Optimal's MCP (Model Context Protocol) server lets Microsoft Copilot securely pull your research data straight out of Optimal, so you can ask natural-language questions and dive deeper into your research.
These steps are written for Microsoft Copilot. The same Optimal MCP server also works with other MCP-compatible AI assistants, including Cursor, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other custom MCPs.
Requirements
Microsoft Copilot does not have a personal "add a connector" option for users.
Connecting Optimal requires building it into an agent using Copilot Studio, Microsoft's agent-building tool.
This is typically done by an IT admin or "maker" on your team, who then publishes the agent so others in your organization can use it (e.g., via Microsoft Teams or Microsoft 365 Copilot).
Access to Copilot Studio with permissions to create or edit an agent.
An active Optimal account, with access to the workspace(s)/studies you want the agent to read from.
MCP enabled for your Optimal workspace. If you do not have access, please get in touch with your admin to enable MCP under the Features tab.
Who needs to connect
An admin or maker with Copilot Studio access sets this up once for the organization (or team).
End users don't configure anything themselves; they just use the published agent once it's shared with them.
Connect Copilot to Optimal
An admin or maker with Copilot Studio access will:
Open Copilot Studio and go to (or create) the agent you want to add Optimal to.
Go to the Tools page for your agent, and select Add a tool > New tool > Model Context Protocol.
Enter Optimal's MCP server details:
Name: Optimal
Server URL:
https://app.optimalworkshop.com/mcpAuthentication type: OAuth 2.0
Complete the connection. Select Create new connection, sign in to Optimal when prompted, and approve access. Select Add and configure once connected.
Enable the tools you want available. All tools are turned on by default — use the toggles on the Tools tab to turn off anything you don't need.
Publish and share the agent. From the agent's overview page, select Publish, then use Share to grant access to the users or groups who should be able to use it (e.g., via Microsoft Teams or Microsoft 365 Copilot).
Note that MCP is evolving rapidly, so this guidance may change. Please refer to the latest documentation from Copilot for any updates.
What can Microsoft Copilot read?
Microsoft Copilot can only read your Optimal data. It can't create, edit, or delete anything in Optimal, and it only sees what your own user login already has access to.
Study setup & metadata — study configuration and metadata (names, methodology, dates, etc.); tags, observations, and notes added by your team
Participant results — task results, success/completion metrics, and clickmaps/paths for prototype & usability tests; aggregated survey response distributions for structured questions (radio, checkbox, rating, etc.). Open-text/free-form survey answers are not currently surfaced through the MCP.
Recordings & transcripts — session and transcript counts for interview studies. Raw recordings and playback (video/audio) are not retrieved directly — what's exposed is derived from them (counts, AI analysis), not the recording files themselves.
AI-generated outputs — AI-generated study summaries, plus categorized insights such as themes, pain points, opportunities, sentiment, behaviors, and mental models, each with source/citation counts; task-, section-, and study-level analysis
Example prompts
These are just a few examples to get you started. You're not limited to this phrasing or these topics. Ask Microsoft Copilot in your own words; it can handle a much wider range of questions across your Optimal data.
"What were the biggest usability issues across our last five prototype tests?"
"Summarize participant feedback for our onboarding flow."
"What themes emerged from our customer interviews this quarter?"
"Compare findings between our March and June studies."
Things to know
Because the agent is shared across a team, access is tied to whichever Optimal account is used to authenticate the connection. Coordinate with your admin on which account that should be.
Access to MCP servers in Copilot Studio runs through Power Platform connector infrastructure, so any data policies your organization applies to Power Platform connectors also apply here.
Questions? Please get in touch with our team or share your feedback via our feedback and features request form.