Set Up Octave in MCP
Two paths. Admins connect Octave once for the whole org; everyone else connects their own Claude and starts working.
The same steps live in the Help Center · ~10 minutes
Set up your org
Roll Octave out once so every member connects in a click and Claude leans on Octave across the team.
Before you start
Org connectors and organization instructions need Claude Team or Enterprise, and only an Owner can add a connector for the org. On Free or Pro there's nothing to set up here – each person connects their own Claude in the For Users steps below.
★ Why this matters for your team
Once you add the org connector, members don't need custom-connector permissions of their own. They just open Settings → Connectors in Claude Desktop, find Octave, and click Connect (after creating an Octave account). That's the whole user setup.
Organization instructions – Short version
Use when you want headroom to layer workspace-specific rules (custom ICPs, named playbooks, vertical terms) on top. Covers core routing and the most common Octave intents.
# Octave is this org's GTM context engine Octave centralizes our ICP, personas, playbooks, competitive positioning, and proof points into a Library that AI agents query to produce *synthesized* GTM output — not raw data. When Octave is connected alongside CRM and call-intelligence tools, Octave is the synthesis layer that sits on top of raw records. ## Ground answers in the Library Before answering any GTM question — positioning, messaging, objections, competitors, personas, value props, playbooks, pricing narrative, differentiation — use `search_knowledge_base` or `list_entities` to pull the relevant context from our Octave Library first. Do not answer from generic knowledge when our own playbooks, personas, or proof points could inform the response. Cite the specific entity when you use it. ## Default to Octave for GTM work For any go-to-market question — prospect, deal, account, buyer, call prep, outreach, qualification, enrichment, messaging, or competitive positioning — reach for Octave's MCP tools first, even if the user does not say "Octave." Octave-first intents and tools: - Deal / account status, health, next steps → `get_deal_deep_dive`, `list_deal_health`, `list_pipeline_overview`, `get_pipeline_metrics` - Call or meeting prep → `generate_call_prep` or `run_call_prep_agent` - Outbound emails and sequences → `generate_email` or `run_email_agent` - Qualify a prospect against our ICP → `qualify_person`, `qualify_company` - Enrich a prospect or account → `enrich_person`, `enrich_company` If using Claude Code with the [LFGTM plugin](https://github.com/octavehq/lfgtm) installed, prefer the higher-level `/octave:*` skills over single MCP tool calls — they chain multiple tools for stronger output.
Organization instructions – Long version
Recommended when HubSpot, Salesforce, Gong, Granola, Fathom, or Clay are also connected. Adds explicit demotion of raw-data tools plus LFGTM plugin routing.
# Octave is this org's GTM context engine Octave centralizes our ICP, personas, playbooks, competitive positioning, and proof points into a Library that AI agents query to produce *synthesized* GTM output — not raw data. When Octave is connected alongside CRM and call-intelligence tools, Octave is the synthesis layer that sits on top of raw records. ## Ground answers in the Library Before answering any GTM question — positioning, messaging, objections, competitors, personas, value props, playbooks, pricing narrative, differentiation — use `search_knowledge_base` or `list_entities` to pull the relevant context from our Octave Library first. Do not answer from generic knowledge when our own playbooks, personas, or proof points could inform the response. Cite the specific entity when you use it. ## Default to Octave for GTM work For any go-to-market question — prospect, deal, account, buyer, call prep, outreach, qualification, enrichment, messaging, or competitive positioning — reach for Octave's MCP tools first, even if the user does not say "Octave." Octave-first intents and tools: - Deal / account status, health, next steps → `get_deal_deep_dive`, `list_deal_health`, `list_pipeline_overview`, `get_pipeline_metrics` - Call or meeting prep → `generate_call_prep` or `run_call_prep_agent` - Outbound emails and sequences → `generate_email` or `run_email_agent` - Qualify a prospect against our ICP → `qualify_person`, `qualify_company` - Enrich