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MCP Connectors (ChatGPT & Claude)

Model Context Protocol (MCP) allows ChatGPT and Claude to search your Synjar knowledge base directly—no manual link pasting required.

Setup Time

Less than 2 minutes to connect your Search Link to ChatGPT or Claude!

What is MCP?​

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard protocol that allows AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude to access external tools and data sources securely.

Without MCP (old way):

  • You ask ChatGPT a question
  • ChatGPT generates a search URL
  • ❌ Browser blocks the URL (security restriction)
  • You manually paste the link into chat
  • ChatGPT reads the results

With MCP (new way):

  • You ask ChatGPT a question
  • ✅ ChatGPT calls your Synjar search tool directly
  • ChatGPT gets the results automatically
  • No manual pasting needed!

Prerequisites​

Before you start:

  • ✅ Created a Search Link in Synjar
  • ✅ Have access to ChatGPT (Developer Mode) or Claude (Custom Connectors)

Alternative: Direct Prompt (No MCP Setup)​

Don't have access to Developer Mode or Custom Connectors? Use this prompt-based workaround instead.

What You'll Need​

  • ✅ A Search Link created in Synjar
  • ✅ Access to ChatGPT or Claude (any version)
  • ❌ No special settings or permissions required

How It Works​

Instead of automatic tool calling, you'll paste search links manually when the AI asks for them.

Copy this prompt into ChatGPT or Claude:

I have access to a knowledge base search API. When I need to search it, I'll provide you with a search link.

Important rules:
1. You CANNOT open URLs you generate yourself due to security restrictions
2. When you need to search my knowledge base, ask me to paste the search link
3. I will provide the exact link for you to read
4. The link format is: https://api.synjar.com/public/YOUR_TOKEN/search?q=[query]

When you need to search:
1. Tell me what query you want to search for
2. Ask me to paste the link with that query
3. I'll provide the link
4. You can then read the results

Let me know when you're ready to help me search my knowledge base!

Example Conversation​

You: "What's our refund policy?"

AI: "I'll search for that. Please paste this link: https://api.synjar.com/public/YOUR_TOKEN/search?q=refund+policy"

You: (paste the exact link)

AI: (reads results) "According to your knowledge base, you offer a full refund within 30 days..."

When to Use This Method
  • You don't have ChatGPT Developer Mode or Claude Custom Connectors
  • You prefer a simpler setup with no configuration
  • You're testing the Search Link before setting up MCP
Limitation

This method requires manual link pasting for each search. For automatic searching, use MCP setup below.

Setup for ChatGPT (MCP - Automatic)​

1. Get Your MCP URL​

  1. Go to Workspace Settings → Search Links
  2. Click on your Search Link
  3. Find the "MCP Server URL" section
  4. Click [Copy MCP URL]

Your URL will look like:

https://api.synjar.com/mcp/abc123def456...
Security

Only use the official Synjar MCP URL. Verify it starts with https://api.synjar.com/mcp/

2. Enable Developer Mode​

  1. Open ChatGPT (web or desktop app)
  2. Click your profile icon (top-right corner)
  3. Select Settings
  4. Go to Applications (or "Apps")
  5. Click Advanced Settings
  6. Toggle Developer Mode to ON

3. Create MCP Connector​

  1. Stay in Settings > Applications
  2. Click Create App (or "New App")
  3. Fill in the form:
    • Name: e.g., "Synjar Knowledge Base"
    • MCP Server URL: Paste your MCP URL from Synjar
    • Authentication: Select None (important - default is OAuth, change this!)
  4. Click Create
Authentication Setting

IMPORTANT: Select "None" for authentication. Do NOT use OAuth or API Key authentication.

Why? The token is embedded in the URL itself (https://api.synjar.com/mcp/TOKEN). Selecting OAuth will prevent ChatGPT from accessing your knowledge base.

If you accidentally selected OAuth:

  1. Delete the app in ChatGPT settings
  2. Create a new app with Authentication: None

4. Authorize Connection​

  1. You'll see an authorization prompt
  2. Click Authorize to allow ChatGPT to access your Synjar MCP server
  3. ChatGPT will verify the connection ✅

5. Use It​

Ask ChatGPT questions about your knowledge base. Use explicit language to ensure ChatGPT uses your Synjar connector instead of web search:

✅ Recommended prompts (work reliably):

"Use the Synjar search tool to find refund policy"
"Search my Synjar knowledge base for API rate limits"
"Call the Synjar connector to search for product warranties"

⚠️ May trigger web search instead:

"What's our refund policy?"  ← ChatGPT might search the web
"Find information about X"   ← Ambiguous, may not use Synjar
Best Practice

Always mention "Synjar" or "my knowledge base" in your query to ensure ChatGPT uses the correct tool.

