Overview
What Is In This Guide
The setup for all 4, written out for Claude in a browser, the desktop app, and Claude Code
The single best use case for each one, with a full copy-paste prompt so you feel it working tonight
The comment-to-DM prompt for Blotato, given away in full, nothing held back
My real tips for each one, including the mistakes that cost me an afternoon
One prompt that runs all 4 back to back on a real post, so you see the whole machine
The 7 things that quietly break these, none of which are in the setup docs
Partner On This Guide
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Blotato partnered with me on this guide. It is the one on this list that closes the loop: Claude writes the post, schedules it everywhere, and then builds the comment-to-DM automation that turns the comments into followers. Try the whole thing free for 7 days before you pay anything. When you subscribe, the code below takes 30% off for 3 months.
ZACH30 First
Learn The Install Once
Out of the box, Claude is smart but stuck. It can talk about your work, but it cannot touch any of it. These 4 fix that.
What an MCP actually is
An MCP is just a door. It lets Claude go touch something outside the chat window, like the live internet, your inbox, or your Instagram, instead of guessing at it from memory. The name does it no favors. That is the whole idea.
Why all 4 install the same way
All four of these live on the internet as a web address. You paste the address into Claude once and sign in. Nothing runs on your computer, so they work everywhere: claude.ai in a browser, the desktop app, and Claude Code.
In Claude (browser or desktop app) it is the same five clicks every time: sidebar, Customize, Connectors, the + button, Add custom connector. Paste a name and an address, sign in. In Claude Code it is one line you paste into the terminal. Both are written out under every tool below.
Number 1 · Live research with a real source behind every claim
Perplexity
This connects Claude to the best AI research model out there.
So instead of guessing from memory, Claude pulls live info off the internet and backs up everything it tells you with real sources. It is the difference between "I think" and "I checked, and here is where it came from." If you only install one thing tonight, install this one.
Claude in a browser, or the desktop app
In the left sidebar, click Customize, then Connectors.
Click the + button, then Add custom connector.
Name it Perplexity, URL https://api.perplexity.ai/mcp
Press connect, sign in when the window opens, and approve access.
Claude Code, one line
My tips
Ask for the sources out loud. "Give me a link for every claim" turns a confident paragraph into something you can actually check before you send it to anyone.
Use it as a fact-checker on your own writing, not just a researcher. "Fact check this line by line and tell me what you could not verify" catches the one wrong number before it goes out.
When you sign in it asks which organization pays for the calls. Pick the right one now, because changing it later means disconnecting and reconnecting.
Best Use Case
The research brief you can act on
Most people use Perplexity like Google with extra steps. The real move is asking it a question you actually have about your work, then making it prove every answer. This prompt hands back what changed, what everyone believes, what nobody has noticed yet, three numbers you can quote, and an honest list of what it could not verify.
Copy-paste prompt
Use Perplexity for this. Do not answer from memory. I want a research brief I can actually act on this week. FILL THIS IN BEFORE YOU PASTE: - MY WORK: [what I do, in one line] Example: I run a small marketing agency for dentists - THE QUESTION: [the thing I keep wondering about] Example: is it still worth running Facebook ads for local businesses GIVE ME: 1. The 5 most important things that changed about THE QUESTION in the last 90 days. One line each, with a link to the source. 2. What most people in MY WORK believe about this right now, and whether the evidence agrees with them. 3. The one thing almost nobody is talking about yet, and the source that made you notice it. 4. Three numbers I could quote to a client or a boss, each with where it came from and how recent it is. 5. What you could NOT verify. List anything you found that looked shaky or had no solid source. RULES: - A link for every single claim. If there is no source, say so instead of guessing. - Prefer sources from the last 90 days. Flag anything older. - Plain English, no jargon. Short lines. - End with one sentence: "If I were you, this week I would..."
Number 2 · Every social account, plus comment-to-DM
Blotato
This connects Claude to every one of your social media accounts, so it can post, repurpose, and pull analytics on your content for you.
