Platform Compatibility
Crow uses the open Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard. Any MCP-compatible AI client can connect to Crow's gateway — no vendor-specific extensions are used.
Compatibility Matrix
| Platform | Transport | Auth | Setup Difficulty | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Web & Mobile | Streamable HTTP | OAuth 2.1 | Easy | Fully tested |
| Claude Desktop | stdio | N/A (local) | Easy | Fully tested |
| Claude Code (CLI) | stdio / HTTP | OAuth 2.1 | Easy | Fully tested |
| ChatGPT | SSE | OAuth 2.1 | Easy | Compatible |
| Gemini | stdio / HTTP | OAuth 2.1 | Easy | Compatible |
| Grok (xAI) | Streamable HTTP | Bearer token | Medium | Compatible |
| Cursor | stdio / HTTP | Varies | Easy | Compatible |
| Windsurf | stdio / HTTP | Varies | Easy | Compatible |
| Cline | stdio / HTTP | Varies | Easy | Compatible |
| Qwen Coder CLI | stdio / HTTP | OAuth 2.1 | Easy | Compatible |
| OpenClaw | stdio / HTTP | OAuth 2.1 / N/A | Easy | Compatible |
Native Bot Management
OpenClaw bots can also be managed directly from the Crow dashboard using the CrowClaw extension. CrowClaw handles bot creation, AI configuration (BYOAI bridge), skill deployment, and monitoring — no manual MCP config needed. Bots appear in the Messages panel alongside peers and AI chat.
Transport Types
Crow's gateway supports two MCP transport protocols:
Streamable HTTP (Recommended)
- Protocol version:
2025-03-26 - Endpoints:
/memory/mcp,/projects/mcp,/sharing/mcp,/storage/mcp,/blog-mcp/mcp,/tools/mcp - Used by: Claude, Gemini, Grok, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, Claude Code
SSE (Legacy)
- Protocol version:
2024-11-05 - Endpoints:
/memory/sse,/projects/sse,/sharing/sse,/storage/sse,/blog-mcp/sse,/tools/sse - Used by: ChatGPT
stdio (Local Only)
- Direct process communication, no network
- Used by: Claude Desktop, Claude Code (local), Gemini CLI (local), Qwen Coder CLI (local), Cursor (local), Windsurf (local), Cline (local), OpenClaw (local)
Authentication
The gateway uses OAuth 2.1 with Dynamic Client Registration. When you connect a new client, it automatically:
- Discovers the OAuth metadata at
/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server - Registers itself as a client via
/register - Redirects you to authorize at
/authorize - Receives an access token via
/token
This is the same standard flow used by most OAuth providers. No manual token management needed for platforms that support OAuth discovery.
For platforms that don't support OAuth discovery (like Grok), you can use the /introspect endpoint or configure bearer tokens manually.
Cross-Platform Context (crow.md)
Crow goes beyond shared data — it also shares behavioral context across platforms. The crow.md document defines how Crow behaves: identity, memory protocols, transparency rules, and your customizations.
Automatic delivery: When any AI connects to Crow, it receives a condensed version of your behavioral context during the MCP handshake — before any tool calls happen. The AI immediately knows how to use memory, follow session protocols, and respect transparency rules. No user action required.
On-demand guidance: For detailed workflow instructions, the AI can request MCP prompts like session-start, crow-guide, research-guide, blog-guide, or sharing-guide. These provide comprehensive guidance without consuming context window space upfront.
Manual access: Use the crow_get_context tool (any MCP platform) or GET /crow.md (HTTP endpoint) for the full document.
See the Cross-Platform Guide for a complete walkthrough.