Connect AskThis to your AI (MCP)

Use AskThis as tools inside Claude, ChatGPT and any MCP client — connect with a scoped API key over the Model Context Protocol.

AskThis speaks the Model Context Protocol (MCP), so AI clients — Claude Desktop, ChatGPT connectors, Cursor, Claude in Slack, or any MCP-capable agent — can call AskThis as tools and read your data as resources. You connect with a scoped API key you already control.

How it works

The MCP server is a thin proxy: it forwards your API key to the AskThis API unchanged and adds no permissions of its own. The AI can only read what your key is scoped for, always limited to your own sites. Publisher MCP is read-only and a Business+ feature.

The endpoints

Endpoint	Who	Credential
`https://mcp.askthis.io/mcp/publisher`	Publishers	your scoped `ak_…` key
`https://mcp.askthis.io/mcp/data`	Data partners	your `partner:…` key
`https://mcp.askthis.io/mcp/protocol`	Anyone	none (public)

1. Mint a scoped key

In the dashboard, go to Developers → API keys and create a key with the scopes you want to expose — e.g. analytics:read, sites:read, prompts:read. The key is shown once; copy it.

2. Add the connector

Claude Desktop

Add AskThis to claude_desktop_config.json (Settings → Developer → Edit Config), then restart Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "askthis": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.askthis.io/mcp/publisher",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer ak_your_key_here"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Other clients

Any client that supports a remote MCP server over HTTP with a bearer header works the same way — point it at https://mcp.askthis.io/mcp/publisher and send Authorization: Bearer ak_your_key_here.

Keep the key safe

Treat the key like a password. Revoke it any time in Developers → API keys — the connector stops working immediately. Prefer a narrowly-scoped key over a * key.

3. Ask your data

Once connected, ask in plain language:

“What are people asking AI about my site this week?”
“How did my AI-share buttons perform over the last 30 days?”
“Which pages get the most AI clicks?”
“Show my Cited Ask prompt for the site.”

The AI picks the right tool (get_top_questions, get_ai_share_analytics, get_page_performance, get_cited_ask_prompt, …) and reads it live.

Data partners

If you buy data, the same pattern applies at https://mcp.askthis.io/mcp/data with your partner: key: browse the segment catalog, check intent signals, and run pseudonymous enrichment from your own agents. Scopes, your signed DPA, and k-anonymity are all enforced exactly as on the REST API. Feed and activation writes require an explicit confirmation.

The open protocol

https://mcp.askthis.io/mcp/protocol needs no key. It exposes the open Ask Protocol: build_cited_ask turns a page’s AI Graph fields into a deterministic, source-citing prompt, and the Ask Targets registry describes how to open each AI engine.