The MCP Playbook: Connect OpenClaw to Everything

By Irfad Imtiaz, Director of Technology at My Legal Academy

OpenClaw can think and communicate. But it's most powerful when it can act on your existing systems — creating contacts in your CRM, booking appointments on your calendar, logging data in your practice management software.

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is how OpenClaw connects to external tools. Think of it as giving your AI arms to reach into other software.

This article covers the integrations that matter most for law firms: GoHighLevel, Google Calendar, Gmail, Zapier (which connects to everything else), and Facebook Ads monitoring.

TL;DR: Start with calendar integration (book appointments automatically), then CRM (create contacts from leads). Add Zapier for anything else. Each integration takes 15-30 minutes to configure through the OpenClaw web interface.

Understanding MCP

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI agents communicate with external tools. Instead of building custom integrations for every app, OpenClaw speaks MCP, and various apps have MCP adapters.

Key concepts:

• MCP Server: An adapter that translates between OpenClaw and a specific tool
• Tools: The actions available through an MCP server (e.g., "create contact", "book appointment")
• Resources: Data that OpenClaw can read through MCP (e.g., "list of upcoming appointments")

For this guide, you don't need to understand the technical details. Just know: MCP = how OpenClaw talks to other apps.

Integration 1: Google Calendar

Calendar integration lets OpenClaw book appointments automatically. This is usually the highest-impact integration — clients can book consultations at 2 AM without human involvement.

What You Can Do

• Check availability
• Book appointments
• Send calendar invites
• Reschedule appointments
• Cancel appointments
• Get upcoming appointment lists

Setup Steps

Step 1: Enable Google Calendar API

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create or select a project
3. Enable "Google Calendar API"
4. Create OAuth 2.0 credentials (same process as Gmail setup)
5. Download credentials JSON

Step 2: Configure in OpenClaw

1. In OpenClaw, go to Integrations → Google Calendar
2. Upload credentials JSON
3. Authorize (OAuth flow)
4. Select which calendars OpenClaw can access
5. Configure booking rules:
   • Available hours (e.g., 9 AM - 5 PM)
   • Appointment duration (e.g., 30 minutes)
   • Buffer between appointments (e.g., 15 minutes)
   • Days available (e.g., Monday-Friday)

Step 3: Update SOUL.md

Add to your SOUL.md:

## Appointment Booking

When someone wants to schedule:
1. Ask what day/time works best for them
2. Check calendar for availability
3. If available: Book and confirm
4. If not available: Offer next 3 available slots
5. Send calendar invite to client email
6. Confirm booking with summary

Available times: [YOUR HOURS]
Appointment length: [DURATION]

Testing

1. Ask OpenClaw: "I'd like to schedule a consultation"
2. Verify it offers available times
3. Book a test appointment
4. Check that it appears on your calendar
5. Verify the calendar invite was sent

Integration 2: GoHighLevel / Amicus Pro

If your firm uses GoHighLevel (or our white-labeled version, Amicus Pro), this is powerful. OpenClaw can create contacts, update opportunities, send messages, and more — directly in your CRM.

What You Can Do

• Create new contacts from intake
• Update contact information
• Create opportunities/deals
• Move opportunities through pipeline stages
• Send SMS/email through GHL
• Add notes and tags
• Trigger GHL automations

Setup Steps

Step 1: Get Your API Key

1. In GoHighLevel, go to Settings → Business Profile → API Keys
2. Generate a new API key
3. Copy and save it securely

Step 2: Get Your Location ID

1. In GHL, go to Settings → Business Profile
2. Find your Location ID (a long string)
3. Copy it

Step 3: Configure in OpenClaw

1. In OpenClaw, go to Integrations → GoHighLevel
2. Enter your API Key
3. Enter your Location ID
4. Test connection
5. Select which tools to enable (contacts, opportunities, etc.)

Step 4: Update SOUL.md

## CRM Integration

After qualifying a lead:
1. Create contact in CRM with:
   - Name
   - Phone
   - Email
   - Practice area of interest
   - Summary of inquiry
2. Create opportunity in [PIPELINE NAME]
3. Add note with conversation summary
4. Tag appropriately (e.g., "AI Intake", "After-Hours")

Common Use Cases

Auto-Create Contact on Intake: When someone provides their info during intake, OpenClaw creates the contact immediately — no manual data entry.

Update Pipeline Status: When a consultation is booked, OpenClaw moves the opportunity to "Consultation Scheduled" stage.

Trigger GHL Automations: Adding a specific tag can trigger GHL automations — drip emails, task creation, etc.

Integration 3: Zapier MCP

Zapier connects to 8,000+ apps. If something isn't directly supported by OpenClaw, you can probably reach it through Zapier.

