Build Act CRM-Powered Applications in Claude Code with CData Code Assist MCP

Claude Code is an AI-powered command line tool that enables agentic coding workflows. With support for MCP, Claude Code can connect to local tools and enterprise data sources directly from your terminal, enabling natural language interaction with live systems without switching context.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting LLM clients to external services through structured tool interfaces. MCP servers expose capabilities such as schema discovery and live querying, allowing AI agents to retrieve and reason over real-time data safely and consistently.

The following steps cover installing the CData Code Assist MCP for Act CRM, configuring the connection to Act CRM, connecting the Code Assist MCP add-on to Claude Code, and querying live Act CRM data from within the terminal.

Step 1: Download and install the CData Code Assist MCP for Act CRM

1. To begin, download the CData Code Assist MCP for Act CRM 👁 Downloading the CData Code Assist MCP add-on installer
   
2. Find and double-click the installer to begin the installation
3. Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the installation 👁 Completing the CData Code Assist MCP add-on installation
   

When the installation is complete, you are ready to configure your Code Assist MCP add-on by connecting to Act CRM.

Step 2: Configure the connection to Act CRM

1. After installation, open the CData Code Assist MCP for Act CRM configuration wizard 👁 The CData Code Assist MCP add-on configuration wizard
   

   NOTE: If the wizard does not open automatically, search for "CData Code Assist MCP for Act CRM" in the Windows search bar and open the application.

   👁 Opening the CData Code Assist MCP add-on configuration wizard (Google Sheets is shown).
   
2. In MCP Configuration > Configuration Name, either select an existing configuration or choose to create a new one 👁 Creating a new configuration
   
3. Name the configuration (e.g. "cdata_actcrm") and click OK 👁 Naming the configuration
   

4. Enter the appropriate connection properties in the configuration wizard

   The and properties, under the Authentication section, must be set to valid Act! user credentials. In addition to the authentication values, see the following:

   • Connecting to Act! Premium

     In addition to the authentication values, the to Act! is also required; for example https://eup1-iis-04.eu.hosted.act.com/.

     Additionally, you must specify the you will connect to. This is found by going to the About Act! Premium menu of your account, at the top right of the page, in the ? menu. Use the Database Name in the window that appears.

   • Connecting to Act! Premium Cloud

     To connect to your Act! Premium Cloud account, you also need to specify the property. This property is found in the URL address of the Cloud account; for example https://eup1-iis-04.eu.hosted.act.com/ActCloudName/.

   Note that retrieving ActCRM metadata can be expensive. It is advised that you set the property to store the metadata locally.

   👁 Configuring the Code Assist MCP add-on connection
   
5. Click Connect to authenticate with Act CRM
6. Then, click Save Configuration to save the Code Assist MCP add-on 👁 Saving the Code Assist MCP add-on configuration
   

This process creates a .mcp configuration file that Claude Code will reference when launching the Code Assist MCP add-on. Now with your Code Assist MCP add-on configured, you are ready to connect it to Claude Code.

Step 3: Connect the Code Assist MCP add-on to Claude Code

1. Install the Claude Code CLI using the terminal
2. Open the Claude Code configuration file at ~/.config/claude-code/config.json (or the location shown after initialization)

Option 1: Manually add the MCP configuration

1. Open the mcp.json file in your preferred editor
2. Add the code shown below

{
"mcpServers" : {
 "cdata_actcrm" : {
 "type" : "stdio",
 "command" : "C:\Program Files\CData\CData Code Assist MCP for Act CRM\jre\bin\java.exe",
 "args" : [ "-Dfile.encoding=UTF-8", "-jar", "C:\Program Files\CData\CData Code Assist MCP for Act CRM/lib/cdata.mcp.actcrm.jar", "cdata_actcrm" ], 
 "env" : {}
 }
}
}

NOTE: The command value should point to your Java 17+ java.exe executable, and the JAR path should point to the installed CData Code Assist MCP add-on .jar file. The final argument must match the MCP configuration name you saved in the CData configuration wizard (e.g. "cdata_actcrm").

Option 2: Copy the MCP configuration from the CData Code Assist MCP for Act CRM UI

1. After saving and testing your connection in the configuration wizard, click Next
👁 Selecting 'Next'

2. Select Claude Code from the AI MCP Tool dropdown
👁 Choosing the required AI MCP tool

3. Click Copy JSON to copy the generated MCP configuration to your clipboard
👁 Copying the MCP configuration

4. Paste the copied JSON into the mcp.json file

Step 4: Verify connection in Claude Code

Claude Code provides tools to verify the connection is active before building.

1. Open a terminal and navigate to your project directory. Run the command claude mcp list
2. Check that your configuration name appears with a Connected status
👁 Checking the connection status

3. Start Claude Code by running claude
4. Inside the Claude Code session, type /mcp to view active servers 👁 Viewing active MCP servers
   

Step 5: Query live Act CRM data in Claude Code

With the connection verified, you can now use natural language prompts to query and work with live Act CRM data.

1. Prompt Claude Code to review the instructions for your MCP connection to ensure it has all the appropriate context when writing code 👁 Reviewing MCP connection instructions
   
2. Start building with natural language prompts! For example:

   For my project, data from the Activities is very important. Pull data from the most important columns like ActivityDisplayName and Subject.

Claude Code will use the MCP add-on to connect to Act CRM, retrieve the requested data, and provide results directly in your terminal

Build with Code Assist MCP. Deploy with CData Drivers.

Download Code Assist MCP for free and give your AI tools schema-aware access to live Act CRM data during development. When you're ready to move to production, CData Act CRM Drivers deliver the same SQL-based access with enterprise-grade performance, security, and reliability.

Visit the CData Community to share insights, ask questions, and explore what's possible with MCP-powered AI workflows.