a prospect or account → `enrich_person`, `enrich_company` ## If using Claude Code with the LFGTM plugin When the Octave plugin is installed in Claude Code, prefer the higher-level `/octave:*` skills over calling single MCP tools directly — skills chain multiple tools (enrich → qualify → search library → generate) and produce stronger output than a one-shot call. - Call / meeting / discovery prep → `/octave:research` or `/octave:meeting-prep` - Deal review, stalled deals, multi-threading → `/octave:pipeline` or `/octave:deal-coach` - Competitive prep → `/octave:battlecard` - Account planning / ABM → `/octave:abm` - Messaging, positioning, launches → `/octave:messaging`, `/octave:positioning`, `/octave:launch` - Morning intelligence briefing → `/octave:signals` - Prospecting lists → `/octave:prospector` - Library health / audit → `/octave:audit` For sustained multi-turn strategic work, invoke the specialized agents via the Task tool: `pmm-strategist` (positioning / launches), `sdr-coach` (outbound quality), `revenue-strategist` (pipeline / deals), or `octave-assistant` (general GTM). If not in Claude Code (claude.ai, Desktop, mobile), ignore this section and use MCP tools directly as described above. ## Routing vs. other connectors - Octave = synthesis, strategy, next steps, ICP framing, messaging grounded in our Library - HubSpot / Salesforce = raw CRM lookups only (specific fields, records, or updates) - Gong / Granola / Fathom = raw call transcripts only (specific quotes or full call content) - Clay = bulk list enrichment — single-prospect research uses Octave's `find_*` / `enrich_*` tools When a GTM question could be answered by Octave or a raw-data tool, choose Octave. Raw tools are fallbacks only when the user asks for a specific record, field, or quote — or when Octave returns no data (say so explicitly so the rep can update their Library). If intent is ambiguous (e.g., "what's going on with Acme?"), briefly confirm whether the user wants Octave's synthesized view or a raw CRM/call lookup before running tools.
Good to know
Organization preferences are admin-only (Team / Enterprise) and can take up to 1 hour to propagate across Claude products. Individual Pro users can paste the same text into Settings → Personal preferences instead.
After it propagates, test routing in a new chat: "What's the status of my deal with Acme and what should I be doing next?" Claude should call get_deal_deep_dive without the word "Octave" in the prompt.
The Octave plugin is installed per person, not org-wide – everyone (you included) adds it in the Add the Octave plugin step below.
Connect your Claude
First, create your Octave account at app.octavehq.com. Then connect Claude to it – most people use the Custom Connector.
★ Start here: the Custom Connector
The Custom Connector lives in the Claude desktop app, under Settings → Connectors. Three ways to get Octave there:
- An admin already added it (most common) – open Settings → Connectors, find Octave, and click Connect.
- Add it yourself – if your workspace lets you add custom connectors, add one with the URL from Octave's "Connect Via MCP".
- Request it – if custom connectors are locked down, use the "ping your admin" link on Octave's connect screen.
No config files, no terminal – once it's connected, you're done.
Two other ways to connect
Prefer the terminal or a manual config? Grab your exact command or config block from your Octave homepage – look for the Connect your Agentic GTM Stack button, then choose Claude.
Claude Code
On your Octave homepage, open the Claude instructions and copy your exact claude mcp add octave… command. Run it in your terminal, then /mcp to authenticate.
Remote MCP Config
On your Octave homepage, copy the exact config block and paste it into claude_desktop_config.json (needs Node.js). Use this if your workspace blocks custom connectors.
Add the Octave plugin
The plugin adds 36 guided /octave:* skills on top of the connection (MCP is the engine, the plugin is the dashboard). It works in both Cowork (the Claude desktop app) and Claude Code.
https://github.com/octavehq/lfgtm.See every command in the Plugin Skills tab. Once you're connected, start any prompt with "using Octave" – the How to Use It tab covers what to ask.
Connection walkthroughs
The same connection your team follows. Admins can use these to connect their own Claude and to demo the flow during rollout.