What You Can Do

• Connect to Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther
• Update spreadsheets
• Send Slack notifications
• Create tasks in Asana/Trello/Monday
• Log data to Airtable
• Anything else Zapier supports

Setup Steps

Step 1: Set Up Zapier

1. Create a Zapier account at zapier.com if you don't have one
2. Go to Settings → API Keys (or use Zapier's MCP integration)

Step 2: Configure Zapier MCP

1. In OpenClaw, go to Integrations → Zapier
2. Connect your Zapier account
3. OpenClaw will show available Zapier actions

Step 3: Create Zaps

For each workflow you want:

1. In Zapier, create a new Zap
2. Trigger: "OpenClaw Event" (or Webhook)
3. Action: Whatever you want (Clio, Slack, etc.)
4. Test and enable

Example: Clio Integration via Zapier

OpenClaw doesn't have native Clio integration, but Zapier does:

Zap: New Lead → Clio Contact

• Trigger: OpenClaw sends new lead data via webhook
• Action: Create Contact in Clio with that data

Zap: Consultation Booked → Clio Matter

• Trigger: OpenClaw sends booking confirmation
• Action: Create Matter in Clio

Integration 4: Gmail (Full Control)

We covered Gmail monitoring in Article 5. Here's the full integration for sending, drafting, and managing email.

What You Can Do

• Read and summarize emails
• Draft responses
• Send emails (with or without approval)
• Apply labels
• Archive/delete
• Search for specific emails

Advanced Configuration

Approval Workflow:

Configure OpenClaw to draft but not send:

## Email Handling

When drafting email responses:
1. Draft the response
2. Save to "Drafts" folder
3. Notify [ADMIN EMAIL]: "Draft ready for review: [Subject]"
4. Wait for human approval before sending

Auto-Response Rules:

## Auto-Response

Auto-send responses (no approval needed) for:
- Appointment confirmation requests
- Basic "how do I contact you" questions
- Thank you notes for referrals

Require approval for:
- Anything mentioning legal substance
- Responses to opposing counsel
- Anything with potential liability

Integration 5: Facebook Ads Monitoring

If you run Facebook/Meta Ads for lead generation, OpenClaw can monitor performance and alert on issues.

What You Can Do

• Check campaign performance
• Monitor cost per lead
• Alert when metrics drift
• Summarize weekly performance

Setup Steps

Step 1: Meta Business API Access

1. Go to Meta Business Suite
2. Access Business Settings → Users → System Users
3. Create or access a system user
4. Generate access token with ads_read permissions

Step 2: Configure in OpenClaw

1. Go to Integrations → Facebook Ads
2. Enter your access token
3. Select ad accounts to monitor
4. Configure alert thresholds:
   • Alert if CPL > $X
   • Alert if spend > $X/day
   • Alert if clicks down > X%

Step 3: Heartbeat Monitoring

Schedule: Every 6 hours
Task: Check Facebook Ads

For each active campaign:
1. Get current metrics (spend, leads, CPL)
2. Compare to previous period
3. If CPL increased > 20%, alert
4. If spend approaching daily budget, notify
5. Include in morning briefing summary

Integration Priority

If you're implementing integrations, do them in this order:

Priority 1: Google Calendar

Impact: Automated appointment booking Time: 20 minutes

Priority 2: CRM (GHL or via Zapier)

Impact: Automatic lead creation, no data entry Time: 30 minutes

Priority 3: Gmail (Full Integration)

Impact: Email monitoring and response Time: 20 minutes

Priority 4: Zapier (For Everything Else)

Impact: Connects remaining tools Time: Variable per workflow

Priority 5: Ads Monitoring

Impact: Marketing visibility Time: 30 minutes

Human-in-the-Loop MCP

One special MCP integration deserves mention: Human-in-the-Loop.

This integration requires human approval before OpenClaw takes certain actions. It's critical for high-stakes operations.

Configuration

## Human Approval Required

Actions requiring human approval before execution:
- Sending any email
- Posting to social media
- Making changes to client records
- Anything involving money
- Any external communication that isn't basic intake

When approval needed:
1. Notify [ADMIN] via [Slack/Email]
2. Present action for review
3. Wait for approval/rejection
4. If approved, execute
5. If rejected, log and note why

Why It Matters

OpenClaw is powerful, but it's not perfect. Human-in-the-Loop ensures a human reviews important actions before they're executed. This protects against AI errors and provides an audit trail.

Troubleshooting Integrations

"Connection Failed"

Cause: API credentials expired or invalid.

Fix: Regenerate credentials and re-authorize in OpenClaw.

"Permission Denied"

Cause: Missing required scopes/permissions.

Fix: Check the integration docs for required permissions. Re-authorize with expanded scope.

"Rate Limited"

Cause: Too many API calls too quickly.

Fix: Reduce Heartbeat frequency for that integration. Most APIs allow ~100 requests/minute.

"Data Not Syncing"

Cause: Field mapping incorrect.

Fix: Check that OpenClaw fields match the target system's expected format. Names, dates, and phone numbers are common culprits.

Series Navigation

This is Article 8 of The Zero-Terminal OpenClaw Framework.

1. What Is OpenClaw? — The complete introduction
2. OpenClaw vs ChatGPT vs Copilot — Which AI for your firm
3. How OpenClaw Costs $0/Month — The Antigravity setup
4. Deploy in 15 Minutes — Railway template walkthrough
5. Connect Your Channels — WhatsApp, email, Slack
6. SOUL.md Mastery — Legal compliance templates
7. 20 Automations Every Firm Needs — Practical use cases
8. The MCP Playbook — You are here
9. Token Optimization — Running efficiently with Kimi K2.5
10. Security Done Right — Attorney-client privilege

← Previous: 20 Automations Every Firm Needs

Next →: Token Optimization