Beehiiv MCP Server

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Update newsletter list

update_newsletter_list

Destructive

Update a Beehiiv newsletter list's name, slug, status, email settings, UTM parameters, or subscription and preference-center options. Requires confirm=true and newsletter_lists:write for OAuth.

Instructions

Update newsletter list. Changes account state and requires confirm=true for the user-requested action. OAuth integrations require newsletter_lists:write.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`name`	No	The name of the newsletter list.
`slug`	No	A unique slug for the newsletter list.
`status`	No
`account`	No	Named private account from BEEHIIV_ACCOUNTS. Defaults to BEEHIIV_DEFAULT_ACCOUNT or the first configured account.
`confirm`	No	Set true only when the user asked for exactly this action.
`headers`	No
`payload`	No	Complete JSON body instead of individual body flags. Supports nullable fields and nested bulk structures. Cannot be combined with body flags or payload_file.
`utm_medium`	No	The utm_medium appended to links in posts sent to this list.
`utm_source`	No	The utm_source appended to links in posts sent to this list.
`description`	No	A description of the newsletter list.
`payload_file`	No	Local JSON request body file, at most 5 MB. Contents are validated before the API call and are never logged.
`utm_campaign`	No	The utm_campaign appended to links in posts sent to this list.
`auto_subscribe`	No	Whether new subscribers are automatically subscribed to this list.
`email_settings`	No
`publication_id`	Yes	The prefixed ID of the publication object
`newsletter_list_id`	Yes	The prefixed ID of the newsletter list object
`utm_params_enabled`	No	Whether UTM parameters are appended to links in posts sent to this list. When left unset on the list, falls back to the publication.
`show_in_preference_center`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed38 schema fields changedv3.0.1Oct 7, 2026

addedInput schema / $defs

Added value: +{
+  "NewsletterListEmailSettings": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "The sending identity for posts sent to this list. Only the provided fields within this object will be updated.",
+    "properties": {
+      "from_address": {
+        "description": "Email address to send from. Must be an existing from address owned by the publication. Returns 422 if not found.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "reply_to_address": {
+        "description": "Email address to set as Reply-To. Must be a verified reply-to address owned by the publication. Returns 422 if not found.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "sender_name": {
+        "description": "The sender name preset, expressed as a composition key: either a single token, or ` | | `. Tokens are `brand`, `list`, `authors_first` and `authors_full`; connectors are `from`, `with`, `by`, `at`, `comma`, `colon` and `space`. For the list Weekly Digest on the publication Bee Informed, `list|by|brand` renders as \"Weekly Digest by Bee Informed\". Pass `null` to clear the override and inherit from the publication.",
+        "pattern": "^(brand|list|authors_first|authors_full)(\\|(from|with|by|at|comma|colon|space)\\|(brand|list|authors_first|authors_full))?$",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "title": "NewsletterListEmailSettings",
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "NewsletterListWritableStatus": {
+    "description": "The status of the newsletter list. Valid values are `active` and `archived`. Setting `draft` is not permitted.",
+    "enum": [
+      "active",
+      "archived"
+    ],
+    "title": "NewsletterListWritableStatus",
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "headers": {
+    "additionalProperties": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "description": "Custom email headers for posts sent to this list. When provided, this replaces all existing headers on the list. Merges with publication headers at send time, with this list's values winning on a key collision. Set a value to `null` to suppress a header inherited from the publication. System-managed headers (e.g. List-Unsubscribe, X-SMTPAPI) cannot be overridden.",
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "show_in_preference_center": {
+    "description": "Whether the list appears on the subscriber Manage Preferences page, where subscribers can opt in to or out of it. Archived lists cannot be shown; archiving a list hides it.",
+    "type": "boolean"
+  }
+}

changedInput schema / properties / confirm / description

Previous value: -"Must be true for every account mutation. Confirms only the user-requested action."New value: +"Set true only when the user asked for exactly this action."

addedInput schema / properties / email_settings / $ref

Added value: +"#/$defs/NewsletterListEmailSettings"

removedInput schema / properties / email_settings / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```

removedInput schema / properties / email_settings / description

Removed value: -"The sending identity for posts sent to this list. Only the provided fields within this object will be updated."

removedInput schema / properties / email_settings / properties

Removed value: -{
-  "from_address": {
-    "description": "Email address to send from. Must be an existing from address owned by the publication. Returns 422 if not found.",
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "reply_to_address": {
-    "description": "Email address to set as Reply-To. Must be a verified reply-to address owned by the publication. Returns 422 if not found.",
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "sender_name": {
-    "description": "The sender name preset, expressed as a composition key: either a single token, or ` | | `. Tokens are `brand`, `list`, `authors_first` and `authors_full`; connectors are `from`, `with`, `by`, `at`, `comma`, `colon` and `space`. For the list Weekly Digest on the publication Bee Informed, `list|by|brand` renders as \"Weekly Digest by Bee Informed\". Pass `null` to clear the override and inherit from the publication.",
-    "pattern": "^(brand|list|authors_first|authors_full)(\\|(from|with|by|at|comma|colon|space)\\|(brand|list|authors_first|authors_full))?$",
-    "type": "string"
-  }
-}

