Intercom Automation via Rube MCP

Automate Intercom operations through Composio’s Intercom toolkit via Rube MCP.

Prerequisites

• Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
• Active Intercom connection via RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit intercom
• Always call RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas

Setup

Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.

1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
2. Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit intercom
3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Intercom OAuth
4. Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows

Core Workflows

1. Manage Conversations

When to use: User wants to create, list, search, or manage support conversations

Tool sequence:

1. INTERCOM_LIST_ALL_ADMINS – Get admin IDs for assignment [Prerequisite]
2. INTERCOM_LIST_CONVERSATIONS – List all conversations [Optional]
3. INTERCOM_SEARCH_CONVERSATIONS – Search with filters [Optional]
4. INTERCOM_GET_CONVERSATION – Get conversation details [Optional]
5. INTERCOM_CREATE_CONVERSATION – Create a new conversation [Optional]

Key parameters:

• from: Object with type (‘user’/’lead’) and id for conversation creator
• body: Message body (HTML supported)
• id: Conversation ID for retrieval
• query: Search query object with field, operator, value

Pitfalls:

• CREATE_CONVERSATION requires a contact (user/lead) as the from field, not an admin
• Conversation bodies support HTML; plain text is auto-wrapped in <p> tags
• Search query uses structured filter objects, not free-text search
• Conversation IDs are numeric strings

2. Reply and Manage Conversation State

When to use: User wants to reply to, close, reopen, or assign conversations

Tool sequence:

1. INTERCOM_GET_CONVERSATION – Get current state [Prerequisite]
2. INTERCOM_REPLY_TO_CONVERSATION – Add a reply [Optional]
3. INTERCOM_ASSIGN_CONVERSATION – Assign to admin/team [Optional]
4. INTERCOM_CLOSE_CONVERSATION – Close conversation [Optional]
5. INTERCOM_REOPEN_CONVERSATION – Reopen closed conversation [Optional]

Key parameters:

• conversation_id / id: Conversation ID
• body: Reply message body (HTML supported)
• type: Reply type (‘admin’ or ‘user’)
• admin_id: Admin ID for replies from admin, assignment, and close/reopen
• assignee_id: Admin or team ID for assignment
• message_type: ‘comment’ (default) or ‘note’ (internal)

Pitfalls:

• admin_id is REQUIRED for admin replies, close, reopen, and assignment operations
• Always fetch admin IDs first with LIST_ALL_ADMINS or IDENTIFY_AN_ADMIN
• Duplicate sends can occur on retry; implement idempotency checks
• Internal notes use message_type: 'note'; visible only to workspace members
• Closing requires an admin_id and optional body message

3. Manage Contacts

When to use: User wants to search, view, or manage contacts (users and leads)

Tool sequence:

1. INTERCOM_SEARCH_CONTACTS – Search contacts with filters [Required]
2. INTERCOM_GET_A_CONTACT – Get specific contact [Optional]
3. INTERCOM_SHOW_CONTACT_BY_EXTERNAL_ID – Look up by external ID [Optional]
4. INTERCOM_LIST_CONTACTS – List all contacts [Optional]
5. INTERCOM_LIST_TAGS_ATTACHED_TO_A_CONTACT – Get contact tags [Optional]
6. INTERCOM_LIST_ATTACHED_SEGMENTS_FOR_CONTACT – Get contact segments [Optional]
7. INTERCOM_DETACH_A_CONTACT – Remove contact from company [Optional]

Key parameters:

• contact_id: Contact ID for retrieval
• external_id: External system ID for lookup
• query: Search filter object with field, operator, value
• pagination: Object with per_page and starting_after cursor

Pitfalls:

• SEARCH_CONTACTS uses structured query filters, not free-text; format: {field, operator, value}
• Supported operators: =, !=, >, <, ~ (contains), !~ (not contains), IN, NIN
• Contact types are ‘user’ (identified) or ‘lead’ (anonymous)
• LIST_CONTACTS returns paginated results; use starting_after cursor for pagination
• External IDs are case-sensitive

4. Manage Admins and Teams

When to use: User wants to list workspace admins or identify specific admins

Tool sequence:

1. INTERCOM_LIST_ALL_ADMINS – List all admins and teams [Required]
2. INTERCOM_IDENTIFY_AN_ADMIN – Get specific admin details [Optional]

Key parameters:

• admin_id: Admin ID for identification

Pitfalls:

• LIST_ALL_ADMINS returns both admins and teams
• Admin IDs are required for conversation replies, assignment, close, and reopen
• Teams appear in the admins list with type: 'team'

5. View Segments and Counts

When to use: User wants to view segments or get aggregate counts

Tool sequence:

1. INTERCOM_LIST_SEGMENTS – List all segments [Optional]
2. INTERCOM_LIST_ATTACHED_SEGMENTS_FOR_CONTACT – Segments for a contact [Optional]
3. INTERCOM_LIST_ATTACHED_SEGMENTS_FOR_COMPANIES – Segments for a company [Optional]
4. INTERCOM_GET_COUNTS – Get aggregate counts [Optional]

Key parameters:

• contact_id: Contact ID for segment lookup
• company_id: Company ID for segment lookup
• type: Count type (‘conversation’, ‘company’, ‘user’, ‘tag’, ‘segment’)
• count: Sub-count type

Pitfalls:

• GET_COUNTS returns approximate counts, not exact numbers
• Segment membership is computed; changes may not reflect immediately

6. Manage Companies

When to use: User wants to list companies or manage company-contact relationships

Tool sequence:

1. INTERCOM_LIST_ALL_COMPANIES – List all companies [Required]
2. INTERCOM_LIST_ATTACHED_SEGMENTS_FOR_COMPANIES – Get company segments [Optional]
3. INTERCOM_DETACH_A_CONTACT – Remove contact from company [Optional]

Key parameters:

• company_id: Company ID
• contact_id: Contact ID for detachment
• page: Page number for pagination
• per_page: Results per page

Pitfalls:

• Company-contact relationships are managed through contact endpoints
• DETACH_A_CONTACT removes the contact-company association, not the contact itself

Common Patterns

Search Query Filters

Single filter:

{
  "field": "email",
  "operator": "=",
  "value": "user@example.com"
}

Multiple filters (AND):

{
  "operator": "AND",
  "value": [
    {"field": "role", "operator": "=", "value": "user"},
    {"field": "created_at", "operator": ">", "value": 1672531200}
  ]
}

Supported fields for contacts: email, name, role, created_at, updated_at, signed_up_at, last_seen_at, external_id

Supported fields for conversations: created_at, updated_at, source.type, state, open, read

Pagination

• Most list endpoints use cursor-based pagination
• Check response for pages.next with starting_after cursor
• Pass cursor in pagination.starting_after for next page
• Continue until pages.next is null

Admin ID Resolution

1. Call INTERCOM_LIST_ALL_ADMINS to get all admins
2. Find the desired admin by name or email
3. Use admin.id for replies, assignments, and state changes

Known Pitfalls

Admin ID Requirement:

• Admin ID is required for: reply (as admin), assign, close, reopen
• Always resolve admin IDs first with LIST_ALL_ADMINS

HTML Content:

• Conversation bodies are HTML
• Plain text is auto-wrapped in paragraph tags
• Sanitize HTML input to prevent rendering issues

Idempotency:

• Replies and conversation creation are not idempotent
• Duplicate sends can occur on retry or timeout
• Track message IDs to prevent duplicates

Rate Limits:

• Default: ~1000 requests per minute (varies by plan)
• 429 responses include rate limit headers
• Implement exponential backoff for retries

Quick Reference