Introduction: When Your Store Understands You
Imagine sitting anywhere and, instead of logging into a dashboard and clicking through dozens of pages, you simply type: “How many orders came in today?” or “Which products are running low?” — and get an instant answer drawn from your actual store data.
That’s exactly what Salla has made possible through its native integration with Claude and ChatGPT. It’s not a concept or a workaround — it’s a live feature you can activate today in minutes. In this guide, we’ll explain how the connection works technically, walk you through the setup step by step, and show you what becomes possible once it’s active.
The Technology Behind It: What Is MCP?
Before diving into steps, it’s worth understanding what’s happening under the hood. The connection doesn’t rely on traditional Webhooks or API keys. Instead, it uses a modern protocol called MCP — Model Context Protocol, an open standard developed by Anthropic (the company behind Claude) that enables AI models to communicate securely and consistently with external systems.
The core idea: instead of every system needing its own unique integration method, there’s now a shared language that AI models use to talk to any service that supports the protocol. Salla has launched its own MCP server, making your store directly “conversable” from within Claude or ChatGPT.
The practical result: the AI isn’t guessing or generating generic answers — it pulls real, live data from your store, with your permission and under your full control.
Before You Start: What Do You Need?
No technical expertise is required, but a few things need to be in place:
On the Salla side: An active merchant account with dashboard access, and a paid subscription plan — this feature is not available on the free tier.
On the AI side: Either a Claude account (web or desktop app), or a paid ChatGPT Plus subscription — the free ChatGPT plan does not support this feature.
Your Starting Point: Salla AI Connector
Regardless of which AI tool you choose — Claude or ChatGPT — the starting point is always your Salla dashboard. Navigate to the Unified Settings Center in the main navigation bar, then look under the General tab for Salla AI Connector. This is where you’ll find the official, up-to-date instructions for each tool, along with the MCP server URL you’ll need in the next steps.
Connecting ChatGPT to Your Salla Store
The ChatGPT setup involves an initial configuration step to enable MCP support, which isn’t active by default. Here’s how it works:
1. Open Settings and Navigate to Apps
Open ChatGPT in a web browser — this is important, as the setup cannot be done from the mobile app. Click your profile picture, enter Settings, and go to the Apps section in the left sidebar.
2. Enable Developer Mode
Click Advanced settings and toggle on Developer mode. You’ll see a warning labeled “Elevated Risk” — this is completely normal when adding custom MCP servers and doesn’t indicate any danger to your account or data.
3. Create the App and Link It to Salla
Return to the Apps page and click Create app. Give it a name (e.g., Salla AI Connector) and in the MCP Server URL field enter: https://mcp.salla.dev/mcp. The authentication method will auto-select as OAuth. Accept the acknowledgment and click Create.
4. Sign In and Grant Permissions
ChatGPT will automatically redirect you to Salla’s login page. Sign in with your merchant credentials, review the permissions being requested, and click Grant Authorization. After that, Salla MCP will appear in your active apps and you’re ready to go.
Connecting Claude to Your Salla Store
With Claude, the setup is more straightforward and goes through its built-in Connectors system:
1. Add a New Connector
Open Claude (app or web), go to Customize settings, and in the Connectors section click the (+) button. Enter a name (e.g., salla) and in the URL field enter: https://mcp.salla.dev/mcp. Click Add to save.
2. Connect and Authenticate
The connector will appear under Not connected. Click it, then click Connect, and your browser will open Salla’s login page at accounts.salla.sa. If you manage multiple stores, make sure to select the right one before proceeding. Sign in and click Grant Authorization.
3. Set Your Trust Level
Once connected, the connector moves to the Web section in Claude, and you can configure how much autonomy it has. Needs Approval means Claude asks for your confirmation before executing any action that affects data — highly recommended especially when you’re starting out. Always Allow executes commands immediately without prompting.
4. Activate the Connector in Each Conversation
When starting a new Claude conversation where you want to access your store data, click the (+) button below the chat input, choose Connectors, and enable the Salla connector. This step is required for each new conversation.
What Can You Actually Ask?
Once the connection is active, the way you interact with your store’s data completely changes. No special commands or syntax needed — just natural conversation. Here are real examples you can use right away:
For daily operations: “Show me the last 10 orders with their current status” or “Which orders haven’t been shipped yet?”
For inventory management: “Which products have fewer than 5 units in stock?” or “Rank my products by sales volume this month”
For analysis and reporting: “Compare this week’s sales to last week” or “How many new customers registered this month?”
For creative tasks: “Rewrite this product description in a compelling marketing tone” or “Create a 15% discount coupon for new customers”
Data Security: How Is Your Store’s Information Protected?
A legitimate question — and the answer is reassuring. The connection operates through OAuth, the same industry-standard protocol you use when you sign into a website using your Google account. The principle: you never hand over your password; instead, you grant a limited, specific authorization with clearly defined permissions.
Critically, you can revoke this authorization at any time from your Salla account settings, and the AI loses access immediately. For complete details on Salla’s data policies, refer to their official terms and policies page.
Common Issues and How to Fix Them
ChatGPT — Can’t find Advanced settings: Make sure you’re using the web version, not the mobile app. The setup currently only works through a browser.
ChatGPT — Create app button not visible: Developer mode must be enabled first via Settings → Apps → Advanced settings, then return to the Apps page.
Claude — Connector not appearing after adding: Try closing the app or fully refreshing the page, then check Connectors settings again.
Login error on Salla: Confirm your account has merchant permissions and you’re on a paid plan. Clearing cookies for accounts.salla.sa and trying again resolves many OAuth-related issues.
Conclusion: Running a Store Through Conversation
The integration between Salla and AI tools represents a genuine shift in how online stores can be managed. The idea isn’t to replace the dashboard entirely, but to give you faster, more flexible access to your data and routine tasks — especially when you’re on the move, in a meeting, or simply want a quick answer without navigating through a dozen pages.
The setup is simple and the impact is immediate. If you’re on a paid Salla plan and have access to Claude or ChatGPT Plus, you’re minutes away from activating this. For the always-updated official instructions, refer to Salla’s official Help Center.
