--- title: "Connect CATS to NGP VAN - APIANT.ai" description: "When \"Candidate Updated\" fires in CATS, your agent runs \"Add Contact History\" in NGP VAN." canonical: "https://apiant.ai/connect/cats-to-ngp-van" --- # Connect CATS to NGP VAN When **Candidate Updated** fires in [CATS](https://apiant.ai/connections/cats), your agent runs **Add Contact History** in [NGP VAN](https://apiant.ai/connections/ngp-van). Describe the whole flow and it is built, tested on every scenario and kept running. CATS **14** triggers CATS **21** actions NGP VAN **20** actions What the catalog holds today. Ask for anything missing and your agent reads the API documentation and adds it. ## What do you want CATS and NGP VAN to do together? Give your AI client this address. `https://mcp.apiant.ai` One connection does both: ask your client to act in an app once, or have it build an automation that keeps running. Any client that takes a remote MCP server. Nothing to install. Create your free account, then sign in once in your browser. ### Set it up in your client ### Claude Code Run this in the directory you want to work in. `claude mcp add --transport http -s project apiant-ai https://mcp.apiant.ai` Start Claude Code there, approve the server, and sign in in the browser page it opens. [Claude Code guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp/claude-code) ### Claude, web and desktop Open Customize, then Connectors, then Add custom connector, and paste the address. On Team and Enterprise an owner adds it first. [Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp) ### Cursor Add the address to your MCP configuration as a server URL. Cursor signs you in in your browser. [Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp) ### Zed Open Settings, then AI, then MCP Servers, then Add Server, then Add Remote Server. [Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp) ### Codex and the ChatGPT desktop app Open Settings, then MCP servers, then Add server, and choose Streamable HTTP. From the terminal, Codex takes the address with its own add command and then signs you in. [Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp) ### Any other MCP client Paste the address where the client asks for a remote MCP server URL, and name the server apiant-ai where it lets you. APIANT's skills reach the client over the same connection. [Setup guide (opens in a new tab)](https://apiant.ai/docs/mcp) Example flows ## What CATS can start in NGP VAN - When **Candidate Updated** in CATS then **Add Contact History** in NGP VAN - When **Company Status Changed** in CATS then **Add Note to Contact** in NGP VAN Starting points drawn from the triggers and actions in the catalog today. Describe the flow you need, at any depth, and your agent builds it and tests every scenario before it ships. Everything your agent can do with CATS and NGP VAN ## Triggers and actions 14 triggers · 41 actions - Trigger **Candidate Updated** Triggers when a candidate is updated in CATS. - Trigger **Company Status Changed** Triggers when a company's status is changed in CATS. - Trigger **Company Updated** Triggers when a company is updated in CATS. - Trigger **Contact Status Changed** Triggers when a contact's status changes in CATS. - Trigger **Contact Updated** Triggers when a contact is updated in CATS. - Trigger **Custom Trigger** Triggers when the CATS event you choose fires (any record type: candidate, company, contact, job, pipeline, activity or user). - Trigger **Job Status Changed** Triggers when a job's status changes in CATS, returning the job with its previous and new status ids. - Trigger **New Activity** Triggers when a new activity (call, email, meeting, note) is logged in CATS. - Trigger **New Candidate** Triggers when a new candidate is created in CATS. - Trigger **New Company** Triggers when a new company is created in CATS. - Trigger **New Contact** Triggers when a new contact is created in CATS. - Trigger **New Job** Triggers when a new job order is created in CATS. - Trigger **New Pipeline** Triggers when a candidate is added to a job's pipeline in CATS. - Trigger **Pipeline Updated** Triggers when a pipeline (a candidate's placement on a job) is updated in CATS. - Action **Add Candidate to Pipeline** Adds a candidate to a job's pipeline in CATS and returns the new pipeline record's id. - Action **Change Company Status** Changes the status of a company in CATS, optionally choosing which status-change triggers fire. - Action **Change Contact Status** Changes the status of a