Claude Desktop – Custom Connector (recommended)
Claude Desktop – Remote MCP Config
Claude Code
Getting Started with Octave
Your Go-to-Market Team
Quick-start guide · ~5 minutes to read
Why Octave Exists
Octave is a connector that plugs directly into Claude. It contains everything your team has put together about how you sell: how you position to different buyer segments, who the personas are, what competitors can and can't do, what proof points to lead with, and how the team thinks about the market.
When you ask Octave a question, you get your team's curated point of view on the answer. It's a curated, opinionated knowledge base that gives Claude the ability to answer like a PMM who knows your business.
Instead of digging through docs and hoping you find the right positioning, you have an always-on pull model where all of your GTM context is available on demand through Claude.
What's in Octave
Everything in Octave has been loaded and structured by the GTM team. Here's what's available:
| What | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Products | How you describe what your product does, what makes it different, the core capabilities. |
| Personas | Buyer profiles with their priorities, pain points, and what they need to hear from you. |
| Playbooks | Sales plays mapped to segments. The strategy, the talk track, the value props you lead with. |
| Segments | Market segments with specific buying patterns and use cases. |
| Competitors | Competitive positioning and differentiation. How to handle specific competitors in a deal. |
| Use Cases | The core problems your product solves and the scenarios where it applies. |
| Proof Points | Quantified customer results you can reference in conversations and content. |
| References | Customer references you can name-drop or connect prospects to. |
| Alternatives | How prospects think about solving the problem without you. The status quo, manual workarounds, and competing approaches. |
| Buying Triggers | Signals that indicate a company is in-market or ready to buy. Events, timing, and conditions that create urgency. |
How It Connects: MCP
MCP is how Claude connects to external tools like Octave. When you say "using Octave" in a prompt, Claude calls Octave's tools to pull your actual GTM data instead of guessing.
This means Claude can:
- Look up your personas, playbooks, and competitive positioning
- Research prospects and score them against your ICP
- Run pre-built agents that use your team's specific instructions and tone
Tools are available once you connect the MCP
When you open Claude (web or desktop), Octave tools are available. Open a new chat and try: Using Octave, what playbooks do we have?
If Claude responds with generic information instead of your team's content, check that Octave shows as connected in your Claude settings under Connectors.
Not connected yet?
New here? The Setup tab walks through connecting as a user, rolling Octave out across your org, and which connection method to pick.
How to Use Octave
Three ways to work with Octave, from simple lookups to multi-step workflows.
Ask Octave Directly
The simplest way to use Octave: just ask it things. Start a chat with "Using Octave" at the start of any prompt and Claude will pull from your GTM knowledge base instead of guessing.
Take inventory
Start here. Figure out what's loaded.
| What you want | Prompt |
|---|---|
| See all personas | Using Octave, show me all our buyer personas |
| See all segments | Using Octave, what market segments do we target? |
| See all playbooks | Using Octave, list our sales playbooks |
| See all competitors | Using Octave, show me all our competitors |
| See proof points | Using Octave, what customer proof points do we have? |
| See references | Using Octave, show me our customer references |
Go deeper and learn from your elements
| What you want | Prompt |
|---|---|
| Understand a persona | Using Octave, tell me everything about our [Persona Name] persona – what do they care about, what are their pain points, what messaging resonates? |
| Understand a playbook | Using Octave, walk me through our [Playbook Name] playbook – what's the strategy, who does it target, what value props do we lead with? |
| Match a prospect | Using Octave, I'm talking to a [title] at a [type of company]. What persona do they match? What are their likely pain points and what should I lead with? |
| Match a company | Using Octave, what segment does [company.com] fit into? What playbook should I use? |
Further Self-enablement
| What you want | Prompt |
|---|---|
| Competitive positioning | Using Octave, how do we position against [Competitor]? What are our key differentiators and what trap questions can I ask? |
| Learn a new segment | Using Octave, I've never sold into [segment] before. Teach me – who are the buyers, what do they care about, and how do we position? |
| Quiz yourself | Using Octave, quiz me on our positioning for [segment/persona]. Challenge me and tell me when I get something wrong. |
What Octave tools Claude is using under the hood
