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This feature is in beta. AI assistants connected to your store can read your store data but can never change anything. If you have questions, email us at help@materialretail.com.

You can connect AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude directly to your Material store. Once connected, you can ask questions about your business in plain English and the assistant will answer using your real store data. For example:

"What were my 10 most recent orders?"

"Which customers haven't shopped with us in the last 6 months?"

"How much stock do I have of this product, and how has it moved this month?"

"Pull up everything Jane Smith has purchased this year."

The assistant can read your products, orders, customers, and stock events. It cannot edit, delete, or add anything. The connection is read-only.

Before you start

You'll need two things:

Your Material sign-in details: your Store ID, Email, and Password. These are the same details you use to sign in to Material.

An AI assistant plan that supports connectors. Most AI tools only offer this on their paid plans.

Your store's connection link is:

https://api.materialretail.com/mcp

This link is the same for every store. It's your sign-in that connects it to your store's data. You'll paste this link into your AI assistant using the steps below.

Connect from ChatGPT

Open ChatGPT and go to Settings.

Find the Connectors section.

Choose to add a custom connector (ChatGPT may label this "Create" or "Add custom connector").

Give it a name like "Material", and paste in the connection link above.

ChatGPT will send you to a Material sign-in page. Follow the steps in "Approving access" below.

Once connected, start a new chat and ask a question about your store. Depending on your plan, you may need to enable the connector for the chat first.

Connect from Claude

Open Claude (claude.ai) and go to Settings.

Find the Connectors section.

Click Add custom connector and paste in the connection link above.

Claude will send you to a Material sign-in page. Follow the steps in "Approving access" below.

Once connected, start a new chat and ask a question about your store.

Other AI tools

Developer tools like Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor can also connect using the same link. These tools call this type of connection an "MCP server" (MCP is the standard that makes these connections work). In the tool's MCP settings, add a new server with the connection link above, and the tool will walk you through the same Material sign-in.

We recommend these only if you're already comfortable using developer tools. For most store owners, ChatGPT or Claude is the easiest way to get started.

Approving access

Whichever assistant you use, the final step is the same. A Material page will open in your browser:

On the Sign in to Material Retail page, enter your Store ID, Email, and Password, then click Sign in.

On the Approve access page, review what the assistant will be able to do. You'll see that it can read your store data – products, orders, customers, and stock events – and that it will not be able to change anything in your store.

Click Allow access.

That's it! You'll be sent back to your AI assistant, ready to ask questions.

Disconnecting

You can disconnect at any time from inside your AI assistant. Remove the connector from the same settings page where you added it. Once removed, the assistant loses all access to your store data.

Troubleshooting

The assistant doesn't show any Material tools. Try removing the connector and adding it again. Some assistants need a fresh start to pick up the connection.

You don't see an option to add a connector. Your AI assistant plan may not include connectors. Check with your AI provider as this feature usually requires a paid plan.

Sign-in isn't working. Double-check your Store ID, email, and password. These are the same details you use to sign in to Material. Still stuck? Email us at help@materialretail.com and we'll get you sorted.

How To Connect an AI Assistant to Your Store