The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an emerging open-source standard designed to act as a universal interface, enabling AI assistants to securely connect with external data and tools—without requiring custom integrations. Think of it as a “USB for AI applications”, providing a standard way for large language models (LLMs) to discover and use capabilities in other tools.

​
MCP Architecture

MCP uses a client/server architecture:
  • MCP Host (e.g., Claude Desktop, Cursor, or a custom AI app):
    The AI application a user interacts with. It uses an MCP client to communicate with servers.
  • MCP Server (e.g., Glean MCP server):
    Exposes tools that the host’s LLM can invoke.

​
Key Benefits of Glean MCP Integration

Unlike native MCP servers from individual apps (e.g., Jira, Slack) that offer siloed results, the Glean MCP server queries Glean’s unified Knowledge Graph. This delivers more relevant, permission-aware results across all connected sources.

​
Enhanced Security

While MCP’s open standard has an evolving security model, Glean’s integration is built on its permission-aware Knowledge Graph, enforcing strict user-level access control.

​
Ecosystem Compatibility

As an industry standard, MCP reduces vendor lock-in. Glean’s approach to MCP makes it a “plug-and-play” component for any compliant AI agent or app.

​
Bring Glean to Any App

Developers and power users can access Glean’s search, chat, and agents directly in their preferred tools (e.g., Cursor, VS Code, Claude Desktop, ChatGPT) reducing context switching.

​
Glean’s Dual Role: Server and Host

Glean is pursuing a bi-directional MCP product strategy:
  • Glean as MCP Server:
    Exposes core Glean capabilities (search, chat, agents) to any MCP-compliant app.
  • Glean as MCP Host:
    Lets Glean consume tools from third-party MCP servers (e.g., Atlassian, Asana).

​
Comparing Integration Approaches

​
Glean MCP Server vs. Glean APIs

MCP Server
  • Built for LLM “tool use” via the MCP standard.
  • Ideal for integrating Glean into AI workflows without writing custom code.
Glean APIs (Client & Indexing)
  • Offer low-level access for custom apps.
  • Greater flexibility and control over how enterprise context from Glean is surfaced to your users, but requires your developers to maintain integration logic.