What Is MCP?
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) provides a standardized way for AI assistants and other compatible AI tools to securely connect to and access information from Crelate. With MCP, you can bring your Crelate recruiting data into supported AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and other compatible solutions without building a custom integration.
Most Crelate MCP tools are read-only, allowing supported AI tools to retrieve information from Crelate without making changes to your records. New connections are read-only by default. A limited number of tools can create or update information in Crelate, and you can opt in to them when you approve the connection. Depending on the AI client you use, you may be prompted to approve these actions, or you may have the option to allow them automatically.
Connecting to Your AI Clients
How the Connection Works
You can connect Crelate by signing in with your Crelate credentials directly through your AI client. There is no key to generate, copy, or paste.
Once connected, the AI client acts on your behalf using the permissions associated with your Crelate user account. This means the AI client can only access the Crelate records and functionality that your account is already authorized to access.
Most Crelate MCP tools are read-only, and new connections are read-only by default. To use the tools that create or update information, select the Modify options on the Crelate approval screen when you connect. For these tools, the AI client may require you to approve the action before it is completed. Some AI clients, such as Claude, may also allow you to configure these tools to Always allow instead.
Before You Begin
You will need the following:
The Crelate MCP server address:
https://mcp.crelate.com/mcpAn AI client that supports remote MCP connectors with sign-in, such as Claude.
Connector permissions in your AI client. If your organization uses a Claude Team or Enterprise plan, an organization owner may need to add the Crelate connector before individual users can connect.
MCP access on your subscription. The Crelate MCP Server is available with Business Plus and higher subscriptions, depending on the services included in your plan, and is enabled per organization by Crelate.
If MCP has not yet been enabled for your organization, contact your Success Manager or Crelate Support to review your subscription and confirm the next steps. If MCP is enabled and you do not see the AI / MCP Access option in Your Profile & Preferences, contact your Crelate administrator to confirm that the MCP Access role privilege has been enabled for your role.
Connect Crelate to Claude
In Claude, select Customize from the left sidebar.
Select Connectors, then select Add > Custom > Web.
In the Add custom connector window, enter a name for the connector, such as Crelate MCP. This is the name that will appear in your connectors list.
In the server address field, enter
https://mcp.crelate.com/mcp.
Review the connection settings. Claude should detect the appropriate options automatically, so in most cases, you will not need to change them:
Authentication: Leave this set to Always required. Each user will sign in with their own Crelate account before using the connector.
OAuth client: Leave this set to Use Anthropic's hosted client metadata, which is the recommended option.
Save the connector and select Connect. A Crelate sign-in window will open.
Sign in with your Crelate credentials and approve the requested access. Read access is selected by default. Select the Modify options only if you want Claude to be able to create or update records.
Once the connection is complete, the Crelate connector will appear under Customize > Connectors in Claude.
You can now ask Claude questions about your Crelate data, and Claude will use the Crelate connector to retrieve the information based on your existing Crelate permissions.
Connect Crelate to ChatGPT
Follow these steps to add Crelate MCP to ChatGPT as a plugin. After you connect, ChatGPT can answer questions using the Crelate data your user account is already authorized to access.
Note: A paid ChatGPT plan is required to connect to the Crelate MCP Server.
Step 1: Open Plugins
In ChatGPT, select Plugins from the left sidebar.
Step 2: Add a custom MCP server
On the Plugins page, select Add in the upper right corner, and then select Add custom MCP server.
Step 3: Enter the Crelate MCP server details
In the Add custom MCP server window, complete the following fields:
Name: Enter a name for the connection, such as Crelate MCP.
Description (optional): Enter a short description if you would like one.
Connection: Make sure Server URL is selected, and then enter https://mcp.crelate.com/mcp.
Authentication: Select OAuth.
Leave Advanced OAuth settings as they are. No changes are needed.
Review the risk notice, and then select the checkbox next to I understand and want to continue.
Select Create as a plugin.
Step 4: Continue to Crelate
In the Connect Crelate MCP window, review the information about how ChatGPT shares data with connected apps, and then select Continue to Crelate MCP.
Step 5: Sign in to Crelate
If you are not already signed in to Crelate, you will be prompted to sign in. Enter your Crelate credentials to continue. If you are already signed in, you will go directly to the next step.
Step 6: Choose what ChatGPT can do
On the Crelate approval screen, choose the permissions you would like to grant ChatGPT. Read access is selected for you by default:
View your Crelate data lets ChatGPT read individual records.
View your Crelate data in bulk lets ChatGPT read records in bulk.
Permissions that can change your data are turned off unless you turn them on:
Modify your Crelate data lets ChatGPT write individual records.
