MCP Server Instructions for Sentinel Watch

The Sentinel Watch MCP Server lets MCP-compatible AI clients connect to your Sentinel customer account using a scoped API token.

It is a thin protocol adapter. Authorization, tenant isolation, rate limiting, and audit enforcement are handled by Sentinel Watch backend APIs.

What Customers Can Do with MCP

Query customer profile, locations, cameras, staff, wallet, reports, and audit data.
Export reporting data as CSV/JSON from natural-language prompts.
Use the same secure API surface as the dashboard, with scoped token access.

Current availability: Read tools are available now. Write tools are planned for a follow-up release with explicit scopes and confirmation flows.

Connection Requirements

Requirement	Value	Purpose
MCP-compatible client	Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, MCP Inspector, or equivalent	Client must support MCP tool transport.
Runtime	npx available locally	Launches the MCP server package as a local process.
API base URL	https://app.sentinel-watch.org	Targets Sentinel customer API endpoints.
Scoped API token	scs_live_… or scs_test_…	Authenticates and scopes all MCP tool calls.

Setup (Claude Desktop Example)

Edit the Claude Desktop config file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sentinel": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@sentinel-watch-org/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "SENTINEL_API_BASE_URL": "https://app.sentinel-watch.org",
        "SENTINEL_API_TOKEN": "scs_live_..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Save the config file.
Restart Claude Desktop.
Open a new chat and verify Sentinel tools are available.

Required Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Example
`SENTINEL_API_BASE_URL`	Yes	`https://app.sentinel-watch.org`
`SENTINEL_API_TOKEN`	Yes	`scs_live_xxxxxxxxx`

Read Tools Available Today

get_my_profile
list_my_tokens
get_audit_log
get_balance
get_report
export_reports
list_locations
list_cameras
get_camera
list_staff
get_payout_history
get_alert_config
get_camera_alert_config

Practical Examples

Example 1: Weekly Operations Summary

Prompt: Show me camera uptime risk signals for this week and export a CSV.

Likely tool flow: list_cameras -> get_report -> export_reports

Outcome: Summary findings plus export output in one flow.

Example 2: Audit Investigation

Prompt: Who changed alert behavior in the last 7 days?

Likely tool flow: get_audit_log

Outcome: Actor, timestamp, and target context for compliance review.

Example 3: Location Health Check

Prompt: For Downtown location, list all cameras and their current alert config status.

Likely tool flow: list_locations -> list_cameras -> get_camera_alert_config

Outcome: Fast configuration gap analysis.

Security and Tenant Guarantees

Scoped auth: Calls run under your scs_* token scopes.
Tenant isolation: Cross-customer access is rejected by backend enforcement.
Unified policy: Same backend policy protects dashboard, API clients, and MCP clients.
Stateless adapter: MCP process is a thin adapter with no business-logic trust boundary.

Troubleshooting

Tools do not appear

Validate JSON syntax in the MCP client config.
Confirm npx is available.
Restart the client after config changes.

Authentication fails

Verify token format starts with scs_.
Confirm token is active and correctly copied.
Confirm base URL is correct for your environment.

Access denied

Verify token includes required read scopes.
If token is location-limited, verify requested location is allowed.
Use get_my_profile to inspect effective identity context.

Note: Public MCP toolset is read-only today. Write automation is planned for a later release with explicit write scopes and safety controls.

Technical Specification Summary

Specification	Current Value
Package	`@sentinel-watch-org/mcp-server`
Transport	stdio
Authentication	Scoped API token (`scs_*`)
API target	Sentinel customer endpoints under `/api/customer/*`
Persistence model	Stateless local adapter process
Compatibility	Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, MCP Inspector, and other MCP-aware clients

Customer Onboarding Checklist

Create scoped API token.
Add Sentinel MCP server block in client config.
Set SENTINEL_API_BASE_URL and SENTINEL_API_TOKEN.
Restart client and verify tool list appears.
Run smoke prompt: List my locations.
Run report export prompt to validate end-to-end path.
Document token owner and internal rotation schedule.