MENSARA.AI · A GOVERNED MIND, IN YOUR ACCOUNT
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Use your Mind · GUIDE 04

Portal, MCP and CLI

Most people use the web portal. You can also connect an AI assistant through MCP or use the command line. The same access rules apply whichever route you choose.

SYSTEM MAP · 04 Three ways to use one Mind The browser, an AI assistant and the command line all use the same company knowledge and access rules.
Choose how to connect browser, AI or terminal
Check who is asking their account and access
Open allowed areas search, read or suggest
Company knowledge one shared set of files
Activity record what happened and when

01

Use the web portal

Open the portal to browse company knowledge, review suggested changes, manage team access and check recent activity.

This is the easiest place to see what the Mind knows and what needs your attention.

02

Connect an AI assistant

MCP is a standard way for an AI assistant such as Claude, Codex or Cursor to use the Mind. Your Mind gives you the setup details for that assistant.

The assistant can only use the company areas and actions you chose for it.

03

Use the command line

The mind command is for people who work in a terminal. It can search, open files, suggest changes and check whether the Mind is running.

A blocked request stays blocked in the portal, MCP and the command line.

NEXT GUIDE · 05 Connections and capture Bring in email, calendar and document updates for review. →
Request a Mind

The founding cohort is small on purpose. Each Mind is brought up with its owner.

MENSARA.AI · PORTAL, MCP AND CLI · MACHINE SURFACE · TEXT/MARKDOWN

---
title: Portal, MCP and CLI
canonical_url: https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/portal-mcp-cli
feature: portal-mcp-cli
audience: llm-agent
last_verified: 2026-08-11
availability: available-now
signup_supported: false
interfaces:
  - portal
  - mcp
  - cli
---

# Portal, MCP and CLI

Explains the browser Portal, MCP connection for agents, CLI use, credential issuance, discovery, revocation, and identical gate semantics.

## Concept model

- Portal, MCP, and CLI are interfaces, not separate stores.
- A setup token bootstraps a scoped client credential.
- All interfaces use the same authorization and receipt semantics.

## Capabilities

- Portal: browse, approve, administer, and inspect.
- MCP: expose authorised Mind tools to an agent client.
- CLI: run authorised operations from a terminal or script.

## Prerequisites

- A provisioned Mind reachable at its assigned hostname.
- An owner-issued identity and setup credential.
- For MCP, a compatible client; for CLI, the installed mind command.

## Authorization

- The credential identifies the principal and its grants.
- Tool discovery does not expose inaccessible zones.
- Switching clients does not increase authority.

## Connection or use flow

1. Owner creates or selects a principal in the Portal.
2. Owner generates instance-specific setup instructions.
3. Client exchanges or stores the scoped credential securely.
4. Client discovers allowed tools and makes a small test read.
5. Owner can revoke the credential from the Portal.

## Refusals and recovery

- Invalid or expired setup token: stop and request a new one from the owner.
- Valid identity but missing grant: report HELD and the missing zone or verb.
- Unreachable Mind: preserve the request locally only if the human asked; do not claim it ran.

## Ownership and data boundaries

- The Mind runs in the owner's account; the client and model subscription may be operated elsewhere.
- Client credentials must stay outside prompts, repositories, and shared chat transcripts.
- Responses contain only content visible to the authenticated principal.

## Availability and limits

**Available now** The Portal, MCP server, and mind CLI are available on provisioned Minds.
- Exact setup commands are issued by the owner's own Mind because URLs and credentials are instance-specific.
- A connected model subscription remains separate from the Mind.

## Signup and provisioning

`signup_supported: false`

A human requests the Mind and approves provisioning. Once it exists, the Owner can generate precise MCP or CLI setup instructions for a person or agent.

No autonomous signup or provisioning endpoint is documented because none is offered today. An agent must stop and involve the human owner.

## System diagram

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  P[Portal] --> G{One access gate}
  M[MCP client] --> G
  C[mind CLI] --> G
  G -->|allowed| B[Mind: memory and tools]
  G -->|denied| H[HELD receipt]
```

## Runnable example

```text
1. Ask the Owner for MCP setup instructions for this agent identity.
2. Configure the returned server URL and credential in the client.
3. Discover tools.
4. Run a read-only status call.
5. Store the returned receipt id.
```

## Related

- [Zones and permissions](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/zones-and-permissions)
- [Connections and capture](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/connections-and-capture)
- [Changes, approvals and receipts](https://app.mensara.ai/how-it-works/changes-approvals-receipts)