And it just dropped comment-to-DM automations. You just tell Claude "when someone comments this keyword on my post, DM them this link" and it builds the whole thing for you. The trigger, the follow gate, the message, the link button.
No ManyChat, no $40 a month, and you never leave Claude.
Claude in a browser, or the desktop app
Log in to Blotato first, in the same browser, and connect the social accounts you want Claude to reach.
In Claude's left sidebar, click Customize, then Connectors.
Click the + button, then Add custom connector.
Name it Blotato, URL https://mcp.blotato.com/mcp
Press connect and approve access. Then say "use Blotato to list my connected accounts." If your accounts come back, you are done.
Claude Code, one line
My tips
Connect your social accounts inside Blotato first. Skip it and Claude connects fine, then tells you that you have zero accounts. Nothing is broken, the workspace is just empty.
Be logged into Blotato in the same browser before you hit connect. The approval screen needs a live Blotato session or the handshake never finishes.
Scope every automation to one post, not to every post. If you run more than one freebie, "all posts" means the wrong guide goes out to the wrong people.
Your own comments never trigger your automation. Blotato ignores the account that owns it. Test from a second Instagram account or you will think it is broken.
Best Use Case
Comment-to-DM, built from one sentence
This is the flow you have seen on every big account. Somebody says "comment GUIDE and I'll send it," four hundred people comment, and all four hundred get a DM. Until now that meant a separate tool and a separate subscription.
It is exactly how you got this guide. Here is what happens once it is live.
Someone comments your keyword
Blotato is watching that post and matches the word. Case does not matter, so MCP, Mcp and mcp all fire the same flow.
The follow gate goes out first
Instead of the link, they get a message asking them to follow. The real DM is held back until they do. This is the step that turns comments into followers instead of just traffic.
They follow, the DM lands
The second they tap the button confirming they followed, your message goes out with the link button attached. No delay, and no you sitting there at 11pm pasting a link 400 times.
Optional: email gate and webhook
If you turn them on, Blotato asks for an email before the DM, then calls your endpoint after it sends. The order is fixed: follow gate, email gate, your message, webhook.
The full prompt. Fill in 4 lines, paste it, done.
Set up a comment-to-DM automation on my Instagram using Blotato. FILL THESE IN BEFORE YOU PASTE: - KEYWORD: [one word, all caps, the word you tell people to comment] Example: GUIDE - LINK: [the URL you're sending them to] Example: https://yoursite.com/free-guide - THE FREE THING: [what you're sending, in one short phrase] Example: the 10-minute cold email teardown - WHICH POST: [the reel I just published, or: every post] BUILD IT LIKE THIS: - Name: "KEYWORD - comment to DM" - Trigger: comment-received, keyword KEYWORD - Follow gate: ON. Message: "Yes! Follow me first and I'll send it straight over. Tap the button below once you're following (or just reply "done" if you don't see a button)." - Follow gate button label: "I'm following" - DM message: "Here it is, THE FREE THING. Tap below and it's yours." - One link button: label "Send it over", URL = LINK - Make it live immediately BEFORE YOU CREATE IT: 1. Call blotato_list_accounts and tell me which Instagram account you're about to attach this to. 2. Show me the exact automation you're about to create: name, trigger, keyword, follow gate message, button label, DM text, link button, and whether it's active. 3. Wait for me to say go. Do not create it before I confirm. AFTER YOU CREATE IT: 4. Confirm it's active and give me the automation ID. 5. Remind me that my own comments will never trigger it, so I have to test from a second Instagram account. RULES YOU MUST FOLLOW: - The DM message has to be under 640 characters. - Max 3 link buttons, and every button label has to be 20 characters or fewer. - Use a link button OR a plain-text URL in the message, never both. If a message carries both, the URL stops being clickable on desktop and those readers end up with no working link at all. - The follow gate is Instagram only. If I ever ask you to put one on Facebook, tell me it will be rejected. - If my keyword is a word that lives inside a longer word people actually type, warn me before you build it.
