---
title: "An MCP server for competitor research"
description: "Ask Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor what your competitors changed. The Plainrival MCP server is read-only, uses OAuth and answers with links to the source."
url: "https://plainrival.com/features/mcp-server"
published: 2026-09-30
---

# An MCP server for competitor research

Ask Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor what your competitors changed. The Plainrival MCP server is read-only, uses OAuth and answers with links to the source.

Published 30 September 2026.

## What it does

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is how AI assistants use outside tools. Connect Plainrival once and your assistant answers questions like “What did Northwind CRM change this month?” from your own tracked data, with the page, the date and a link to the source.

- **Read-only.** Nothing can be changed through the connection.
- **One workspace per connection.** The assistant sees that workspace and nothing else.
- **OAuth 2.1.** You sign in to Plainrival and approve the connection. No API keys to copy.

## The tools

Seven small tools with clear names, so your assistant picks the right one:

- `list_competitors`: the competitors you track, with the date of their last change.
- `get_weekly_brief`: the brief for a given week.
- `list_changes`: changes by competitor, type, date or importance.
- `get_competitor_profile`: positioning, a pricing snapshot and recent moves.
- `get_change_history`: every saved change for one competitor.
- `search_signals`: complaint and switching posts by competitor, source or keyword.
- `get_opportunity_report`: grouped pains, missing features and quick wins, with quotes.

## How it works

1. **Add one connector.** In your assistant's settings, add a custom connector with the URL mcp.plainrival.com/mcp.
2. **Approve it.** Sign in to Plainrival and choose the workspace the assistant may read.
3. **Ask in plain words.** The assistant calls the right tool and links to the evidence.

## What it looks like

_Product preview: an illustrative example. Companies and changes are fictional._

## Questions

### Which assistants can use it?

Any assistant that connects to a remote MCP server with OAuth, for example Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor.

### Can my assistant change anything in Plainrival?

No. Every tool is read-only. Your assistant can look things up but can't add, edit or delete anything.

### What can the assistant see?

Only the one workspace you approved when you connected it.

### Where does the data come from?

From Plainrival's daily checks of your competitors' public pages and from public signals such as Hacker News. It is the same data you see in the app, with links to the source.

### Do I need to write code?

No. You paste one URL into your assistant's connector settings and approve it.