Backstory MCP is a secure connection that allows AI assistants and programmatic agents to safely access your Backstory sales data using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard for connecting AI tools to external data sources.
Once connected, clients like Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and n8n can answer plain-language questions about your accounts, deals, pipeline, and recent customer activity using live data from Backstory.
What This Article Covers
Connecting to third-party AI assistants
MCP tool and use cases
Frequently asked questions
Connect a Third-Party AI Assistant
You can connect Backstory MCP to third-party AI assistants so your team can ask questions about Backstory data without leaving the tool they already use.
Prerequisites: Adding Backstory MCP as a custom connector in your AI assistant's organization settings requires administrator access in that tool. Individual users can connect to it after the custom connector has been added.
Available integrations include:
Claude: See Connect Claude to Backstory
ChatGPT: See Connect ChatGPT to Backstory
Google Gemini: See Connect Gemini CLI to Backstory
Microsoft Copilot: See Connect Microsoft Copilot to Backstory
n8n: See Connect n8n to Backstory.
Authentication
The primary authentication method for end users is OAuth 2.0 with Dynamic Discovery. In this configuration, Salesforce acts as the identity provider (IdP) for access to the Backstory application.
To use this authentication flow:
Users must already have access to Backstory through their Salesforce account.
Users authenticate with their existing Salesforce credentials.
Backstory automatically discovers the OAuth configuration during sign-in.
This approach simplifies deployment and reduces the need for manual authentication configuration.
Backstory also offers alternative authentication paths that receive encoded credentials provided by your internal IdP (e.g. Okta, Entra ID) via your chosen chat client. Contact your Customer Success Manager or support@backstory.ai to discuss integration options.
MCP Tools and Use Cases
The Backstory MCP server provides specialized tools for accessing your sales and customer data. These tools enable AI assistants to intelligently retrieve account information, analyze communication history, and provide expert sales insights.
Find Accounts and Opportunities
Find Account
Example question: “Find TechCorp.”
Searches Backstory for an account and returns matching records, opportunities, and related CRM data.Find Record by CRM ID
Example question: “Look up Salesforce ID 0018b00002XYZ.”
Resolves a CRM record ID directly to the corresponding account or opportunity.Top Records
Example question: “Which accounts should I focus on this week?”
Returns the most relevant accounts and opportunities based on engagement, ranking, filters, or admin-defined prioritization.
Get Strategic Summaries
Account Status
Example question: “What’s the health of the TechCorp account?”
Generates a summary of risks, customer sentiment, key topics, and recommended next steps.Opportunity Status
Example question: “Where does the TechCorp renewal stand?”
Provides a deal-level summary including risks, momentum, and suggested actions.Scorecard
Example question: “What are the MEDDICC answers for this deal?”
Retrieves Closeplan or qualification Scorecards, including questions and answers.
Review Activity and Engagement
Recent Account Activity
Example question: “What happened with TechCorp in the last month?”
Returns recent emails and meetings related to the account.Recent Opportunity Activity
Example question: “Show recent activity for the TechCorp renewal opportunity.”
Returns communications and meetings associated with a specific opportunity.Engaged People
Example question: “Who is actively engaged with TechCorp?”
Identifies internal and external contacts involved in recent communications.Account Company News
Example question: “What’s happening with TechCorp lately?”
Pulls insights from earnings calls, SEC filings, and public company reporting.
Run Advanced Sales Analysis
Ask Sales AI About Account
Example question: “Why is the TechCorp account at risk?”
Uses CRM data, activity history, engagement, and scorecards to answer account-level questions.Ask Sales AI About Opportunity
Example question: “What’s blocking this deal?”
Provides opportunity-specific analysis using the full deal context.Situation Search
Example question: “Have we won similar deals before?”
Finds historically similar opportunities from your organization and summarizes the tactics used. The tool returns the top 3–5 most similar deals, ranked by how closely they match the situation. Results are prioritized by outcome: Closed Won deals first, then deals that moved to the next stage, then all others. More recent deals are weighted higher because older tactics may no longer be effective.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is MCP?
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a way for AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Microsoft Copilot to directly connect to and understand your Backstory data. Think of it as a "bridge" that lets AI assistants see your sales data, account information, and customer interactions in real-time.
Is my data secure when I use Backstory MCP with a third-party assistant?
Yes. Connections use OAuth authentication, and the AI assistant can only access data that your Backstory user account already has permission to view. The MCP server does not grant elevated access.
Why can't my AI assistant find my account data?
The account may be misspelled, may not exist in your Backstory instance, or may be outside your permission scope. Try a different account name you know exists, or check with your Backstory administrator about your data access.
Do I need to do anything special to use the Backstory MCP tools?
No. Once the Backstory MCP server is connected to your AI client, the client reads the tool descriptions and automatically selects the right tool based on your question. You can ask in plain language, such as "how is the [Account] renewal going?" and the client will choose the appropriate tool.
Can I tell the AI client to use a specific tool?
Yes. If you want to force a specific tool, you can name it directly in your question, such as "use Account Status to summarize [Account name]." Otherwise the client decides based on context.
Do these tools work for accounts and opportunities that are not in my CRM?
No. The tools rely on records that exist in Backstory, which are sourced from your connected CRM. If a record is not in your CRM, it will not be available through these tools.
Need Help?
Contact your Customer Success Manager or email support@backstory.ai.