Setting Up iVendNext AI Gateway

Prerequisites

Before setting up iVendNext AI Gateway, confirm the following:

• You have the Administrator role in iVendNext. The initial setup in Assistant Core Settings requires administrator access.

• The iVendNext AI Gateway module is installed on your site. If you are unsure, contact your implementation partner.

• You have access to an MCP-compatible AI assistant — such as Claude Desktop (Anthropic) or ChatGPT (OpenAI).

• You have your own active subscription to the AI assistant you intend to use. iVendNext AI Gateway does not include a subscription to any AI assistant. You must obtain and manage that subscription directly with the provider. The cost of the AI assistant subscription is not covered by your iVendNext AI Gateway licence.

Path

iVendNext Settings → Assistant Core Settings

Setup Steps

Step 1 — Enable Assistant Core

1. In iVendNext, navigate to Settings and open Assistant Core Settings.

2. On the General tab, check the Enable Assistant Core checkbox.

3. Click Save.

Enabling Assistant Core activates the iVendNext AI Assistant MCP server. Until this checkbox is checked and saved, the Gateway is inactive and cannot accept connections from AI assistants.

Step 2 — Copy the MCP Endpoint URL

Once Assistant Core is enabled, the MCP Endpoint URL field on the General tab displays the URL for your iVendNext instance. This is the address you will paste into your AI assistant when adding iVendNext as a connector.

Copy the full URL from the MCP Endpoint URL field. You will need it in the next step.

The OAuth Discovery URL shown below the MCP Endpoint URL is an OpenID Connect discovery endpoint. MCP-compatible AI assistants that support auto-configuration use this URL to automatically discover the authentication endpoints they need to complete the OAuth flow — such as the authorisation endpoint and the token endpoint. You do not need to copy or enter this URL manually during standard setup. If your AI assistant requires it, paste it into the relevant field in your AI assistant's connector settings; the assistant will retrieve the necessary authentication configuration from it automatically.

Step 3 — Add iVendNext as a Connector in Your AI Assistant

The steps below describe how to add iVendNext AI Gateway as a connector. The process is the same across MCP-compatible AI assistants — the specific menu names may differ slightly depending on the tool you are using.

In Claude Desktop:

1. Open Claude Desktop and go to Settings.

2. Select Connectors.

3. Click Add Custom Connector.

4. Paste the MCP Endpoint URL you copied in Step 2.

5. Click Add.

In ChatGPT:

1. Open ChatGPT and go to Settings.

2. Select Connectors or Integrations (depending on your version).

3. Choose the option to add a custom MCP connector.

4. Paste the MCP Endpoint URL and confirm.

For other MCP-compatible AI assistants, follow the equivalent steps in that tool's connector or integration settings.

Step 4 — Authenticate with Your iVendNext Account

After adding the connector, your AI assistant will prompt you to authenticate.

1. Click Connect (or the equivalent in your AI assistant).

2. You will be redirected to your iVendNext login screen.

3. Enter your iVendNext username and password — the same credentials you use to log in to iVendNext Desk.

4. Authorise the connection when prompted.

Your AI assistant connects to iVendNext as your user account. The Gateway enforces your existing iVendNext roles and permissions on every request — it can only access data and perform actions that your account is authorised for.

Your iVendNext password is not shared with or stored by the AI assistant. Authentication uses OAuth 2.0 — a secure, industry-standard protocol. The AI assistant receives only a time-limited access token that it uses to communicate with the Gateway on your behalf.

Step 5 — Confirm the Connection

Once authenticated, your AI assistant will confirm that iVendNext is connected. You can verify the connection is working by asking a simple question, such as:

"What is my company name in iVendNext?"

If the Gateway is connected and your authentication is active, the AI assistant will return a response drawn from your live iVendNext data.

Notes

The connection persists between sessions. Once you have authenticated, you do not need to reconnect each time you open your AI assistant, unless the access token has expired or an administrator has revoked your connection.

Multiple users can connect independently. Each user authenticates with their own iVendNext account. The Gateway enforces each user's individual permissions — there is no shared credential that gives any user access beyond their authorised scope.

Revoking access. If you need to disconnect an AI assistant from iVendNext, an administrator can revoke the access token from within iVendNext. The AI assistant will lose access immediately.