Connect Claude to BCA Intelligence
A quick guide to configuring the connector, connecting your BCA account, and getting started.
Learn how to
Before you start
- An active BCA Research subscription with document search enabled. If you are unsure whether it is enabled, contact your BCA account representative.
- A Claude account with access to custom connectors.
- Approval from your Claude organization owner or administrator, if required. If you use Claude Team or Enterprise and do not see Add custom connector, your organization may need to enable or add the connector for you.
What You'll Need
| Customer Information | Purpose |
BCA website email credential | The email address you would use to log into the BCA Research website |
BCA website password credential | The password you would use to log into the BCA Research website |
BCA MCP URL | The BCA MCP URL you need to provide to your chatbot. This tells your chatbot where it can go to search BCA Documents |
BCA MCP OAuth ID | This is a required field as part of the MCP Setup. It will be used to configure the Authentication. |
BCA Customer Support contact | Please check the support section at the end of the document so you have email and support. |
Overview
BCA Research Document Search is the MCP connector used by BCA Intelligence. It allows Claude to search and analyze the BCA reports included in your firm’s existing subscription.
Once connected, you can ask questions such as:
- “What has BCA published recently on the Fed's rate path?”
- “What is BCA’s view on the UK economy?”
Claude will search BCA content directly instead of relying only on general web knowledge.
The connector only returns content included in your subscription. It does not change or expand your access.
Configure the MCP connector
These instructions apply to Claude on the web at claude.ai and Claude Desktop. Anthropic occasionally updates its menu labels. If the wording differs slightly, look for the nearest equivalent.
The connector only needs to be configured once for your Claude organization or team. If it has already been configured, proceed to the next step to connect your BCA account.
Here's an interactive tutorial
Connect your BCA account
The connector should now appear in your list with a status of Not connected. This is expected and means that you have not yet completed the sign-in process.
Sign in using the email address and password associated with your BCA subscription. Once you have completed the sign-in and authorization process, the connector should display a status of Connected.
Here's an interactive tutorial
Start Using BCA Intelligence
Before asking a question, enable BCA Research Document Search as a connector in your Claude conversation.
Once enabled, you can ask Claude to find and analyze the BCA content included in your subscription.
Watch the step-by-step tutorial: Ask your first question
Here's an interactive tutorial
Write more effective prompts
Clear, specific prompts help Claude find the most relevant BCA insight and provide a more useful response.
For better results:
- Tell Claude to use the BCA connector.
- Specify the topic, market, region, or period you want to explore.
- Ask Claude to cite the supporting BCA reports.
- For complex questions, identify the perspectives or implications you want Claude to examine.
For example:
“Summarize BCA’s current view on US inflation, identify the key risks, and cite three supporting reports.”
Watch this video for tips on getting better answers.
How BCA Intelligence works in Claude
The BCA Research MCP connector uses the following tools to find and analyze BCA content.
Report Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
reports_search | Finds and lists BCA reports on a topic — the default for “find a report on X” or “which reports discuss Y.” |
reports_analyze | Answers broader analytical questions (views, outlook, stance) by pulling and synthesizing evidence across many reports at once, not just one. |
reports_retrieve | Deep-dives into one specific report you've already identified, pulling the exact passages relevant to your question. |
Supporting Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
list_authors | Searches BCA Author’s |
list_products | Lists BCA Products |
list_publications | Lists BCA Publications |
Troubleshooting
Connection/Sign-in Issues
| What you see | What it means / what to do |
“You are not connected to BCA Research Document Search yet” | You’ve added the connector but haven’t completed sign-in (Steps 4–6), or a previous sign-in session expired. Click “Connect” again and complete the sign-in flow. |
Sign-in page loops back to itself, or a security/verification check never clears | Try again in a private or incognito browser window. You can also clear cookies for claude.ai and the BCA sign-in page, then retry. If the issue continues, try a different browser. |
You signed in successfully, but the connector still appears disconnected. | Refresh the Connectors page. If it still shows Not connected, remove the connector and add it again rather than repeatedly selecting Connect. |
“Add custom connector” is not visible. | Your Claude account or organization policy may restrict custom connectors. If you use a Team or Enterprise workspace, ask your Claude organization owner or administrator to enable or add the connector. |
Access and permissions errors
These errors may appear after you connect and ask Claude a question. They indicate that the requested content is not included in your BCA subscription. They are not connection problems, so reconnecting will not resolve them.
| What you see | What it means / what to do |
“Access denied: your subscription does not include report access.” | Your BCA subscription does not include report access. Contact your BCA account representative to discuss adding it. |
“Access denied: your subscription does not include chart access.” | Your subscription does not include chart search, which is separate from report access. Contact your BCA account representative to discuss adding it. |
“Access denied: this report’s product is not in your subscription.” | The report belongs to a BCA product or service that is not included in your subscription. Ask Claude to search within the products you subscribe to, or contact your BCA account representative about adding the product. |
“Access denied: this report’s product is expired.” | Your subscription to that product has expired. Contact your BCA account representative to discuss renewal. |
“Access denied: this report’s product is expired.” | Your subscription to that product has expired. Contact your BCA account representative to discuss renewal. |
“Access denied: this report (published YYYY-MM-DD) is outside your content window.” | The report falls outside the date range included in your subscription. Contact your BCA account representative if you need access to additional history. |
Need help?
For help configuring the connector, accessing BCA Intelligence, or understanding your subscription, contact your BCA account representative or email clientsuccess@bcaresearch.com.