Which one should you use?
MCP server
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting AI assistants to other tools and services. Dovetail’s MCP server lets an assistant search your workspace, read transcripts, docs, and highlights, and create projects, docs, data, highlights, and channel data on your behalf — without you pasting anything into the chat. Some tools support Dovetail as a first-party connector and only need you to sign in and authorize, including Claude, ChatGPT, and Figma Make. Others connect using a personal API key or a locally run server. Set up the MCP server →Dovetail API
The REST API is for when you’re building something yourself: a script that pulls insights into a weekly report, an internal app that reads project data, or a pipeline that pushes feedback into a channel. It’s also one of the supported data sources for Channels. Generate a personal API key from Settings → Account. The default rate limit is 200 requests per minute per workspace. Get started with the API →Dovetail CLI
The CLI (dt) is a command-line tool for getting content into Dovetail in bulk. It imports from Notion, Confluence, Google Drive, Airtable, Productboard, EnjoyHQ, Marvin, Condens, and local files, preserving formatting, attachments, and metadata. Preview an import before it touches your workspace, and resume it if it’s interrupted.
Reach for the CLI when you’re migrating historical research or running a repeatable import from a scriptable workflow.
Install the CLI →
What they have in common
All three authenticate as you, using either a personal API key or an OAuth sign-in. That means they inherit your access: an AI assistant, a script, or an import can only see and act on what your own account can. Nothing gets a broader view of the workspace than the person who set it up.On workspaces with the HIPAA add-on, API key generation is disabled by default, which also disables MCP connectors. The CLI is available on all plans except those with HIPAA enabled. See Security information for the full list of HIPAA restrictions.
Full technical reference
This page and the pages it links to cover what each tool is for and how to connect it. For endpoint-by-endpoint reference documentation — every read and write endpoint, MCP tool definitions, and authentication details — head to the developer docs.Developer docs
Complete API and MCP reference at developers.dovetail.com.
Where to go next
MCP server
Connect an AI assistant to your workspace.
Dovetail API
Generate a key and start querying.
Dovetail CLI
Bulk-import content from other tools.