Planful MCP Server: what it reads, what access it needs, how to connect it to Claude

Planful has one MCP Server that lets Claude read Planful reports, actuals and variance data over OAuth. It is read-only. Verified 21 Oct 2026.

Official remote MCP · read-only

Hosting: Remote, per Planful's description of a connection that reads directly from Planful. Planful doesn't say where it is hosted and publishes no endpoint URL, local server or repo.
Auth: OAuth. Users sign in with their own Planful credentials, per Planful.
Read / write: Read-only. Planful says the server cannot create, edit or delete anything in Planful.
Works with: Claude today. Planful lists ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini as next, with no dates.
Plan requirement: Not stated by Planful. You need a Planful account. Claude custom connectors work on every Claude plan, and the Free plan is limited to one custom connector.
Last changed: 2026-07-20: Planful announced the MCP Server for Claude
Verification: Verified 21 Oct 2026 by theFinanceStack · confidence: high

What can an agent do with Planful through MCP?

It can pull the Planful reports a user is allowed to see, including actuals and variance data, for Claude to work with. It cannot change anything in Planful.

Planful announced the server on 20 July 2026 and describes it as the first step of what it calls Connected AI. Planful doesn't publish a tool list, tool count or API reference. The capabilities below come from its product page and launch blog.

What's next

Planful says Spotlight data, workforce data and more are on the way, without dates.
Deeper forecasting and scenario modelling stay with Planful's in-product Analyst and Planner Assistants.

Can

Pull and reason over Planful reports the signed-in user is authorised to see, per Planful
Work with actuals and variance data, including plan against actuals, with dimensions and hierarchies kept
Combine Planful data with other sources connected in the same Claude chat, such as a warehouse or CRM, for variance commentary
Run prompts or saved workflows a team already has in Claude on live Planful reports, with no export step

Cannot

Write back to Planful: Planful says the server can't create, edit or delete anything
Show data a user can't see in Planful: dimension security, scenario security and role-based access apply first, per Planful
Reach Spotlight or workforce data yet: Planful lists these as on the way
Connect from ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini yet: Planful lists them as next, with no date

What access does it get?

It runs as the Planful user who signs in. That user's existing Planful permissions set which reports the AI can read. Planful doesn't publish named OAuth scopes.

Where	Scopes and permissions (as documented)	Admin requirement
Planful MCP Server (remote, Claude)	Not documented by the vendor. Planful says users authenticate with their Planful credentials over OAuth and that access is read-only, with dimension security, scenario security and role-based access enforced before data leaves Planful.	Planful doesn't document an admin step or who can enable the server. In Claude Team, an Owner or Primary Owner adds custom connectors under Organization settings › Connectors; in Enterprise, so can a custom role with Manage access to Libraries. Members then connect one by one and sign in with their own Planful credentials.

How do I connect it?

Planful doesn't publish setup steps or the server URL. Ask Planful for the endpoint, add it to Claude as a custom connector, then sign in with your Planful credentials.

Ask your Planful account team or Planful Support for the MCP Server URL, which Planful has not published. Confirm with Planful that the URL is on a Planful-owned domain, and ask what access the OAuth sign-in screen requests, since Planful publishes no scopes.
Team/Enterprise: an Owner or Primary Owner adds the connector first, under Organization settings › Connectors › Add › Custom › Web, with a name and the URL. On Enterprise, a custom role with Manage access to Libraries can also do this.
Free, Pro or Max: open Customize › Connectors › + Add › Add custom connector, enter a name and the URL, and choose Add.
Choose Connect and sign in with your own Planful credentials when the OAuth screen opens. On Team/Enterprise, each member does this from Customize › Connectors, where the connector is usually labelled Custom.

Planful isn't in Claude's connector directory as of 21 Oct 2026 (claude.com/connectors/planful redirects to claude.com/marketplace/connectors/planful, which returns 404), and Planful documents no Claude-specific steps.

What should a finance team watch for?

Watch three things: the thin public documentation, how much a broadly permissioned Planful user exposes to the AI, and where the data goes once it reaches Claude.

Planful publishes no endpoint URL, tool list, OAuth scopes, rate limits, row caps or pricing for the MCP Server; ask Planful before a rollout.
Least privilege comes from the Planful user: the AI sees every report that user can see, so connect people whose dimension and scenario security fit the questions they will ask.
Planful says data leaves Planful only into your own AI workspace, governed by your agreement with that AI provider; check that agreement covers financial data.
On training, Planful's product page says data is "never used to train external models" and its FAQ says Planful doesn't train its own AI on it; your AI provider's terms govern the rest.
The server can't write, but report names and commentary are free text the agent reads; if the same chat has write-capable tools for other systems, an injected instruction could push those, so keep human approval on there.
Answers are AI analysis of live numbers: check figures against the Planful report before they go into a forecast, budget or board pack.

How could finance teams and accounting firms use it?

The server only reads, so it suits questions, commentary and reporting on Planful plans and actuals. Every change is still made by a person in Planful.

Inside a company

Ask where Q3 operating expenses are over plan and get a short summary from the report you can already see.
Draft variance commentary that sets a Planful budget beside actuals or pipeline from another connected system, for an FP&A lead to review.
Build a quarter review with headline KPIs, plan against actuals by product and a monthly trend, as a starting point for a management pack.
Point an existing Claude prompt for monthly reporting at live Planful reports, so nobody has to export a spreadsheet first.

At an accounting firm

Answer a client CFO's planning question in a meeting from their Planful reports, under a Planful user limited to that client's data.
Prepare a first draft of budget against actuals commentary for a client's board pack, then review it against the source reports.
Scope an FP&A engagement by asking which reports and dimensions are visible to the Planful user the client has set up for you.
Give each staff member their own Planful user, so access follows the client's existing security and nobody shares a login. Extra Planful users may carry licence fees, and Planful doesn't say whether one Claude connector can reach several client environments, so ask Planful first.

Any change to plans, scenarios or the general ledger stays with a person in Planful or the source system.

Want Planful connected to Claude for your team?

We configure scoped connections and a review step before anything changes your books. Fixed fee.

Book a 30-minute setup call

Change log

Date	Change	Source
2026-10-21	Re-verified: still Claude only and read-only; no public endpoint URL, tool list or directory listing	planful.com/platform/mcp/
2026-07-20	Planful announced its MCP Server for Claude: read-only, OAuth, Planful permissions enforced; ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot to follow	planful.com/blog/planful-mcp-server/

FAQ

Is this official?

Yes. Planful builds the MCP Server and documents it on its product page and launch blog. It is not yet listed in Claude's connector directory.

Is it free?

Planful doesn't state a price or plan requirement for the MCP Server. You need Planful access. Claude custom connectors work on every Claude plan, and the Free plan allows one.

Does it change data in Planful?

No. Planful says every connection is read-only and the AI can't create, edit or delete anything in Planful.

Is my data used to train models?

Planful says it never uses your data to train its own AI, and that data sent through the server is governed by your agreement with your AI provider. Check both sets of terms.

Can my accountant use it on my behalf?

Planful doesn't address this. Calls run as the Planful user who signs in, so an outside adviser would need their own Planful user with suitable security.

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll email you when it's fixed.

Sources

Verified by theFinanceStack, 21 Oct 2026. Vendor list on the CFO Software Market Map courtesy of Jason Staats; AI connectivity data by theFinanceStack. Not tax, compliance or financial advice.