contact in CATS, optionally choosing which status triggers fire. - Action **Change Job Status** Changes the status of a job in CATS, optionally choosing which status triggers fire. - Action **Create a Company** Creates a new company record in CATS and returns its ID. - Action **Create a Contact** Creates a contact in CATS linked to a company and owner, and returns the new contact's ID. - Action **Create a Job** Creates a new job order in CATS and returns its ID. - Action **Create a Task** Creates a task in CATS, optionally linked to a candidate, contact, company or job and assigned to a user. - Action **Find a Candidate** Searches CATS candidates by a keyword such as a name or email and returns the matching candidate records. - Action **Find a Company** Searches CATS companies by text and returns the matching companies. - Action **Find a Contact** Searches CATS contacts by text and returns the matching contacts. - Action **Find a Job** Searches CATS jobs by text and returns the matching jobs. - Action **Find a User** Finds CATS users whose email, username or name matches the search term. - Action **Get Activity** Returns a single CATS activity (call, email, meeting, note) by its ID, including the record it is logged against. - Action **Get Pipeline** Returns a single pipeline — a candidate's placement on a job — including its status, workflow and rating. - Action **Get Task** Returns a single CATS task by its ID, including its description, priority, due date, assignee, completion state and the record it concerns. - Action **Log Candidate Activity** Logs an activity (call, email, meeting or other) against a candidate in CATS. - Action **Update Candidate** Updates an existing candidate in CATS, including name, contact details, pay, availability and custom field values. - Action **Update Company** Updates an existing company in CATS, including its name, owner, contact details, address and custom field values. - Action **Update Contact** Updates an existing contact in CATS, including name, owner, company, title, contact details, address and custom field values. - Action **Update Pipeline** Updates the rating of a candidate's pipeline record on a job in CATS. - Action **Add a Contribution** Creates a contribution (donation) for a contact in NGP VAN, credited to a designation. - Action **Add Activist Codes** Applies or removes one or more activist codes on a person in NGP VAN. - Action **Add Canvass Responses** Records a canvass interaction on a person in NGP VAN: either a result code such as Not Home, or script responses such as activist codes, survey answers and volunteer activities. - Action **Add Contact History** Records a contact attempt (contact history) on a person in NGP VAN with a result code such as Not Home or Wrong Number, plus optional context like contact type, date and phone. - Action **Add Note to Contact** Adds a free-text note to a person in NGP VAN, optionally with a note category and a contact history record. - Action **Add Survey Responses** Records one or more survey question answers on a person in VAN, optionally with details of how and when they were canvassed. - Action **Create Financial Batch** Creates a financial batch in NGP VAN for grouping contributions under a designation. - Action **Create or Update Contact With a Contribution** Finds a matching contact (creating one if none exists, otherwise updating it) and records a contribution for that contact. Returns the contact's VAN ID and the new contribution ID. - Action **Delete code from contact** Removes a single code (tag) from a contact in NGP VAN. - Action **Delete contact** Deletes (suppresses) a contact record in NGP VAN by its VANID. - Action **Find Contact** Finds the person in NGP VAN who matches the VAN ID, name, date of birth, phone numbers or email addresses you provide, and returns that person's full record. - Action **Find Financial Batch** Finds financial batches whose names contain the given text. - Action **Get contact** Returns a person record from NGP VAN by VAN ID, with optional phones, emails, addresses, custom fields and other details. - Action **List activist codes** Returns the activist codes available in your VAN committee, optionally filtered by status, name or type. - Action **List campaigns** Returns the campaigns in your NGP VAN account, with each campaign's name, type and status. - Action **List notes** Returns the notes recorded on a person (contact) in NGP VAN. - Action **Merge contacts** Merges a source contact into a target contact, keeping