Launch529

Connect AI, setup

Connect your AI, step by step.

Claude connects with one click. ChatGPT, the command line and your own code use a key. The open college and 529 data needs neither.

How it works

Three steps, about five minutes.

  1. Step 1

    Click Allow, or make a key

    In Claude, add Launch529 as a connector and click Allow. No key to copy. For ChatGPT and other tools, make an API key in Launch529 under Connect, then AI, and choose read only or read and make changes.

  2. Step 2

    Connect your AI

    Paste the server address into Claude’s Connectors, or one snippet into Claude Code or a custom GPT in ChatGPT. Each takes about a minute, and Launch529 fills in your key.

  3. Step 3

    Just ask

    Talk to your AI the way you would to a person. It sees your real plan and does the clicking for you.

No account needed

Free college and 529 data for any AI.

Anyone can connect an AI to our open data with no sign-up and no key: US college costs and net prices, every state 529 plan with fees, ratings and tax benefits, a savings estimator, and whether an expense counts as qualified. Make an API key only when you want to manage your own family’s plan.

  • search_schools and get_school: costs, net price, graduation and earnings
  • estimate_college_cost: what to save each month
  • list_529_plans, get_529_plan and compare_529_plans
  • check_expense: is it a qualified 529 expense?

Claude Code

One command, no key.

  1. 1Claude Code is Anthropic’s assistant for the terminal. If you don’t have it yet, install it first.

    How to install Claude Code ↗

  2. 2In a terminal, run this once:

    claude mcp add --transport http launch529-open https://launch529.com/api/public/mcp

Claude Desktop

Add it to Claude Desktop, no key.

  1. 1You need the Claude Desktop app and Node.js, a free helper it uses to connect.

    Download Claude Desktop ↗Download Node.js (choose the LTS version) ↗

  2. 2Open Claude Desktop, go to Settings (on a Mac press ⌘ and comma), choose Developer, and click Edit Config. Open the file it shows, claude_desktop_config.json, in any text editor.

  3. 3If the file is empty or only has { }, replace everything with this. If it already lists servers under "mcpServers", add just the "launch529-open" part inside that list.

    {
  "mcpServers": {
    "launch529-open": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://launch529.com/api/public/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

  4. 4Save, quit Claude Desktop completely, and open it again. Then ask: “Which 529 plans are cheapest and open to anyone?”

ChatGPT

A custom GPT that can look up colleges and 529 plans.

  1. 1Creating a GPT needs a paid ChatGPT plan. Open the GPT builder.

    Open the GPT builder in ChatGPT ↗

  2. 2Click Configure, scroll down, and click Create new action.

  3. 3Click Import from URL, paste this address, and click Import:

    https://launch529.com/api/public/v1/openapi.json

  4. 4Leave Authentication on None. Name your GPT, click Create, and choose Only me.

Command line

Look things up from a terminal.

  1. 1Download the tool (Node.js 18 or newer), then ask away:

    curl -fsSL https://launch529.com/connect/cli.mjs -o launch529 && chmod +x launch529
./launch529 plans list --open --max-fee 0.3
./launch529 schools search "san diego state"
./launch529 check "laptop"

API

Plain web requests, so any tool can use it.

  1. 1Every tool answers a simple GET, for example the cheapest plans anyone can join:

    curl "https://launch529.com/api/public/v1/tools/list_529_plans?open_to_nonresidents=true&max_fee_percent=0.3"

  2. 2The full description and a plain-text guide for AI assistants:

    OpenAPI: https://launch529.com/api/public/v1/openapi.json
MCP:     https://launch529.com/api/public/mcp
Guide:   https://launch529.com/llms.txt

The open tools are free to use and rate limited. Answers are estimates from published data, not tax or investment advice.

For your own account

Manage your plan, with a key.

Claude

The easiest way. Works in Claude on the web, the desktop app and your phone, with no key to copy.

  1. 1Open Claude (claude.ai, or the app), click your name, and go to Settings, then Connectors. Custom connectors are available on paid Claude plans.

  2. 2Click Add custom connector. Name it Launch529 and paste this address as the server URL:

    https://launch529.com/api/mcp

  3. 3Click Add, then Connect next to Launch529. A Launch529 page opens: sign in if asked, choose what Claude may do, and click Allow.