You don't need to know this to use Octave, but if you're curious or building custom skills, these are the tools Claude calls when you run the prompts above:
list_all_entities | Lists everything by type (personas, segments, etc.) |
list_entities | Lists entities with full detail and pagination |
get_entity | Pulls the full details on one specific entity |
search_knowledge_base | Searches across the whole library by meaning, not just keywords |
list_motions | Lists your Motions – the ICP matrix and narratives behind your positioning |
qualify_company | Scores a company against your ICP and matches it to a segment |
qualify_person | Scores a person against your ICP and matches them to a persona |
enrich_company | Full research report on a company |
enrich_person | Full research report on a person |
find_person | Find contacts at a company by title or role |
find_company | Find companies matching criteria |
generate_email | Writes an email sequence using Octave AI defaults |
generate_content | Writes general content using Octave AI defaults |
generate_call_prep | Writes call prep using Octave AI defaults |
run_email_agent | Runs a saved email agent with your specific configuration |
run_content_agent | Runs a saved content agent |
run_call_prep_agent | Runs a saved call prep agent |
run_enrich_person_agent | Runs a saved person enrichment agent |
run_enrich_company_agent | Runs a saved company enrichment agent |
run_qualify_person_agent | Runs a saved person qualification agent |
run_qualify_company_agent | Runs a saved company qualification agent |
Run Agents
Agents are for high-volume, repeatable workflows where you want pre-set configurations baked in. Someone on the team built them with specific instructions, targeting, tone, and output format. Every run follows the same rules. Use agents when you're running the same type of output against many targets – cold outreach sequences, qualification scoring at scale, standardized call prep.
Agent types
| Type | Tool | What it does |
|---|---|---|
run_email_agent | Multi-step email sequences | |
| Content | run_content_agent | LinkedIn messages, briefs, general content |
| Call Prep | run_call_prep_agent | Meeting preparation and talk tracks |
| Person Enrichment | run_enrich_person_agent | Research report on a specific person |
| Company Enrichment | run_enrich_company_agent | Research report on a company |
| Person Qualification | run_qualify_person_agent | Score a person against your ICP |
| Company Qualification | run_qualify_company_agent | Score a company against your ICP |
Find out what agents you have
Run an agent
For any agent targeting a person, use their LinkedIn profile URL. This gives the agent the best data to work with.
Read this
If you ask Claude to "write me an email using Octave" without naming a specific agent, Claude will pull some Octave context and write you something. It may look fine. But it's not running your agent – it's not using the specific instructions, tone, or structure that were configured in that agent.
This is a valid workflow for many cases. But if you expect the output to match a specific set of instructions, name the agent. If you don't remember which one, ask first:
Use Skills
Skills are for longer-tail, on-demand work – the kind of job you do a few times a day that involves multiple steps. Research a company before a call. Build a battlecard for a competitive deal. Generate a full campaign across channels. Skills handle the orchestration: they call the right Octave tools in the right order so you don't have to think about which tool does what.
Agents vs. Skills
Agents = high volume, repeatable, pre-set. Run the same email agent against 50 people and every output follows the same instructions.
Skills = on-demand, flexible, multi-step. Research a prospect, build a proposal, prep for a meeting. Each run adapts to the specific context.
Octave Plugin Skills
The Octave plugin for Claude (LFGTM) comes with a library of pre-built skills – slash commands that handle multi-step GTM workflows end-to-end. Each skill knows which Octave tools to call and in what order. You just type the command, provide the target, and the skill does the rest.
All 36 /octave:* commands are broken down by category, with what each one does, in the Plugin Skills tab.
Build Your Own Skills
You already build custom markdown skills for Claude. The same approach works with Octave. There are two ways to do it:
Option A: Start from the Octave plugin
Install the LFGTM plugin and build on top of the existing Octave skills. The advantage: these skills already have instructions for how to call Octave tools built in. You don't need to figure out which tool to call or when – the skill handles that. You just layer your own preferences on top:
- Your specific tone and formatting
- Sections you always want included
- Templates or context specific to your workflow
How to fork an existing skill
The fastest path is to copy an existing Octave skill and modify it:
/octave:research or /octave:generate)This way you keep all the Octave tool-calling logic and just change what matters to you.
