> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ownpay.org/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> OwnPay is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and is completely free - no licensing fees.
> Production docs URL: https://ownpay.org/docs - append .md to any page URL for clean markdown.
> OwnPay requires PHP 8.3+, MySQL/MariaDB, and Redis.
> MCP server available at https://ownpay.org/docs/mcp for programmatic documentation queries.
> Use root-relative links (e.g. /quickstart) for internal navigation - do NOT include /docs prefix.
> Plugin development: consult /developer/plugin-types/ pages for correct interfaces and manifests.

# AI Tools Overview - Use AI Agents for Payment Development

> Use AI agents to build integrations, plugins, and payments with OwnPay. Connect MCP, install Skills, and let your AI do the heavy lifting.

<Snippet file="llms-directive.mdx" />

OwnPay is the first self-hosted payment platform built for the AI agent era. You can now ask your AI assistant to build integrations, create plugins, and explore the full OwnPay API - and it will know exactly what to do.

No more copy-pasting documentation. No more switching tabs. Your AI reads OwnPay docs in real time and writes the code for you.

***

## How it works

There are two things you set up once, then your AI handles the rest.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect the MCP Server">
    The **MCP server** gives your AI tool live access to all OwnPay documentation. Every time you ask a question, your AI reads the real docs - not outdated training data.

    Think of it as plugging your AI directly into the OwnPay knowledge base.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install the OwnPay Skill">
    The **OwnPay Skill** teaches your AI the patterns, conventions, and architecture of OwnPay before you even ask a question.

    It's like giving your AI a crash course in OwnPay development - payment flows, plugins, APIs, and best practices - all loaded upfront.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Ask your AI anything">
    Now just ask. Build a gateway plugin. Create a checkout theme. Write an API integration. Your AI knows OwnPay inside out and writes production-ready code.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## What you get

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="MCP Server" icon="plug" href="/developer/ai-mcp">
    Connect Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and other AI tools to live OwnPay documentation. Real-time search and page retrieval - always up to date.
  </Card>

  <Card title="OwnPay Skills" icon="graduation-cap" href="/developer/ai-skills">
    Install a structured knowledge file that teaches your AI agent the OwnPay architecture, APIs, plugin system, and development conventions.
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI Prompt Templates" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/developer/plugin-types/gateway-prompt">
    Ready-to-use prompts for building gateway plugins, addons, themes, and third-party integrations. Copy, paste, and let your AI build.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## What is MCP?

**MCP** stands for **Model Context Protocol**. It is an open standard that connects AI assistants to live data sources.

Without MCP, your AI only knows what it learned during training - which may be months or years out of date. With MCP connected, your AI can search and read the OwnPay documentation right now, every time you ask a question.

<Info>
  The OwnPay MCP server is free, public, and requires no account. Connect it once and every AI conversation benefits automatically.
</Info>

Here is the difference in practice:

| Without MCP                       | With MCP                          |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| AI guesses from training data     | AI reads live OwnPay docs         |
| May suggest outdated API patterns | Always uses the current API spec  |
| Generic payment gateway advice    | OwnPay-specific, accurate answers |
| You manually copy-paste docs      | AI retrieves docs automatically   |

***

## What are Skills?

A **Skill** is a knowledge file you install into your AI tool. It contains a structured description of OwnPay: how the system is designed, how the plugin architecture works, which conventions to follow, and how to write correct code.

When you install the OwnPay Skill, your AI understands things like:

* OwnPay uses a **multi-brand** model where each brand has isolated gateways and a separate ledger
* Plugins live in `modules/gateways/`, `modules/addons/`, and `modules/themes/`
* All API calls require a **Bearer Token** in the Authorization header
* Webhooks must be verified server-side using HMAC signatures

This context lets your AI give you correct answers from the very first question - without needing to explain the basics every time.

<Tip>
  Use both MCP and Skills together for the best results. Skills teach the AI what OwnPay is. MCP lets the AI look up exact details on demand.
</Tip>

***

## Example: ask your AI to build a plugin

Once set up, conversations like this just work:

```text theme={null}
You: Build me a gateway plugin for Stripe that supports redirect checkout.

AI: I'll build that for you. Let me check the OwnPay gateway plugin documentation...
    [reads developer/plugin-types/gateway-development via MCP]

    Here is your plugin structure:
    - modules/gateways/stripe/
      - manifest.json
      - StripeGateway.php
      - redirect.php

    [writes complete, working plugin code]
```

Or ask about integrations:

```text theme={null}
You: How do I add OwnPay to my WooCommerce store?

AI: I'll look that up right now...
    [reads developer/integration/woocommerce via MCP]

    Here are the exact steps...
```

No documentation tab switching. No copy-pasting. Your AI reads, understands, and builds.

***

## Supported AI tools

Connect MCP and Skills to any of these tools today:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Cursor" icon="code">
    Add the MCP server in Settings > Features > MCP. Cursor's Agent mode will automatically call it when working on OwnPay projects.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Claude Desktop & Claude Code" icon="message">
    Add to `claude_desktop_config.json` or run `claude mcp add`. Works in Projects and regular conversations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="VS Code (Cline / Roo Code)" icon="brackets-curly">
    Add the MCP server URL in your extension's MCP settings. All Cline conversations gain live doc access.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Windsurf" icon="wind">
    Add to `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`. Cascade assistant picks it up automatically on restart.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Get started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Connect MCP Server" icon="plug" href="/developer/ai-mcp">
    Step-by-step setup for Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and Windsurf. Takes 2 minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Install OwnPay Skills" icon="graduation-cap" href="/developer/ai-skills">
    One command installs the OwnPay knowledge file into your AI tool.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Browse Prompt Templates" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/developer/plugin-types/gateway-prompt">
    Ready-to-copy prompts for gateways, addons, themes, and integrations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Developer Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/developer/quickstart">
    Not using AI? Start with the standard developer quickstart guide.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


## Related topics

- [OwnPay Skills for AI Agents - Platform Knowledge Pack](/docs/developer/ai-skills.md)
- [Addon Plugin AI Prompt - Generate Addon Extensions with AI](/docs/developer/plugin-types/addon-prompt.md)
- [Gateway Plugin AI Prompt: Generate Gateway Code with AI](/docs/developer/plugin-types/gateway-prompt.md)
- [Theme Plugin AI Prompt - Generate Checkout Themes with AI](/docs/developer/plugin-types/theme-prompt.md)
- [OwnPay MCP Server - Connect AI Tools to Live Documentation](/docs/developer/ai-mcp.md)