What I filled in for this exact guide
MCP
https://zachdoesai.com/4-best-claude-mcps
the setup guide for all 4 + the best use case for each one
the reel I just published
Blotato is the tool I use for this. Sign up through my link for the 7-day free trial, and code ZACH30 takes 30% off for 3 months.
Number 3 · Every top AI image and video model, in your chat
Higgsfield
This connects Claude to every top AI image and video model in one place.
Claude cannot make images on its own. With Higgsfield on, it can reach for GPT Image 2, Nano Banana, Seedance, Kling and the rest, and pick the right one for the job. Ask for a thumbnail, a product shot, or a full ad and it makes it right there in your chat.
Claude in a browser, or the desktop app
In the left sidebar, click Customize, then Connectors.
Click the + button, then Add custom connector.
Name it Higgsfield, URL https://mcp.higgsfield.ai/mcp
Press connect, sign in when the window opens, and approve access.
Claude Code, one line
My tips
Name the model. "Make a video" gets you whatever Claude feels like. "Use GPT Image 2 because there is text in it" gets you the right tool for what you actually asked for.
Generations burn Higgsfield credits, not your Claude usage. Ask what it will cost before you ask for 20 videos in one message.
Video takes a minute. If Claude says it started a job and then goes quiet, just say "check the status of that Higgsfield job." It is not stuck.
Best Use Case
Three thumbnails, three models, one winner
The mistake is asking one model for one image and living with whatever comes back. Higgsfield gives Claude every model at once, so the move is a bake-off: three versions from three different models, Claude judges them honestly (including warped text), and the winner becomes a 5-second clip. Thumbnail and b-roll, done, without opening another app.
Copy-paste prompt
Use Higgsfield for this. Name the model every time, do not let it pick for you. I need a thumbnail and a short clip for a post. FILL THIS IN BEFORE YOU PASTE: - THE POST: [what the post or video is about, one line] Example: 3 AI tools that save me 10 hours a week - THE TEXT ON THE IMAGE: [5 words or less] Example: 10 HOURS BACK - THE LOOK: [describe the vibe] Example: clean, bright, one bold accent color, lots of empty space STEP 1. Before you make anything, tell me which models you plan to use and what it will cost in credits. Wait for my go. STEP 2. Make 3 versions of the thumbnail at 1080x1350: - Version A with GPT Image 2 (best when there is text in the image) - Version B with Nano Banana - Version C with whichever model you think fits THE LOOK best, and tell me why STEP 3. Show me all 3 side by side and tell me which one wins and why. Be honest. If the text is misspelled or warped in one, say it. STEP 4. When I pick one, turn it into a 5-second clip with Seedance 2.0. Slow camera push in, nothing else moving except small background motion. If a job goes quiet, check its status instead of starting a new one.
Number 4 · Hundreds of apps through one single connector
Composio
This connects Claude to hundreds of apps you already use. Gmail, Notion, Slack, your calendar, Stripe, and a lot more.
And it does all of that through one single connector. Instead of setting up every app one at a time, you connect Composio once and add apps behind it whenever you want. So Claude can actually do the work inside your tools, not just talk about it.
Claude in a browser, or the desktop app
In the left sidebar, click Customize, then Connectors.
Click the + button, then Add custom connector.
Name it Composio, URL https://connect.composio.dev/mcp
Press connect, sign in when the window opens, and approve access.
Claude Code, one line
My tips
Connecting Composio does not connect your apps. The first time you ask for Gmail it hands you a sign-in link for Gmail. Do that once per app and it sticks.
Name the app and the action. "Search Gmail for the latest thread with Acme" works. "Check on Acme" makes Claude guess which of your hundred tools to open.
Say "draft" when you mean draft. Send and create-a-draft are one word apart in a prompt and very different in real life. Start every new app with a read-only ask.