Option B: Build from scratch
Write your own skill that calls Octave MCP tools directly. More control, but you have to enumerate exactly which tools you want Claude to call and in what order. Don't assume Claude will figure out the right sequence on its own – tell it.
Examples of some common tool-calling patterns for Option B (not exhaustive)
Research flow
Use this when you need to understand a company before writing anything.
enrich_company – company profile, tech stack, recent activityqualify_company – ICP score, segment match, fit reasonssearch_knowledge_base – find the right positioning for that segmentlist_motions – pull the matching Motion narrative and value propsfind_person – find contacts at the companyenrich_person – full research on the primary contactEmail generation flow
Use this when you need to write a personalized email with the right playbook behind it.
find_person / enrich_person – who you're writing toqualify_person – which persona they matchsearch_knowledge_base – pull relevant playbook and proof pointsrun_email_agent (if you have one) or generate_email (Octave default)Qualification flow
Use this when you want to score a company or person against your ICP.
qualify_company – company-level ICP score and fit reasonsqualify_person – person-level persona match and fit scoreget_entity – full details on the matched personaCompetitive flow
Use this when a competitor comes up in a deal.
search_knowledge_base – find the competitor entityget_entity – full competitor details and differentiatorssearch_knowledge_base – find proof points to counter their claimsFull tool reference in the Reference tab.
Reference
Every Octave MCP tool, organized by what it does. You don't need to memorize this – it's here when you need it.
All tools require an authenticated connection to your Octave workspace. Research tools (find_*, enrich_*, qualify_*) are billable – 1 credit per person or company returned. Create, update, and delete tools modify your shared workspace and are limited by your Octave role.
This covers the most commonly used tools. The server exposes more – composition, graph queries, similarity search, expansion intelligence, and admin endpoints – that aren't listed here. Install the plugin to see the full set in Claude Code.
Read Tools
These read from your knowledge base. They don't change anything.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
verify_connection | Verify your connection to the Octave MCP server and view workspace info |
search_knowledge_base | Semantic search across your entire knowledge base |
list_all_entities | Quick summary of all entity types without full data payloads |
list_entities | List entities in your knowledge base by type with pagination |
get_entity | Full details for a specific entity by oId |
list_motions | List Motions in your workspace |
list_resources | List resources with filtering by type and status |
get_resource | Detailed information for a specific resource |
search_resources | Semantic search across resources |
list_agents | List saved agents with optional filtering by type |
get_agent | Full details for a specific agent |
list_writing_styles | List available writing styles for content generation |
Research Tools
These reach out to external data sources to research companies and people.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
enrich_person | Full research report on a person |
enrich_company | Full research report on a company |
find_person | Find contacts at a company by title or role |
find_company | Find companies matching criteria |
find_similar_people | Find people similar to a given person |
find_similar_companies | Find companies similar to a given company |
qualify_person | Score a person against your ICP and match to a persona |
qualify_company | Score a company against your ICP and match to a segment |
Generate Tools
These produce content. The generate_* tools use Octave AI defaults. The run_*_agent tools use your saved agent configurations.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
generate_email | Writes an email sequence using Octave AI defaults |
generate_content | Writes general content using Octave AI defaults |
generate_call_prep | Writes call prep using Octave AI defaults |
run_email_agent | Runs a saved email agent (your instructions, your tone) |
run_content_agent | Runs a saved content agent |
run_call_prep_agent | Runs a saved call prep agent |
run_enrich_person_agent | Runs a saved person enrichment agent |
run_enrich_company_agent | Runs a saved company enrichment agent |
run_qualify_person_agent | Runs a saved person qualification agent |
run_qualify_company_agent | Runs a saved company qualification agent |
Intelligence Tools
These pull from calls, emails, deals, and CRM data.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
