io.github.darrenjrobinson/untappd

untappd-mcp-server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes the Untappd API as tools for AI agents — 27 tools covering the full Untappd v4 read API, plus built-in interactive OAuth authentication. Search venues, breweries, and beers; check what's on tap via check-in feeds; explore user badges, friends, wish lists, and drinking history; and aggregate stats — all from any MCP-compatible client.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• Untappd API credentials (client_id and client_secret) from untappd.com/api
• Optional: an Untappd OAuth access token to unlock authenticated tools — obtainable in-chat via the authenticate_untappd tool or npx untappd-mcp-server auth (see Interactive Authentication)

Quick Start

Via npx (zero install)

UNTAPPD_CLIENT_ID=xxx UNTAPPD_CLIENT_SECRET=yyy npx untappd-mcp-server

PowerShell

$env:UNTAPPD_CLIENT_ID = "your_client_id"
$env:UNTAPPD_CLIENT_SECRET = "your_client_secret"
npx untappd-mcp-server

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop config (claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "untappd": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["untappd-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "UNTAPPD_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id",
        "UNTAPPD_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret",
        "UNTAPPD_ACCESS_TOKEN": "optional_oauth_token",
        "UNTAPPD_USERNAME": "optional_default_username"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools

Tools marked 🔑 token require an access token (UNTAPPD_ACCESS_TOKEN env var or interactive authentication).

Authentication Tools

authenticate_untappd

Interactively authenticate with Untappd via OAuth: opens your browser to Untappd's approve page, captures the redirect on a temporary localhost listener, and saves the access token — the 🔑 tools work immediately, no restart. Prerequisite: your Untappd app's Callback URL must be set to exactly http://localhost:8737/callback (or your UNTAPPD_REDIRECT_URL).

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
timeout_seconds	integer	No	How long to wait for browser approval (default 180, max 600)

get_auth_status

Report authentication status: token presence, source (env var or token file), file path, and whether the 🔑 tools are unlocked. Free by default; validate: true verifies the token with one API call.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
validate	boolean	No	Verify the token against the API with one call (default false)

Search & Lookup

venue_search

Search for venues (breweries, bars, restaurants) by name with optional location awareness.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
q	string	Yes	Search query (venue name)
lat	number	No	Latitude for location-aware results
lng	number	No	Longitude for location-aware results

search_brewery

Search for breweries by name.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
q	string	Yes	Brewery name search query
offset	integer	No	Offset for pagination

search_beer

Search for beers by name.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
q	string	Yes	Beer name search query
offset	integer	No	Pagination offset
sort	string	No	Sort order: checkin (default), name, count

Venue

get_venue_info

Retrieve detailed information and recent check-ins for a venue.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
venue_id	integer	Yes	Untappd venue ID
compact	boolean	No	If true, returns venue info only (no checkins, media, top beers)

get_venue_checkins

Retrieve the recent check-in feed for a venue. This is the primary tool for determining what's currently on tap — recent check-ins act as a live signal for available beers.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
venue_id	integer	Yes	Untappd venue ID
limit	integer	No	Number of results (max 25, default 25)
max_id	integer	No	Return results older than this checkin ID
min_id	integer	No	Return only checkins newer than this ID

get_venue_foursquare_lookup

Resolve a Foursquare venue ID to its Untappd venue — the bridge between Foursquare/location data and Untappd venue tools.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
foursquare_id	string	Yes	Foursquare venue ID in v2 MD5-hash format (v3 numeric IDs will not work)

Beer

get_beer_info

Retrieve detailed information for a specific beer.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
bid	integer	Yes	Untappd beer ID
compact	boolean	No	If true, returns beer info only

get_beer_checkins

Retrieve the recent public check-in feed for a specific beer — what people are saying about it right now, and where they're drinking it.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
bid	integer	Yes	Untappd beer ID
limit	integer	No	Results per page (max 50, default 25)
max_id	integer	No	Return results older than this checkin ID
min_id	integer	No	Return only checkins newer than this ID

get_trending_beers

Retrieve globally trending beers (macro and micro brew lists, by recent check-in velocity). No parameters.

