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Set Up Gainsight CS MCP Server Integration

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This article helps Admins set up and configure the Gainsight CS Model Context Protocol (MCP

This article helps admins set up and configure the Gainsight CS Model Context Protocol (MCP) server so that users can connect Gainsight CS data to external LLM tools such as ChatGPT and Claude.

Overview

The Gainsight CS MCP server is an integration that connects Gainsight CS directly to large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Claude. Once connected, users can query Companies, CTAs, Success Plans, and Timeline Activities, and perform write actions such as creating CTAs and Success Plans, all through natural-language prompts in their preferred LLM tool.

The MCP server acts as a general-purpose API connector. The LLM calls the exposed Gainsight tools based on user prompts, which means prompt quality directly affects the accuracy and usefulness of responses.

The MCP server requires user-level OAuth authentication with Proof Key for Code Exchange (PKCE) enabled. Before you begin the MCP setup, ensure that you have configured User Authentication with PKCE in your instance. For more information, refer to the OAuth for Gainsight APIs article.

Prerequisites

Ensure that you meet the following requirements before you begin:

  • Gainsight Admin access: You must have Admin-level permissions in Gainsight CS to create OAuth apps and enable PKCE.
  • LLM tool with MCP support: Your LLM tool (for example, ChatGPT or Claude) must support MCP integrations.
  • ChatGPT Admin access (if connecting through ChatGPT): A ChatGPT admin must have the ability to create apps in ChatGPT. Developer Mode must be turned on in ChatGPT settings.
  • Client ID and Client Secret: You must have the Client ID and Client Secret generated from the OAuth app configuration in Gainsight.

To connect the Gainsight CS MCP server with Microsoft 365 Copilot, refer to the Add an existing MCP server to your agent article in the Microsoft Copilot Studio documentation. 

What Can MCP Read and Write?

The MCP server supports a set of actions that allow your LLM to read and write Gainsight data. The following tables list currently supported actions.

Data Retrieval

The following table lists the data retrieval capabilities that the MCP server currently supports.

Capability

Status

Detailed Account Summary

Supported
Query Company and Relationship

Supported

Fetch CTAs for a company

Supported
Read Tasks in CTA Supported

Fetch Success Plans

Supported

Read Timeline activities

Supported

Scorecards ( read only)

Supported

Cross-account analysis

Supported

Write Actions

The following table lists the write action capabilities that the MCP server currently supports.

Capability

Status

Create CTAs

Supported

Update CTAs

Supported
Create Tasks in CTAs Supported

Create Success Plans

Supported

Update Success Plans

Supported

Create Timeline Activities

Supported
Update Timeline Activites Supported

Delete records

Not Supported

Update company fields

Not Supported

Admin-level configuration

Not Supported
Scorecards Not Supported

 

Create and update Timeline is possible at Company, Success Plan, CTA and Relationship level.  Not at Scorecard level.

Set Up the MCP Server Connection in ChatGPT

This setup requires coordination between the Gainsight admin and ChatGPT admin. Perform the following steps to complete the integration between ChatGPT and Gainsight CS:

  • Configure OAuth with PKCE in Gainsight
  • Create the MCP App in ChatGPT
  • Complete the Connection
  • Connect and Authenticate

Configure OAuth with PKCE in Gainsight

The MCP server requires user-level OAuth authentication with Proof Key for Code Exchange (PKCE) enabled.

To enable PKCE in Gainsight CS:

  1. Navigate to Administration > User Management and click the Authentication tab.
  2. Click OAuth Applications.
  3. Locate an existing OAuth app or create a new one. For more information on how to create an OAuth app, refer to the OAuth for Gainsight APIs article.

    OAuth App.jpg

     
  4. Click the three-dots vertical menu and select View/Edit. A slide-out panel appears.

    Three-dot menu with View/Edit option on an OAuth application 
  5. Turn on the Enable PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange) toggle. The PKCE option is now active for the OAuth application.
  6. Copy and save the Client ID and the Client Secret as these are required further in the configuration.
  7. Click Save. The OAuth application settings are saved.

Create the MCP App in ChatGPT

After you enable PKCE, ensure the Client ID and Client Secret are copied, as these are required for the next steps.

