Recipes

AI-Powered Writing Assistant with MCP

The NextGen documentation is still under construction.

Supercharge your AI assistant with professional-grade content analysis. The Acrolinx MCP Integration seamlessly integrates with MCP clients like Claude Desktop and Cursor, giving you instant access to enterprise-level writing improvement tools directly in your AI-powered workflows.

💻 View on GitHub
Explore the source code and contribute to development

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that enables AI assistants to access external tools and services. By installing the Acrolinx MCP server, you give your AI assistant the ability to:

  • ✏️ Rewrite text for clarity and professionalism
  • 📊 Analyze content quality across multiple dimensions
  • 💡 Get specific suggestions for improvement
  • 🎯 Ensure tone consistency throughout your writing

When to Use This Integration

The MCP server bridges the gap between AI capabilities and enterprise content standards. It’s ideal when you need:

  • LLM-Powered Content Creation - Generate content with your AI assistant while ensuring it meets professional standards
  • AI Writing Enhancement - Transform raw AI output into polished, brand-compliant content in real-time
  • Automated Quality Control - Let your LLM automatically check and improve content during generation
  • Context-Aware Improvements - Your AI assistant understands your style guides and applies them consistently
  • Seamless Workflow Integration - No copy-pasting or manual checks—everything happens within your AI conversation

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • An MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, or similar)
  • An Acrolinx NextGen API key (request beta access)

Quick Setup Guide

1

Get Your API Key

First, you’ll need an Acrolinx API key:

  1. Request beta access if you haven’t already
  2. Check your email for your API key
  3. Keep it handy—you’ll need it in the next step
2

Configure Your MCP Client

Open your MCP client configuration:

For Claude Desktop (macOS):

  1. Open Claude Desktop
  2. Click Claude → Settings → Developer → Edit Config

For Claude Desktop (Windows):

  1. Open Claude Desktop
  2. Click the three-dot menu → Settings → Developer → Edit Config

For Cursor:

  1. Open Cursor Settings (Cmd/Ctrl + ,)
  2. Search for “MCP” in settings
  3. Click “Edit in settings.json”
  4. Add to the mcpServers section
3

Add the MCP Server

In the configuration file, add the Acrolinx MCP server:

1{
2  "mcpServers": {
3    "acrolinx": {
4      "command": "npx",
5      "args": [
6        "-y",
7        "github:acrolinx/nextgen-mcp"
8      ],
9      "env": {
10        "ACROLINX_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
11      }
12    }
13  }
14}

Replace "your-api-key-here" with your actual Acrolinx API key. The configuration automatically downloads and runs the latest version—no manual installation needed!

4

Restart Your MCP Client

  1. Save the configuration file
  2. Completely quit your MCP client (not just close the window)
  3. Reopen your MCP client
  4. Look for the 🔌 icon or MCP indicator—this confirms MCP is connected!
5

Test Your Setup

Try these commands to verify everything is working:

"Can you help me rewrite this for clarity: 'The implementation of the new system will necessitate significant modifications to existing protocols.'"
"Please check this text for quality issues: 'Remote work has fundamentally transformed how organiztions operate in the modern busness landscape.'"

You should see your AI assistant using Acrolinx tools to analyze and improve the text!

Available Tools

Once configured, your AI assistant has access to four powerful Acrolinx tools:

1. Rewrite Text (acrolinx_rewrite)

Automatically improves your text for clarity and professionalism.

Example:

User: "Rewrite this for better clarity: 'The utilization of advanced methodologies facilitates enhanced operational efficiency.'"
Assistant: I'll rewrite that text for better clarity using Acrolinx.
[Uses acrolinx_rewrite tool]
Here's the improved version: "Using advanced methods improves how we work."

2. Check Quality (acrolinx_check)

Analyzes your content across multiple quality dimensions.