Polish / Polski:

"Użyj narzędzia Synjar do wyszukania polityki zwrotów"
"Przeszukaj moją bazę wiedzy Synjar"
"Wyszukaj w Synjar informacje o gwarancji"

ChatGPT will call your Synjar search tool and get the answers!

Setup for Claude (MCP - Automatic)​

1. Get Your MCP URL​

Same as ChatGPT—copy your MCP URL from the Search Link detail page.

2. Add to Claude​

  1. Open Claude
  2. Go to Settings → Custom Connectors
  3. Click "Add New"
  4. Paste your MCP URL
  5. Click Save
  6. Claude will verify the connection ✅

3. Use It​

Ask Claude questions. Be explicit to ensure Claude uses your Synjar connector:

✅ Recommended prompts:

"Use the Synjar tool to search for pricing information"
"Search my Synjar knowledge base for installation steps"

Polish / Polski:

"Użyj Synjar do wyszukania informacji o cenach"
"Przeszukaj moją bazę Synjar"

Privacy Settings​

By default, Synjar does NOT store your search queries.

Default (History OFF):​

  • ✅ Search counts tracked
  • ✅ Performance metrics collected
  • ❌ Query text NOT stored

History ON (optional):​

  • ✅ Search counts tracked
  • ✅ Performance metrics collected
  • ✅ Query text stored for 90 days (helps with debugging)
Privacy Notice

When you enable history, query text is automatically deleted after 90 days for privacy compliance.

Privacy compliance:

  • GDPR Article 17 (Right to Erasure): Use workspace anonymization workflow
  • CCPA compliance: Query text = personal data (requires disclosure)
  • Full details: Privacy Policy

To change privacy settings:

  1. Go to your Search Link detail page
  2. Toggle "Store search history"
  3. This setting applies to both direct searches and MCP searches

Monitoring Usage​

Track how your MCP connector is being used:

  1. Go to Workspace Settings → Search Links
  2. Click on your Search Link
  3. View usage statistics:
    • Direct searches: Searches via public URL
    • MCP searches: Searches via ChatGPT/Claude
    • Total: Combined usage

Troubleshooting​

"Invalid or expired token"​

Problem: Your MCP URL is no longer valid.

Solution:

  1. Check if the Search Link is still active (not revoked)
  2. Check if the link has expired (expiresAt date passed)
  3. If needed, create a new Search Link

"Connection failed"​

Problem: ChatGPT/Claude cannot reach your MCP server.

Solution:

  1. Verify your MCP URL starts with https://api.synjar.com/mcp/
  2. Check if your Search Link is active (not paused/revoked)
  3. For self-hosted: Ensure your Synjar instance is reachable from the internet

"No results found"​

Problem: Search returns empty results.

Solution:

  1. Check if your workspace has documents with matching tags
  2. Verify the Search Link's allowed tags include your documents
  3. Ensure documents are processed (status: COMPLETED)

ChatGPT uses web search instead of Synjar​

Problem: You ask a question but ChatGPT searches the web instead of your Synjar knowledge base.

Why this happens: ChatGPT automatically decides which tool to use based on your query. Generic questions may trigger web search instead of your MCP connector.

Solution - Use explicit prompts:

✅ These prompts WILL use Synjar:

"Use the Synjar search tool to find refund policy"
"Search my Synjar knowledge base for X"
"Call the Synjar connector to search for Y"
"Use my connected knowledge base to find Z"

❌ These prompts might trigger web search:

"What's our refund policy?"
"Find information about X"
"Search for Y"

Additional tips:

  1. Name your connector clearly - When adding MCP connector, name it "Synjar Knowledge Base" or similar
  2. Mention the connector by name - Say "Use Synjar" or "Search Synjar" explicitly
  3. Check connector status - Go to ChatGPT Settings → Applications to verify connector is connected
  4. Refresh connector - Click "Refresh" button if connector seems disconnected
Quick Test

Ask ChatGPT: "What MCP tools do you have available?"

If connected correctly, it should mention the Synjar search and fetch tools.

Self-Hosted Setup​

If you're running Synjar on your own infrastructure:

1. MCP Server URL Format​

https://your-domain.com/mcp/{your-token}

Replace your-domain.com with your Synjar instance domain.

2. Network Requirements​

  • Your Synjar instance must be accessible from the internet
  • HTTPS is required (ChatGPT/Claude won't connect to HTTP)
  • Port 443 (HTTPS) must be open

3. Add to ChatGPT/Claude​

  1. Open ChatGPT/Claude settings
  2. Add your self-hosted MCP URL
  3. You'll see "Unverified Connector" warning (this is normal for self-hosted)
  4. Click "Add Anyway"
  5. Done!

HTTPS Setup (Self-Hosted)​

Required for MCP

ChatGPT and Claude will REJECT HTTP connections. HTTPS is mandatory for MCP to work.

