AI Assistant sends a query via MCP (e.g., "What did we decide about authentication?") MCP Server (Brief) receives the query and searches your data Response flows back to the AI assistant with relevant context AI Assistant uses that context to give you better answers

What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets AI coding assistants like Cursor, Claude, and Copilot access external tools and data. Learn how MCP works and why it matters.

Last updated: January 7, 2026

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard developed by Anthropic that allows AI assistants to securely connect to external data sources and tools. It's the technology that lets Brief give your AI coding assistant access to your product context.

MCP in Plain English

Think of MCP like a USB port for AI assistants. Just as USB lets you plug any device into your computer, MCP lets AI tools plug into any compatible data source.

Before MCP	With MCP
AI only knows what's in its training data	AI can access live data from your tools
Context limited to current conversation	Context includes your docs, decisions, codebase
Every AI tool builds custom integrations	One standard works across all AI tools

Why MCP Matters for Development Teams

1. Your AI Assistant Gets Smarter

Without MCP, Cursor or Claude only knows what you paste into the chat. With MCP, your AI can query Brief to understand:

What decisions you've made and why
Who your customers are
What's already built in your codebase
What your team is working on right now

2. Context Persists Across Sessions

MCP connections are persistent. Brief remembers your product context, so every AI session starts with full awareness—not a blank slate.

3. One Integration, Many AI Tools

Brief's MCP server works with Cursor, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Windsurf, VS Code, and any MCP-compatible tool. Connect once, use everywhere.

How does MCP work?

┌─────────────────┐     MCP Protocol     ┌─────────────────┐
│   AI Assistant  │ ◄──────────────────► │   MCP Server    │
│  (Cursor, etc.) │                      │    (Brief)      │
└─────────────────┘                      └─────────────────┘
                                                  │
                                                  ▼
                                         ┌─────────────────┐
                                         │  Your Data      │
                                         │  - Decisions    │
                                         │  - Strategy     │
                                         │  - Customers    │
                                         └─────────────────┘

AI Assistant sends a query via MCP (e.g., "What did we decide about authentication?")
MCP Server (Brief) receives the query and searches your data
Response flows back to the AI assistant with relevant context
AI Assistant uses that context to give you better answers

MCP vs. Traditional Integrations

Aspect	Traditional API	MCP
Who builds it	Each AI tool builds their own	One standard, many tools
Security	Varies by implementation	OAuth-based, standardized
Context quality	Often limited	Rich, structured context
Setup effort	Different for each tool	One setup works everywhere

Getting Started with MCP

Ready to give your AI coding assistant access to Brief?

Set up Brief MCP — Connect Brief to Cursor, Claude, or your preferred tool
Quick Start Guide — Get Brief configured with your product context
What is Brief? — Learn more about what Brief provides via MCP