Brewery

get_brewery_info

Retrieve detailed information, beer list, and recent check-ins for a brewery.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
brewery_id	integer	Yes	Untappd brewery ID
compact	boolean	No	If true, returns brewery info only

get_brewery_checkins

Retrieve the recent public check-in feed for a brewery — all its beers being checked in globally.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
brewery_id	integer	Yes	Untappd brewery ID
limit	integer	No	Results per page (max 50, default 25)
max_id	integer	No	Return results older than this checkin ID
min_id	integer	No	Return only checkins newer than this ID

User

get_user_info

Retrieve profile and stats for an Untappd user.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
username	string	Yes	Untappd username
compact	boolean	No	If true, returns user info only (no checkins, media, recent brews)

get_user_activity

Retrieve the recent check-in activity feed for a user.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
username	string	Yes	Untappd username
limit	integer	No	Number of results (max 25, default 25)
max_id	integer	No	Return results older than this checkin ID
min_id	integer	No	Return only checkins newer than this ID

get_user_distinct_beers

Retrieve the unique beers a user has checked in, with flexible sort ordering. sort=checkin with limit=1 is the single-call pattern for "most-checked-in beer".

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
username	string	Yes	Untappd username
offset	integer	No	Pagination offset
limit	integer	No	Results per page (max 50, default 25)
sort	string	No	date (default), checkin, highest_rated, lowest_rated, highest_rated_you, lowest_rated_you

get_user_wishlist

Retrieve beers on a user's wish list.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
username	string	Yes	Untappd username
offset	integer	No	Pagination offset
limit	integer	No	Results per page (max 50, default 25)
sort	string	No	date (default), checkin, highest_rated, lowest_rated

get_user_badges

Retrieve a user's earned badges (pages of 50, most recent first).

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
username	string	Yes	Untappd username
offset	integer	No	Pagination offset (pages of 50)

get_user_friends

Retrieve a user's friend list (public accounts only).

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
username	string	Yes	Untappd username
offset	integer	No	Pagination offset
limit	integer	No	Results per page (max 50, default 25)

Activity Feeds

get_global_feed

Retrieve the global public check-in feed (The Pub). High rate-limit cost for the data returned — prefer min_id polling to fetch only new check-ins. Note: standard API keys are typically not authorized for /thepub — Untappd returns "You are not authorized to call this method from this key" unless your key has elevated access (get_local_feed is not restricted).

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
limit	integer	No	Results per page (max 50, default 25)
max_id	integer	No	Return results older than this checkin ID
min_id	integer	No	Return only checkins newer than this ID

get_local_feed

Retrieve the public check-in feed near a geographic point.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
lat	number	Yes	Latitude
lng	number	Yes	Longitude
radius	integer	No	Radius in miles (default 25, max 50)
limit	integer	No	Results per page (max 50, default 25)
max_id	integer	No	Return results older than this checkin ID
min_id	integer	No	Return only checkins newer than this ID

get_friend_feed 🔑 token

Retrieve the friend check-in feed for the authenticated user.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
limit	integer	No	Results per page (max 50, default 25)
max_id	integer	No	Return results older than this checkin ID
min_id	integer	No	Return only checkins newer than this ID

Checkin

get_checkin_info

Retrieve extended details for a specific check-in, including badges earned, toasts, and comments.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
checkin_id	integer	Yes	Untappd check-in ID

Composite / Aggregation

These tools make multiple API calls (1 per page scanned — 50 beers/badges, 25 check-ins). They pre-check the remaining rate limit before starting and stop early — setting truncated: true in the response — if the budget runs low.

get_user_stats_at_venue

Get a user's check-in stats at a specific venue — visit count, last visit, average rating, top beers — by scanning their recent check-in feed. Untappd's API has no venue-history endpoint, so the stats cover the scanned window (max_pages × 25 check-ins), not all time.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
venue_id	integer	Yes	Untappd venue ID
username	string	No	Untappd username (defaults to UNTAPPD_USERNAME)
max_pages	integer	No	Max feed pages to scan at 25 check-ins/page (default 5 = 125 check-ins)

search_venue_then_get_user_stats

Search for a venue by name, then get the user's check-in stats at the top match.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
q	string	Yes	Venue search query
username	string	No	Untappd username (defaults to UNTAPPD_USERNAME)
lat	number	No	Latitude for location-aware search
lng	number	No	Longitude for location-aware search
max_pages	integer	No	Max feed pages to scan at 25 check-ins/page (default 5 = 125 check-ins)

get_user_beer_stats

Aggregate a user's distinct beer history into style, brewery, and rating breakdowns — top styles, top breweries, average personal vs global ratings, highest-rated, and most-checked-in.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
username	string	Yes	Untappd username
max_pages	integer	No	Max pages to scan at 50 beers/page (default 10 = 500 beers)

get_user_badge_summary

Retrieve all badges for a user (paginating to completion) with a structured summary.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
username	string	Yes	Untappd username
max_pages	integer	No	Max pages to scan at 50 badges/page (default 10 = 500 badges)

