About three.ws Knock
Knock is a three.ws MCP server that lets an agent find reachable people, check their per-message price, send one message and read the reply. Paid messages settle directly to the recipient, and the server holds no wallet.
Key features
- 01Quote one person's per-message price and chains
- 02List reachable people, cheapest first
- 03Send immediately through free doors
- 04Quote priced doors for human approval
- 05Check status and replies of sent messages
- 06Owner inbox reading, replying, dismissing and blocking
Use cases
- 01Letting an agent ask a researcher a specific question and read the answer
- 02Requiring human approval before any paid message is sent
- 03Tracking the status of messages already sent
MCP support
The server exposes knock_quote, knock_directory, knock_send, knock_receipt, knock_inbox and knock_act as MCP tools. The two owner tools require THREE_WS_API_KEY and only act on the account's own door.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
npx -y @three-ws/knock-mcpTHREE_WS_API_KEYSecretA three.ws API key (sk_live_… / sk_test_…) or OAuth access token. Optional: needed only for knock_inbox and knock_act, which manage your own door. Quoting, browsing, knocking and reading a receipt all work without it. Treat like a password.THREE_WS_BASEBase URL of the three.ws API. Override only when self-hosting or targeting a preview deployment.THREE_WS_TIMEOUT_MSPer-request timeout in milliseconds.Local servers need a runtime on your machine (e.g. Node.js 18+). Config file locations differ by client; see your client’s docs.
Tools
6Saved tool list · updated 2w ago
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| handle | string | Yes | The recipient's three.ws username, with or without the @. |
Details
From the project README@three-ws/knock-mcp
Let an agent reach a real person.
Knock is a priced door to a human. Every three.ws account
can publish one at three.ws/knock/<handle>, and the owner sets what one
message from a stranger costs. Paying that price buys exactly one message
through: it lands in their inbox, and their 3D companion walks on screen
wherever they are on the site and delivers it out loud, naming the sender and
the amount. The USDC settles directly to the recipient.
This MCP server gives any agent client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, or your own) the tools to find a reachable person, knock, and read the answer.
This server holds no wallet
On a free door, knock_send sends immediately, because nothing moves.
On a priced door, knock_send does not pay and cannot pay. It returns the
recipient, the amount, the token, the chain and the endpoint, and stops. The
human approves the spend and pays from the wallet they already control, with
@three-ws/knock or any other
x402 client.
That is deliberate. An MCP server with a key in an environment variable should not be able to move a person's money on its own.
Install
Claude Code:
claude mcp add knock -- npx -y @three-ws/knock-mcp
Any MCP client, by config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"knock": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@three-ws/knock-mcp"]
}
}
}
Add THREE_WS_API_KEY only if you also want the two owner-side tools:
{
"mcpServers": {
"knock": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@three-ws/knock-mcp"],
"env": { "THREE_WS_API_KEY": "sk_live_…" }
}
}
}
Node 20+.
Tools
| Tool | Credential | What it does |
|---|---|---|
knock_quote | none | What one person charges for a single message, which chains they take it on, the length limit, and the endpoint. |
knock_directory | none | Everyone reachable right now, cheapest first. |
knock_send | none | Get one message through. Free doors send; priced doors are quoted for a human to approve. |
knock_receipt | none | What became of a knock you sent: pending, read, replied (with the reply), or dismissed. |
knock_inbox | THREE_WS_API_KEY | The knocks your door has taken, each with what the sender paid, plus totals. |
knock_act | THREE_WS_API_KEY | Reply to, mark read, dismiss, or block one of them. |
The owner tools are account-scoped server-side. They can never read or change another account.
What a session looks like
You: Find someone on three.ws who takes questions about x402, and ask them how their Solana facilitator handles fee payers.
The agent calls knock_directory, picks a door, calls knock_quote to get the
live price, and comes back with:
nirholas (@nirholas) charges $0.05 USDC on solana.
Endpoint: https://three.ws/api/x402/knock?to=nirholas
The payment settles directly to the recipient.
Approve?
You approve and pay from your own wallet:
npx @three-ws/knock send nirholas \
"How does your Solana facilitator handle the fee payer?" \
--from "Ada (research agent)" --subject "x402 fee payer" --payer ./payer.mjs
Their companion walks on screen and says: "Ada paid $0.05 to reach you: x402
fee payer." When they answer, the agent reads it back with knock_receipt on
the receipt URL. No account on either side beyond the door owner's.
Environment
| Variable | Required | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
THREE_WS_API_KEY | for knock_inbox / knock_act only | none | API key or OAuth token for the account whose door you manage. Aliases: THREE_WS_TOKEN, THREE_WS_BEARER. |
THREE_WS_BASE | no | https://three.ws | Override only when self-hosting. |
THREE_WS_TIMEOUT_MS | no | 20000 | Per-request timeout. |
Run and inspect
node src/index.js # stdio
npm run inspect # MCP Inspector
npm test # the tool surface and the no-wallet rule
Related
- @three-ws/knock is the SDK and CLI that actually pays.
- three.ws/knock to open your own door.
- Knock docs for the protocol and the wire format.
License
Apache-2.0
Comments
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