> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.unstructured.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get started with Unstructured Foundation

> Install Unstructured Foundation, connect to your files' sources, and start querying your files from any MCP-compatible AI tool.

<Tip>
  To jump immediately into this quickstart, skip ahead to the [requirements](#requirements).
</Tip>

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/unstructured-53/iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy/img/foundation/foundation-overview.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy&q=85&s=bbd1cc3b15915bc71314ccfcda6079a4" alt="Unstructured Foundation overview" width="1792" height="877" data-path="img/foundation/foundation-overview.png" />

<Note>
  Unstructured Foundation is an Early Access product. **Unstructured must accept you into the Early Access program
  before you can begin using Foundation.**
  [Add your name to the Early Access interest list](https://unstructured.io/foundation-early-access).

  Unstructured is currently accepting a limited number of participants into the Early Access program at its discretion, with
  plans to expand access to a more general audience in the future.

  The following information is being provided to give you an advance preview of possible future functionality. Unstructured
  makes no express claims as to what extent this information will reflect the state of the product upon initial
  general availability.
</Note>

This quickstart demonstrates how to use {/* the Codex CLI and */} Claude Code in your terminal, and
{/* Codex Desktop and */}Claude Desktop, to work with the [Unstructured Foundation MCP server](/foundation/overview).

The Foundation MCP server supports other AI tools that support MCP (Model Context Protocol) server connections. However, this quickstart does not demonstrate how to use those tools with Foundation. Some common tools include:

* AI code editors and IDEs such as Visual Studio Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and JetBrains IDEs.
* AI chat interfaces and desktop assistants such as ChatGPT.

To learn how to connect a specific tool to an MCP server, see the tool provider's documentation. When connecting, be sure to use the Foundation MCP server's URL, at `https://mcp.foundation.unstructured.io/mcp`

## Requirements

Before you can begin this quickstart, you must have the following:

* Acceptance by Unstructured into its Early Access program for Foundation.
  [Add your name to the Early Access interest list](https://unstructured.io/foundation-early-access).
  Do not begin this quickstart until you have received your Early Access acceptance email from Unstructured.

* A {/* ChatGPT plan (for Codex), or a */} Claude plan. [Sign up for Claude](https://claude.ai/login).

* {/* The Codex CLI, */}Claude Code {/*, Codex Desktop, */}or Claude Desktop installed on your local development machine.

  * [Install Claude Code from your terminal](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/quickstart).

  - [Install Claude Desktop](https://claude.com/download).

## Set up and use Foundation

Complete one of the following sets of instructions, based on your AI tool:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Claude Code">
    1. From your terminal, within a Claude session, add the Foundation MCP server plugin marketplace:

       ```bash theme={null}
       /plugin marketplace add Unstructured-IO/unstructured-foundation-marketplace
       ```

    2. Use the marketplace you just added to install the Foundation MCP server:

       ```bash theme={null}
       /plugin install foundation@unstructured-foundation
       ```

    3. Reload and then begin connecting to the Foundation MCP server from within a Claude session:

       ```bash theme={null}
       /reload-plugins
       /mcp
       ```

       Find and select the `plugin:foundation:foundation` entry, and then select `Authenticate`.

    4. A web browser tab will appear, prompting you to begin authenticating with Foundation.
       Follow the on-screen instructions to finish authenticating.

    5. Skip ahead to [connect to and index your source](#connect-to-and-index-your-source).
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Claude Desktop">
    Complete the following steps, depending whether you are a Claude
    Free plan user; or a Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise user.

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Free plan users">
        1. Start Claude Desktop.

        2. If prompted, sign in to your Claude Free plan.

        3. On the sidebar, click the speech balloons icon (**Chat**).

        4. On the sidebar, click **Customize**.

        5. On the sidebar, click **Connectors**.

        6. Next to **Connectors**, click the plus icon (**Add connector**), and then click **Add custom connector**.

           If **Add custom connector** is disabled, this is because Claude Desktop restricts Free plan users
           to having only one custom connector defined at a time. **Disconnect** and then **Remove** the current custom
           connector, and then follow the rest of the steps in this procedure to add a replacement custom connector for
           the Foundation MCP server.

        7. In the **Add custom connector** dialog, for **Name**, enter **Unstructured Foundation**.

        8. For **Remote MCP server URL**, enter the following:

           `https://mcp.foundation.unstructured.io/mcp`

        9. Click **Add**.

        10. Click **Connect**.

        11. A web browser tab will appear, prompting you to authenticate with Foundation.
            Follow the on-screen instructions to finish authenticating.

        12. Skip ahead to [connect to and index your source](#connect-to-and-index-your-source).
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plan users">
        1. Start Claude Desktop.