the target's values on conflicts and deleting the source. - Action **Subscribe Email** Finds or creates a contact by email address and marks that email as subscribed. - Action **Tag a Contact** Applies a tag or source code to an existing contact. - Action **Update note** Updates the text, view restriction and category of an existing note on a person in NGP VAN. ## Each app on its own - [ **CATS** CATS is an applicant tracking system. Manage the entire tracking process from posting jobs to leading job...](https://apiant.ai/connections/cats) - [ **NGP VAN** NGP VAN is the leading technology provider to Democratic and progressive campaigns and organizations...](https://apiant.ai/connections/ngp-van) Reviews ## What our customers say ## More from CATS - [ **CATS to HubSpot** HubSpot is your all-in-one stop for all of your marketing software needs.](https://apiant.ai/connect/cats-to-hubspot) - [ **CATS to Salesforce** Salesforce is a leading enterprise customer relationship management (CRM) platform.](https://apiant.ai/connect/cats-to-salesforce) - [ **CATS to Slack** Slack is a messaging platform for teams. Post messages, manage channels, users, reminders, and react to...](https://apiant.ai/connect/cats-to-slack) - [ **CATS to Google Sheets** Google Sheets is Google's online spreadsheet app for creating, editing and sharing spreadsheets.](https://apiant.ai/connect/cats-to-google-sheets) - [ **CATS to Gmail** Gmail is Google’s email service, featuring spam protection, search functions, and seamless integration with...](https://apiant.ai/connect/cats-to-gmail) - [ **CATS to Google Calendar** Google Calendar is a time management tool providing scheduling features, event reminders, and integration...](https://apiant.ai/connect/cats-to-google-calendar) ## More into NGP VAN - [ **HubSpot to NGP VAN** HubSpot is your all-in-one stop for all of your marketing software needs.](https://apiant.ai/connect/hubspot-to-ngp-van) - [ **Salesforce to NGP VAN** Salesforce is a leading enterprise customer relationship management (CRM) platform.](https://apiant.ai/connect/salesforce-to-ngp-van) - [ **Slack to NGP VAN** Slack is a messaging platform for teams. Post messages, manage channels, users, reminders, and react to...](https://apiant.ai/connect/slack-to-ngp-van) - [ **Google Sheets to NGP VAN** Google Sheets is Google's online spreadsheet app for creating, editing and sharing spreadsheets.](https://apiant.ai/connect/google-sheets-to-ngp-van) - [ **Gmail to NGP VAN** Gmail is Google’s email service, featuring spam protection, search functions, and seamless integration with...](https://apiant.ai/connect/gmail-to-ngp-van) - [ **Google Calendar to NGP VAN** Google Calendar is a time management tool providing scheduling features, event reminders, and integration...](https://apiant.ai/connect/google-calendar-to-ngp-van) Questions ## CATS and NGP VAN, answered ### ### What can start an automation from CATS? Any of CATS's 14 triggers in the catalog, including Candidate Updated, Company Status Changed, Company Updated and Contact Status Changed. Describe the moment in plain language and your agent picks the right one. ### ### What can your agent do in NGP VAN when something happens in CATS? Any of NGP VAN's 20 actions, including Create Financial Batch, Create or Update Contact With a Contribution, Update note and Add a Contribution. Your agent maps the data both ways and tests every scenario before it ships. ### ### Can it also run from NGP VAN to CATS? NGP VAN has no triggers in the catalog today, so automations start in CATS. If you need the other direction, ask: your agent reads NGP VAN's API documentation and adds it. ### ### Do I have to build a connector for CATS or NGP VAN? No. Both are in the catalog with their triggers and actions. You describe the automation; your agent builds it, tests every scenario and keeps it running. ### ### Can my AI client use CATS and NGP VAN without building an automation? Yes. With your AI client connected to APIANT, ask it to do something in either app once and it runs that action on the spot. Ask for an automation and your agent builds it, tests every scenario and keeps it running. One connection covers both. ### ### What happens when something fails? Your agent works that out for you. It plans the failure paths along with the happy path, then tests every scenario before it ships. ### ### Is there a free plan? Yes. Every plan includes the agent, including free, and building from your own AI client spends no assistant credits.