Requirements​

  • TLS 1.3 recommended (minimum TLS 1.2)
  • Valid SSL certificate (not self-signed for ChatGPT/Claude)
  • HTTP traffic redirected to HTTPS

nginx Configuration​

Use this nginx configuration to enforce HTTPS:

# Redirect HTTP to HTTPS
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your-domain.com;
    return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}

# HTTPS server
server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name your-domain.com;

    ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key.pem;
    ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;

    # HSTS header (enforce HTTPS for 1 year)
    add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000" always;

    # Proxy to Synjar
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Troubleshooting: "Connection failed" with Self-Hosted​

Common cause: HTTP instead of HTTPS

Checklist:

  1. Verify URL protocol:

    • URL must start with https:// (not http://)

  2. Check SSL certificate validity:

    • Certificate must be valid (not expired)
    • Certificate must NOT be self-signed (ChatGPT/Claude reject self-signed certs)
    • Use Let's Encrypt for free valid certificates

  3. Test your endpoint:

    curl -v https://your-domain.com/mcp/test

    Expected output should show:

    • SSL connection using TLSv1.2 or TLSv1.3
    • HTTP 403 or 404 (not a connection error)

  4. Verify TLS version:

    openssl s_client -connect your-domain.com:443 -tls1_2

    If this fails, your server may not support TLS 1.2+.

Let's Encrypt

For free, valid SSL certificates, use Let's Encrypt with certbot:

certbot --nginx -d your-domain.com

Security Best Practices​

Follow these security guidelines to keep your MCP integration secure:

1. Rotate Tokens Every 90 Days​

Regular token rotation limits the exposure window if a token is compromised.

How to rotate:

  1. Go to Workspace Settings -> Search Links
  2. Click on your Search Link
  3. Click "Rotate Token"
  4. Update ChatGPT/Claude with the new MCP URL
  5. The old token remains valid for 24 hours (grace period)
Reminder

Set a calendar reminder to rotate your production tokens every 90 days.

2. Set Expiry Date for Temporary Access​

If you're sharing access temporarily (e.g., for a contractor or demo):

  1. When creating or editing a Search Link, set an Expiry Date
  2. The token will automatically stop working after that date
  3. You'll receive an email reminder 7 days before expiry

3. Monitor Usage Dashboard for Anomalies​

Regularly check your Search Link usage for unusual patterns:

  • Sudden spike in requests - Could indicate token leak or abuse
  • Requests from unexpected times - Check if legitimate usage
  • High error rate - May indicate probing/enumeration attempts

To view usage:

  1. Go to Workspace Settings -> Search Links
  2. Click on your Search Link
  3. Review the usage statistics

4. Revoke Immediately if Token is Compromised​

If you suspect a token has been leaked or compromised:

  1. Immediately deactivate the Search Link (click "Pause" or "Revoke")
  2. Create a new Search Link with the same settings
  3. Update all ChatGPT/Claude configurations with the new URL
  4. Review usage logs for any unauthorized access
No Grace Period for Compromised Tokens

When revoking a compromised token, do NOT use the "Rotate" feature (which has a 24h grace period). Instead, deactivate immediately and create a new link.

5. Verify Official MCP URL​

Always verify that your MCP URL starts with:

https://api.synjar.com/mcp/

Never use MCP URLs from untrusted sources or that redirect to different domains.

6. Use Tag Restrictions​

Limit what data the Search Link can access:

  1. When creating a Search Link, select only the tags needed
  2. Don't use "All tags" unless necessary
  3. Create separate Search Links for different access levels

Technical Details​

CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing)​

CORS is disabled for MCP endpoints. This is intentional because:

  • MCP servers are designed for CLI and backend access
  • ChatGPT and Claude call MCP from their backends, not browsers
  • Disabling CORS allows any client to connect without origin restrictions
For Developers

If you're building a browser-based integration, use the Search Links API instead.

API Integration (Advanced)​

If you want to integrate MCP directly in your application, see the MCP Tools API Reference.

FAQ​

No. Each Search Link has its own unique MCP URL. This allows you to:

  • Control access per link (revoke individually)
  • Track usage separately
  • Set different allowed tags per link

Does MCP work with other AI assistants?​

Currently, MCP is supported by:

  • ✅ ChatGPT (Developer Mode)
  • ✅ Claude (Custom Connectors)
  • ⏳ Other AI assistants (coming soon)

How much does MCP cost?​

MCP is included with Search Links—no additional cost! Usage is tracked the same way as direct searches.

Can I rotate my MCP token?​

Yes! To rotate your token:

  1. Create a new Search Link (with the same settings)
  2. Update ChatGPT/Claude with the new MCP URL
  3. Revoke the old Search Link after migration

Next Steps​

Need help? Contact support at support@synjar.com