Synorb for Codex — MCP Server for OpenAI Codex

Synorb for Codex.

Give OpenAI Codex live, source-grounded intelligence — real, cited, dated events and claims. Add the Synorb MCP server to your local Codex config, or use the workspace app or connector your ChatGPT admin has enabled.

Connecting an AI agent? Point it at https://synorb.com/connect — it self-provisions a 24 Hour Agent Demo key with no email, 1,000 Manifests for 24 hours, and an expiry. Bind a human email at /api/connect/bind-email, then confirm the Cognito OTP at /api/connect/bind-email/verify to upgrade the same key to Starter (free forever, 1,000 Manifests/month).

Three things to build with Codex and Synorb.

Each is a complete, deployable product: click in, answer a few plain-English questions, and get a working app with live, cited Synorb data — sources one click away.

Docs Drift Sentinel

A Codex cron teammate that catches when your dependencies' real changelogs drift from your code - every flag backed by the vendor's own cited URL.

Open build →

Watchtower

A standing Codex teammate that watches your beat, remembers what it already told you, and only speaks when the world actually moved - every claim cited to its primary source.

Open build →

Brief Me

codex, brief me on any show or topic - a cited, skimmable brief from the smartest podcasts, rendered as a clean local report you can actually click.

Open build →

What you'll set up

Connect in Codex. Serve from your backend.

Use Synorb in Codex to design with live examples. When your app is published, your frontend calls a backend route that keeps Synorb secrets off the page.

While you build in Codex

Synorb MCP server

Connects to mcp.synorb.com/mcp

Uses Synorb Key, saved in your Codex config

Helps you Find streams, inspect cited examples, and guide the implementation

When your app runs

Synorb REST through your backend

Connects to api.synorb.com

Uses one server-side Synorb Key, stored as server secrets

Helps you Serve fresh, cited results without exposing credentials

Keep secrets server-side Never put a Synorb credential in client-side code. The browser calls your backend; your backend calls Synorb. The same Synorb Key is used for both MCP and REST; keep it server-side.

Add Synorb to Codex.

Account ladder: 24 Hour Agent Demo — 1,000 Manifests, expires 24 hours after mint → Starter — free forever, 1,000 Manifests/month, after binding an email → Paid — $10/month, 10,000 Manifests/month.

Get your credentials Go to synorb.com/connect. You'll get one Synorb Key. Use that same key in Codex's MCP configuration and your app backend; keep it only in protected connector or server-side secret storage.

Add Synorb to Codex Codex CLI or IDE extension — add Synorb to ~/.codex/config.toml:

[mcp_servers.synorb]
url = "https://mcp.synorb.com/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "SYNORB_KEY"

Codex web / ChatGPT workspace — open Apps & Connectors, or the approved workspace plugin your admin exposes to Codex. Configure Synorb with https://mcp.synorb.com/mcp and the same Synorb Key as its Bearer credential.

Test with a free call Ask your agent to run this. synorb-profile is zero-quota — it never bills.
Serve it from a backend Your app should call Synorb from a backend (server-side function or server route) with the one server-side Synorb Key stored as server secrets — never in frontend code. See the runnable server-side example.

Tools

Nine tools. One bills quota.

Synorb's Core MCP exposes nine tools. Only synorb-manifests bills quota — and only for returned, on-topic Manifests. Everything else is free.

synorb-profile - Account, quota, live date window. Zero quota.
synorb-stream-search - "What streams/sources do you have?" Zero quota.
synorb-catalog - Ranked stream candidates when search is thin. Zero quota.
synorb-manifests - The cited content. The only tool that bills; mode="count" is zero quota.
synorb-details - Richer metadata for specific streams. Zero quota.
synorb-configure-beacon + synorb-save-beacon + synorb-beacons + synorb-archive-beacon - Design, save, list, and archive re-runnable tracked queries. Zero quota.

FAQ

Questions builders ask.

Is my Synorb Key safe in a deployed app? Yes. Use the Synorb Key only in Codex's MCP config. For the shipped app, call Synorb from your backend with the REST one server-side Synorb Key stored as server-side secrets. Never put any Synorb credential in frontend code.

Do I need to know MCP details? No. You add the Synorb MCP server to your agent once (steps above), then copy a build prompt into the chat. The agent handles the tool calls.

What does Synorb return? Manifests: structured units with a Brief (narrative summary), a Signal (atomic claims), nested source metadata, stable IDs, and citations with real source URLs.

How much does it cost? 24 Hour Agent Demo access is available without a card. Only synorb-manifests consumes quota, and only for returned on-topic Manifests; synorb-profile, synorb-stream-search, synorb-catalog, synorb-details, and the Beacon tools are zero quota. Quota resets monthly.

When should I still use web search? Use Synorb first for structured, source-grounded intelligence. Fall back to web search only for genuine gaps: ultra-fresh items, very narrow local news, or topics outside Synorb's tracked scope.

One MCP, many on-ramps

Using a different agent? The same Synorb MCP connects to major MCP-capable coding agents — same tools, same behavior.

Start building

Free credentials. No card.
Mint a 24 Hour Agent Demo key, connect Codex, and pull your first cited Manifests in minutes.