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This guide covers common issues you may encounter when using Stobo MCP and how to resolve them.

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Common issues

Free tools work without a key. If you’re calling a paid tool (generate_llms_txt, extract_tone, rewrite_article, or get_credits):
  1. Sign up at trystobo.com
  2. Go to Settings > API Keys
  3. Add STOBO_API_KEY to your editor config
  4. Restart your editor
Tools like audit_site, audit_article, generate_robots_txt, generate_sitemap, generate_freshness_code, and audit_freshness all work without an API key.
If you receive an authentication error:
  1. Log in at trystobo.com
  2. Navigate to Settings > API Keys
  3. Generate a new API key
  4. Update STOBO_API_KEY in your MCP server config
  5. Restart your editor
The error response includes a status code of 401 or 403.
When you see this error (status code 402):
  • Top up your credits at trystobo.com
  • Free tools continue to work without credits
  • Check your remaining balance using the get_credits tool
Only generate_llms_txt (500 credits), extract_tone (500 credits), and rewrite_article (1,000 credits) consume credits. All other tools are free.
If you hit rate limits:
  • Wait a moment and try again
  • Rate limits reset quickly
  • Normal conversational use stays well within limits
The server returns a 429 status code for rate limit errors.
To diagnose connection problems:
  1. Ask your AI assistant to run the check_connection tool
  2. Check your internet connection
  3. Verify STOBO_BASE_URL is not set (it defaults to the correct value)
  4. Try again in a few minutes if the API is temporarily down
The check_connection tool returns diagnostic information including:
  • Current base URL being used
  • Whether an API key is configured
  • HTTP status code or connection error details
  • Suggested fixes for common issues
If Stobo tools aren’t appearing:
  1. Save your config file and restart the editor completely
  2. Verify uvx is installed by running uvx --version in your terminal
  3. Test the server manually: uvx --native-tls stobo-mcp — it should start without errors
  4. Check that your config file syntax is valid JSON
  5. Ensure the config file is in the correct location for your editor
For Claude Desktop, the config is at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows.

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Getting help

If you’re still experiencing issues: