The best way to use Claude with FlipperForce is a dedicated Project for your real estate business. You do the setup once, and every conversation inside it already knows your API key, how our API works, and how your company operates.
Download the FlipperForce + Claude Setup Kit and unzip it. It contains our Public API Agent Guide, templates for your company profile and chart of accounts, the Project instructions block, and a printable checklist. If you would rather grab files one at a time, see What do I download to connect my AI agent to FlipperForce?
Do this first. Claude runs API calls inside a sandbox that blocks outbound traffic by default, and when it is not configured the failure looks like our API is down when it is not.
If the allowlist is left on Package managers only, which is the default on some plans, every call will fail. That is the single most common setup problem.
Two optional additions. Add flipperforce-prod.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com if you want to upload receipts or photos, since the file itself goes to storage rather than to our API. Add the retailer sites you buy from, such as www.homedepot.com and www.lowes.com, if you want Claude to check live pricing against your Material Catalog. The kit lists all of them.
On Team and Enterprise plans these settings are controlled centrally. An organization owner has to make the change, and an individual member cannot override it.
Start a new conversation after saving. Allowlist changes do not apply to a session that is already open.
Name it after your company. A Project keeps your setup, your files and your operating rules in one place instead of you repeating them in every new chat.
If you run at volume, consider two Projects: one read-only for reporting and analysis, and one for data entry and imports. It costs nothing and it removes a whole category of accident, especially if a bookkeeper or assistant should only be running reports.
Everything in the kit's upload-to-project folder goes into your Project's knowledge:
Add your API key as a file too. Read Is it safe to give an AI agent access to my FlipperForce data? first, because where you keep the key is a real decision.
The kit's project-instructions file goes in your Project's custom instructions field, not in knowledge. Edit the bracketed sections first. This is what keeps Claude read-only by default and stops it writing to your data without showing you the change first.
In a new conversation, ask for something read-only:
Call GET /user/account and confirm the connection. Show me my workspaces, my role, and the workspace UUID. Do not display the API key.
If that returns your workspace, the allowlist and the key are both working. If anything fails, see My AI agent cannot connect to FlipperForce. What is wrong?
The AI Prompt Library has ready-made prompts for finding duplicate expenses, catching receipts that were never filed, compiling a draw request, and refreshing material catalog pricing. Each one states plainly what it will not do.
