnect the Chatfuel server in your assistant and sign in again. If the assistant uses a CLI token, check that the token wasn't regenerated and that the header is Authorization: Bearer <token>.
The assistant can see my bots but can't change anything
The connection was made with Read-only on, so write tools are hidden. Disconnect Chatfuel in the assistant, connect again and leave Read-only off on the consent screen. The options are in Chatfuel MCP sign-in, read-only access and CLI token.
I signed in to one link, but the other still asks me to sign in
https://mcp.chatfuel.com/panel and https://mcp.chatfuel.com/panel/api are separate connections. Sign in to each link you added.
"insufficient_scope"
The connection doesn't have the access the request needs. A read-only connection can't call tools that change things, and the API MCP link doesn't accept read-only access at all. Connect again with full access.
I don't see "Add custom MCP server" in ChatGPT
On chatgpt.com, custom MCP servers are available on ChatGPT Business, Enterprise and Edu plans. Steps for the desktop app are in how to connect ChatGPT to Chatfuel.
The AI is on, but the bot still doesn't reply to customers
Fuely AI stays silent when the Main bot is off, the channel's automations are off, the plan isn't working or AI credits are used up, the chat is in live chat with your team, or the AI is set to reply only outside working hours. Ask the assistant "My bot stopped replying to customers. Why?", then fix the cause it names. Buying a plan doesn't turn automations on by itself. More causes are in why the bot sometimes misses messages.
The assistant says it can't turn off the AI for all channels
The Main bot is the main switch for the AI in every channel, and only the Chatfuel dashboard turns it off. The assistant can turn off single automations instead.
The assistant can't show my Flows
Flows can't be shown or edited through MCP. Edit them in the Chatfuel dashboard. On older flow-based bots, a flow can answer a message before the AI does.
The assistant says a message couldn't be sent
WhatsApp accepts free-form messages only within 24 hours of the customer's last message, and Messenger and Instagram within 7 days. Sandbox (preview) chats don't accept messages either.
The assistant reports too many requests
One sign-in can run 4 requests at the same time, and one Chatfuel user 8. Wait a few seconds and ask again.