---
title: "Getting Started"
slug: "aia-mcp-getting-started"
description: "Set up the Kentik AI Advisor MCP Server, including the required endpoints, headers, and how to get your Kentik API Token."
updated: 2026-03-06T14:20:04Z
published: 2026-03-06T14:20:04Z
---

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

# Getting Started

Follow this guide to set up [**Kentik’s AI Advisor MCP Server**](/v1/docs/ai-advisor-mcp-server).

> [!TIP]
> 🏃‍♀️ **FAST TRACK:**Already familiar with MCP and have your Kentik API token****ready? Go to [**Configuration Examples**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-configuration-examples) and copy the snippet for your preferred agent.

## **Prerequisites**

- An active Kentik account with [**AI Advisor enabled**](/v1/docs/ai-advisor#about-ai-advisor).
- Kentik API credentials (email and [**API token**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-getting-started#get-your-api-token)).
- An MCP-compatible AI agent or development tool, e.g., Claude Desktop, GitHub Copilot (see [**Configuration Examples**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-configuration-examples)).

## **Get Your API Token**

1. In the Kentik Portal, navigate to your **User Profile** (top-right menu).
2. Select the **Authentication** tab.
3. Copy your **API Token**.

![User profile settings with Single Sign-on information and API token section displayed.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/082e25b5-afce-42d4-8f47-70bd3f1d02b7/Images/Documentation/user-profile-api-token.png)

## Connect the MCP Server

Because the Model Context Protocol is a universal standard, connecting your preferred client is usually as simple as pasting a short JSON snippet or running a single terminal command.

To connect your AI agent or dev tool with AI Advisor MCP Server:

1. Update the appropriate [**Configuration Example**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-configuration-examples)****with the [**endpoint**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-getting-started#endpoints) and [**header**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-getting-started#required-headers) information that applies to you.
2. Follow the [**instructions**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-configuration-examples) to apply the configuration in the agent or dev tool.
3. Start [**asking questions**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-getting-started#usage) - remember to mention "Kentik" in your prompts

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**: If you’re using a custom AI agent framework, see [**Custom Applications**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-configuration-examples#custom-applications) and [**MCP Payload Reference**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-payload) for additional details.

### Endpoints

Choose the URL for your region/cluster.

| Region | Endpoint URL |
| --- | --- |
| **US Cluster** | `https://api.kentik.com/mcp` |
| **EU Cluster** | `https://api.kentik.eu/mcp` |

### Required Headers

| Header Name | Value |
| --- | --- |
| `X-CH-Auth-Email` | <your-email@company.com> |
| `X-CH-Auth-API-Token` | <your-api-token> |

## Usage

Here are some tips on interacting with the AI Advisor MCP Server via your AI agent.

### Effective Prompting

> [!WARNING]
> **IMPORTANT**: Always explicitly mention "**Kentik**" in your initial prompts.
> 
> **Do**: `"Show me vmx devices from Kentik"` or `"What's the status of my Kentik devices?"`
> 
> **Don't**: `"Show me all devices."`

If you don't include the “**Kentik**” keyword, the external AI agent may not realize it needs to invoke the [**Kentik MCP tools**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-available-tools) and might return a generic or incorrect response.

### **Real-time Progress**

While AI Advisor processes your query, you will see real-time progress updates in supported MCP clients (like Claude Desktop and GitHub Copilot). These notifications show the AI’s reasoning process:

- `🔍 Created session...` - Initial session created
- `⏱️ [2s] Analyzing device health metrics...` - Processing updates
- `⏱️ [4s] Checking interface utilization...` - Continued progress
- `✅ Completed` - Final answer ready

Next, let’s check out the [**Configuration Examples**](/v1/docs/aia-mcp-configuration-examples) for the AI Advisor MCP Server.