Summary
MCP Plugins let Pi look things up in - and, where enabled, write to - external applications such as Slack and Google Drive, directly from a Session in Planhat OS
Your Admin sets the Plugin up in one of two ways. Then, in "Individual" mode, you connect your own account once (which is a quick and simple process). In "Central" mode, there is nothing for you to connect - you can just see under "MCP Plugins" that you have been granted access
Once connected, just ask Pi (in Sessions) in plain language, e.g. "Summarize the latest Slack updates for Acme" or "Find the Acme account plan in Google Drive"
In Individual mode, Pi only ever sees what you can see yourself in the external application, and nobody else in your tenant can see your files, channels or direct messages through your connection. In Central mode, everyone who has been granted access shares one connection set up by your Admin
Who is this article for?
General Planhat Users (e.g. CSMs or Account Managers) who want to use Slack, Google Drive or other connected applications with Pi
Anyone whose Admin has asked them to "connect your account" using an MCP Plugin
If you are the Admin setting up MCP Plugins for your tenant, see the setup and management guide instead
Series
Planhat OS - Using MCP Plugins with Pi (for Users) ⬅️ You are here
Article contents
Introduction
It may be that a lot of what you know about a customer is not in Planhat. For example, let's say the latest update from an on-site visit is in a Slack channel, the mutual action plan the AE built is in Google Drive, and the QBR deck from last quarter is in a shared folder.
With MCP Plugins, Pi can reach those places for you. Once your Admin has set up the relevant Plugins and you have connected your accounts, you can ask Pi in a Session to search Slack, read a Google Doc, or list the files related to a customer, and then do something useful with the result - summarize it, compare it with what is in Planhat, or save it as a note on the Company record.
In this article, we talk you through how to connect and use MCP Plugins, as a general User in your Planhat tenant.
📌 Important to note
"Individual" MCP Plugins give Pi the same access you already have - no more. Pi uses your account, so it can only see channels and files that you can open yourself.
Two ways an MCP Plugin can be set up
When your Admin sets up an MCP Plugin, they choose one of two connection modes. Which one is chosen determines whether you (as a general User) have to do anything before using the Plugin with Pi. Which mode (type) a Plugin uses is stated in the list in the MCP Plugins Tool (example screenshot below).
Individual mode - each User connects their own account in the external application. Pi uses your account, so it sees what you can see, and nobody else can use your connection. This is the mode used for applications with personal data, such as Slack and Google Drive. As a general User, you need to connect once - see the next section
Central mode - your Admin connects one shared account for the tenant and grants access to specific Users, Teams or Roles. There is nothing for you (as a general User) to connect. If you have been granted access, the Plugin is simply available to you in Sessions; everyone with access sees the same content through the shared connection. This mode is typically used for shared, non-personal sources such as your organization's knowledge base
📌 Important to note
In this article, "Admin" refers to your colleague (another User) who's an Admin in your Planhat tenant, rather than a Planhat staff member (a Super Admin).
Before you start connecting and using an MCP Plugin
Your Admin must have set up the relevant MCP Plugin for your tenant. If you do not see the application listed under MCP Plugins (accessed via the "Tools" menu, under "More" in your sidebar - we describe/show this below), ask your Admin
For Plugins in Individual mode, you need your own account in the external application (e.g. your Slack account, or your Google Workspace account). Have it signed in, ideally in the same browser
Some workspaces may require an approval from your Slack or Google Admin the first time you connect. If you see a message about requesting or awaiting approval, let your Admin know
How to connect your account (Individual mode)
In Planhat OS, navigate to the Tools menu by clicking "More" in your sidebar. In the "System Configuration" category, you will see "MCP Plugins" - click on that
Click the image to view it enlarged
You will see the applications your Admin has made available, each with your own status. A Plugin you have not connected yet shows as "Not connected"
Click on the application you want to use to open up its panel on the right-hand side, and click the orange "Connect" button
Click the image to view it enlarged
The application's own authorization page opens. Check that it is your account, review the access being requested, and click "Allow" (Slack) or "Continue" (Google)
You will be returned to Planhat and the Plugin now shows as "Connected". That is it - you only need to do this once per application
📌 Important to note
Your colleagues each connect their own accounts under Individual mode, and nobody can use your connection.
