Qlik MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects AI assistants like Claude, ChatGPT, and other LLMs to your Qlik Cloud and Qlik Sense Enterprise environments. Supports both stdio (Claude Desktop) and Streamable HTTP (ChatGPT) transports with optional Azure OpenAI / OpenAI LLM backends.

Own your AI. Create your own way to interact with your data.

Features

• 59 MCP Tools (Cloud) / 9 tools (On-Premise)

• Multi-Client Support - Claude Desktop (stdio), ChatGPT (HTTP transport), VS Code

• Dual Platform Support - Qlik Cloud and Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise)

• Multi-LLM Backend - Claude (Anthropic), Azure OpenAI, OpenAI

• Natural Language Analytics - Ask questions about your data in plain English

• Full Lifecycle Management - Apps, reloads, users, spaces, sheets, bookmarks

• AI/ML Integration - AutoML experiments, Qlik Answers assistants

• Business Glossary & Data Products - Glossary management, dataset stewardship

• Enterprise Governance - Users, roles, permissions, compliance

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ - Download from nodejs.org

• Claude Desktop - Download from claude.ai/download

• Qlik Cloud tenant OR Qlik Sense Enterprise server

Step 1: Download the MCP Server

Windows (Recommended)

1. Download the ZIP file from GitHub:

   • Go to: https://github.com/undsoul/qlik-claude-mcp

   • Click green "Code" button → "Download ZIP"

2. *Extract to C:* (recommended for simple paths):

   • Right-click the downloaded ZIP → Extract All

   • Extract to: C:\

   • You should now have: C:\qlik-claude-mcp-main\

3. Open PowerShell and install dependencies:

   cd C:\qlik-claude-mcp-main
   npm install

macOS / Linux

git clone https://github.com/undsoul/qlik-claude-mcp.git
cd qlik-claude-mcp
npm install

Step 2: Install Claude Desktop

1. Download Claude Desktop from claude.ai/download

2. Install and sign in with your Anthropic account

Step 3: Get Your Qlik API Key

For Qlik Cloud:

1. Log in to your Qlik Cloud tenant

2. Click your profile icon (top right) → Profile settings

3. Go to API keys section

4. Click Generate new key

5. Copy and save the API key (you won't see it again!)

For Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise):

1. Open QMC → Start → Certificates

2. Add a machine name (e.g., MCP-Client)

3. Click Export certificates

4. Important settings:

   • Certificate file format: Choose PEM format (not Windows format)

   • Check Include secret key

5. Export and save the files:

   • client.pem - Client certificate

   • client_key.pem - Private key

6. Note the paths where you saved these files

Step 4: Configure Claude Desktop

Open Config File (Easiest Way)

1. Open Claude Desktop

2. Click Settings (gear icon) or File menu

3. Click "Edit Config" or "Settings" → "Developer" → "Edit Config"

4. This opens claude_desktop_config.json in your default text editor

5. Paste the configuration below and Save (Ctrl+S)

Config file location:

• Windows: C:\Users\{YourName}\AppData\Roaming\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Qlik Cloud Examples

Windows:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-mcp-os": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/qlik-claude-mcp-main/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://your-tenant.eu.qlikcloud.com",
        "QLIK_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

macOS:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-mcp-os": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/yourname/qlik-claude-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://your-tenant.us.qlikcloud.com",
        "QLIK_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise) Examples

Step 1: Export Certificates from QMC

1. Open Qlik Management Console (QMC)

2. Go to Certificates under Configure System

3. Click Export certificates

4. Enter machine name (e.g., your server hostname)

5. Check Include secret key

6. Export format: Platform independent PEM-format

7. Click Export - saves to: C:\ProgramData\Qlik\Sense\Repository\Exported Certificates\<machinename>\

The folder will contain:

• client.pem - Client certificate

• client_key.pem - Client private key

• root.pem - Root CA certificate

Step 2: Configure Claude Desktop

Windows:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-onprem": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/qlik-claude-mcp-main/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://qlik-server.company.com",
        "QLIK_DEPLOYMENT": "on-premise",
        "QLIK_CERT_PATH": "C:/ProgramData/Qlik/Sense/Repository/Exported Certificates/YourServer",
        "QLIK_USER_DIRECTORY": "COMPANY",
        "QLIK_USER_ID": "administrator"
      }
    }
  }
}

macOS/Linux:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-onprem": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/yourname/qlik-claude-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://qlik-server.company.com",
        "QLIK_DEPLOYMENT": "on-premise",
        "QLIK_CERT_PATH": "/path/to/exported-certificates",
        "QLIK_USER_DIRECTORY": "DOMAIN",
        "QLIK_USER_ID": "administrator"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note:

• QLIK_CERT_PATH is the folder containing client.pem, client_key.pem, and root.pem

• QLIK_USER_DIRECTORY and QLIK_USER_ID specify which user to act as (e.g., DOMAIN\administrator)

• The user must have appropriate access rights in QMC

Multi-Tenant & Hybrid Configurations

You can configure multiple MCP servers in the same config file to connect to different Qlik environments simultaneously. This supports:

• Multiple Qlik Cloud tenants (e.g., Dev, Test, Prod)

• Multiple On-Premise servers

• Hybrid setups (Cloud + On-Premise together)

Example: Two Cloud Tenants + One On-Premise:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-cloud-dev": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/qlik-claude-mcp-main/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://dev-tenant.eu.qlikcloud.com",
        "QLIK_API_KEY": "dev-api-key-here"
      }
    },
    "qlik-cloud-prod": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/qlik-claude-mcp-main/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://prod-tenant.eu.qlikcloud.com",
        "QLIK_API_KEY": "prod-api-key-here"
      }
    },
    "qlik-onprem": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/qlik-claude-mcp-main/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://qlik-server.company.com",
        "QLIK_DEPLOYMENT": "on-premise",
        "QLIK_CERT_PATH": "C:/ProgramData/Qlik/Sense/Repository/Exported Certificates/MyServer",
        "QLIK_USER_DIRECTORY": "COMPANY",
        "QLIK_USER_ID": "administrator"
      }
    }
  }
}

Each server appears as a separate MCP connection in Claude Desktop. You can specify which environment to use when asking questions:

• "Using qlik-cloud-dev, list all apps"

• "On qlik-onprem, trigger reload for Sales Dashboard"

ChatGPT / HTTP Transport

To use with ChatGPT or other HTTP-based LLM clients, set MCP_TRANSPORT to http or both:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-mcp-http": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/qlik-claude-mcp-main/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://your-tenant.eu.qlikcloud.com",
        "QLIK_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
        "MCP_TRANSPORT": "http",
        "MCP_HTTP_PORT": "3000"
      }
    }
  }
}

The server exposes a Streamable HTTP endpoint at http://localhost:3000/mcp with:

• POST /mcp - JSON-RPC request/response

• GET /mcp - Server-Sent Events (SSE) streaming

• DELETE /mcp - Session cleanup

• GET /health - Health check

Use MCP_TRANSPORT=both to serve both stdio (Claude Desktop) and HTTP (ChatGPT) simultaneously.

Step 5: Build the MCP Server

After saving your config, go back to PowerShell (Windows) or Terminal (macOS) and run:

Windows

npm run build

macOS / Linux

npm run build

Verify build succeeded - you should see dist/index.js created.

Step 6: Restart Claude Desktop

1. Quit Claude Desktop completely (not just close the window)

   • macOS: Right-click Claude in menu bar → Quit

   • Windows: Right-click Claude in system tray → Exit

2. Reopen Claude Desktop

3. Start a new conversation and try: "Check my Qlik health"

Verify It's Working

In Claude Desktop, type:

Check my Qlik environment health

You should see Claude use the qlik_health_check tool and return your tenant status.

Tool Capabilities (59 Tools)

On-Premise Tools (9 tools — work on both Cloud & On-Premise)

Cloud-Only Tools (50 tools)

1. Governance (4) - Cloud Only

2. Reload & History (2) - Cloud Only

3. Spaces & Catalog (2) - Cloud Only

4. Lineage (2) - Cloud Only

5. Data & Selections (5) - Cloud Only

6. Master Items (4) - Cloud Only

7. Field Values (1) - Cloud Only

8. Data Connections (2) - Cloud Only

9. Bookmarks & Stories (3) - Cloud Only

10. App Generation (1)

Cloud Workflow

On Qlik Cloud, qlik_generate_app uses REST APIs to create apps and trigger reloads asynchronously.