Example:

User: "Check the quality of this paragraph about our new product launch."
Assistant: I'll analyze the quality of your paragraph using Acrolinx.
[Uses acrolinx_check tool]
Quality Analysis:
- Overall Quality: 78/100
- Grammar: 92/100
- Clarity: 71/100
- Tone Consistency: 85/100

3. Get Suggestions (acrolinx_suggestions)

Provides detailed, actionable improvements for your text.

Example:

User: "What specific improvements can I make to this email?"
Assistant: Let me get detailed suggestions for improving your email.
[Uses acrolinx_suggestions tool]
Here are the top suggestions:
1. Replace "utilize" with "use" (simpler language)
2. Change "at this point in time" to "now" (conciseness)
3. Fix spelling: "recieve" → "receive"

4. Check Workflow Status (acrolinx_workflow_status)

Monitors the progress of asynchronous content analysis tasks.

Configuration Options

You can customize the MCP server behavior with additional environment variables:

1{
2  "mcpServers": {
3    "acrolinx": {
4      "command": "npx",
5      "args": ["-y", "github:acrolinx/nextgen-mcp"],
6      "env": {
7        "ACROLINX_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
8        "MAX_TEXT_LENGTH": "100000",
9        "WORKFLOW_TIMEOUT": "60000"
10      }
11    }
12  }
13}

Style and Tone Options

The MCP server supports various writing styles and tones:

Tones:

  • academic - Formal, scholarly writing
  • business - Professional business communication
  • conversational - Relaxed, conversational style

Dialects:

  • american_english - US English
  • british_english - UK English
  • canadian_english - Canadian English

Style Guides:

  • AP - Associated Press style
  • chicago - Chicago Manual of Style
  • microsoft - Microsoft Writing Style Guide

Real-World Use Cases

📧 Email Enhancement

"Help me rewrite this email to sound more professional while keeping it friendly"

📄 Document Review

"Check this technical documentation for clarity and consistency"

💼 Business Proposals

"Analyze this proposal and suggest improvements for a more confident tone"

📝 Blog Posts

"Review this blog post for grammar and readability issues"

Troubleshooting

  1. Ensure you saved the configuration file
  2. Completely quit your MCP client (cmd+Q on Mac, not just closing the window)
  3. Reopen your MCP client
  4. Check that your API key is correctly formatted in the config
  1. Verify your API key is correct (no extra spaces or quotes)
  2. Ensure you have beta access to the Acrolinx NextGen API
  3. Check that the API key is properly quoted in the JSON configuration
  1. Check your internet connection
  2. Ensure the text isn’t exceeding the maximum length (100,000 characters by default)

For advanced users who prefer local installation:

$# Clone the repository
>git clone https://github.com/acrolinx/nextgen-mcp.git
>cd nextgen-mcp
>
># Install dependencies
>npm install
>
># Create .env file with your API key
>echo "ACROLINX_API_KEY=your-key-here" > .env
>
># Build the project
>npm run build
>
># Update your MCP client config to point to local installation

Then update your MCP client config to use the local path:

1{
2  "mcpServers": {
3    "acrolinx": {
4      "command": "node",
5      "args": ["/path/to/nextgen-mcp/dist/index.js"],
6      "env": {
7        "ACROLINX_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
8      }
9    }
10  }
11}

Tips for Success

Quick Commands: Start your requests with action words like “rewrite,” “check,” or “analyze” to help your AI assistant understand you want to use Acrolinx tools.

Batch Processing: You can check multiple pieces of text in a single conversation—your AI assistant will handle them sequentially.

Context Matters: Specify your intended audience or purpose (e.g., “for a technical audience” or “for a sales email”) to get more targeted suggestions.

Next Steps

Now that you have Acrolinx integrated with your MCP client:

  1. Experiment with different text types and see how Acrolinx improves them
  2. Customize the tone and style settings for your specific needs
  3. Share your experience and contribute to the open-source project

Learn More

Ready to transform your writing? Install the Acrolinx MCP server now and experience AI-powered content improvement at your fingertips!