MCP Integration

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) lets AI assistants connect directly to your nQuest case data. Once connected, your assistant can search cases, read synopses, browse graph data, inspect documents, and ask questions about your cases, all through your existing nQuest permissions.

Important

MCP access is read-only. AI assistants can query and view your data but cannot modify cases, create nodes, or change any settings.

Supported assistants

Claude and Grok connect to nQuest directly, with no extra software. See Connecting Claude and Connecting Grok for walkthroughs.

Other assistants that support remote MCP servers may work, either by signing in the same way or by using an API key as a bearer token.

ChatGPT connects through a custom connector rather than a server URL alone. See Connecting ChatGPT for the full walkthrough.

Connect an assistant

Step 1: Copy your server URL

1. Open Preferences (macOS) or Settings (Windows) in the nQuest desktop app
2. Go to the MCP tab
3. Copy the Server URL from the Connection section

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The MCP tab in Preferences, showing the server URL and connected assistants

Important

Copy the URL from this screen rather than typing it out. It ends with your account identifier, and a URL built for a different account will fail even though signing in appears to succeed.

Step 2: Add the server to your assistant

In your assistant, add nQuest as a remote MCP server over HTTP and paste the server URL from Step 1. There is nothing else to enter: no client ID, no secret, and no API key.

Where that setting lives differs by assistant. Look for “MCP servers”, “Connectors”, or “Add custom server” in its settings, and refer to your assistant’s own documentation for the exact location.

In Claude Code, add it from the terminal:

claude mcp add --transport http nquest <your_server_url>

Step 3: Sign in and approve access

The first time your assistant contacts nQuest, it opens a browser window:

1. Sign in with your nQuest account, the same way you sign in to the desktop app
2. Review what the assistant is asking for, then approve

Your assistant is connected once you approve. You will not be asked again unless you revoke access or the connection expires.

Note

Some assistants read their configuration only at startup. If nQuest does not appear straight away, restart the assistant.

Managing connected assistants

The MCP tab in Preferences lists every assistant connected to your account, along with when each one was connected.

To disconnect one, select the trash icon on its row, or right-click the row and choose Revoke Access. The assistant cannot renew its session or sign back in without your approval. It may still reach your data for a few more minutes, until the access token it already holds expires. Revoking one assistant does not affect the others.

It is worth reviewing this list occasionally and revoking anything you no longer use.

Using an API key instead

If your assistant cannot sign in but can send a bearer token, use an API key:

1. Go to the API Keys tab in Preferences or Settings
2. Create a key with the MCP scope
3. Copy the key when it is shown, as it is only displayed once
4. Configure your assistant to send it as a bearer token:

Authorization: Bearer <your_api_key>

The server URL is the same one shown on the MCP tab. API keys are managed from the API Keys tab, and deleting or deactivating a key disconnects anything using it.

Available tools

Once connected, your AI assistant has access to the following tools:

Tool	Description
list_contexts	See your available workspaces and groups
list_cases	Browse cases in a workspace or group
search_cases	Search across all your cases using keywords or natural language
search_entities	Search for entities (people, organizations, etc.) across cases
search_within_case	Find specific information within a single case
get_case	View case details including AI-generated synopsis
get_case_graph	View the full graph of nodes and relationships in a case
get_case_tasks	View tasks and assignments in a case
get_document	Read extracted text and AI analysis from a document or image
query_case	Ask a question about a case and get an AI-generated answer
resolve_names	Look up the names behind user and group IDs
get_case_resources	List all files and attachments in a case
get_link	Generate a link that opens a case in the nQuest desktop app

Permissions

MCP access respects your existing nQuest permissions. You can only see cases and data that your account has access to. The tools enforce the same access controls as the desktop app, so case-level permissions, group membership, and compartments all apply.

Troubleshooting

• Your assistant signs in successfully, then reports an error: the server URL is probably from a different account. Copy it again from the MCP tab and re-add the server.
• Nothing happens when you add the server: some assistants only read their configuration at startup. Restart it and try again.
• No cases are visible: MCP uses your account permissions. If you cannot see a case in the desktop app, you will not see it through MCP either.
• An assistant stops working after previously connecting: check the MCP tab. If it is no longer listed, its access was revoked and it needs to sign in again.