Model Context Protocol + Analytics in Clear Ideas

Power users across your organization want to integrate Clear Ideas directly into their existing workflows. Developers need to pull context into their IDEs. Analysts want to connect their preferred AI tools. Consultants require seamless access to client data without switching applications.

Clear Ideas supports personal MCP access keys that solve this challenge. Each user generates their own secure key, acting as a proxy for their identity. This allows connection to tools like Claude Code, Cursor, OpenAI Codex, or other MCP‑enabled applications while using their existing AI subscriptions.

Here's the advantage: when users connect external tools, you retain complete analytics and control. Every action flows back through Clear Ideas' analytics system, so activity from external tools looks just like activity in the Clear Ideas app.

1. How It Works

Clear Ideas uses layered controls to balance flexibility and governance. Site owners decide whether external access is allowed across their account or only for specific sites, and they can change that stance at any time. When access is enabled, users generate their own personal keys from the settings page. Those keys unlock integrations with tools like Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex, and users can name them, set expirations, and revoke them when they are no longer needed. Throughout, every action taken through an external tool is attributed to the individual who performed it, so the audit trail looks the same as activity in the Clear Ideas interface.

Behind the scenes, these access keys are used as MCP bearer tokens when MCP hosts (such as Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, or ChatGPT Apps) connect to the Clear Ideas MCP endpoint:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_MCP_ACCESS_KEY

The same key can be reused across multiple MCP hosts you control, as long as your site owner has allowed external access.

Site Owner Controls

Owners manage external access through organization settings, with layered controls for flexibility:

Organization level – Enable or disable MCP access for all sites in the organization through Settings → Organization → AI Features Policy → Enable External Tool Usage (MCP).
Site level – Make exceptions for individual projects: turn access on for one site while keeping it off for another.

If circumstances change, owners can switch access off instantly; any user keys become ineffective for the sites covered by that decision. Analytics and audits remain comprehensive, showing who queried what and when, whether the work happened inside Clear Ideas or through an integrated MCP host.

Creating Your MCP Access Key (For Users)

If your site owner has enabled external access, creating a key takes moments:

Log in and open Settings → Access Keys.
Click Create New Access Key.
Give the key a clear name like “Cursor MCP”, “Claude Code MCP”, or “Codex MCP”.
Choose the key type “MCP (Model Context Protocol – Access for AI models)”.
Enable the appropriate scopes:
- mcp:read to list sites, search content, retrieve context, view versions, and diff files.
- mcp:write if you also want to create files/folders or save new document versions.
Set an expiration period (for example, one year).
Create the key and copy the token into your preferred MCP host configuration.

You can return to this page at any time to view or revoke keys. If your site owner later turns off external access, your keys simply stop working for the affected sites.

2. What Users Gain

Personal MCP keys let power users work where they are most effective while keeping outcomes aligned with the business. You can use the AI subscriptions you already have,alongside Clear Ideas data, whether you prefer an IDE, a chat client, or a terminal.

Instead of pushing work into developer‑only systems like source code platforms, results flow back into a shared workspace designed for collaboration. Files are versioned, discoverable, and easy for non‑technical teammates to read, which shortens the distance between analysis and action.

Example Scenario:
A consultant with Cursor and Codex creates a personal MCP access key from their Clear Ideas account. They analyze client due‑diligence documents through Cursor, run additional checks from Codex in the terminal, and save executive summaries directly into the client's Clear Ideas site — enabling immediate access for the deal team while maintaining complete audit trails.

Important: AI usage occurs through your own subscriptions (Claude Pro, ChatGPT Plus, Codex, etc.) via MCP. Clear Ideas provides the secure data access and collaboration platform, not the AI processing.

3. What Site Owners Retain

Control and visibility never leave the hands of site owners. You can:

Turn MCP access on or off globally or per site.
Instantly revoke access when circumstances change.
Maintain full analytics for who searched for what, which documents were analyzed, and how much context was retrieved—even when the work happens through external tools.

Existing safeguards such as audit trails and role‑based permissions continue to apply. Whether activity originates in Clear Ideas or via Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or other MCP hosts, the oversight model is the same.

4. Why This Matters

Most organizations end up choosing between strict controls that slow people down and wide‑open access that undermines oversight. Clear Ideas avoids that trade‑off. Owners keep the final say and can change access posture at any time; users work in the environments that make them productive; and every action is still transparent and governed. It’s a model that supports real‑world collaboration without compromising security.

5. Clear Ideas AI Chat: Still Your Tailored Experience

External MCP integrations broaden what power users can do, but Clear Ideas AI Chat is still the most direct route for everyday analysis. It keeps evidence at hand, links every answer to its exact source, and lives next to search, the document viewer, and AI Workflows. There is nothing to configure, so teams can move quickly. MCP keys extend Clear Ideas into specialist environments while the core experience remains the easiest place to ask, verify, and share.

6. Try It Now

If you're a site owner: Review your MCP access settings at the account and site level. Enable access where appropriate to unlock power user workflows while maintaining complete control and visibility.
If you're a user: Once your site owner has enabled MCP access, create your personal access key in Clear Ideas settings and follow your preferred tool's integration guide (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, etc.).