removedInput schema / properties / email_settings / title
```
Removed value: -"NewsletterListEmailSettings"
```
removedInput schema / properties / email_settings / type
```
Removed value: -"object"
```
addedInput schema / properties / headers / $ref
```
Added value: +"#/$defs/headers"
```
removedInput schema / properties / headers / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -{
-  "type": "string"
-}
```

removedInput schema / properties / headers / description

Removed value: -"Custom email headers for posts sent to this list. When provided, this replaces all existing headers on the list. Merges with publication headers at send time, with this list's values winning on a key collision. Set a value to `null` to suppress a header inherited from the publication. System-managed headers (e.g. List-Unsubscribe, X-SMTPAPI) cannot be overridden."

removedInput schema / properties / headers / type
```
Removed value: -"object"
```
addedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / email_settings / $ref
```
Added value: +"#/$defs/NewsletterListEmailSettings"
```
removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / email_settings / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```

removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / email_settings / description

Removed value: -"The sending identity for posts sent to this list. Only the provided fields within this object will be updated."

removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / email_settings / properties

Removed value: -{
-  "from_address": {
-    "description": "Email address to send from. Must be an existing from address owned by the publication. Returns 422 if not found.",
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "reply_to_address": {
-    "description": "Email address to set as Reply-To. Must be a verified reply-to address owned by the publication. Returns 422 if not found.",
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "sender_name": {
-    "description": "The sender name preset, expressed as a composition key: either a single token, or ` | | `. Tokens are `brand`, `list`, `authors_first` and `authors_full`; connectors are `from`, `with`, `by`, `at`, `comma`, `colon` and `space`. For the list Weekly Digest on the publication Bee Informed, `list|by|brand` renders as \"Weekly Digest by Bee Informed\". Pass `null` to clear the override and inherit from the publication.",
-    "pattern": "^(brand|list|authors_first|authors_full)(\\|(from|with|by|at|comma|colon|space)\\|(brand|list|authors_first|authors_full))?$",
-    "type": "string"
-  }
-}

removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / email_settings / title
```
Removed value: -"NewsletterListEmailSettings"
```
removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / email_settings / type
```
Removed value: -"object"
```
addedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / headers / $ref
```
Added value: +"#/$defs/headers"
```
removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / headers / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -{
-  "type": "string"
-}
```

removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / headers / description

Removed value: -"Custom email headers for posts sent to this list. When provided, this replaces all existing headers on the list. Merges with publication headers at send time, with this list's values winning on a key collision. Set a value to `null` to suppress a header inherited from the publication. System-managed headers (e.g. List-Unsubscribe, X-SMTPAPI) cannot be overridden."

removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / headers / type
```
Removed value: -"object"
```
addedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / show_in_preference_center / $ref
```
Added value: +"#/$defs/show_in_preference_center"
```

removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / show_in_preference_center / description

Removed value: -"Whether the list appears on the subscriber Manage Preferences page, where subscribers can opt in to or out of it. Archived lists cannot be shown; archiving a list hides it."

removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / show_in_preference_center / type
```
Removed value: -"boolean"
```
addedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / status / $ref
```
Added value: +"#/$defs/NewsletterListWritableStatus"
```

removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / status / description

Removed value: -"The status of the newsletter list. Valid values are `active` and `archived`. Setting `draft` is not permitted."

removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / status / enum
```
Removed value: -[
-  "active",
-  "archived"
-]
```
removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / status / title
```
Removed value: -"NewsletterListWritableStatus"
```
removedInput schema / properties / payload / properties / status / type
```
Removed value: -"string"
```
addedInput schema / properties / show_in_preference_center / $ref
```
Added value: +"#/$defs/show_in_preference_center"
```

removedInput schema / properties / show_in_preference_center / description

Removed value: -"Whether the list appears on the subscriber Manage Preferences page, where subscribers can opt in to or out of it. Archived lists cannot be shown; archiving a list hides it."

removedInput schema / properties / show_in_preference_center / type
```
Removed value: -"boolean"
```

addedInput schema / properties / status / $ref

Added value: +"#/$defs/NewsletterListWritableStatus"

removedInput schema / properties / status / description

Removed value: -"The status of the newsletter list. Valid values are `active` and `archived`. Setting `draft` is not permitted."

removedInput schema / properties / status / enum

Removed value: -[
-  "active",
-  "archived"
-]

removedInput schema / properties / status / title

Removed value: -"NewsletterListWritableStatus"

removedInput schema / properties / status / type
```
Removed value: -"string"
```

First observedv2.0.0Oct 3, 2026

TDQS

B3.1/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare destructiveHint=true, idempotentHint=false and readOnlyHint=false, so the safety profile is known. The description adds genuinely non-redundant context: the call mutates account state and requires an explicit confirm=true plus the newsletter_lists:write scope, which tells the agent about confirmation and auth prerequisites. It stops short of describing what is overwritten when fields are omitted.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three short sentences with no filler; the confirmation and scope requirements are stated compactly. The only structural weakness is that the lead sentence is a redundant restatement rather than the most decision-relevant information.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For an 18-parameter destructive mutation with nested objects and no output schema, the description covers confirmation and auth but omits patch semantics (whether unset fields are preserved), the bulk/payload alternative, and what a successful update returns. Adequate to call it safely, but not complete.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

With 18 parameters and 78% schema description coverage, the schema already carries the bulk of parameter meaning, so a 3 baseline applies. The description adds only one parameter-level fact (confirm must be true for the user-requested action) and says nothing about the payload vs. body-flags vs. payload_file mutual exclusion or which fields are left untouched.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose2/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The opening sentence, 'Update newsletter list,' is a verbatim restatement of the tool name and title, which the rubric classifies as tautology. It never says which aspects of the list are updatable (name, slug, status, headers, UTM settings) or how it differs from siblings like create_newsletter_list, delete_newsletter_list, or get_newsletter_list.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description supplies one concrete usage precondition — confirm=true is required for the user-requested action — and notes the OAuth scope needed. It gives no guidance on when to prefer this tool over patch-style siblings or update_publication_field, and no when-not-to-use conditions.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Deploy Server

Update newsletter list

Instructions

Input Schema

Schema Changelog

TDQS

Other Tools