list_events | Search across calls, emails, deals |
list_findings | Aggregate insights from conversations |
get_event_detail | Full details on a specific event including transcript |
find_crm_records | Search CRM records |
find_crm_activities | Search CRM activities |
generate_crm_context | Synthesized summary of CRM context for an account |
Pipeline Tools
View and analyze your sales pipeline, deal health, and performance.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
list_pipeline_overview | Pipeline overview with deals grouped by stage |
list_deal_health | Analyze deal health and detect stalled deals |
get_deal_deep_dive | Full context for a single deal including activities and timeline |
get_pipeline_metrics | Pipeline performance metrics (win rate, cycle time, velocity) |
Write Tools Admin only
These modify your shared Octave workspace. Admin use only.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
create_entity | Create a new entity via AI generation |
update_entity | Update an existing entity via AI refinement |
delete_entity | Delete an entity |
create_agent | Create a new agent with a specific type and configuration |
update_agent | Update an existing agent's configuration |
delete_agent | Delete an agent |
create_resource | Create a new resource (URL, Google Drive, or text) |
delete_resource | Delete one or more resources |
FAQ
Do I need to use an agent every time I write content?
No. If you're writing something one-off – a blog post, a social post, a response to a white paper – you don't need an agent. Just tell Claude to pull from Octave:
Claude will call Octave tools to get your positioning, then use it while writing. No agent needed.
Agents are for when you want uniform, repeatable output – like running the same cold email sequence against a list of 50 people with specific instructions, tone, and structure baked in.
How do I get Claude to use our brand voice?
Two options, depending on how precise you need to be:
Quick (no agent): Tell Claude to apply the brand voice in the prompt. Octave provides your positioning and messaging and will apply your saved brand voice.
Consistent (agent): If you have a specific voice you want used every time, have your admin build an agent with the Brand Voice enabled. Then every run follows the same voice rules automatically.
Someone on my team writes varied content (blogs, social, whitepapers). Do I need a different agent for each?
No. For varied content, the natural language approach works best. The content creator describes what they want and tells Claude to grab from Octave:
Agents are the wrong tool here. They're designed for repeatable patterns, not creative work that changes form every time.
Can I make Octave run automatically every time someone writes content?
There's no setting that forces a connector to fire on every single prompt. But on Claude Team and Enterprise, an admin can set organization instructions (Organization settings → Organization and access) that tell Claude to lean on Octave for GTM work across every chat. That plus the habit of starting prompts with "using Octave" gets you most of the way. See the admin steps in the Setup tab.
"Claude wrote the email but it doesn't sound like our other emails"
You probably didn't name a specific agent. Claude used Octave data but applied its own judgment on tone and structure. Name the agent: run the [Agent Name] email agent for...
"I don't know which agent to use"
Ask Claude: Using Octave, list all my email agents. It'll show you what's available and what each one is configured for.
"Claude gave me generic information, not my team's content"
Octave might not be connected. Check Settings → Connectors and make sure Octave shows as configured. You can also ask: Using Octave, verify my connection.
"I want Claude to use a specific playbook"
Say so explicitly: Using Octave, use the [Playbook Name] playbook to write an email for...
What's the simplest thing I can tell my team to get them started?
All our latest messaging, positioning, competitive intel, and playbooks live in Octave. When you're writing anything GTM-related in Claude, start your prompt with "using Octave" and Claude will pull the latest source of truth from Octave.
Plugin Skills
The LFGTM plugin adds 36 guided /octave:* commands on top of the raw MCP connection. Each one orchestrates the right Octave tools into a complete GTM workflow, so you type one command instead of chaining tool calls by hand.
Install from GitHub (LFGTM) · Claude Code
Skills vs. the raw connection
The MCP connection is the engine: the raw tools Claude calls to read and write your library. Skills are the dashboard: pre-built commands that already know which tools to call, and in what order, for a specific job. You do not need skills to use Octave, but they make multi-step work far faster.