Rate Limiting

The Untappd API allows 100 calls per hour per API key (per access token when authenticated). Every tool response includes the current rate limit status:

{
  "rateLimit": {
    "limit": 100,
    "remaining": 97
  }
}

Composite tools call assertRateLimitSufficient before starting pagination and stop early with truncated: true rather than exhausting the budget. If the limit is exceeded, the Untappd API returns a 429 error which is surfaced as: Rate limit exceeded. Limit: 100, Remaining: 0. Resets hourly.

Authentication

Mode	Env Vars	Unlocks
Public	UNTAPPD_CLIENT_ID + UNTAPPD_CLIENT_SECRET	All public tools
Authenticated	+ UNTAPPD_ACCESS_TOKEN (+ optional UNTAPPD_USERNAME)	get_friend_feed, user-scoped rate limits, richer /user data

When an access token is configured (env var or saved token file), the server prefers it for all calls — rate limits become user-scoped and /user endpoints return richer data. UNTAPPD_USERNAME provides a default username for authenticated user tools.

The server exits on startup if neither a client id/secret pair nor an access token is configured.

Interactive Authentication

You don't need to obtain an access token manually — the server can run Untappd's OAuth flow for you.

One-time prerequisite: in your Untappd app settings at untappd.com/api, set the Callback URL to exactly:

http://localhost:8737/callback

(or the value of UNTAPPD_REDIRECT_URL if you override it — it must be a localhost http URL, and the two must match exactly or Untappd rejects the flow).

In chat: ask your agent to run the authenticate_untappd tool. Your browser opens to Untappd's approve page; once you approve, the token is saved and the 🔑 tools work immediately — no restart needed.

In a terminal:

npx untappd-mcp-server auth            # run the interactive flow
npx untappd-mcp-server auth --status   # show current auth status
npx untappd-mcp-server auth --clear    # delete the saved token

(In the repo: npm run auth.)

Storage & precedence: the token is saved to ~/.untappd-mcp-server/token.json (override with UNTAPPD_TOKEN_PATH). If UNTAPPD_ACCESS_TOKEN is set it always wins over the file. Untappd tokens do not expire.

Security note: the token is stored in plaintext with 0600 permissions on macOS/Linux; on Windows protection relies on your user-profile ACLs. Delete it any time with auth --clear. Tool outputs only ever include a masked form of the token.

Development

npm install
npm run build
npm test          # unit tests (mocked API — no rate limit cost)
npm run smoke     # live smoke test against the real API (~25 calls, ~26 with a token)

The smoke test uses your UNTAPPD_* env vars, skips authenticated tools when no access token is set, and aborts if the remaining rate limit drops below 5. Filter to a single tool with npm run smoke -- --only=tool_name.

Testing with MCP Inspector

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node dist/index.js

Known Limitations

• No tap list data — actual tap lists require an Untappd for Business subscription. Venue check-in feeds serve as a real-time proxy.
• No venue events — Untappd's public API has no events endpoint, and the Eventbrite search API that could have bridged the gap was discontinued; deferred to v3.
• No venue-history endpoint — the v4 API has no per-user venue history; get_user_stats_at_venue scans the recent check-in feed instead, so its stats cover a window (max_pages × 25 check-ins), not all time.
• Rate limit: 100/hour — minimise redundant calls; every response surfaces rateLimit.remaining.
• Feed limit caps — tools accept limit up to 50, but the API caps some feeds at 25 server-side.
• Global feed requires an elevated key — /thepub (get_global_feed) is not authorized for standard API keys; the local feed works with any key.
• Foursquare lookup requires v2 IDs — the MD5-hash format; Foursquare v3 numeric IDs will not work.
• Venue IDs required — use venue_search first to resolve a venue name to an ID.
• Public check-ins only — private user accounts are not visible.
• Read-only — write operations (check-in, toast, comment, wish-list management) are deferred to v3.
• MCP client timeouts — some MCP clients cap tool-call duration below the authenticate_untappd default of 180s; pass a smaller timeout_seconds if your client times out first, or use npx untappd-mcp-server auth in a terminal instead.

License

MIT