Overview
Apollo works wherever you do.
Use Apollo with AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Replit, or Cursor to find prospects, research companies, and prepare outreach without leaving the conversation. Describe the prospects you want, and your AI tool can hand the request to Apollo's agent to find and qualify leads using Apollo data and additional research sources. You can also enrich records, manage contacts, create sequences, send one-off emails, manage tasks, and analyze performance from your AI workspace.
You can also connect Apollo MCP directly to AI coding clients like Claude Code, VS Code, and more for custom AI development. Or for terminal-based workflows, use Apollo CLI to run Apollo workflows directly from the command line.
When you use Apollo with AI, Apollo remains your system of record, while your AI tool becomes the workspace where GTM gets done. Everything runs on your existing Apollo permissions, plan limits, and credit balance.
Check out the following sections to learn more about using Apollo with external AI.
How It Works
Apollo MCP (model context protocol) connects your AI tool to Apollo's data and actions. You describe what you want in the AI tool you already use, and it works through your connected Apollo account.
For searches with exact criteria, like job titles, locations, and company sizes, your AI tool can search Apollo directly. When your request needs Apollo to interpret your criteria or qualify the results, your AI tool can hand the whole request to Apollo's agent,which works out the search, chooses data sources, and checks whether the results match your criteria.
For example, Apollo can use Google Maps to find local businesses, then find decision makers at those businesses. It can also research criteria that standard filters don't cover, like whether a medical device company has an FDA listing, or it can find companies in specific online directories. Before credit-consuming work begins, you see the cost and approve the spend.
For technical workflows, Apollo CLI provides direct command-line access to many of the same Apollo actions, including search, enrichment, sequence creation and management, CRM updates, analytics, and automation.
Get Started
To connect Apollo to your favorite AI tool:
| ChatGPT | Claude | Perplexity |
| Replit | Cursor | Apollo MCP Server |
| Apollo CLI |
ChatGPT
Connect Apollo to ChatGPT from ChatGPT apps, and start using Apollo directly in your chat.
Advanced ChatGPT users can also use the Codex plugin for orchestrated Apollo prospecting and sequencing workflows. Just add the plugin on the Codex app.
Learn more about using the ChatGPT integration.
Claude
Connect Apollo to Claude from the app directory, and start working in any conversation.
Advanced Claude users can also use the Cowork plugin for orchestrated prospecting and sequencing workflows.
Learn more about using the Claude integration.
Perplexity
Connect Apollo to Perplexity and start working with Apollo in any conversation.
Advanced Perplexity users can also integrate Apollo with the Computer plugin for orchestrated prospecting and sequencing workflows.
Learn more about using the Perplexity integration.
Replit
Connect Apollo to Replit, and start using Apollo data while you build apps, dashboards, prototypes, and GTM tools.
Use Replit to search for prospects and companies, enrich contacts and accounts, create or update records, build outbound lists, and use Apollo data in your development workflow.
Learn more about using the Replit integration.
Cursor
Connect Apollo to Cursor and start working with Apollo from your code editor.
Use Apollo MCP in Cursor to search for prospects and companies, enrich records, manage contacts and accounts, create sequences, manage tasks, analyze performance, and build GTM apps, scripts, and dashboards.
Learn more about using the Cursor integration.
Apollo MCP Server
Using a tool not listed here? Connect Apollo MCP to your favorite AI tool to bring Apollo data to the place where you already build, prompt, and work.
Apollo MCP connects directly to AI tools like Codex, VSC with Copilot, Antigravity, or any MCP client that supports remote servers over Streamable HTTP and OAuth 2.0.
Just add the Apollo MCP endpoint https://mcp.apollo.io/mcp. No API key or local install is required.
Then authenticate with Apollo to use your AI tool to search, enrich, create sequences, enroll contacts, send one-off emails, manage tasks, and analyze performance.
Learn more about using Apollo MCP.
Apollo CLI
Prefer working from the terminal? Install Apollo CLI, then authenticate with apollo auth login. The command opens a browser window so you can authorize Apollo with OAuth. No API key is required.
Use the CLI to search and enrich people or companies, manage contacts, accounts, deals, sequences, calls, and tasks, pull analytics, and export results in JSON, CSV, YAML, JSONL, or table format.
Learn more about using Apollo CLI.
FAQs
|
Frequently asked questions |
||
|---|---|---|
| What is Apollo MCP? | What can I do with Apollo MCP? | Which actions cost credits with Apollo MCP? |
| Can I use Apollo MCP with my plan? | What limitations are there? | Can AI tools delete or bulk-update my data? |
| How do I find or validate emails and phone numbers? | What should I do if something isn't working? | Can I create sequences and add contacts with AI tools? |
What is Apollo MCP?
