finstat/what is mcp
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What is MCP? In plain English.

New to this? Three things to understand — then you’re running books.

First, some vocabulary
AI hostClaude, ChatGPT, Grok, Cursor, Codex, or Perplexity — on your computerYour new screen.
MCPModel Context ProtocolThe universal adapter that lets your AI plug into an outside tool. One standard that Claude, ChatGPT and the other hosts all speak.Think USB-C, for AI.
FinStatThe accounting engine that does the actual books.The ledger.

You talk to your AI hostMCP is how it reaches FinStatFinStat keeps the books

Two more words

You’ll also see “connector” — that’s what your AI host calls a saved connection to an outside service like FinStat. You create the FinStat connector by giving your AI host this address: https://mcp.finstat.ai/mcp.

And “tokens” — FinStat tokens measure the work FinStat does, the way a power company meters kilowatt-hours. They are billed by FinStat, separately from your AI subscription. Your first 1,000,000 are free — enough to build your first set of books.

01

Your AI is the screen.

For years the software was the screen — you clicked through a thousand menus to make the books happen. With FinStat, your AI is the screen. You just ask in plain words; behind the scenes it uses MCP “tools” — small, named actions — to talk to FinStat and do the work. You rarely need to think about them.

Example

You say “these Amazon charges are personal — move them to Owner’s Draw.”

  • your AI drafts the reclassifying entry
  • you okay it, and the ledger stays balanced

In QuickBooks that’s a dreaded reclass chore — here it’s one sentence, and picking the tool was the AI’s job, not yours.

02

MCP connects the brain. Permission and documents feed the books.

Adding the connector is only half the story. Your AI still has to be allowed to talk to FinStat, and it has to be able to send documents. Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Cursor, Codex, and Perplexity can connect — from your computer. Approve the connection when your host asks. In Claude, also allow mcp.finstat.ai under Settings → Capabilities (an admin does this on Team and Enterprise plans), then start a new chat. Then attach documents or ask it to invent an example.

1
You install the connector. FinStat appears in your AI’s settings and sign-in completes.
Not books yet
2
You can see the tools. Your AI lists FinStat’s tools and can even create a workspace.
Still not books
3
Your AI can send documents to FinStat. It attaches PDFs or builds a sample year — and the documents land in FinStat.
This is books

That third layer is the whole game. Connect FinStat →

03

Your AI is your teacher.

Ask your AI how FinStat works. It can walk you through the connector. The three-step example lives on the home page under Proof.

  • “What does the FinStat MCP do?”
  • “How do I get started with FinStat?”
  • “Walk me through connecting FinStat, step by step.”

Ready to run your books?

Or just open your AI and ask: “How do I get started with FinStat?”

FinStat is a registered MCP server — Official MCP Registry.

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