Best Use Case
The morning brief from your real apps
This is the one that makes people get it. Claude reads your unread email, your calendar and your to-do list, tells you the 3 things that actually matter today, and drafts your replies. It never sends anything, so you can run it on day one without worrying about it.
Copy-paste prompt
Use Composio for this. Read only. Do not send, delete, archive or change anything. Build me a morning brief from my real apps. 1. GMAIL: Find every unread email from the last 24 hours. Sort them into three piles: - Needs me today (a real person waiting on a real answer) - Can wait (useful, not urgent) - Noise (newsletters, receipts, notifications) For "Needs me today," give me one line on what they want. 2. CALENDAR: List every meeting I have today, with the time, who is in it, and one line on what I should walk in knowing. If a meeting has no agenda, flag it. 3. NOTION: Find my to-do or tasks page and pull anything that is due today or overdue. 4. THE BRIEF: Put it all together as one short list in this order: - The 3 things I have to do today, no matter what - Meetings, in time order - Everything else that can wait 5. DRAFTS: For each email in "Needs me today," write a short reply draft in a friendly, direct voice. Save them as drafts in Gmail. Do not send any of them. If an app is not connected yet, stop and give me the sign-in link instead of guessing.
Do It Tonight
All 4, In About 10 Minutes
Order matters a little, mostly so you do not get stuck on the fiddly one first and quit. Go in this order.
Perplexity first, because it is the one you will use every single day. Paste the address, sign in, pick the org that pays. Done.
Blotato second. Log in to Blotato in the same browser first, connect your socials inside Blotato, then add the connector and say "use Blotato to list my connected accounts."
Higgsfield third. Same three clicks, no API key. Ask it for one image right away so you know it took.
Composio last. Connect it, then connect one app behind it, usually Gmail. Do not try to connect nine apps tonight.
Run the best-use-case prompt for each one. If Claude says it cannot do something, it did not load the connector. Start a new chat and ask again with the name in the prompt.
The Whole Machine
One Prompt That Uses All 4
One connector is useful. Four working together is a different thing. This prompt takes one topic and runs the whole loop: Perplexity researches it with sources, Composio pulls your own emails and notes so it sounds like you, Higgsfield makes the cover and the b-roll, and Blotato schedules it and builds the comment-to-DM automation on the post.
It stops and shows you the work at every checkpoint. Nothing gets posted, sent or created until you say go.
Copy-paste prompt
Run my whole content loop using the 4 connectors I have installed: Perplexity, Composio, Higgsfield and Blotato. Use each one by name. Stop and show me the output at every checkpoint before you move on. FILL THIS IN BEFORE YOU PASTE: - TOPIC: [the thing I want to post about this week] Example: why most people's AI setup is broken - MY NICHE: [who I make content for] Example: beginners who want to use AI at work - KEYWORD: [one word, all caps, what people comment to get the free thing] Example: GUIDE - LINK: [the URL the DM sends them to] Example: https://yoursite.com/free-guide STEP 1. RESEARCH (Perplexity) Use Perplexity to find what actually changed about TOPIC in the last 30 days. I want real sources, not your memory. Give me: - The 5 most recent concrete facts, each with a link - What the loudest opinion online is right now - One thing most people are getting wrong, and the source that proves it CHECKPOINT: show me the list. Do not write anything until I say go. STEP 2. MY OWN MATERIAL (Composio) Use Composio to pull my own material so this sounds like me and not like the internet: - Search my Gmail for the last 5 threads where someone asked me about TOPIC - Pull my Notion page of content ideas and find anything related - Tell me which of my own past examples I should use, and why that one If an app is not connected yet, say so and give me the sign-in link. Do not guess at the contents. Read only. Do not send, edit or delete anything. CHECKPOINT: show me what you found and which example you picked. STEP 3. THE SCRIPT Write a 40-second short-form script for MY NICHE using the research from Step 1 and my own example from Step 2. Rules: - Open with the single most surprising fact, not a question - One idea per line, short lines, spoken