> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firstanswer.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction

> Connect AI assistants to your First Answer data via the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

## What is the First Answer MCP?

The First Answer MCP server enables AI assistants like **Claude**, **Cursor**, and other MCP-compatible clients to query your First Answer data directly. Instead of switching between tools, you can ask your AI assistant questions about your brand's AI visibility and get answers powered by real data.

With the MCP server, your AI assistant can:

* **Query brand visibility** across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Bing Copilot, and Grok
* **Analyze citation sources** that AI models reference in their responses
* **Track competitors** and compare visibility across AI platforms
* **Explore monitored prompts** and their responses over time
* **Access dashboard metrics** for quick brand overviews

For a full list of tool names and how they fit together, see [MCP tools](/mcp/tools).

## Getting Started

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get your API key">
    Navigate to your [account settings](https://app.firstanswer.ai/settings/api-keys) and create a new API key. Copy it immediately — it won't be shown again.

    <Warning>
      API keys grant access to your account data. Keep them secure and never expose them in client-side code or public repositories.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect your MCP client">
    Choose your preferred AI assistant and follow the setup instructions below.

    <AccordionGroup>
      <Accordion title="Cursor">
        Add the following to your `.cursor/mcp.json` file:

        ```json theme={null}
        {
          "mcpServers": {
            "firstanswer": {
              "url": "https://mcp.firstanswer.ai/mcp",
              "headers": {
                "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
              }
            }
          }
        }
        ```
      </Accordion>

      <Accordion title="Claude Code">
        Run the following command in your terminal:

        ```bash theme={null}
        claude mcp add --transport http firstanswer \
          https://mcp.firstanswer.ai/mcp \
          --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
        ```

        Verify the connection:

        ```bash theme={null}
        claude mcp list
        ```
      </Accordion>

      <Accordion title="Claude Desktop and Claude Web">
        <Note>
          **Option A — Connectors UI.** Use this if your Claude Desktop or Claude Web build has **Settings → Connectors** and **Add custom connector**.
        </Note>

        1. Open **Settings → Connectors** and click **Add custom connector**.
        2. Fill in the form using the values below.
        3. Click **Add** to save, then **Connect** or **Link** to finish (the label depends on your app language).

        | Field                 | Value                        |
        | --------------------- | ---------------------------- |
        | Name                  | First Answer AI              |
        | Remote MCP server URL | `https://mcp.firstanswer.ai` |
        | OAuth client ID       | `firstanswer`                |
        | OAuth client secret   | `YOUR_API_KEY`               |

        <Info>
          **Option B — Config file.** Use this if you prefer editing JSON or the connector UI is not available on your version.
        </Info>

        Add the following to your Claude Desktop configuration file.

        **macOS:** `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`

        **Windows:** `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`

        ```json theme={null}
        {
          "mcpServers": {
            "firstanswer": {
              "command": "npx",
              "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.firstanswer.ai/mcp",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
              ]
            }
          }
        }
        ```
      </Accordion>

      <Accordion title="Other MCP clients">
        Use the following remote server URL with your MCP client:

        ```text theme={null}
        https://mcp.firstanswer.ai/mcp
        ```

        Include the `Authorization` header with your API key:

        ```text theme={null}
        Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
        ```

        Refer to your MCP client's documentation for specific configuration instructions.
      </Accordion>
    </AccordionGroup>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start using it">
    Once connected, try asking your AI assistant questions like:

    * *"What is my brand's visibility score this month?"*
    * *"Which AI models mention my brand the most?"*
    * *"What are the top cited sources for my monitored prompts?"*
    * *"How does my brand compare to competitors on Perplexity?"*
    * *"Show me the prompts where my brand is not being mentioned."*
    * *"Generate a full weekly report for `BRAND NAME` from 2026-03-20 to 2026-03-27, including the overall dashboard, ranking vs competitors, top 5 best and worst prompts, performance by AI model (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity), and the main cited sources."*
    * *"Which prompts had the most and fewest mentions of my brand last week?"*
    * *"Compare `BRAND NAME` visibility on ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Perplexity over the last week."*
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Need higher limits?

MCP requests use the same backend as the First Answer API, so your project’s [rate limits](/api-reference/rate-limits) apply. If you often hit those limits or need a higher quota for your assistants and automations, [contact our team](mailto:support@firstanswer.ai) to discuss Enterprise plans with custom limits.

## Support

If you have questions or run into issues, reach out to our support team at [support@firstanswer.ai](mailto:support@firstanswer.ai) or visit [firstanswer.ai](https://firstanswer.ai).