        2. If prompted, sign in to your Claude plan.

        3. On the sidebar, click **Customize**.

        4. On the sidebar, next to **Personal plugins**, click the plus icon (**Add plugin**).

        5. Click **Create plugin > Add marketplace**.

        6. In the **URL** list, click **Select a repository**, and then click **Search GitHub or paste a repository URL**.

        7. Enter the following:

           ```text theme={null}
           Unstructured-IO/unstructured-foundation-marketplace
           ```

        8. Click **Sync**.

        9. In the **Directory** dialog, with **Plugins** and **Personal** already selected, click the **Foundation** tile.

        10. Click **Install**.

        11. Close the **Directory** dialog.

        12. On the **Customize** page, on the sidebar, click **Connectors**.

        13. In the list of connectors, click **Foundation**. It will have a **Custom** badge next to it.

        14. Click **Connect**.

        15. A web browser tab will appear, prompting you to authenticate with Foundation.
            Follow the on-screen instructions to finish authenticating.

        16. Skip ahead to [connect to and index your source](#connect-to-and-index-your-source).
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Connect to and index your source

1. From your AI tool, prompt with the following:

   * For Claude Code; and for Claude Desktop for Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise users: `/foundation:connect`
   * For all other users: `Generate a link to connect Unstructured Foundation to a new source.`

2. Click the link that appears in the response.

   If the link does not appear, go to the following link in your web browser instead:
   [https://foundation.unstructured.io/connect](https://foundation.unstructured.io/connect)

3. If prompted, log in to Foundation.

4. The **Connect sources to use Foundation** page appears.

   <img src="https://mintcdn.com/unstructured-53/iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy/img/foundation/new-source.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy&q=85&s=35a33d98e8c2b827c886451c93b9e8fa" alt="Connecting to a new source from Claude Desktop" width="986" height="1402" data-path="img/foundation/new-source.png" />

   If this page does not appear after you sign in to Foundation, click the **New Source** button to show a page with similar functionality.

5. Click one of the available sources, and then click **Connect**.

6. Follow the on-screen directions to finish connecting to your source.

7. View the source files' ingestion and indexing job's progress. To do this, on the sidebar, click **Summary**.

8. Wait until the source's tile displays **Fully indexed**.

9. If you're not using Claude Desktop, then skip ahead to step 10 in this procedure. Otherwise, do the following:

   a. Click **Open Claude**.<br />

   <img src="https://mintcdn.com/unstructured-53/iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy/img/foundation/open-in-claude.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy&q=85&s=511f3da2d967c9c8edd33122c5b257ff" alt="Open the job summary and query in Claude Desktop" width="2210" height="1004" data-path="img/foundation/open-in-claude.png" />

   b. Submit Foundation's auto-generated prompt to get a summary about what was ingested and indexed.<br />

   <img src="https://mintcdn.com/unstructured-53/iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy/img/foundation/claude-summary.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=iuQ6ZYz4UZ1tXQhy&q=85&s=9757528da8f9eef2fd8b42942158e55d" alt="Start querying in Claude" width="1404" height="836" data-path="img/foundation/claude-summary.png" />

10. You can now start using your AI tool to work with the generated index. For example, you can ask your AI tool questions such as the following:

    ```text theme={null}
    What is a summary of the kinds of information that are available in the Unstructured Foundation index about my sources?
    ```

    ```text theme={null}
    What are some examples of the kinds of questions I can ask the Unstructured Foundation index about my sources?
    ```

## (Optional) Clean up

After you connect Foundation to your source files, Foundation periodically runs an automatic process to check whether any of your source files' contents have changed. Foundation will then re-ingest and re-index each source file that it determines
has changed since its last check. This process, if left running, can result in additional time and costs.

To have Foundation pause or resume periodically running this automatic process,
then follow the instructions to [pause or resume the source](/foundation/sources#pause-or-resume-indexing-a-source).

To stop Foundation from periodically running this automatic process, and to also have Foundation delete all of its ingested
and indexed information about your source files, follow the instructions to
[remove the source](/foundation/sources#remove-a-source).

## Next steps

* To learn more about how to use Unstructured Foundation, enter the following prompt in your AI tool:

  * Claude Code: `/foundation:help`

  - Claude Desktop (Free plan users only): `Teach me how to use Unstructured Foundation.`
  - Claude Desktop (Max, Pro, Team, and Enterprise plan users only): `/foundation:help`

* [Manage your Foundation sources](/foundation/sources): Add, change, and remove sources from Foundation.

* [Foundation storage](/foundation/storage): Understand what artifacts that Foundation generates, indexes, and stores about your sources.

* [Troubleshoot Foundation](/foundation/troubleshooting): Solutions for common issues.

## Questions? Need help?

* For general questions about Unstructured products and pricing, email Unstructured Sales at [sales@unstructured.io](mailto:sales@unstructured.io).
* For technical support, see [request support](/support/request).