Apollo MCP is the connection layer that lets AI tools securely use Apollo data and actions. In plain language: it's what lets an AI tool search Apollo, enrich records, create contacts, build sequences, add people to sequences, and analyze performance for you.
There are a few ways to use Apollo MCP:
- Native integrations: Use Apollo directly in tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity. This is the easiest option if you want Apollo inside a familiar AI chat experience.
- Apollo MCP server: Connect Apollo MCP directly to MCP-compatible tools like Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, or custom AI workflows. This is best for technical users who want Apollo available in developer tools or agent workflows.
- Apollo CLI: Use Apollo CLI from the command line instead of an AI chat. This is best for developer or coding teams that want terminal-based workflows, scripts, exports, and automation.
The main difference is where you want to work. Apollo meets you wherever you're at.
What can I do with Apollo MCP?
Use Apollo MCP with your favorite AI tools to run GTM workflows using natural language.
You can use Apollo MCP to:
- Find people and companies from a plain-English prospecting request.
- Find local businesses with Google Maps and identify decision makers at those businesses.
- Qualify prospects using web research and criteria beyond Apollo's standard search filters.
- Enrich people and companies with contact and company data.
- Validate email addresses or phone numbers you already have in supported AI tools.
- Create and update contacts or accounts.
- Create and improve sequences, including individual email content for each contact.
- Add or remove contacts from sequences.
- Send one-off emails to contacts.
- Create, complete, or skip tasks.
- Review your connected email accounts.
- Pull analytics data for sequences, emails, and overall engagement.
For example, ask your AI tool to find local dental practices and their office managers, research which practices fit your criteria, and draft a different outreach email for each contact. Review the proposed work and credit costs before proceeding.
For sample prompts, check out your favorite AI tool integration on Apollo, or review Apollo MCP on the Developer Docs.
Can I use Apollo MCP with my plan?
Apollo MCP is available on all Apollo plans, including free plans.
Your Apollo permissions, available credits, and any requirements for the specific action still apply. Tool availability can also vary by AI client and rollout status.
Which actions cost credits with Apollo MCP?
Credit usage depends on what Apollo does for your request. People search and most record-management actions don't use credits, while company search, enrichment, validation, and research actions can use credits.
For agent-led research and validation, your AI tool explains the cost and asks for approval before proceeding. Your Apollo plan limits and available credit balance still apply.
| Action | Description | Credit Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Agent-led prospecting | Hand a prospecting request to Apollo's agent. Credit usage depends on the searches, research, enrichment, and saving actions it performs. | Varies by action |
| Google Maps research | Find local businesses through Apollo's agent. Preview results before choosing which companies to save. | 1 credit per company saved |
| AI research | Research people or companies to check criteria beyond Apollo's standard filters. | 1 credit per record researched |
| Web search | Find prospects through an additional web search source used by Apollo's agent. | 3 credits per record |
| Directory research | Extract records from online directories. | 1 credit per record extracted, plus 1 additional credit for each net-new record |
| Email and phone validation | Check email addresses or phone numbers you already have. Inputs rejected before checking don't use credits. | Yes. Review the quoted cost before approving. |
| Search for companies | Search for companies using filters like industry, headcount, and buying intent. | Yes |
| Bulk company enrichment | Enrich multiple company records at once using the Enrichment API. | Yes |
| Company enrichment | Enrich a single company with fresh firmographic data. | Yes |
| Company job postings | Retrieve company job posting data to identify hiring signals. | Yes |
| Bulk people enrichment | Enrich multiple people records at once, including verified email data. | Yes |
| People enrichment | Enrich a single person record with updated contact and employment data. | Yes |
| Search for contacts | Search your contacts with natural language. | No |
| Search for people | Search Apollo's people API programmatically. Use enrichment to reveal contact details. | No |
| Get a list of email accounts | List connected mailboxes used for sending, sequences, and tracking across your team. | No |
| Search for sequences | Find existing sequences to enroll and manage outreach. | No |
| Profile | Edit your user settings like email preferences and custom fields in profile settings. | No |
| Create an account | Create a company record to save and manage in Apollo. | No |
| Update an account | Update fields on an existing account. | No |
| Create contact | Create a contact record to save and engage in Apollo. | No |
| Update contact | Update details on a saved contact. | No |
| Create or update a sequence | Create sequences, improve sequence steps, generate variants for segments or personas, and preview changes before updating Apollo. | No |
| Add contacts to a sequence | Enroll contacts into a sequence to start outreach steps. | No |
| Remove contacts from sequences | Remove contacts from a sequence to stop future outreach steps. | No |
| Send one-off emails | Create and send one-off emails to contacts, including custom To, Cc, and Bcc recipients. | No |
| Search tasks | Search Apollo tasks by status, type, priority, sequence, or owner. | No |
| Show task details | View task context, including who the task is for, what action is due, and any related sequence step. | No |
| Create tasks | Create one or more tasks for contacts, accounts, or deals. | No |
| Complete or skip tasks | Complete or skip tasks with a note to keep your Apollo task queue up to date. | No |
| Query analytics data | Retrieve analytics data on sequences, emails, and engagement to measure performance and activity. | No |
Google Maps, web search, and directory research performed by Apollo MCP fall under AI Research in credit reporting, even though their credit usage may differ.