Cloud Example Prompts:

Typical Cloud Workflow:

1. Create app with inline data:

   "Create a Qlik app called 'Sales Analysis' with sample data
   for products, regions, and sales amounts"

2. Create app using existing dataset:

   "Create a Qlik app that loads from the 'Sales.qvd' dataset
   in my Data space"

3. Update existing app:

   "Update app abc-123 with a new load script that adds
   a calculated field for profit margin"

Cloud Data Connection Note: On Cloud, data connections are managed via the Qlik Cloud hub or Spaces. Use qlik_search with types: ["dataconnection"] to find existing connections, then reference them in your load script using LIB CONNECT TO.

On-Premise Workflow (Engine API)

On Qlik Sense Enterprise, the tool uses the Engine API via WebSocket (port 4747) with certificate authentication:

1. Create App - Global.CreateApp()

2. Create Data Connection (optional) - Doc.CreateConnection()

3. Set Load Script - Doc.SetScript()

4. Execute Reload - Doc.DoReload()

5. Save App - Doc.DoSave()

On-Premise Example Prompts:

Typical On-Premise Workflow:

1. Discover data sources:

   "What ODBC data sources are available on the Qlik server?"

2. Explore existing app connections:

   "List the data connections in the Sales Dashboard app"

3. Create app with data:

   "Create a new Qlik app called 'Customer Analysis' that connects to
   the folder C:\QlikData and loads customers.csv"

Discovery Parameters:

// List available ODBC data sources on the server
{ "listOdbcDsns": true }

// List connections in an existing app
{ "appId": "abc-123", "listConnections": true }

On-Premise Data Connection Examples:

Folder Connection:

{
  "appName": "SalesReport",
  "dataConnection": {
    "connectionName": "SalesData",
    "connectionType": "folder",
    "connectionString": "C:\\Data\\Sales\\"
  },
  "loadScript": "LOAD * FROM [lib://SalesData/sales.csv] (txt, codepage is 1252, embedded labels, delimiter is ',', msq);"
}

ODBC Connection:

{
  "appName": "SQLReport",
  "dataConnection": {
    "connectionName": "SQLServer",
    "connectionType": "ODBC",
    "connectionString": "DSN=MyDSN",
    "username": "user",
    "password": "pass"
  },
  "loadScript": "LIB CONNECT TO 'SQLServer';\nSQL SELECT * FROM Sales;"
}

Note: On-premise uses Engine API (port 4747) with certificate auth. Ensure certificates are properly exported from QMC.

11. Sheets & Visualization (2) - Cloud Only

12. Automation (4) - Cloud Only

13. Alerts (4) - Cloud Only

14. Qlik Answers (3) - Cloud Only

15. AutoML (4) - Cloud Only

16. Business Glossary (5) - Cloud Only

17. Datasets & Data Products (3) - Cloud Only

Usage Examples

Basic Queries

You: "Check the health of my Qlik Cloud tenant"
Claude: [Uses qlik_health_check] Your tenant is healthy...

You: "List all spaces"
Claude: [Uses qlik_get_spaces_catalog] Found 57 spaces...

You: "Search for users named John"
Claude: [Uses qlik_search_users] Found 3 users matching 'John'...

App Analysis

You: "Show me the details of my Sales Dashboard app"
Claude: [Uses qlik_app_details] App: Sales Dashboard, Owner: admin...

You: "Get the full context of the app - tables, fields, measures"
Claude: [Uses qlik_app_context] The app has 5 tables, 45 fields,
       12 master measures, 8 master dimensions...

You: "Select USA in the Country field, then show me the current selections"
Claude: [Uses qlik_apply_selections, qlik_get_current_selections]
       Selection applied. Current selections: Country = USA

Reload Management

You: "Reload the Finance Dashboard"
Claude: [Uses qlik_trigger_app_reload] Reload started. Task ID: xyz...

You: "Check the reload status"
Claude: [Uses qlik_get_reload_status] Reload completed successfully...

You: "Get reload history for that app"
Claude: [Uses qlik_get_reload_info] Last 5 reloads shown...

AI/ML Features

You: "List all Qlik Answers assistants"
Claude: [Uses qlik_answers_list_assistants] Found 3 assistants...

You: "Ask the Sales Assistant: What were our top products last quarter?"
Claude: [Uses qlik_answers_ask_question] Based on the data,
       your top 5 products were...

You: "List AutoML experiments"
Claude: [Uses qlik_automl_get_experiments] Found 2 experiments...

Platform Support

Qlik Cloud

All 59 tools are available on Qlik Cloud.

Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise)

9 tools work on-premise: search, health check, app details, app context, reload, generate app, get script, and insight advisor.

