> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://alphacastio.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Alphacast MCP Server

> Connect Claude Code and Codex to Alphacast. Search the catalog, download datasets, browse 30+ data providers, look up tickers, and build pipelines from natural-language prompts.

The Alphacast Model Context Protocol (MCP) server lets AI coding agents interact with the Alphacast platform through structured tool calls. Search the curated catalog, download dataset rows, browse 30+ external data providers, look up market tickers, and build full data pipelines — all from inside Claude Code or Codex.

## Two ways to connect

The same 32 tools are available through two transports. Pick whichever fits your client and environment — both expose identical functionality.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Hosted (remote)" icon="cloud">
    Point your client at `https://mcp.alphacast.io/mcp`. Nothing to install — no Node.js, no npm, no API key. You sign in once through your browser with **OAuth** and your Alphacast account. Best for most users and for clients that support remote MCP servers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Local (npm)" icon="terminal">
    Your client spawns the `@alphacast/mcp` package as a local subprocess via `npx -y @alphacast/mcp` over stdio. Requires Node.js 18+ and an `ALPHACAST_API_KEY`. Best for offline-ish setups, CI, or clients that don't yet support remote servers or OAuth.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

|                | Hosted (remote)                | Local (npm)                     |
| -------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------- |
| Endpoint       | `https://mcp.alphacast.io/mcp` | `npx -y @alphacast/mcp` (stdio) |
| Requirements   | A browser to sign in           | Node.js 18+ installed           |
| Authentication | OAuth (browser login)          | `ALPHACAST_API_KEY` env var     |
| Tools          | All 32                         | All 32                          |

Both authenticate as your Alphacast account and respect the same repository permissions. See [Authentication](/mcp/authentication) for the details of each, then follow the [Quickstart](/mcp/quickstart) or your client's [configuration guide](/mcp/configuration/claude-code).

## What you can do

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Discover data" icon="magnifying-glass">
    Search the curated Alphacast catalog. Browse 30+ providers — FRED, BLS, World Bank, OECD, IMF, BIS, ECB, Eurostat, Banxico, and many more — without learning each provider's native API.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Read datasets" icon="table">
    Download dataset rows in CSV or JSON, fetch column schemas, and inspect repository metadata. The workspace's default repository is resolved automatically when you don't specify one.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Look up tickers" icon="chart-line">
    Search public market tickers, ETFs, indexes, and ISINs, then pull historical OHLCV prices over `5y`, `ytd`, `max`, and other lookback periods.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Build pipelines" icon="diagram-project">
    Create pipelines, add or edit steps, run them, and preview the output of any step. Auto-validates and auto-runs after every mutation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Browse providers" icon="globe">
    Walk hierarchical catalogs, search series by keyword, and preview or fetch full historical data.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Author charts" icon="chart-bar">
    Look up chart-authoring recipes for any Grapher chart type, validate configurations before saving, and inspect existing chart metadata.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Get started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="bolt" href="/mcp/quickstart">
    Connect a client and run your first prompt in under five minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration" icon="gear" href="/mcp/configuration/claude-code">
    Step-by-step setup for Claude Code and Codex.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tools reference" icon="wrench" href="/mcp/tools/overview">
    All 32 tools, grouped by capability, with input schemas and example prompts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Examples" icon="lightbulb" href="/mcp/examples">
    End-to-end walkthroughs that combine multiple tools to solve real research workflows.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Safety boundaries

The server intentionally does **not** expose destructive operations. Repositories, datasets, and pipelines can only be deleted from the Alphacast web UI — never from an agent. Of the 32 tools, 28 are read-only; the 4 write tools (`create_pipeline`, `add_pipeline_step`, `edit_pipeline_step`, `delete_pipeline_step`) are scoped to pipeline authoring. Provider API keys are managed through the [Alphacast settings](https://www.alphacast.io/settings) web UI.