What Is MCP

Last updated February 24, 2026Published November 4, 2025

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is the open standard that lets AI assistants call InsightfulPipe like an API.

Elevator Pitch

  • Without MCP you'd export CSVs, paste them into AI, and repeat for every follow-up question.
  • With MCP the AI can fetch data itself. You connect the accounts once, then just ask.

How the Request Flows

  1. You type "Use Google Ads to show my top campaigns."
  2. The AI notices it needs the Google Ads tool.
  3. It sends a structured MCP request to InsightfulPipe.
  4. We pull the data live from Google Ads and return JSON.
  5. The AI formats the answer and continues the conversation.

Supported AI Clients

InsightfulPipe works with any MCP-compatible client. We provide dedicated setup guides for:

  • **Claude** — Anthropic's AI assistant (Pro/Team)
  • **ChatGPT** — OpenAI's assistant (Plus/Team)
  • **Claude Code** — Anthropic's CLI tool for developers
  • **Cursor** — AI-powered code editor with one-click install
  • **Gemini CLI** — Google's command-line AI tool
  • **Codex CLI** — OpenAI's command-line coding tool

See the individual setup guides in this section for step-by-step instructions.

Unified MCP Server

You can connect all your platforms at once using a single endpoint:

https://main.insightfulmcp.com/

Or use individual per-platform endpoints (e.g., `https://google-ads.insightfulmcp.com/`) for fine-grained control.

Why It's Safe

  • Each MCP server maps to a connector you control — disable the connector and the server stops working.
  • Authentication relies on your InsightfulPipe login plus the platform OAuth tokens you already approved.
  • No data is cached permanently; every response is fetched on demand.

Getting Started

  • Connect your data sources inside InsightfulPipe.
  • Go to the **MCPs Servers** page and copy the MCP URL for your platform.
  • Add the URL to your AI client (Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, or any MCP-compatible tool).
  • Authenticate and toggle the server when you want to use it in a conversation.

That's the entire magic trick: MCP keeps the AI and your data talking without exports or extra middleware.