Cloud-only features return informative messages:

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "This feature is only available on Qlik Cloud",
  "platform": "on-premise",
  "suggestion": "Alternative approach for on-premise..."
}

Cloud-Only Features (50 tools)

• Governance (4 tools)

• Reload & History (2 tools)

• Spaces & Catalog (2 tools)

• Lineage (2 tools)

• Data & Selections (5 tools)

• Master Items (4 tools)

• Field Values (1 tool)

• Data Connections (2 tools)

• Bookmarks & Stories (3 tools)

• Sheets & Visualization (2 tools)

• Automation (4 tools)

• Data Alerts (4 tools)

• Qlik Answers (3 tools)

• AutoML (4 tools)

• Business Glossary (5 tools)

• Datasets & Data Products (3 tools)

On-Premise Equivalents

Testing

Quick Smoke Test

export QLIK_TENANT_URL=https://your-tenant.qlikcloud.com
export QLIK_API_KEY=your-api-key
node test-cloud-quick.cjs

Full Handler Test

node test-mcp-handlers.mjs

Environment Variables

Core Settings

For Qlik Cloud:

For Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise):

Transport Settings (for ChatGPT / HTTP clients)

LLM Provider Settings (optional)

For Claude (Anthropic):

For Azure OpenAI:

For OpenAI:

*Required only when using that specific LLM provider

Troubleshooting

"Tool not found" Error

Ensure the MCP server is running and Claude Desktop was restarted after configuration.

Authentication Errors

Qlik Cloud:

• Verify your API key is valid and not expired

• Ensure the API key has appropriate permissions

Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise):

• Verify certificate paths are correct and files exist

• Ensure certificates were exported with the private key

• Check that the certificate hasn't expired

• Verify the machine name in the certificate matches your setup

"Cloud-only feature" Message

Some tools are only available on Qlik Cloud. The error message will suggest alternatives.

Connection Timeout

Check network connectivity to your Qlik server. Ensure firewalls allow the connection.

Empty MCP Server / Tools Not Showing

If Claude Desktop shows empty MCP server with no tools:

1. Check if dist/ folder exists:

   dir C:\qlik-claude-mcp-main\dist\

   If not, run npm run build first.

2. Check MCP server logs:

   type "$env:APPDATA\Claude\logs\mcp-server-qlik-mcp-os.log"

3. Fully restart Claude Desktop:

   • Close Claude Desktop

   • Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc)

   • Find "Claude" and click End Task

   • Reopen Claude Desktop

4. Verify config file location:

   type "$env:APPDATA\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json"

Server Hangs or Slow Response

If the server hangs or responds slowly, use optimized config with memory settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "qlik-mcp-os": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "--max-old-space-size=4096",
        "C:\\qlik-claude-mcp-main\\dist\\index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "QLIK_TENANT_URL": "https://your-tenant.qlikcloud.com",
        "QLIK_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
        "NODE_ENV": "production"
      }
    }
  }
}

"Cannot find module" Error

This means npm run build was not executed:

cd C:\qlik-claude-mcp-main
npm install
npm run build

Then restart Claude Desktop.

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐                          ┌─────────────────┐
│  Claude Desktop │──stdio──┐                │   Qlik Cloud    │
│                 │         │                │   (REST APIs)   │
└─────────────────┘         ▼                │                 │
                    ┌─────────────────┐      ├─────────────────┤
┌─────────────────┐ │   MCP Server    │─────▶│ Qlik Sense Ent. │
│  ChatGPT / Web  │ │                 │      │ (QRS + Engine)  │
│  LLM Clients    │ │  59 Tools       │◀─────└─────────────────┘
└────────┬────────┘ │  17 Categories  │
         │          └─────────────────┘
         └──HTTP────────────┘

Transports:

• stdio - Claude Desktop, VS Code (default)

• Streamable HTTP - ChatGPT, web-based clients (POST/GET/DELETE /mcp)

Qlik Cloud: REST APIs (/api/v1/*) with API key authentication

Qlik Sense Enterprise (On-Premise):

• QRS API (port 4242) - Management operations

• Engine API (port 4747) - App creation, scripts, data connections via WebSocket

LLM Backends (optional):

• Claude (Anthropic) | Azure OpenAI | OpenAI

Contributing

1. Fork the repository

2. Create a feature branch

3. Make your changes

4. Run tests: npm test

5. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues

• Documentation: See /docs folder

• Qlik Community: community.qlik.com

Built with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for seamless AI-analytics integration.