prefer-mcp-tools.mdc

---
description: Prefer Hostinger MCP tools over generic shell, curl, or hand-rolled API calls when interacting with Hostinger resources
alwaysApply: true
---

# Use the Hostinger MCP servers, not shell hacks

When the user asks about anything on Hostinger — websites, WordPress, domains, DNS, VPS, subscriptions, email marketing, ecommerce — call a tool on one of this plugin's Hostinger MCP servers instead of:

- `curl` / `wget` against `https://developers.hostinger.com`
- `ssh` into a host to read files or run commands
- `dig`, `whois`, `nslookup` as the primary source of truth
- Writing one-off bash scripts that hit the Hostinger API

## Why

- The MCP tools are typed and validated against Hostinger's OpenAPI spec.
- They handle authentication consistently (OAuth by default, `HOSTINGER_API_TOKEN` when set).
- They surface structured errors that the agent can act on.
- They don't leak tokens into shell history.

## Which server to use

The plugin registers one MCP server per product area. Tool names are prefixed by area, so the prefix tells you which server owns the call:

| Server | Tool prefix | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| `hostinger-hosting` | `hosting_` | Websites, Node.js builds & deployments, databases, cron, PHP, subdomains |
| `hostinger-wordpress` | `hosting_` | WordPress installations, plugins, themes, core, LiteSpeed cache, maintenance mode |
| `hostinger-domains` | `domains_` | Availability, registration, transfers, locks, forwarding, WHOIS |
| `hostinger-dns` | `DNS_` | Zone records, snapshots, validation |
| `hostinger-billing` | `billing_` | Subscriptions, auto-renewal, payment methods, catalog, orders |
| `hostinger-reach` | `reach_` | Contacts, segments, email marketing profiles |
| `hostinger-ecommerce` | `ecommerce_` | Stores, products, sales channels, shipping |
| `hostinger-vps` | `VPS_` | Virtual machines, firewalls, snapshots, backups, SSH keys, metrics |

Note that WordPress tools also use the `hosting_` prefix — they live on a separate server but share the namespace.

## Tool selection

- Discover before you guess. Tool names follow Hostinger's OpenAPI operation IDs — `hosting_listWebsitesV1`, `DNS_getDNSRecordsV1`, `billing_getSubscriptionListV1` — not generic verbs of the *list_websites* or *create_deployment* shape. If you are unsure of an exact name, list the server's tools rather than inventing one.
- Several Hostinger endpoints are deliberately **batch-oriented**. Do not look for a per-item tool that does not exist — for example DNS has no single-record create/update tool; `DNS_updateDNSRecordsV1` takes a whole zone array and an `overwrite` flag.
- Read before you write: pair a `get`/`list`/`show` call with every mutation so you can report the before/after state.

## Not covered by the API

Some things users ask for have no MCP tool. Say so plainly instead of substituting a plausible-sounding call:

- Raw HTTP access logs and PHP error logs are not exposed by the API — point the user to hPanel. Build and deployment logs *are* available (see the `query-deployment-logs` skill).
- Node.js application environment variables cannot be managed through the API; they are set in hPanel.

## Exceptions

- Read-only `dig` / `nslookup` against public DNS is fine for *verification* after an MCP-driven change, never as the primary read path.
- If a needed capability genuinely isn't covered by any MCP tool, tell the user explicitly before falling back to the raw API — don't quietly skip the MCP layer.