LinkLab is a publisher marketplace that allows you to browse publications, create content for placement, and complete orders. Through MCP, your AI assistant can manage the full workflow from research to checkout and tracking.
This article explains how to find publications, create placements, and manage LinkLab orders using MCP. In LinkLab, a placement is a paid content slot on a third-party publication where your article will be published as a guest post or sponsored content.
🧠 What You Can Do
Using MCP with LinkLab, you can:
- Browse available publications
- View publication details
- Create articles for placement
- Add placements to a cart
- Complete checkout
- Track order and publication status
- Handle rejected publications using the AlternativesDrawer (Choose for Me / Refund HDC)
👉 LinkLab actions may involve Hyperdrive Credits (HDC) for paid placements.
⚙️ Step-by-Step: Browse Publications
Step 1
Open your MCP-connected AI assistant
Step 2
Ask to view available publications
Examples:
- “Show available publications”
- “Find sites for article placements”
Step 3
The assistant retrieves publication listings
Step 4
Review publication details
This may include:
- publication information
- placement opportunities
🔍 Step-by-Step: View Publication Details
Step 1
Ask your assistant:
- “Show details for this publication”
Step 2
The assistant retrieves publication data
Step 3
Review:
- domain authority
- pricing
- niche / topical category
- placement types available
- publication characteristics
✍️ Step-by-Step: Create an Article for Placement
Step 1
Ask your assistant to create an article and provide inputs such as a target keyword, topic, target URL, and desired word count. You can either ask MCP to generate the article from scratch or provide an existing draft for it to refine.
- “Create an article for this placement targeting the keyword ‘best CRM software,’ around 800 words, linking to example.com/crm”
Step 2
The assistant generates the article from the inputs you provided, or prepares the draft you supplied for placement
Step 3
Review and refine content
👉 Articles are prepared specifically for placement within publications.
🛒 Step-by-Step: Add to Cart
Step 1
Ask your assistant:
- “Add this placement to my cart”
Step 2
The assistant adds the item
Step 3
Review cart contents
💳 Step-by-Step: Checkout and Purchase
Step 1
Ask your assistant:
- “Checkout my LinkLab cart”
Step 2
The assistant prepares the checkout
Step 3
Review cost and details
Step 4
Approve the purchase
👉 Checkout actions involve Hyperdrive Credits (HDC) and require confirmation.
Step 5
The order is completed
📊 Step-by-Step: Track Orders
Step 1
Ask your assistant:
- “Show my LinkLab orders”
Step 2
The assistant retrieves order data
Step 3
Review:
- order status
- publication progress
- placement updates
👉 Order edit limitations: LinkLab orders are generally not directly editable after submission (for example, adding reference links or removing placeholder content). If you need a post-submission change, contact support or the fulfillment team to request the update.
🔄 Rejected Publications & the AlternativesDrawer
A publication may be rejected when the publisher declines the submitted article (for example, due to editorial guidelines, niche mismatch, or content policy). When this happens, the AlternativesDrawer opens to help you resolve the placement.
The AlternativesDrawer offers two one-click actions:
- Choose for Me — automatically selects a comparable alternative publication and re-routes your placement to it.
- Refund HDC — returns the Hyperdrive Credits used for the rejected placement back to your balance.
You can trigger either action directly in the AlternativesDrawer in the UI, or by asking your MCP-connected assistant — for example, “Choose an alternative publication for my rejected placement” or “Refund HDC for the rejected placement.”
💰 HDC & Credits
- When HDC are deducted: Hyperdrive Credits are charged at checkout, when the placement order is confirmed.
- If a publication is rejected: the credits used for that placement become eligible for refund. You can recover them via the Refund HDC action in the AlternativesDrawer, or choose an alternative publication with Choose for Me to apply the credits to a new placement instead.
- How to request a refund: Use the Refund HDC button in the AlternativesDrawer, or ask your MCP assistant (“Refund HDC for this rejected placement”). If the refund does not appear in your balance, contact support.
🛠️ Troubleshooting
“Tool execution not approved” error
This message means the MCP action requires your explicit approval before it can run. MCP requests confirmation for actions that affect your account — such as adding items to a cart, checking out, or spending HDC.
To resolve it, approve the tool call in your AI assistant interface when the approval prompt appears (for example, click Approve or Allow on the pending MCP action). If you continue to see the error after approving, retry the request, and contact support if the issue persists.
Content Genius → LinkLab bridge issues
When pushing articles from Content Genius directly into a LinkLab placement, the publishing bridge may occasionally return a blocked pipeline state. If your article does not transfer or the pipeline stalls, contact support so the team can unblock the pipeline and complete the placement.
⚠️ Important Notes
- LinkLab placements are paid actions
- Checkout consumes Hyperdrive Credits (HDC)
- Purchases require approval before execution
- Orders involve external publication processes
- Orders are generally not editable after submission — contact support for post-submission changes
- Rejected publications can be resolved with Choose for Me or Refund HDC in the AlternativesDrawer
🔁 How This Fits Into MCP Workflows
A typical workflow:
- Browse publications
- Select placement opportunities
- Create article
- Add to cart
- Checkout
- Track order
- Resolve rejections via the AlternativesDrawer if needed
👉 This supports end-to-end link placement management.
🧠 Best Practices
- Review publication details before purchasing
- Ensure article content is accurate and relevant
- Confirm costs before checkout
- Monitor order status after purchase
- If a publication is rejected, act quickly in the AlternativesDrawer to either re-route the placement or refund the HDC
MCP for LinkLab allows you to manage article placements through conversation. From discovering publications to completing purchases and tracking results, your AI assistant can execute each step using the same capabilities available in Search Atlas, including paid placement workflows powered by Hyperdrive Credits.