Getting Started with Hoist MCP: Domain Registration for AI Agents in 5 Minutes

Hoist MCP gives your AI assistant direct access to domain registration, DNS management, and site deployment through the Model Context Protocol. One npx command, and Claude Desktop or Cursor can search domains, register them, configure DNS, and deploy code — all through natural language.

This tutorial walks you through setup to first deployment.

Prerequisites

• Claude Desktop or Cursor (any version with MCP support)
• Node.js 18+ installed (node --version to check)
• A Hoist account — sign up free to get an API key

No account? You can still search domains and check pricing without one. Registration and deployment require an API key.

Step 1: Install the MCP Server

The Hoist MCP server runs as a local process that your AI assistant connects to via stdio. No global install needed — npx handles it.

Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hoist": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@hoist/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "HOIST_API_KEY": "hoist_sk_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Cursor, add the same configuration in Settings → MCP Servers.

Restart your AI assistant after saving. You should see "hoist" listed as a connected MCP server with 6 available tools.

Step 2: Search for a Domain

Ask your assistant to search for a domain. It will use the search_domain tool automatically:

"Search for available domains with the name coolproject"

The tool searches across all 14 supported TLDs (.com, .dev, .app, .io, .ai, .xyz, and more) and returns availability with pricing:

{
  "results": [
    { "domain": "coolproject.dev", "available": true, "price": 14.99 },
    { "domain": "coolproject.app", "available": true, "price": 16.99 },
    { "domain": "coolproject.io", "available": true, "price": 39.99 },
    { "domain": "coolproject.com", "available": false }
  ]
}

You can also check a specific domain:

"Is coolproject.dev available?"

Step 3: Register a Domain

Found one you want? Tell your assistant to register it:

"Register coolproject.dev for me"

The register_domain tool initiates checkout and returns a Stripe payment URL:

{
  "domain": "coolproject.dev",
  "checkout_url": "https://checkout.stripe.com/c/pay/cs_live_...",
  "message": "Complete payment to activate domain registration"
}

Open the checkout URL, complete payment, and your domain is registered. Hoist handles the registrar submission, DNS zone creation, and SSL provisioning automatically.

Guest checkout also works — if you don't have an API key yet, the tool can accept an email address to create an account on the fly:

"Register coolproject.dev with guest checkout using my@email.com"

Step 4: Deploy a Site

Once your domain is registered and paid, deploy to it:

"Deploy my GitHub repo https://github.com/user/my-site to coolproject.dev"

The deploy tool pushes your code live:

{
  "deployment": {
    "id": "dep_abc123",
    "domain": "coolproject.dev",
    "status": "live",
    "url": "https://coolproject.dev"
  }
}

Your site is live at https://coolproject.dev with SSL configured. One command from idea to live site.

Step 5: Manage DNS

Need to add DNS records? The manage_dns tool handles it:

"Add a TXT record to coolproject.dev for domain verification: google-site-verification=abc123"

{
  "record": {
    "id": "rec_xyz",
    "type": "TXT",
    "name": "@",
    "value": "google-site-verification=abc123",
    "ttl": 3600
  }
}

Supported record types: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, NS, SRV. You can also list all records or delete specific ones:

"List all DNS records for coolproject.dev" "Delete the TXT record with ID rec_xyz"

Full Workflow: Search → Register → Deploy

Here's the power of MCP — a single conversation that handles the entire domain lifecycle:

You: "I need a .dev domain for my new project called 'launchpad'. Search for it, register it, and deploy my repo at https://github.com/user/launchpad."

Claude: searches launchpad.dev → available at $14.99 → generates checkout URL → you complete payment → deploys repo → site live at https://launchpad.dev

Three operations, one conversation, zero context switching. The agent handles the API orchestration while you handle the decisions.

All 6 MCP Tools

Tool	What it does	Auth required?
search_domain	Check availability across 14 TLDs	No
register_domain	Register + Stripe checkout	No (guest) or API key
check_status	Domain status, DNS, deployments	API key
get_pricing	TLD pricing list	No
deploy	Deploy git repo to domain	API key
manage_dns	Add, delete, list DNS records	API key

Full API documentation: hoist-g8do.polsia.app/docs

What's Next

• Explore the API — the docs cover every endpoint, including anonymous deploys that don't require an account
• Read the comparison — see how Hoist stacks up in our Cloudflare Registrar API vs Hoist breakdown
• Install the CLI — prefer the terminal? npx hoist-cli deploy works too
• MCP server on npm — @hoist/mcp-server for version pinning and source code

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Hoist — Domain + Deploy in one command. Built for agents that ship autonomously. Get started

FAQ

How do I get a Hoist API key?

Sign up for a free account. Your API key (prefixed hoist_sk_) is available in your dashboard immediately after signup. The key goes in your MCP server configuration as the HOIST_API_KEY environment variable.

Can I use Hoist MCP without an API key?

Yes, partially. The search_domain and get_pricing tools work without authentication. To register domains, deploy sites, or manage DNS, you need an API key — or you can use guest checkout with just an email address for domain registration.

Does the MCP server work with Cursor?

Yes. Cursor supports MCP servers the same way Claude Desktop does. Add the Hoist configuration in Cursor's MCP settings (Settings → MCP Servers) with the same JSON config shown in Step 1.

What TLDs does Hoist support?

Hoist supports 14 TLDs focused on developers and AI projects: .com, .dev, .app, .io, .ai, .xyz, .net, .org, .co, .me, .tech, .site, .online, and .store. See pricing for current rates.

How much does domain registration cost?

Pricing varies by TLD. A .com is $12.99/year, .dev is $14.99/year, .ai is $79.99/year. The get_pricing tool returns current prices for all supported TLDs. Payment is handled through Stripe — no credit card stored on Hoist's servers.