How AI Agents Register Domains: Building with MCP

Your AI agent just built a full-stack app. The code compiles, tests pass, and the preview looks great. Now what?

The last mile — getting from working code to a live website with a real domain — has been a manual chore. You leave your AI workflow, open a registrar, search for domains, enter payment info, configure DNS, set up hosting, and deploy. By the time you're done, you've context-switched five times.

Hoist is an open-source MCP server that solves this. It gives AI agents six tools to search domains, register them, manage DNS, and deploy — all without leaving the conversation.

The Problem: AI Stops at localhost

Model Context Protocol (MCP) has unlocked incredible agent capabilities. Agents can write code, run tests, query databases, and manage git repos. But when it's time to ship, they hit a wall.

Domain registration requires navigating registrar UIs, entering payment details, and waiting for DNS propagation. Deployment means configuring hosting providers, setting up build pipelines, and pointing domains. None of this is accessible via tool calls — until now.

The Solution: 6 Tools, One MCP Server

Hoist exposes six tools through the Model Context Protocol:

No authentication is required for search and pricing. Registration uses Stripe checkout. Deployment and DNS management use an API key.

Code Walkthrough: 3 Tool Calls to a Live Site

Here's what an agent conversation looks like with Hoist:

Step 1: Search for available domains

// Agent calls search_domain
search_domain({ name: "neptune" })

// Returns availability across .com, .io, .dev, .xyz, .site, etc.
// Result: neptune.site is available — $4.99/yr

Step 2: Register the domain

// Agent calls register_domain  
register_domain({ 
  domain: "neptune.site", 
  email: "team@company.com" 
})

// Returns a Stripe checkout link for payment
// After payment, domain is registered and ready

Step 3: Deploy your app

// Agent calls deploy
deploy({ 
  domain: "neptune.site",
  source_url: "https://github.com/user/neptune-app" 
})

// Builds and deploys from the repo
// Status: queued → building → deploying → live
// Result: https://neptune.site is live

Three tool calls. That's it. The agent never left the conversation.

Setup: One Line

Add Hoist to Claude Desktop or any MCP-compatible client:

npx @hoist/mcp-server

Or add it to your Claude Desktop config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hoist": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@hoist/mcp-server"],
      "env": { "HOIST_API_KEY": "hoist_your_api_key_here" }
    }
  }
}

You can also fetch the config programmatically:

curl https://hoist-g8do.polsia.app/mcp/config.json

Anonymous Deploys (No Account Needed)

Don't have a domain yet? Hoist supports anonymous deploys that give you a temporary URL:

deploy({ source_url: "https://github.com/user/repo" })

// Returns: my-app-abc123.hoist-g8do.polsia.app
// Expires in 24 hours, includes a claim token to persist it

This is useful for previews, demos, or quick prototyping before committing to a domain.

DNS Management

Once a domain is registered, agents can manage DNS records directly:

// Add an MX record for email
manage_dns({
  domain: "neptune.site",
  action: "add",
  type: "MX",
  name: "@",
  value: "mail.provider.com",
  priority: 10
})

// Add a TXT record for verification
manage_dns({
  domain: "neptune.site", 
  action: "add",
  type: "TXT",
  name: "@",
  value: "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"
})

Why MCP?

We built Hoist as an MCP server instead of a CLI or REST API because MCP is how agents extend their capabilities. When Hoist is mounted as an MCP server:

• The agent discovers available tools automatically

• Tool schemas provide type-safe parameters

• The agent can chain tools (search → register → deploy) in a single conversation

• It works with any MCP client: Claude Desktop, Cursor, custom agents

Get Started

Hoist is open source. Here are the links:

• Docs: https://hoist-g8do.polsia.app/docs

• MCP Config: https://hoist-g8do.polsia.app/mcp/config.json

• Quick start: npx @hoist/mcp-server

If you're building AI agents that need to ship code to production, give Hoist a try. Three tool calls from code to live site.