  4. 4Start a new chat. If asked, switch Launch529 on in the tools menu, then try: “What does my Launch529 account look like?” or “Add a $42 bookstore charge for Oliver.”

  5. iYou can turn the connection off any time under Connect, then AI, in Launch529.

Claude Desktop (advanced)

Prefer a config file to the Connectors page? This works in the Claude Desktop app.

  1. 1You need two free things on your computer: the Claude Desktop app, and Node.js, a small helper it uses to connect.

    Download Claude Desktop ↗Download Node.js (choose the LTS version) ↗

  2. 2Open Claude Desktop, go to Settings (on a Mac press ⌘ and comma), choose Developer, and click Edit Config. That opens a folder with a file called claude_desktop_config.json. Open that file in any text editor, such as TextEdit or Notepad.

  3. 3If the file is empty, or only has { }, replace everything with the text below. If it already lists other servers under "mcpServers", keep them and add only the "launch529" part inside that list, with a comma between entries.

    {
  "mcpServers": {
    "launch529": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://launch529.com/api/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization:${LAUNCH529_AUTH}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "LAUNCH529_AUTH": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

  4. 4Save the file, then quit Claude Desktop completely and open it again. Under Settings, then Developer, launch529 should now be listed as running.

  5. 5Start a new chat and try: “What does my Launch529 account look like?” or “Add a $42 bookstore charge for Oliver.”

  6. iSettings also has a Connectors section for apps with a sign-in button. Launch529 isn’t there yet, so this file is how to add it for now.

Claude Code

Manage your plan from the terminal while you work.

  1. 1Claude Code is Anthropic’s assistant for the terminal. If you don’t have it yet, install it first.

    How to install Claude Code ↗

  2. 2Open a terminal (on a Mac, the Terminal app) and paste this. Run it once:

    claude mcp add --transport http launch529 https://launch529.com/api/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

  3. 3Check it worked by running claude mcp list. launch529 should show as connected.

    claude mcp list

  4. 4Start Claude Code and ask things like “List my students and their schools.”

ChatGPT

Build a custom GPT that knows your account.

  1. 1Creating a GPT needs a paid ChatGPT plan. Open the GPT builder and sign in.

    Open the GPT builder in ChatGPT ↗

  2. 2Click the Configure tab, scroll to the bottom, and click Create new action.

  3. 3Click Import from URL, paste this address, and click Import:

    https://launch529.com/api/v1/openapi.json

  4. 4Next to Authentication click the gear icon. Choose API Key, set Auth Type to Bearer, paste your key, and click Save:

    YOUR_API_KEY

  5. 5Name it something like “My Launch529”, click Create, and choose Only me. Then ask it to manage your 529 plan. It asks before it changes anything.

Command line

Script it, or use it from any terminal.

  1. 1Download the command line tool (Node.js 18 or newer):

    curl -fsSL https://launch529.com/connect/cli.mjs -o launch529 && chmod +x launch529

  2. 2Sign in with your key, then try a few commands:

    ./launch529 login YOUR_API_KEY
./launch529 overview
./launch529 expenses add 42 "Campus Bookstore" --student Oliver
./launch529 tools

API

Build your own integration with plain HTTPS.

  1. 1Every action is one request. Send your key as a bearer token:

    curl -X POST https://launch529.com/api/v1/tools/add_planned_child \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"Oliver","first_year":2030}'

  2. 2See every action and what it takes:

    curl https://launch529.com/api/v1/tools -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

  3. 3The full description is an OpenAPI file, and the MCP server speaks JSON over HTTPS:

    OpenAPI: https://launch529.com/api/v1/openapi.json
MCP:     https://launch529.com/api/mcp

Want Launch529 to talk to your other tools? Webhooks, Slack alerts, Google Sheets and calendar

Claude connects with a sign-in and one click, on the web, the desktop app and your phone. In ChatGPT, build a custom GPT with your key today.

Ready when you are. Connect and ask.

Connect Claude or ChatGPT in minutes with Pro. The open college and 529 data above is free for anyone.