Developer Tools & Devops · Sslmate cert spotter api + Claude
SSLMate Cert Spotter API MCP with Claude: Catch Unauthorised Certificates Faster
The short answer
Claude connects to SSLMate Cert Spotter API through the Model Context Protocol, a secure standard that lets Claude read data and take approved actions in the tool. Once connected, Claude can watch for newly issued certificates on your domains, flag unexpected issuance and answer questions about certificate history in natural language, with access controlled by your organisation.
What is Sslmate cert spotter api?
SSLMate Cert Spotter API tracks Certificate Transparency logs, the public records of SSL/TLS certificates issued for domains. It helps organisations monitor their domains and catch certificates issued without their knowledge, which can signal misuse or a security gap. It is typically used by security teams, IT administrators, web operations staff and developers who manage websites and online services with many domains.
How Claude connects to Sslmate cert spotter api through MCP
The Model Context Protocol, or MCP, is an open standard that lets Claude securely use other software. Think of it as a universal adapter between Claude and the tool. It lets Claude read information and, where permitted, take actions, using permissions the organisation controls.
Once connected through an MCP server or a direct API link using your API key, Claude can typically check for new certificates on the domains you choose, summarise what was issued, compare it with your records and explain the history of any certificate in plain language. Your team can ask questions such as which certificates were issued for a domain this week.
Permissions and approvals keep people in charge. The API key is scoped to read only what is needed, and access can be limited to specific domains. Any consequential step, such as raising an incident ticket, is routed to a named person for approval, and every action is recorded in an audit log.
What you can automate
Daily certificate watch
Claude checks for newly logged certificates on your core domains each morning and produces a short summary. Security staff see only the entries that differ from the expected set, saving time spent scanning raw logs.
Suspicious issuance alerts
When a certificate appears for a domain or subdomain nobody recognises, Claude flags it with the issuing authority, the names covered and the time of issue. The security team can then decide whether to investigate or revoke.
Certificate history lookups
Staff can ask Claude questions such as when a certificate for the payments subdomain was last renewed. Claude pulls the history from the logs and answers in plain English, which helps during audits and handovers.
Renewal and expiry oversight
Operations teams can use Claude to confirm that renewals for customer-facing sites appeared as expected. Gaps can be raised early, before a certificate lapses and a site shows a warning to visitors.
Incident response support
During a suspected breach, Claude can gather every certificate issued for affected domains over a set period and organise the findings into a timeline for the incident lead, who keeps full control of the response.
An end-to-end workflow: Unauthorised certificate response
TriggerClaude detects a certificate issued for a company domain that is not on the approved list.
Claude reads the new certificate entry through the Cert Spotter API and records the domain names, issuer and issue time.
Claude compares the entry with the approved certificate register held in the organisation's document store.
If the entry is unrecognised, Claude creates a priority ticket in the IT service desk system with the evidence attached.
The security lead receives a Microsoft Teams message summarising the finding and is asked to approve next steps.
Once approved, Claude drafts the revocation request and logs every action for the audit trail.
OutcomeSuspicious certificates are spotted and escalated within minutes rather than during a periodic manual review, giving the security team a faster and better-documented response.
How we set it up
Free automation audit
We review how your team currently monitors certificates and which domains, alerts and approvals matter most. You leave with a clear list of workflows worth automating, at no cost.
Secure connection
We connect Claude to Cert Spotter API using your API key, stored in a secure vault and given read-only, domain-limited access wherever the tool allows it.
Workflow design
We design the end-to-end process across Cert Spotter and your other systems, such as your ticketing tool and Microsoft 365, with people approving every consequential action.
Testing with real cases
We test the workflow against past certificate issuance events from your own domains, tuning alerts so that genuine concerns stand out and routine renewals do not create noise.
Launch and training
We launch with monitoring and audit logs turned on, then train your security and IT staff on how to use Claude, review its findings and handle escalations.
Who benefits
- Security analyst
- Receives a short daily summary of genuinely new certificates instead of scanning raw logs by hand.
- IT administrator
- Can ask plain-English questions about certificate history and renewals without learning the tool's interface.
- Web operations lead
- Gets early warning if a customer-facing certificate fails to renew, protecting site availability.
- Chief information security officer
- Gains clear, audited evidence of domain monitoring to support internal reviews and audits.
Security and control
- API key access is read-only and limited to the domains you specify wherever the tool allows.
- Keys are stored in a secure vault and rotated on a schedule your team agrees.
- Consequential actions, such as raising escalations or requesting revocation, require named human approval.
- Every query and action Claude takes is recorded in an audit log that your team can review.
- Monitoring is set up as an aid to your team's judgement and does not replace your own security controls.
For teams in the US, UK, India and the Middle East
Organisations in the United States and the United Kingdom can host the Claude integration in their chosen region to align with their data handling policies. Companies in India must consider the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, when processing personal information, and we configure access and hosting accordingly. Organisations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are subject to local data protection laws, and we select a hosting region that helps meet those requirements. Final compliance decisions remain with your legal and security teams.
Learn more about Claude and MCP
Anthropic's AI model and assistant.
Secure links between Claude and business tools.
How engineers build and change software with Claude.
Hosted agents that run multi-step work.
The open standard Claude uses to connect to tools.
Frequently asked questions
What does the SSLMate Cert Spotter API MCP server do?
The MCP server gives Claude a secure way to read certificate transparency data for your domains. It lets Claude look up newly issued certificates, check their details and retrieve history, so your team can ask questions in plain language instead of working directly with the raw API.
Is connecting Claude to Cert Spotter API secure?
Security is built in. Access uses your API key, which is stored securely and limited to what the workflow needs. Every action is logged, and consequential steps need human approval. We also apply least-privilege access so Claude only sees the domains you choose.
What can Claude do with Cert Spotter API once connected?
Typically Claude can review new certificate entries, summarise what was issued, compare results against your approved list, answer questions about certificate history and prepare alerts or tickets. Actions that change anything are routed to a person for approval first.
How long does setup take?
Many organisations are live within a few weeks. The timeline depends on how many domains you monitor, how many systems the workflow touches and how quickly approvals are given. The free automation audit gives you a realistic plan.
Which plan or permissions do I need?
Access depends on the API key and the permissions your Cert Spotter account provides. In general, read access to the certificate data for your domains is what this workflow needs. We confirm the right setup during the audit so you do not pay for access you do not use.