> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.zenlytic.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.zenlytic.com/mcp/overview.md).

# MCP Overview

The [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) (MCP) is an open standard for exposing tools to LLM-powered agents. Zenlytic supports MCP in both directions, depending on which side you want Zenlytic to play:

<figure><img src="/files/8dJI4KpNkaakZbxZr3tD" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Which one do I need?

* *Want to ask Zoë questions from Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT?* → **MCP Server**
* *Want Zoë to reach Tableau, Snowflake, dbt, or GitHub from chat?* → **MCP Client**

### [**MCP Server**](/mcp/connecting-to-zenlytic.md)

Your own AI tools (Claude.ai, Claude Code, ChatGPT) connect *in* to Zenlytic's MCP server to ask questions and query your governed business data.

<figure><img src="/files/9AH1TGJM7gtrFbbB7G7Q" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### [**MCP Client**](/mcp/client.md)

Zoë connects *out* to external MCP servers (Tableau, Snowflake, dbt, GitHub, and more), so she can pull data and trigger workflows from other systems directly from the Zenlytic chat experience.

<figure><img src="/files/EEFjOvn5Rn7zT5RjR4zU" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.zenlytic.com/mcp/overview.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.