You can track your MCP credit usage alongside other surfaces in Settings > Credits and activity > Credit usage. For additional guidance, check out Review Credit Usage in Apollo.
Can AI tools access everything in my Apollo account?
Nope. AI integrations only have access to the Apollo data and actions allowed by your Apollo permissions, plan, and role settings.
If you can't perform an action directly in Apollo, your AI integration can't perform it either.
How do I find or validate emails and phone numbers?
A people search returns profile-level information like names, titles, companies, and location data. Net-new prospects include partially redacted information.
To reveal verified emails or phone numbers, follow up with an enrichment request. For example: "Enrich the top three results."
If you already have an email address or phone number, you can ask your AI tool to validate it instead of running full waterfall enrichment. Validation is available in Claude and supports up to 10 email addresses or 10 phone numbers per request, including details from your own lists.
The check runs in the background, and your AI tool retrieves the results when they're ready. Each result indicates validated or not_validated. A not_validated result doesn't necessarily mean the address or number is invalid: it can also mean an email domain is catch-all or the provider couldn't reach a verdict.
Your AI tool asks you to approve the cost before checking and reports the actual credits used and remaining balance when the results are ready.
Can I create sequences and add contacts with AI tools?
Yes. Apollo MCP integrations can create sequences, improve steps, and generate variants for segments or personas. Your AI tool can also write individual email content for each contact across the sequence's email steps and push that content into Apollo together. You don't need to create custom fields or copy and paste each email manually.
For example, ask: "Write three personalized emails for each contact in this sequence based on their company's priorities, and show me the drafts before adding them to Apollo."
Review the individual messages before approving the action, then confirm the sequence, sending mailbox or mailboxes, schedule, and contacts before outreach begins.
Before enrolling contacts, ask your AI tool to list your connected email accounts so you can choose which mailbox to send from. Apollo supports using one mailbox or multiple mailboxes when adding contacts to sequences through MCP workflows. Just specify the mailboxes you want to use.
Can AI tools delete or bulk-update my data?
No, Apollo MCP integrations don't support destructive bulk operations like bulk delete or unrestricted bulk updates.
This helps reduce the risk of accidental large-scale data changes.
What limitations are there?
- Email and phone numbers aren't included in people search results. Use enrichment to reveal verified contact details.
- Result limits vary by search source. Direct searches may be paginated, while Google Maps searches through Apollo's agent return about 20 businesses at a time.
- Capabilities vary by AI tool. Email and phone validation is available in Claude. Availability in other AI tools depends on client support and rollout status.
- Bulk delete and unrestricted bulk update actions aren't supported to help prevent unintended data changes.
- Your Apollo plan permissions and feature access still apply. Some tools and data may not be available on all Apollo plans.
What should I do if something isn't working?
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| Action not working as expected | Ensure you have permission to perform the action in Apollo. If credits are required, check your balance. If an action still isn't working, disconnect and reconnect Apollo from your AI tool settings. |
| Authorization failed | Reconnect Apollo from your AI tool settings and confirm your Apollo account is active. |
| No search results found | Broaden your search filters or simplify your query. |
| Cannot add contacts to a sequence | Check that you have at least one connected email account available for sequencing. Link your mailbox to Apollo. |
| Enrichment did not return an email | Try providing more identifying details like a full name, company domain, or LinkedIn URL. |
Next Steps
Now that you're running Apollo inside AI tools, here are a few ways to connect, expand, and get even more done.
| Integrate Apollo with ChatGPT | Connect Apollo to ChatGPT to run full GTM workflows directly inside your conversations. |
|---|---|
| Integrate Apollo with Claude | Set up the Apollo integration in Claude to search, enrich, and take action without switching tools. |
| Integrate Apollo with Perplexity | Connect Apollo to Perplexity to search, enrich, and take action directly inside your conversations. |
| Integrate Apollo with Replit | Connect Apollo to Replit to use Apollo data while you build apps, dashboards, prototypes, and GTM tools. |
| Integrate Apollo with Cursor | Connect Apollo to Cursor to use Apollo data while you build apps, dashboards, scripts, prototypes, and GTM tools from your code editor. |
| AI Assistant Overview | Want to stay inside Apollo? Use the AI assistant on Apollo to complete the same workflows directly in-platform. |
| Apollo AI Overview | Explore everything Apollo AI can do to understand how it powers workflows across prospecting, outreach, and automation. |