> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dovetail.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Build on Dovetail

Dovetail gives you three ways to reach your customer intelligence programmatically: the **MCP server**, the **Dovetail API**, and the **Dovetail CLI**. They're different front doors to the same workspace — the same projects, docs, data, highlights, contacts, and Channels ideas you see in the app.

This page helps you pick the right one. Each has its own detail page with setup steps.

***

## Which one should you use?

| What you want to do                                                             | Use                                        |
| :------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | :----------------------------------------- |
| Let an AI assistant query your workspace and create content in natural language | [MCP server](/integrations/mcp-server)     |
| Write your own scripts, apps, or automations against Dovetail data              | [Dovetail API](/integrations/dovetail-api) |
| Bulk-import existing content from other tools into Dovetail                     | [Dovetail CLI](/integrations/dovetail-CLI) |
| Connect apps and move data around without writing code                          | [Zapier](/integrations/zapier)             |

***

## 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](/claude), [ChatGPT](/chatgpt), and [Figma Make](/integrations/figma-make). Others connect using a personal API key or a locally run server.

[Set up the MCP server →](/integrations/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](/help/channels/channels-beta).

Generate a personal API key from **Settings → Account**. The default rate limit is 200 requests per minute per workspace.

[Get started with the API →](/integrations/dovetail-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 →](/integrations/dovetail-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.

<Info>
  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](/help/security-information) for the full list of HIPAA restrictions.
</Info>

***

## 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.

<Card title="Developer docs" href="https://developers.dovetail.com/docs">
  Complete API and MCP reference at developers.dovetail.com.
</Card>

***

## Where to go next

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="MCP server" href="/integrations/mcp-server">
    Connect an AI assistant to your workspace.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dovetail API" href="/integrations/dovetail-api">
    Generate a key and start querying.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dovetail CLI" href="/integrations/dovetail-CLI">
    Bulk-import content from other tools.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Need help? [Chat with our team](https://dovetail.com/help/?contact), or join our [#api channel on Slack](https://dovetail.com/community/#slack).