Making a shop queryable and operable by an AI assistant
Setting up an MCP server that exposes a shop's catalogue, orders or stock as tools an AI assistant can call is still a recent type of project, but demand for it is growing fast.
The typical need
More and more teams use AI assistants internally to query their data or trigger routine actions, without switching back to the back-office interface every time. The typical need is to expose certain shop functions — checking stock, looking up an order, getting a delivery status — in a form the assistant can call directly, rather than having a person hop between tools for every check.
How I approach this kind of need
The MCP (Model Context Protocol) standardises how an AI assistant can discover and call tools exposed by an external system. In practice, I define a set of tools matching precise actions or queries on the shop — never generic, uncontrolled access to the database — with a clear description of what it does and its limits for each tool.
The most decisive question is around permissions: which actions can an assistant carry out on its own, and which need to stay read-only or require human confirmation. Looking up stock or an order carries little risk; changing a price or cancelling an order via an assistant needs a much stricter framework, with systematic logging of every call to keep full traceability of what the assistant actually did.
Factors that affect the quote
-
Number of tools exposed
Exposing three simple lookups is quicker than a broad set covering catalogue, orders, stock and write actions.
-
Level of write access allowed
Read-only tools sharply limit risk and the securing work compared with tools able to modify data.
-
Authentication requirements
Internal use restricted to a handful of people is simpler to secure than access meant for several profiles with different rights.
-
Call volume and frequency
Occasional use is handled differently from heavy use, which needs particular attention to the performance of the exposed tools.
MCP server by platform
Frequently asked questions
Does an MCP server give full access to the database?
Can this access be limited to certain people?
What happens if the AI assistant makes a mistake?
Does this kind of integration work with any AI assistant?
Describe your need in one minute
A few targeted questions so I can reply with an estimate rather than another questionnaire.