Agentic research works through the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — an open standard that lets AI platforms connect to external tools. Once connected, your AI agent can launch consumer studies, receive structured results, and query accumulated intelligence without leaving your workflow.
This quickstart covers the setup for the three most common platforms.
Prerequisites
Before starting, you need:
- A User Intuition account. Sign up here (Starter tier is free).
- API key. Generated from your User Intuition dashboard under Settings > API Keys.
- An MCP-compatible AI platform. ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor.
Setup: Claude (MCP Native)
Claude has native MCP support, making it the most straightforward integration.
Step 1: Open Claude and navigate to Settings > MCP Servers.
Step 2: Add a new MCP server with the User Intuition server URL from your dashboard.
Step 3: Authenticate with your API key.
Step 4: Test the connection by asking Claude: “What consumer research tools do I have access to?”
Claude should respond by listing the available research modes (preference check, claim reaction, message test) and the intelligence hub query capability.
Setup: ChatGPT (App Integration)
User Intuition is available as a ChatGPT App.
Step 1: In ChatGPT, search for “User Intuition” in the app/plugin store.
Step 2: Install and authenticate with your User Intuition API key.
Step 3: Test by asking ChatGPT: “Run a preference check with 10 people comparing these two headlines: ‘Ship faster’ vs. ‘Build smarter.’”
Setup: Cursor (IDE Integration)
Cursor’s MCP support lets developers run consumer research from their IDE.
Step 1: Open Cursor Settings > MCP.
Step 2: Add the User Intuition MCP server configuration.
Step 3: Authenticate with your API key.
Step 4: Test from your code context: “Ask 10 SMB buyers whether they prefer monthly or annual pricing display on this page.”
Your First Study
Once connected, launch your first study with a natural language prompt:
Preference check: “Compare these two taglines with 15 marketing directors at CPG brands: ‘Insights that compound’ vs. ‘Research at the speed of decisions.’ Tell me which one resonates more and why.”
Claim reaction: “Test this claim with 20 SaaS product managers: ‘AI-moderated interviews achieve 98% participant satisfaction.’ Is it credible? What objections come up?”
Message test: “Test this homepage copy with 15 enterprise software buyers: ‘Customer intelligence that compounds. Every conversation builds on the last.’ Is it clear? What do people think it means?”
The agent handles study setup, participant recruitment, AI-moderated conversations, and analysis. Results arrive in 2-3 hours for small studies.
Querying the Intelligence Hub
After running studies, you can query accumulated findings:
- “What have we learned about pricing perception in the SMB segment?”
- “Summarize all competitive mentions from the last 3 months of studies.”
- “What messaging themes have tested best with enterprise buyers?”
The intelligence hub draws on all prior studies to answer these questions — making your agent more informed with every study you run.
Troubleshooting
Connection fails: Verify your API key is active in the User Intuition dashboard. Regenerate if needed.
Study doesn’t launch: Check that your account has sufficient credits. Starter tier requires pay-per-use credits; Professional tier includes 50 monthly.
Results delayed: Large studies (30+ participants) may take 24-72 hours. Small studies (10-15) typically complete in 2-3 hours.
Hub queries return nothing: The intelligence hub draws on completed studies. Run at least one study before querying.
For full documentation, visit docs.userintuition.ai/integrations/mcp-server.