How to use Relay

Get context moving.

Three ways to read this — pick what fits how you think. Same destination, different starting point.

Format A — Step by step B — Start from my situation C — Just get me in
Format A — Step by step
01
Request access
Relay is in early access. Request a spot — you'll get an email with your account and API key when you're in.
Request access →
Already have an account? Skip to step 2.
02
Add Relay to your agent
Paste one block into your agent's config file. Works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Devin, and any MCP-compatible client.
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "relay": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@relayctx/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "RELAY_API_KEY": "your-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}
Restart your client after saving. Your agent will confirm "Relay connected."
03
Work — Relay tracks as you go
Start a session as usual. Relay runs in the background — logging what's relevant, building a picture of the work. You don't change anything about how you work.
relay_session_log or let your agent log automatically
04
Package context into a Code
When you want to carry context forward — to a new session, a teammate, or another agent — package it. Relay returns a short Code. That's all that travels.
relay_transfer_create
Your Code looks like QNHC2C — six characters, all yours.
05
Share the Code — or receive one
Hand the Code to whoever needs it — a person, another agent, your future self in a new session. They load it with one command and pick up exactly where the context left off.
relay_transfer_receive on the receiving end
The Code works once. Context arrives, session continues.
Format B — Start from your situation
01
Set up Relay in your agent
One MCP block in your config. Every session you run after this is relay-aware.
02
Start a Pulse for your current focus
A Pulse is persistent state — what's true right now about your work. It survives sessions and updates as you go. Think of it as a living brief that travels with you.
relay_pulse_create
03
Pick up any session with your Pulse
Start a new session in a new tool. Load your active Pulse. Your agent has everything — decisions, state, current focus — without you re-explaining.
relay_pulse_active
01
Set up Relay — you and your recipient
Both sides need Relay connected. The person receiving a Code doesn't need your account — just their own.
02
Package what you're handing off
At any point in your session — mid-task, end-of-day, whenever — package the context. Relay creates a Code and holds it. Nothing is sent until someone uses the Code.
relay_transfer_create
03
Send the Code — they pick up from there
Send the Code however you normally communicate — Slack, email, DM. They load it in their agent. The work continues; the context is on the record.
relay_transfer_receivetheir side
01
Add Relay to each agent in your pipeline
The same MCP config block works in every compatible runtime. All agents in the chain can create and receive Codes.
02
Route context between agents with Codes
When Agent A hands off to Agent B, it packages context and passes the Code. Agent B loads it and continues. Every transfer is logged — you always know what moved and when.
03
You stay root authority
Agents inherit scope — they can't exceed what you've permitted. The governance surface is yours. Every agent action in the chain is traceable back to a human decision.
Format C — Just get me in

One block. You're in.

Paste this into your agent config. Restart. Relay is ready.

claude_desktop_config.json · cursor settings · any MCP client
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "relay": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@relayctx/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "RELAY_API_KEY": "your-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}
What to do next