FAQ
Answers to common questions about setting up Unitley, access tokens, MCP, analyst keys, data freshness, missing prices and what Unitley won't do.
Technical and product questions. For questions about Unitley in general, see the site FAQ.
Setup
What do I need to start?
An account, and a way to run Unitley: Claude Code or Claude Desktop on your own Claude plan, another agent that speaks MCP or calls the REST API, or an Anthropic, OpenAI or OpenRouter API key for the web analyst. See Three ways to run Unitley.
Do I need an API key?
Only for the web analyst. Claude Code and Claude Desktop run on your Claude plan with no API key, and other agents run on whatever they're set up with. The slate, the math tools, the parlay builder and the bet log work without any of them.
Can I use more than one way?
Yes. Choose "More than one of these" during setup, or change it under Settings → How you run Unitley. Every way works on the same account, bankroll, picks and bet log.
Why can't Unitley size a stake for me?
Your bankroll isn't set up yet. Set it under Settings → Bankroll. See Bankroll and risk profiles.
Tokens and MCP
What is an access token?
A token lets an app use Unitley as you, over MCP or the REST API. Create one on the Connect page. Unitley shows it once and never stores the full token, so copy it then. You can have up to 25 active at once. See Tokens and security.
Why was a tool refused as read-only?
The tool saves to your account, and your token can only read. Create a token with write access on the Connect page. The tools that need it are log_bet, settle_bet and save_recommendation.
Does Unitley work with claude.ai or ChatGPT?
Not yet. Neither lets you paste a personal token: ChatGPT supports only OAuth or no authentication, and claude.ai's request-header option is a limited beta that shares one key across an organization. Unitley adds an OAuth sign-in at launch. Until then, use Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor or Hermes.
Where is the MCP server?
At https://console.unitley.com/api/mcp. It offers 20 tools. See the MCP server.
Why did a tool say "Too many tool calls"?
Your token or your account went past its tool-call budget. Wait the time shown. See Rate limits.
The web analyst
Which keys does the analyst take?
Anthropic, OpenAI or OpenRouter. One is enough. Add it under Settings → AI providers. See the web analyst.
Who pays for the analyst?
Your provider, on your key, for every answer. API usage is billed separately from a Claude or ChatGPT subscription. The model picker shows list prices, and OpenRouter's free models are marked Free.
Where do my keys go?
Unitley encrypts each key with AES-256-GCM before it's stored, decrypts it only on Unitley's server to call your provider, and never logs it. Only its last 4 characters are ever shown. Remove a key any time in Settings.
Are my chats saved?
No. A chat is gone when you reload the page. Picks you save stay on the Picks page.
Can the analyst search the web?
No. It answers from Unitley's own data, and says so, since news and late changes may be missing.
Data
How fresh are the odds?
Odds aren't live. Unitley refreshes the main markets on a schedule: normally Tuesday morning, Saturday morning, and about 90 minutes before each group of kickoffs. Every price shows how long ago it was fetched. Check the price at your sportsbook before you bet. See Data sources and limits.
Why is a price missing?
A few common reasons:
- FanDuel doesn't price that market. Unitley shows FanDuel's lines, so a market FanDuel doesn't offer has no price.
- Props aren't loaded yet. Props load on request in the 24 hours before kickoff, with "Load props for this game".
- No prices are cached yet. An upcoming game may have no prices on file yet. Check back closer to kickoff.
- The odds quota is running low. Unitley's odds come under a monthly quota from The Odds API. When it runs low, some refreshes are skipped and you see the last prices on file, with their age.
Where does the data come from?
Odds come only from The Odds API. The rest is credited on the data credits page.
Which sports does Unitley cover?
The NFL, today. NBA, MLB, NHL, soccer (the Premier League, MLS and the Champions League), college football and college basketball are coming soon, with no dates promised.
What Unitley won't do
Can Unitley place bets?
No. Unitley isn't a sportsbook: it takes no bets and holds no money. You place bets with your own sportsbook, where betting is legal for you, and can record them in the Bet Log.
Can I count on a pick winning?
No. Every number is an estimate, and a bet with a positive EV still loses often. Unitley sizes stakes with a fraction of Kelly and a cap per bet, never full Kelly. See Kelly and stake caps.
Can Unitley stop me betting too much?
It can't stop a bet, since you place them with your sportsbook. Your loss limits and max stake warn you when a bet would pass them. For a hard stop, use your sportsbook's own limits or self-exclusion, and read about responsible gambling.