How to check your access (Central mode)
For a Plugin set up in Central mode, your Admin has already connected the shared account and decides who may use it. You do not connect anything yourself. You can, however, view whether access has been granted to you.
In Planhat OS, open "More" in the sidebar (to open the main Tools menu) and click "MCP Plugins" (under "System Configuration")
Click the image to view it enlarged
Find the Plugin in the list, and click on it to see more details. A Central mode Plugin has no Connect button; instead it shows whether you have access - for example, "Access Granted" or "No Access"
Click the image to view it enlarged
If you have access, you are ready - go to a Session and ask Pi for whatever you need, and Pi will be able to use the connected account as necessary. If you do not have access but you think you should, ask your Admin: access is granted per User, Role or Team as part of the Plugin configuration
How to use an application connected via an MCP Plugin when chatting with Pi in a Session
There is nothing special to switch on. Start a Session as usual (see Planhat OS - Sessions) and ask Pi in plain language. When your request needs external data, Pi picks the right tool, calls it, and shows you what it did.
Example requests
Application | What you can ask Pi | What happens |
Slack | "What are the latest updates in the Slack channel for Acme?" | Pi searches your Slack for the customer's channel, reads the recent messages, and summarizes them |
Slack | "Anything in Slack this week about Acme's renewal?" | Pi searches messages you can see for the topic and gives you the highlights with context |
Slack + Planhat | "Summarize the Slack updates for Acme and save them as a note on the Company" | Pi retrieves and summarizes, then writes the summary to the Company record in Planhat so it is there for next time |
Google Drive | "List the files in Google Drive related to Acme" | Pi lists matching files (account plans, QBR decks, etc.) with links |
Google Drive | "Open the Acme account plan in Google Drive and tell me the agreed next steps" | Pi reads the document and extracts the section you asked for |
Google Drive | "Add today's call outcome to the Acme mutual action plan in Google Drive" | Where "write" tools are enabled, Pi updates the document (capabilities vary by file type; spreadsheets and docs work best) |
GitHub | "Is there an open GitHub issue for the bug Acme reported last week?" | Pi searches the connected repositories and reports the issue status |
Any | "Compare what the AE wrote in the success plan with the Health Score and open Issues in Planhat" | Pi combines external content with Planhat data in one answer |
Tips for getting good results
Name the customer clearly. Use the full Company name as it appears in Planhat. If there are two similar names, Pi will ask you which one you mean before it searches
Say where to look if you know. "…in the #customer-acme channel" or "…in the Account Plans folder" helps Pi go straight to the right place. If your Company records store the Slack channel or folder link, Pi can use that too
Use a Skill for routines. If you do the same thing before every call (e.g. look up Slack updates, check the account plan, and write a brief), ask Pi to save the process as a Skill so it runs the same way every time. For an organization-wide Skill, ask your Admin to set this up
What Pi can and cannot do through an MCP Plugin
Pi can | Pi cannot |
Search and read content you have access to in the connected application | See anything you cannot see yourself (Individual mode), or anything beyond the shared account's access (Central mode) |
Bring that content into your Session and combine it with Planhat data | Show your direct messages or private files to anyone else - your connection is yours alone |
Write back to the application where "write" tools are enabled (e.g. create or update a file) | Be triggered from inside Slack or Google Drive etc. You always start from a Session within Planhat OS |
Save what it found into Planhat when you ask (e.g. as a note on a Company) | Continuously sync or monitor the external application in the background - Pi acts when you ask |
How to disconnect an Individual mode MCP Plugin
If you no longer want Pi to use one of the applications you connected in Individual mode, you can disconnect at any time. (Central mode Plugins have nothing for you to disconnect - access is managed by your Admin.)
Go to "More" (Tools menu) → "MCP Plugins" and open the Plugin
Click "Disconnect" and confirm
Pi immediately loses access. You can connect again later by repeating the steps above