Modify your Crelate data in bulk lets ChatGPT write records in bulk.
When you are ready, select Allow.
Step 7: Ask a question about your Crelate data
Start a new chat in ChatGPT and ask a question about your Crelate data. For example, you could ask, “How many Jobs have we opened since last month?” ChatGPT will search your Crelate data and return an answer based on the records available to your account.
💡 Pro Tip: For the most reliable results, type @Crelate MCP in the message box and select Crelate MCP from the list before you type your question. This tells ChatGPT to pull from your Crelate data rather than answering from general knowledge.
Connect Crelate to Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft 365 Copilot connects differently from the sign-in-only clients described in this article. A Microsoft 365 administrator completes a one-time setup, and then each user signs in to Crelate from Copilot. The scopes in this guide give Copilot read access to your Crelate data, and Copilot can only see what your Crelate user is already allowed to see.
Quick Reference
Who completes the setup: A Microsoft 365 administrator with the AI Administrator or Global Administrator role completes Steps 1 through 4. Each user then completes Steps 5 and 6. Each user needs a Microsoft 365 Copilot license and a Crelate role with the AI / MCP Access privilege set to Allowed.
Values You Will Need
Item | Value |
Crelate MCP server address |
|
Scopes |
|
Authorization and token endpoints | Listed at |
Client ID, Client secret, and Redirect URI | Generated for you in Crelate (Step 1) |
Reference ID | The registration ID from your OAuth client registration (Step 3) |
Steps at a Glance
Generate credentials in Crelate. Navigate to Settings > Security > AI Platform Connectors and generate credentials for Microsoft 365 Copilot. Save the Client secret, which is shown only once.
Create the app. In the Microsoft Developer Portal (
dev.teams.microsoft.com), create an app named Crelate MCP, complete its basic information, and copy the App ID.Register the OAuth client. In the Developer Portal, select Tools > OAuth client registration. Enter the Client ID, Client secret, endpoints, and scopes, enable PKCE, and keep the default client authentication method. If the form restricts usage to a specific app, enter the App ID from Step 2. Copy the registration ID.
Create the connector. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Copilot > Connectors and select the Gallery tab. Under Created by your org, select Add on the Create a new connector tile, then select Add under Connect to MCP server. Enter the server address and the app details from Step 2, choose OAuth 2.0, enter the registration ID as the Reference ID, and select Authorize. Confirm that Crelate MCP shows a status of Ready under Your Connections.
Connect as a user. In Copilot, open Chat settings > Sources and select Connect on Crelate MCP. Sign in to Crelate and allow access.
Ask a question that names Crelate. In a new chat, ask something like “In Crelate, list my open Jobs.” Copilot uses the Crelate tools automatically. Crelate MCP is a source, so it does not appear when you type @.
For screenshots, field-by-field instructions, and troubleshooting, see Connecting Microsoft 365 Copilot to the Crelate MCP Server below.
Connect Crelate to Other AI Clients
The setup steps vary by AI client, but the process generally follows the same pattern:
Open your AI client's Connector or MCP server settings.
Add a new remote MCP server using the address
https://mcp.crelate.com/mcp.When prompted, sign in with your Crelate credentials and approve the requested access.
For client-specific setup instructions, refer to your AI client's documentation.
View and Manage Connected AI Clients
You can review the AI clients connected to your Crelate account and revoke access at any time.
In Crelate, navigate to Your Profile & Preferences.
Select AI / MCP Access.
Before you connect an AI client, the Connected apps section will show that no clients are connected.
After you connect an AI client, it will appear in the Connected apps list along with the access it has been granted and the date and time it was connected.
Select the scopes link under Access to view the permissions granted to the connected AI client:
Scope | What it allows |
read | View individual Crelate records |
read.bulk | View multiple records at once |
write | Create and update individual records |
write.bulk | Create and update multiple records at once |
To remove an AI client's access, select Disconnect. Access is revoked immediately. You can reconnect the AI client at any time by repeating the setup steps in your AI client.
Note: Only AI clients that connect by signing in appear in the Connected apps list. Personal MCP access keys created before sign-in connections were available are managed separately.
Manage Existing MCP Access Keys
If you created a personal MCP access key before Crelate introduced sign-in connections, you can continue to view and manage that key from AI / MCP Access.
Existing MCP access keys can still be revoked, but new MCP access keys can no longer be created. To connect a new AI client, use the sign-in method described above.
Important: If you have an existing MCP access key, keep it secure and do not share it with others. Anyone with access to the key may be able to access Crelate data using the permissions associated with your account.