Section 1: What Is This?
What is the SDS Manager MCP? SDS Manager provides an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server — an open standard that lets AI assistants connect to external tools and data. By connecting your preferred AI agent to our MCP, the agent gains the ability to interact with your SDS Manager account: searching for safety data sheets, building your SDS library, organizing products by location, and more — all through natural conversation.
What is an MCP? Do I need to understand it? No. MCP is just the technology that allows AI tools to "talk to" SDS Manager on your behalf. Think of it like giving your AI assistant a set of keys to your SDS library. You don't need to understand the protocol — just connect your AI agent and start chatting.
Which AI agents can I use? Any AI agent that supports MCP connections, including:
- Claude (Anthropic) — via Claude Desktop or Claude Code
- Cowork — team-focused AI assistant
- ChatGPT — via MCP plugin support
- Cursor, Windsurf, Cline — developer-oriented AI agents
- Any other MCP — compatible client
SDS Manager does not provide its own AI agent. We provide the MCP server — you bring the AI.
What can the AI agent do through the MCP?
| Category | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Setup & Onboarding | Guided onboarding checklist, step-by-step setup, request expert help from SDS Manager team |
| Search | Search SDS Manager's global database of 16+ million SDSs by product name, manufacturer, CAS number, language, or region |
| Web Search Fallback | When an SDS isn't in the global database, search the web for the PDF and import it |
| Add SDSs | Add from global database, upload PDF files, add by URL |
| Import Product Lists | Upload Excel spreadsheets to bulk-import products; validate, process, and track import status |
| Products Pending SDS | View products that don't yet have a linked SDS, search for matches, and link them |
| Location Management | View location hierarchy, create new locations (sites, departments, buildings) |
| Product Management | View products in your library, see detailed product info, edit product names and metadata |
| Move / Copy / Archive | Move SDSs between locations, copy to multiple locations, archive SDSs no longer needed |
| Hazardous Substances | View products with ingredients on restricted/hazardous substance lists |
| Activity Logs | View account-level, location-level, or product-level activity history |
| Permissions & Limits | Check what actions you're allowed to perform and your current usage limits |
Who can use it? The MCP is available on Premium, Pro, and Enterprise plans. Free and Basic plan users will see an upgrade prompt when attempting to copy their API key. Your organization admin must also enable the access_mcp_chat_agent permission for your user account.
Section 2: Getting Your API Key
Where do I find my API key?
- Log in to SDS Manager at inventory.sdsmanager.com
- Go to Account Settings (click your profile in the sidebar and select "Manage account")
- Under the Chat AI Agent section, you'll see a masked API key field
- Click the copy icon next to the field to copy the key to your clipboard
The API key is unique to your user account and linked to your organization's subscription.
I don't see the Chat AI Agent section / copy button doesn't work This means either:
- Your subscription plan doesn't include MCP access — upgrade to Premium, Pro, or Enterprise
- Your admin hasn't enabled the
access_mcp_chat_agentpermission for your account — ask your organization admin
Can I regenerate my API key? Contact your organization admin. API keys are managed through SDS Admin (the admin panel).
Section 3: Connecting Your AI Agent
How do I connect?
The general steps (varies slightly per AI tool):
- Copy your API key from Account Settings (see above)
- In your AI agent's settings, add a new MCP server connection:
- MCP Server URL: https://sds-mcp.sdsmanager.com/support/mcp
- Authentication: No Auth — authentication is handled directly via the Chat session.
- Transport type: Streamable HTTP
- Start a conversation with your AI agent — say something like "Help me set up my SDS library"
- The agent will generate a login link — click it and paste your API key into the login form
- After login, the agent confirms authentication and presents your onboarding checklist
Connecting with Claude Desktop
- Open Claude Desktop settings
- Go to MCP Servers
- Add a new server with URL: https://sds-mcp.sdsmanager.com/support/mcp
- Start a new conversation and ask Claude to help with your SDS library
Connecting with Cursor: Read more here
Connecting with Cowork
- In Cowork settings, navigate to MCP integrations
- Add the SDS Manager MCP server URL: https://sds-mcp.sdsmanager.com/support/mcp
- Start chatting — Cowork will handle the login flow
Why does login happen through a browser link instead of typing the key directly into chat? For security. Your API key is never sent through the AI agent's servers — you enter it directly on our secure login page. The AI agent only receives a session token after you authenticate.
Section 4: Setting Up Your SDS Library
What's the recommended first step? Ask your AI agent: "Help me get started" or "What should I do first?"
The agent will show your current library statistics and a setup checklist:
- Set up your location hierarchy — define your sites, departments, and workplaces
- Import your SDSs — choose from several methods (see below)
- Or request expert setup — have the SDS Manager team do it for you
What are the different ways to build my SDS library?
| Method | Best for | What the agent does |
|---|---|---|
| Search & Add | Small number of products (<50) | Searches the 16M+ global database, lets you pick and add matches to a location |
| Upload SDS PDFs | You already have SDS files on your computer | Provides an upload link; SDS Manager extracts the data automatically |
| Add SDS by URL | You have a direct link to an SDS PDF online | Downloads and processes the PDF from the URL you provide |
| Import Product List (Excel) | Large number of products (50+) | Upload an Excel spreadsheet; the system creates entries and auto-matches where possible |
| Web Search Fallback | SDS not found in global database | Agent searches the web for the SDS PDF, finds the download link, and uploads it for you |
| Request Expert Setup | Any size, hands-off | SDS Manager's team sets up your entire library — you can provide a link to your existing online SDS library |
How do I import a product list from Excel?
