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Working with the agent

Connect MCP clients

Connect Claude Code, Claude Desktop, or ChatGPT to your live Recense session in four steps: load a dataset, generate an API key, add the relay endpoint, and test with a read-only prompt. The assistant works with your live session — not a separate copy.

How it works #

Your MCP client connects to Recense, which routes tool calls to the browser session you have open. The client works with the same session you see — not a separate copy.

Setup (all clients) #

The setup flow is the same for all MCP clients:

  1. Open Recense in the browser, sign in, and load a dataset.

    The MCP client needs a live session to connect to.

  2. Generate an API key in Settings → API access.

    The relay uses your Recense API key for authentication.

  3. Add the Recense MCP server in your client using the relay endpoint.

    Use the endpoint URL below and send your API key as a Bearer token.

  4. Test with a read-only request.

    Try "describe the dataset" or "list variables" to confirm the connection works.

Relay MCP endpoint text
https://mcp.recense.ai/mcp

Per-client notes #

Claude Code — add a new MCP server pointing to the endpoint above. Claude Code handles connection setup. Ideal for users who want Recense tools alongside their coding workflow.

Claude Desktop — add the endpoint in Claude Desktop's MCP server settings and send your Recense API key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header.

ChatGPT Desktop — same endpoint as above. Start with read-only prompts (dataset description, variable listing) before moving to analysis actions.

Custom clients #

Any MCP client that can send a Bearer token to an HTTP endpoint can use the relay: it controls your signed-in browser session with the same tools the in-app agent has.

The relay exposes tools in toolsets that load on demand, so a client only lists the tools it is currently using. There is no downloadable command-line MCP server.

Available tools #

All MCP clients can:

  • Inspect dataset structure, variables, and metadata.
  • Build and modify tables on the canvas.
  • Apply filters, weights, and measures.
  • Read analysis results.

Troubleshooting #

  • Client can't connect: verify the endpoint URL ends in /mcp, not just the site root.
  • Tool calls fail: check the Recense browser tab is still open and signed in.
  • A change was "declined by user": the confirm prompt in the Recense tab was dismissed or timed out. Keep the tab visible and approve the prompt.
  • Sign-in keeps looping: confirm you're signing in with the same account you expect the client to control.
  • Tier issue: verify your Recense plan includes MCP access.

Next steps