---
title: "MCP Server overview"
description: "Connect AI clients to Grunt chart and table tools over MCP"
---

The Grunt MCP Server lets compatible AI clients create and edit Grunt charts and tables through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

You can use it to:

- Create charts from structured data
- Create formatted tables and visual grids
- Update existing assets
- Inspect an asset and compare versions
- Preview and export your work

## Before you begin

You need:

- A Grunt account for user sign-in, or organization credentials with **MCP server** access for an M2M integration
- An MCP client that supports remote servers over Streamable HTTP and your chosen authentication flow

Connect your client to:

```text
https://mcp.grunt.io/mcp
```

For personal use, your client prompts you to sign in. For an M2M integration, exchange your organization's client credentials for an access token with the `mcp.access` scope. Follow [Connect and authenticate](/mcp-server/connect-and-authenticate) for both flows and environment-specific connection details.

After connecting, use `tools/list` to discover exact tool names and input schemas. Creation tools use names such as `create_or_update_bar_chart` and `create_or_update_table`.

## Core capabilities

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create charts" icon="diagram-project" href="/mcp-server/tools">
    Create bar, line, area, waterfall, pie/donut, scatter/bubble, mekko, dumbbell, and combined charts.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Create tables" icon="table" href="/mcp-server/tools">
    Create formatted tables, scorecards, KPI matrices, and other visual grids.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Update assets" icon="pen-to-square" href="/mcp-server/tools">
    Reuse an `assetId` to update a chart or table while keeping its identity.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Inspect and compare" icon="list-check" href="/mcp-server/tools">
    Read an asset's structure and compare a known version with the latest version.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Asset versions

Create and update tools return an `assetId` and an `assetCommit`:

- Use `assetId` for later edits to the same asset.
- Use `assetCommit` to identify a specific version or check what changed.

These tools also return a preview and an `exportGuideUrl` you can use to open the asset in Grunt.

New assets also include a permanent view link in `assetUrl` when link creation succeeds. It returns a manifest with links to the image, export, and underlying data. See [Share an asset](/mcp-server/tools#share-an-asset) for link permissions and edit links.

Assets created through user sign-in belong to that user. Assets created with organization credentials belong to the organization and are available to its other MCP clients.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Connect and authenticate" icon="arrow-pointer" href="/mcp-server/connect-and-authenticate">
    Connect through user sign-in or organization client credentials.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Tool reference" icon="file-code" href="/mcp-server/tools">
    See the tools available from the production server.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>