Set up Contexara in ChatGPT

Understand your connection

MCP exposes cognitive_intelligence for reading relevant memory and remember for saving it. Select Contexara and approve the host's tool permissions.

The Connected badge reflects server-confirmed hook capture, not continuous device health or an MCP-only connection. Capture, automatic injection and MCP reads/writes need separate checks.

Before you start

Sign in to Contexara, activate your plan and open Integrations. Manage credentials from API keys.

Your host account and administrator must allow custom remote MCP connections and write tools. OAuth authenticates your Contexara account without pasting a key into chat.

1. Connect MCP

Open ChatGPT Settings and enable Developer mode if allowed. The current official guide places it under Security and login. Open ChatGPT Plugins, choose the plus button and create a custom MCP connection. Some versions call this Apps or Connectors.

https://mcp.contexara.com/mcp

Enter the public HTTPS URL including /mcp. Use OAuth where offered, sign in to Contexara and approve access. Review the reading and writing tools, then add the connection to a new conversation. Write actions may require confirmation or be disabled by your administrator.

2. Test reading and saving

Use harmless sample data. Explicitly use Contexara, not the host's built-in memory, and check that the remember tool returns success.

Use Contexara's remember tool to save: my connection test phrase is amber-paper compass.

After processing, start a new chat with the connection enabled. Inspect the cognitive_intelligence tool call and returned result:

Use Contexara's cognitive_intelligence tool to recall my connection test phrase.

A matching answer alone is not evidence of a CTX call. If nothing is found, wait for processing, confirm the same account and project scope, and retry. This test does not automatically mark an MCP-only card Connected.

Manage and resume

Verified coding tools open their connection summary without generating a new key or capture test. Unfinished progress is saved for this account and tool on this browser for 30 days. Keys are never saved in browser storage. After a reload, reuse an existing key locally or continue to verification if already installed. Create a replacement only intentionally.

Close the wizard with ×. Manage or remove MCP in the host. Removing MCP does not uninstall hooks. Revoke unused keys from API keys. Follow the capture removal guide for hooks; deleting a folder alone does not remove scheduled tasks.

Troubleshooting

Capture: check the selected tool, fresh session, hook approval and recent delivery. MCP: check HTTPS reachability, /mcp, authentication, enabled tools and read/write permissions. Reauthenticate expired connectors rather than creating new hook keys.

If custom setup is missing, check your host plan and administrator policy. A read-only connector is not proof that saving works. Contact howdy@contexara.com with the version and redacted error, never your key.