- Tell the agent: "I want to import my product list from an Excel file"
- The agent provides an upload link — click it and select your .xlsx or .xls file
- The agent validates the data and shows a summary (column mapping, row count, any issues)
- Confirm to process — each row either auto-matches to an SDS or becomes a Product Pending SDS
- The agent then helps you resolve unmatched products by searching the global database
What is a "Product Pending SDS"? When you import a product list or manually add a product that doesn't yet have a matching Safety Data Sheet linked to it, it appears as a Product Pending SDS. The AI agent can help you resolve these by:
- Searching the global database for a match
- Searching the web if no database match is found
- Letting you upload the SDS PDF manually
- Or requesting expert assistance from the SDS Manager team
Once a match is confirmed, the SDS is automatically linked and the product moves into your active library.
Can I track the status of my product list imports? Yes. Ask the agent:
- "Show me my imported product lists" — lists all previous imports with status
- "Show me the summary of my last import" — detailed breakdown (matched, pending, errors)
Section 5: Managing Your Library
How do I search for SDSs? Ask: "Find the SDS for [product name]" or "Search for [product name] from [manufacturer]"
You can also filter by:
- Language: "Find SDS for Acetone in German"
- Region: "Find SDS for Acetone EU version"
- Your own library: "Search my library for Acetone"
How do I view product details?
- For an SDS in the global database: "Show me details for this SDS" (after a search)
- For a product in your library: "Show me details for [product name] in my library"
Can I move or copy SDSs between locations? Yes — the agent supports both:
- Move: "Move [product name] from [Location A] to [Location B]" — removes it from the original location
- Copy: "Copy [product name] to [Location B]" — keeps it in both locations
Both operations use a dry-run confirmation — the agent shows you what will happen before executing.
Can I archive SDSs? Yes: "Archive [product name] from [location]". Archiving removes it from the active library but retains the record. This also uses dry-run confirmation.
Can I edit product information? Yes. You can update:
- Product name (custom display name)
- Chemical name synonyms (alternative names)
- External system ID (for integration with other systems)
Ask: "Update the product name for [product] to [new name]"
How do I check hazardous substances? Ask: "Show me products with ingredients on restricted lists" or "Which products in [location] are hazardous?"
Section 6: Locations
How do I set up locations? Ask: "Show me my current locations" to see your hierarchy, then:
- "Add a new location called [name] under [parent location]"
- "I have 3 sites: Oslo office, Bergen warehouse, and Stavanger plant"
The agent will create the hierarchy and confirm the structure.
What if I only have one location? That's fine — every SDS Manager account starts with a default location. The agent will recognize this during onboarding and skip the multi-location setup.
Section 7: Permissions & Limits
What permissions does the AI agent respect?
| Permission | What it controls |
|---|---|
access_mcp_chat_agent |
Required for all MCP agent access |
add_locations |
Create new locations/sites |
import_product_list |
Upload Excel product lists |
add_substance |
Add SDSs to a specific location |
move_sds |
Move SDSs between locations |
edit_sds |
Edit product details |
allowed_to_archive_SDS |
Archive SDSs |
Location-level permissions (add, move, edit, archive) may differ per location. Ask the agent: "What are my permissions?" or "What can I do at [location name]?"
What usage limits exist?
| Limit | Default | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Global database searches | 200 | Searches across the 16M+ SDS database |
| SDS detail views | 200 | Viewing detailed information for a specific SDS |
Ask the agent: "What are my current limits?" to see remaining usage. Your organization admin can adjust these limits in SDS Admin.
Section 8: Troubleshooting
Session expired Sessions time out after inactivity. Say "Login again" — the agent will generate a fresh login link.
Authorization error
- Your API key may have been deactivated — contact your admin
- Your subscription may not include MCP access — upgrade to Premium/Pro/Enterprise
- The
access_mcp_chat_agentpermission hasn't been enabled — ask your admin
Agent can't find my SDS Try in order:
- Different search terms (product name, supplier name, CAS number)
- Shorter or more generic product name
- Ask: "Search the web for [product name] SDS" — agent will find PDFs online
- Upload the PDF yourself: "I want to upload an SDS PDF to [location]"
- Request expert help: "Request expert setup"
Excel import has errors The agent shows specific validation errors. Common issues:
- Missing required columns (product name)
- Unsupported file format (must be .xlsx or .xls)
- Empty or malformed rows
Fix and re-upload.
I need help the agent can't provide Say "Request expert setup" — you can provide a link to your existing SDS library and notes. The SDS Manager team will take over.
Section 9: Security & Privacy
Is my API key safe? Yes. Your API key is entered directly on the SDS Manager login page — it never passes through the AI agent's infrastructure. The agent only receives a temporary session token.
What data does the AI agent see? Only data returned by SDS Manager's API within your organization's account: product names, SDS details, locations, and library statistics. It cannot see other customers' data or your billing information.
Are actions logged? Yes. All modifications (add, move, copy, archive, edit) are logged in the activity log. Ask "Show me my activity logs" to review.
Are destructive actions protected? Yes. Sensitive operations like add, move, copy, and archive use a dry-run confirmation step — the agent shows you what will happen before executing.