  1. In ChatGPT, navigate to Settings > Apps.
  2. Turn on the Developer mode toggle. The Create app option is now available.

    Developer mode toggle turned on in ChatGPT Settings Apps page
  3. Click Create app. The New App window appears.
  4. Enter the following details to create the app:
    1. In the Name text field, enter the name of the app.
    2. (Optional) In the Description text field, describe the app.
    3. In the MCP Server URL field, enter the URL instance followed by /v1/ds-mcp/mcp. For example: https://your-domain.gainsightcloud.com/v1/ds-mcp/mcp
    4. From the Authentication dropdown, select OAuth.

      New App creation form in ChatGPT with MCP Server URL and OAuth fields
       
  5. Select Advanced settings. The OAuth advanced settings dialog appears.

    OAuth advanced settings with Client ID, Client Secret, and Callback URL fields
     
  6. In the OAuth Client ID field, paste the Client ID copied from the Gainsight CS application.
  7. In the OAuth Client Secret field, paste the Client Secret copied from the Gainsight CS application.
  8. Copy and save the Callback URL as this is required further in the configuration.
  9. Select the I understand and want to continue checkbox.
  10. Click Create. The new app is created and appears in your Apps list.

Complete the Connection

The Callback URL from the app settings is required to complete the connection in Gainsight CS User Management.

  1. Navigate to Administration > User Management > Authentication tab.
  2. Click OAuth Applications.
  3. Locate an existing OAuth app.
  4. Click the three-vertical dots menu.
  5. Click View/Edit. The application slide-out panel appears.

    OAuth application slide-out panel with Callback URL field in Gainsight CS
     
  6. Paste the Callback URL copied from ChatGPS’s OAuth advanced settings section.
  7. Click Save to complete the connection.

Connect and Authenticate

After the Gainsight admin and ChatGPT admin complete the respective setup, each end user can connect to the new app.

To connect and authenticate as an end user:

  1. Navigate to ChatGPT > Apps.
  2. Select the newly created app. For example, in this case, GSMCP.

    GSMCP app listed under ChatGPT Apps with Connect option
     
  3. Click Connect. The Gainsight Login dialog appears.

    Gainsight login page during MCP authentication flow
     
  4. Click Continue to GSMCP to authenticate the connection.

    authenticate.jpg

After successful authentication, the MCP connection appears as active in ChatGPT.

Active MCP connection confirmation in ChatGPT

Set Up the MCP Server Connection in Claude

To set up an MCP server connection in Claude, add the following Callback URLs in the Gainsight CS OAuth application.

  • https://claude.ai/api/mcp/auth_callback
  • https://claude.com/api/mcp/auth_callback

You must add both Callback URLs to the same OAuth application in Gainsight CS.

Claude requires the same OAuth configuration in Gainsight CS as ChatGPT. Complete the following sections before you proceed to the Claude connector setup.

  • Configure OAuth with PKCE in Gainsight
  • Complete the Connection

Create the Custom Connector in Claude

After you add the Callback URLs and copy the Client ID and Client Secret from the Gainsight CS instance, you can create a custom connector in Claude.

To create a custom connector in Claude:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Connectors.
  2. Click Add custom connector. The Add custom connector dialog box appears.

    Add custom connector form in Claude Settings Connectors page
  3. Enter the following details
    1. Name: Enter a name for the MCP Server.
    2. Server URL: Enter the URL instance followed by /v1/ds-mcp/mcp. For example: https://your-domain.gainsightcloud.com/v1/ds-mcp/mcp
  4. Expand Advanced settings:
    1. In the OAuth Client ID field, paste the Client ID copied from the Gainsight CS application.
    2. In the OAuth Client Secret field, paste the Client Secret copied from the Gainsight CS application.
  5. Click Add. The custom connector is created and appears on the Connectors page.

Custom connector advanced settings with OAuth fields in Claude

Connect and Authenticate

After the Gainsight admin and Claude admin complete their respective setup, each end user can connect to the new app.

To connect and authenticate:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Connectors. The Connectors page appears.
  2. Click Connect. Claude redirects you to the Gainsight login page.

    Gainsight login page during Claude MCP authentication flow
  3. Log in with your Gainsight credentials. After authentication, Claude confirms the connection.
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  2. Tags
    1. ChatGPT integration
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