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What is MCP? Giving AI safe access to your accounting
MCP (Model Context Protocol) connects AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to your accounting software. Discover how to give AI controlled access to your Exact Online administration.
How AI talks to your accounting software (without you building anything)
You want AI to understand your administration. But ChatGPT and Claude have no access to Exact Online on their own. Until recently you had to build a separate connector for every combination of AI tool and business software. That is expensive, fragile and not scalable. MCP (Model Context Protocol) solves that with a universal standard.
Think of an employee with permissions
You hire a new employee. You give that person access to the accounting package, but not to everything. Only to the folders and functions they need. You decide what that person may view, change and delete.
MCP works exactly the same way, but for AI. Instead of building a separate integration for every combination of AI tool and business software, there is now one standard that connects them all. And you decide the permissions.
Whether you use ChatGPT, Claude or GitHub Copilot, they all connect to the same connector with Exact Online. Are you switching AI tools tomorrow? Then your connector simply keeps working.
How does it work in practice?
You ask your AI assistant: "Which invoices are outstanding?"
- Through the connector the AI knows which data is available in Exact Online
- Based on your question the AI chooses the right approach and sends a request via MCP
- The connector retrieves the right data from Exact Online through the secure API
- You get the answer in plain English, within a few seconds
You notice nothing of the technology behind it. You ask a question, you get an answer. In our article Exact Online + AI in plain English we show you what such a conversation looks like.
What can you do with it?
The connector gives your AI assistant a set of options. The AI picks the right approach itself based on your question.
| Option | Example |
|---|---|
| Request data | View invoices, customers, outstanding items |
| Change data | Create a new invoice or contact person (always with confirmation) |
| Analyse | Revenue trends, top customers, quarterly comparisons |
| Discover | Search which functions are available within your Exact Online package |
You do not need to know which function you need yourself. The AI takes care of that for you. Curious which tasks you can tackle with it right away? Check out 5 tasks you can automate right now.
Which AI tools work with it?
The standard is quickly being adopted by the major AI providers:
| AI tool | Status |
|---|---|
| Claude (Anthropic) | Fully supported |
| ChatGPT (OpenAI) | Fully supported |
| GitHub Copilot | Fully supported |
| Google Gemini | Fully supported |
| Microsoft Copilot | Fully supported |
| Perplexity | Supported |
The list is growing fast. The standard is open, so any AI provider can join.
Is it safe?
In our experience, safety is the first question business owners ask, and rightly so. Here is how it works:
- You give permission. You log in through Exact Online and choose yourself which administrations you connect. Without your approval, nothing happens.
- All communication is encrypted. The connection runs through secured channels (HTTPS). No one can read along.
- Changes require confirmation. Does the AI want to change something in your administration? Then it first asks whether you agree. Deleting is protected with an extra layer of security.
The AI model does not store any data between sessions. For advanced analyses, your administration data is protected and stored in encrypted form. You can revoke the connection at any moment. You can read more about this in The security of your accounting data with AI.
Why is this relevant for your business?
No dependence on a single AI provider
Because the standard is open, you are not tied to ChatGPT or Claude. Switch whenever you like. Your connector keeps working.
No programming knowledge needed
Set it up once (5 minutes), then ask questions in plain English. No code, no Excel, no export.
Future-proof
The big tech companies are switching to this standard in large numbers. Investing in a connector that supports the standard is investing in something that lasts.
Get started in 5 minutes
- Create an account with Exact AI Connect
- Log in with Exact Online, you choose which administrations you connect
- Copy the connection URL to your AI tool (ChatGPT or Claude)
- Ask your first question, for example "Which invoices are outstanding?"
The first 30 days are free. No obligations. This is how you set it up in a few steps.
Want to try it yourself? Start with Exact AI Connect for free →
Frequently asked questions
MCP is an open standard that securely connects AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude to business software such as Exact Online. Instead of a separate integration for each combination, there is one connector that every AI assistant connects to.
Yes. All access runs through the official Exact Online API with your authorisation. You decide which permissions the connector receives, you can revoke them at any time, and every write action first asks for your confirmation.
Among others ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity. If you switch AI assistant, the same connector keeps working.
No. You add the server URL to your AI assistant and authorise the connector once in Exact Online. That takes about two minutes, without plug-ins or extensions.
That is possible, but only if you grant that permission. Creating invoices or editing contacts never happens without your explicit approval per action.
