Connect AI assistants via MCP

Published

April 3, 2026

The ​ValidMind MCP (Model Context Protocol) server enables AI assistants to query and manage your model inventory through natural language, providing seamless access to models, artifacts, templates, and custom fields.

Prerequisites

Key concepts

MCP (Model Context Protocol)
An open standard that enables AI assistants to connect to external data sources and tools through a unified protocol, allowing natural language interactions with structured systems.
MCP server
A service that exposes tools and resources to AI assistants via the MCP protocol. The ​ValidMind MCP server provides access to model inventory operations.
MCP tool
An operation exposed by an MCP server that AI assistants can invoke to perform actions, such as querying models or updating artifacts.

How does ​ValidMind MCP work?

graph LR
    subgraph ai [AI assistants]
        Claude[Claude Code]
        Cursor[Cursor IDE]
    end
    
    subgraph mcp [MCP layer]
        MCPServer[ValidMind MCP Server]
    end
    
    subgraph vm [ValidMind Platform]
        Models[Models]
        Artifacts[Artifacts]
        Templates[Templates]
        CustomFields[Custom fields]
    end
    
    Claude --> MCPServer
    Cursor --> MCPServer
    MCPServer --> Models
    MCPServer --> Artifacts
    MCPServer --> Templates
    MCPServer --> CustomFields

Your AI assistant sends natural language queries through the MCP protocol. The ​ValidMind MCP server translates these into API calls, authenticates using your API key, and returns data from the ValidMind Platform.

What can I do with ​ValidMind MCP?

The MCP server exposes tools for working with your model inventory:

Model and artifact operations

  • List and get models
  • List and get artifacts
  • Filter by risk level, deployment region, or ownership

Custom field operations

  • List custom fields for models and artifacts
  • Update custom field values

Template operations

  • List available templates
  • Get template details
  • Validate templates
  • Duplicate and update templates

Example queries you can ask:

  • “Show me all models that are high risk”
  • “Find all the models I am an owner for”
  • “List my validation artifacts”
  • “What templates are available for credit risk models?”

Configure your AI assistant

  1. In Cursor, open Settings > Cursor Settings and navigate to the MCP section.

  2. Click Add new global MCP server to open your ~/.cursor/mcp.json file.

  3. Add the ​ValidMind MCP server configuration:

    {
  "mcpServers": {
    "validmind": {
      "url": "https://api.prod.validmind.ai/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
        "x-api-secret": "YOUR_API_SECRET"
      }
    }
  }
}

  4. Replace YOUR_API_KEY and YOUR_API_SECRET with your ValidMind credentials.4

  5. Save the file and reload Cursor with the Command/Ctrl + Shift + P > Developer: Reload Window shortcut.

  6. Return to Cursor Settings > MCP and verify that the ValidMind server appears. If it shows as disabled, click the toggle to enable it.

  7. Try asking Cursor questions like:

    • “What models do I own?”
    • “Show me all tier 1 models”
    • “Register a new model called Customer Churn”

  1. In Claude Code, add the ​ValidMind MCP server (this updates your ~/.claude.json file):

    claude mcp add --transport http validmind https://api.prod.validmind.ai/mcp \
  --header "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  --header "x-api-secret: YOUR_API_SECRET"

  2. Replace YOUR_API_KEY and YOUR_API_SECRET with your ValidMind credentials.5

  3. Verify the connection:

    claude mcp list

    You should see validmind with status ✓ Connected.

  4. Start Claude Code and try asking questions like:

    • “What models do I own?”
    • “Show me all tier 1 models”
    • “Register a new model called Customer Churn”

Troubleshooting

  • Verify your network can reach api.prod.validmind.ai.
  • Check if your organization uses a firewall or proxy that blocks MCP connections.
  • Ensure you are using the correct MCP URL for your environment.
  • Confirm your API key and secret are correct.
  • Check that your API credentials have not expired.
  • Verify your account has the necessary permissions to access the requested resources.
  • Ensure the configuration file is saved at ~/.cursor/mcp.json.
  • Validate the JSON syntax in your configuration file.
  • Reload Cursor after making configuration changes.
  • Check Cursor Settings > MCP to verify the server appears and is enabled. You may need to manually toggle the server on after adding it to the configuration.