Use Kertos MCP with Claude

Connect your Kertos workspace to Claude Desktop or Claude Code (the CLI) and ask questions about your compliance data in natural language. Claude reads from Kertos through our MCP server (Model Context Protocol), a secure bridge that lets Claude pull data from your workspace.

What you can do with it

Once connected, just ask Claude things like:

• "Which policies do we have, and which ones are overdue for review?"

• "List all open risks in the high category and their owners."

• "Summarize the controls we have in place for ISO 27001 Annex A.5."

• "Which vendors process personal data and where are they located?"

Claude automatically picks the right Kertos tools to answer your question, reading from the platform's structured data — policies, risks, vendors, systems, controls, and more. The MCP server is read-only for now (write actions aren't supported yet). Claude has the same read-access as your Kertos user account — meaning existing permissions of admin or basic roles are fully respected.

Before you start

You'll need:

• Access to the feature. Once activated by Kertos, you'll see a new section in Settings → Connections in your Kertos workspace.

• Claude Desktop (macOS or Windows): Download from claude.ai/download or Claude Code (the CLI) install from claude.com/claude-code.

Step 1 · Find your connection details in Kertos

Open your company settings and go to the Connections tab. Once your account is enrolled in the beta, a new section appears at the top with:

• The MCP URL for your company.

• A list of compatible apps. Find the entry called Claude Desktop & CLI and copy its Client ID. You do not need a client secret, authentication happens in your browser on first connect.

• Keep both values handy for the next step.

Step 2 · Add Kertos to Claude

Pick the option that matches your tool.

Option A · Claude Desktop

1. Open Claude Desktop.

2. Go to Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.

3. Paste your MCP URL into the URL field.

4. Paste your Client ID into the Client ID field. Leave Client Secret empty.

5. Click Add (or Save).

Option B · Claude Code (CLI)

1. Open your terminal.

2. Run the following command, replacing the placeholders with the values you copied from Kertos:

claude mcp add --transport http kertos <https://mcp.kertos.io/mcp> --client-id <YOUR_CLIENT_ID>

1. Press Enter. You should see a confirmation that the server was added.

Step 3 · Sign in via your browser

The first time Claude talks to Kertos, it opens your browser to sign you in.

• In Claude Desktop: click Connect on the Kertos connector, a browser window opens automatically.

• In Claude Code: send any message that uses Kertos (e.g. "Which policies do I have?") and click the link Claude prints. You can also trigger it manually by typing /mcp and selecting kertos.

Log in with your normal Kertos credentials and approve the connection. Claude is now linked to your Kertos workspace.

Step 4 · Verify it works

In Claude Code, type /mcp. You should see kertos: connected in the status list.

In Claude Desktop, open any chat and check that Kertos appears in the connectors list at the bottom of the message box.

Then try a real question:

Which policies do we have, and which are overdue for review?

Troubleshooting

"Claude can't see Kertos / connection failed" Re‑check the MCP URL and Client ID against your Connections tab. Restart Claude Desktop or Claude Code after fixing the values, then trigger sign‑in again.

"I'm asked to log in every time" Make sure you're not blocking third‑party cookies for the Kertos auth domain in your browser, and that you're logged into the same Kertos account you want Claude to use.

"Claude says it can't find the data I asked about" Claude can only read what your Kertos user can see. If a record is restricted to other users or another company, it won't show up. Check your permissions in Kertos.

Still stuck? Reach out to your Customer Success Manager or contact Kertos support.