language - Third-grade reading level, no jargon - End with: comment KEYWORD and I'll send it CHECKPOINT: show me the script. Wait for my edits. STEP 4. THE VISUALS (Higgsfield) Use Higgsfield to make the cover and the b-roll. Name the model, do not let it pick for you: - 3 cover images (1080x1350) built around the hook line, using GPT Image 2 because there is text in them - One 5-second clip from the best of those three, using Seedance 2.0, slow push-in Tell me the credit cost before you run anything. Check the job status if it goes quiet. CHECKPOINT: show me the three covers first. I pick one, then you make the clip. STEP 5. SHIP IT (Blotato) Use Blotato to do the last mile: 1. List my connected accounts and tell me which ones you are about to use 2. Write the caption. First line is: Comment "KEYWORD" and I'll send you [the free thing] 3. Schedule the post to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts for tomorrow at 9am 4. Build the comment-to-DM automation on that post: - Name: "KEYWORD - comment to DM" - Trigger: comment-received, keyword KEYWORD - Follow gate: ON - Follow gate message: "Yes! Follow me first and I'll send it straight over. Tap the button below once you're following (or just reply "done" if you don't see a button)." - Follow gate button label: "I'm following" - DM message: "Here it is. Tap below and it's yours." - One link button: label "Send it over", URL = LINK - Scope it to THIS post only, not every post CHECKPOINT: show me the caption, the schedule and the full automation before you create either one. Wait for me to say go. AFTER IT IS LIVE - Confirm the post is scheduled and the automation is active, and give me the automation ID - Remind me my own comments will never trigger it, so I have to test from a second account RULES YOU MUST FOLLOW THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH - Say the connector name out loud in every step. If you answer from memory instead of using the tool, you did it wrong. - Never put a link button and a plain URL in the same DM. Pick one. - DM message under 640 characters. Button labels 20 characters or fewer. - Keywords match whole words only. If my keyword lives inside a longer word people actually type, warn me before you build it. - Do not create, send or schedule anything before I confirm at the checkpoint.
Before You Message Me
The 7 Things That Quietly Break These
None of these are in the setup docs. All of them have cost me time.
Claude will not use a connector unless you point at it
With four installed, Claude sometimes answers from memory instead of reaching for a tool. Say the name out loud in the prompt. "Use Perplexity to research" beats "research." This one fix solves most of the "it is not working" messages I get.
The -s user flag is the one people drop
In Claude Code, leaving off -s user means the connector only exists in the one folder you were standing in when you added it. Open a different project and it is gone. Add it once at the user level and it follows you everywhere.
Connecting Composio is not connecting your apps
Composio shows up as connected and then Claude says it cannot see your Gmail. That is normal. Each app behind Composio needs its own sign-in the first time you ask for it. Click the link Claude gives you and try again.
Blotato needs you logged in, in the same browser
If you are signed out of Blotato when you hit connect, the approval screen never completes and you get a connector that looks added but does nothing. Log in first, then connect.
Your own comments never trigger your automation
You will test the comment-to-DM flow on your own post, see nothing happen, and assume it is broken. Blotato ignores comments from the account that owns the automation. Test from a second Instagram account.
Never put a button and a plain link in the same DM
A message carrying both leaves the link unclickable on desktop, so those readers end up with no working link at all. Pick one. Button for a mobile audience, plain link for a desktop-heavy one.
Keywords match whole words only
MCP matches mcp. It does not match MCPs. Tell people the exact word to comment, and never pick one that lives inside a longer word people actually type.
Install all 4, then point at them by name. That is the whole thing.
Start With The DM Flow
Try Blotato free for 7 days
Connect it to Claude, paste the comment-to-DM prompt above, and watch it build the flow on your next post. When you are ready to subscribe, use the code below.
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