What is MCP?

Understanding the Model Context Protocol and how ContextPin uses it.

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is the technology that connects ContextPin to AI coding assistants. This page explains what MCP is, why it matters, and how to get started.

What is the Model Context Protocol?

MCP is an open standard developed by Anthropic that creates a universal way for AI applications to connect to external data sources and tools. Think of it as USB for AI — a standard interface that lets different systems communicate.

Before MCP

  • Each AI tool had its own way of accessing external data
  • Developers had to build custom integrations for each tool
  • Users couldn't easily share data across different AI applications

With MCP

  • One protocol works with all MCP-compatible tools
  • ContextPin works with Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and more
  • Your contexts are available wherever you work

How ContextPin Uses MCP

ContextPin runs as an MCP server, while AI tools like Claude Desktop, Cursor, and others connect as clients.

What MCP Enables

Through MCP, AI tools can:

  • list_contexts — See all your contexts and folders
  • get_context — Read the content of specific contexts
  • search_contexts — Find contexts matching keywords
  • create_context — Create new contexts and folders
  • update_context — Edit existing contexts

This means AI agents can not only read your documentation—they can write it too. Ask your coding agent to document a codebase or create project specs directly into ContextPin.

Supported MCP Clients

Client Platform Setup Guide
Claude Desktop macOS, Windows View Guide
Claude Code CLI (all platforms) View Guide
Cursor macOS, Windows, Linux View Guide
Windsurf macOS, Windows, Linux View Guide
VS Code + Copilot macOS, Windows, Linux View Guide
Other Clients Varies View Guide

Getting Your MCP Configuration

ContextPin generates the configuration you need:

  1. Open ContextPin
  2. Go to Settings → MCP
  3. You'll see your MCP configuration displayed
  4. Click Copy Configuration

The configuration looks something like this: 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "contextpin": {
      "command": "/Applications/ContextPin.app/Contents/MacOS/contextpin-mcp",
      "args": ["--workspace", "YOUR_WORKSPACE_ID"]
    }
  }
}

Quick Troubleshooting

AI Tool Not Connecting

  • Make sure ContextPin is running
  • Verify the configuration is correctly pasted
  • Restart the AI tool after configuration changes
  • Check that the path to ContextPin is correct

Contexts Not Showing

  • Try asking the AI to "list ContextPin contexts"
  • Verify MCP is properly configured
  • Check ContextPin's MCP status in Settings

Privacy & Security

  • Local communication — MCP runs locally on your machine
  • No external servers — ContextPin doesn't send data anywhere
  • You control access — Only configured tools can access contexts
When you share context with an AI tool, the content is sent to that AI's provider (e.g., Anthropic, OpenAI). ContextPin itself never transmits your data.

Next Steps

Choose your AI tool to get started: