AI & Machine Learning · Ceramic + Claude
Ceramic MCP with Claude: Faster Web Research and Cited Sources for Your Team
The short answer
Claude works with Ceramic through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a secure standard that lets Claude use outside software with permissions you control. Once connected with an API key, Claude can run keyword searches on public web content, retrieve relevant pages and links, summarise what it finds and extract citations in plain language.
What is Ceramic?
Ceramic is a lexical web search service. It returns relevant public web content for keyword queries, helping users find timely snippets and sources. Research teams, analysts, marketers, journalists and product builders use it when they need current public information they can point to. Developers can also access Ceramic directly through its API, which allows search to be built into their own applications and AI agents.
How Claude connects to Ceramic through MCP
The Model Context Protocol is an open standard that acts like a universal adapter between Claude and other software. Through it, Claude can securely use a tool by reading information and taking actions, with access that your organisation sets and controls.
Once Ceramic is connected, Claude can search public web content on keywords you specify, retrieve relevant documents and links, summarise the findings and extract the citations that go with them. You can ask for this in ordinary language, for example asking for recent coverage of a topic with sources listed.
Permissions and approvals keep people in charge. We set up access using your Ceramic API key with least-privilege settings, so Claude only reaches what it needs. Actions that matter can be routed for human review before anything is shared or acted on, and activity is logged for audit.
What you can automate
Market and competitor monitoring
A strategy team asks Claude each week to search for new public announcements, pricing changes and product launches from named competitors. Claude returns a short summary with links, so analysts spend their time judging what matters instead of hunting for sources.
Sourced content research
A content team uses Claude to gather recent public snippets on a subject before drafting an article. Each claim comes with a cited link, which makes fact-checking faster and reduces the risk of publishing unsupported statements.
Due diligence on suppliers and partners
A procurement or risk officer asks Claude to search public web content about a potential supplier, flagging news items, regulatory mentions and reputational signals. The output lists sources so the reviewer can verify each finding directly.
Customer support knowledge gathering
A support lead connects Claude to search public documentation and forum discussions about a third-party product that customers ask about. Agents receive concise answers with links they can share, reducing the time spent on repetitive lookups.
Media and brand mention tracking
A communications team asks Claude to find recent public mentions of the brand and its executives, group them by theme and extract citations. The team reviews the summary and decides which items need a response.
An end-to-end workflow: Weekly competitor briefing for the leadership team
TriggerEvery Monday at 07:00, a scheduled request is sent to Claude.
Claude runs keyword searches in Ceramic for each competitor on the watch list, limited to public web content.
Claude retrieves the relevant pages and links and removes duplicates.
Claude summarises the key developments and extracts the citation for each one.
The draft briefing is placed in a shared folder in Microsoft 365 for the strategy lead to review.
After approval, the briefing is posted to the leadership channel and the source list is logged in the CRM account records for sales follow-up.
OutcomeLeadership receives a sourced, reviewed briefing each week, typically saving several hours of manual searching and giving sales teams timely reasons to contact accounts.
How we set it up
Free automation audit
We review your research and monitoring workflows to identify where Ceramic search would save the most time and where human review is needed.
Secure API key connection
We connect Claude to Ceramic using your API key, stored securely with access limited to the searches your workflows require.
Workflow design
We design the end-to-end process across Ceramic and your other systems such as Microsoft 365, CRM or ticketing, with approval points for consequential actions.
Testing against real cases
We test the workflow using past research questions and compare Claude's summaries and citations with the sources your team already trusts.
Launch, monitoring and training
We launch with audit logs and monitoring in place, then train your team to write effective requests and review outputs confidently.
Who benefits
- Research and strategy leads
- Receive sourced summaries on competitors and markets without spending hours on manual searches.
- Content and communications teams
- Draft with citations already attached, making fact-checking quicker and more reliable.
- Procurement and risk officers
- Gather public signals on suppliers and partners, with every finding linked to its source.
- IT and operations heads
- Govern access through a single API key with least-privilege settings and full activity logs.
Security and control
- Access uses a single API key with least-privilege settings, limited to the searches each workflow needs.
- Searches cover public web content only; no private systems are exposed to the search service.
- People approve any output that is shared externally or used to make a decision.
- Every search and summary is logged so the team can audit what was asked and what was returned.
- Citations are kept with every finding so reviewers can verify claims at the source.
For teams in the US, UK, India and the Middle East
Organisations in the United States and the United Kingdom can have Claude hosted in their chosen region to meet their own data handling requirements. In India, workflows can be designed to align with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. For organisations in the Middle East, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, we design around local data protection laws and select a hosting region that meets those requirements. Compliance outcomes depend on how each organisation configures and governs its own use.
Learn more about Claude and MCP
Anthropic's AI model and assistant.
Secure links between Claude and business tools.
How engineers build and change software with Claude.
Hosted agents that run multi-step work.
The open standard Claude uses to connect to tools.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Ceramic MCP server do?
The Ceramic MCP server lets Claude use Ceramic's web search from inside a conversation or workflow. Claude can run keyword searches on public web content, retrieve relevant documents and links, and summarise what it finds with citations. It acts as the secure bridge between Claude and the search service, so you can ask for research in plain language.
Is connecting Claude to Ceramic secure?
Security depends on the setup. We connect using your Ceramic API key, limit access to the searches your workflows need, and keep activity logs. Searches cover public web content, and people approve anything shared externally. We review the configuration with your IT team before launch.
What can Claude do with Ceramic once connected?
Once connected, Claude can search public web content, retrieve relevant pages and links, summarise the results and extract citations. It can then pass that information into other steps, such as drafting a report or logging notes in a business system, with approvals where needed.
How long does setup take?
Setup time varies with the complexity of your workflows. Many straightforward connections can be designed, tested and launched within a few weeks after the free automation audit. More involved workflows across several systems take longer. We agree a timeline during the audit.
Which plan or permissions do I need for Ceramic?
In general, you need a Ceramic account that issues an API key with the access your workflows require. Your IT team should confirm the key's permissions and that they match your governance policy. We advise on the right level of access during the audit, and the details depend on your own Ceramic arrangement.