What is MCP and Why Does It Matter?

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It is an open industry standard that helps AI assistants connect to external systems, such as Criteo Commerce Max.

Think of MCP as a secure connection between your AI assistant and Criteo. It allows the assistant to use the Commerce Max capabilities that have been made available to it, while you continue to interact with your campaigns through natural-language questions.

For example, instead of manually navigating through reports, you could ask your AI assistant to summarize campaign performance for a specific period or help identify important changes in your results.

MCP is not a new replacement for Commerce Max, and it is not a replacement for Criteo APIs. It is an additional way to work with Commerce Max through an approved AI environment.

MCP is designed for advertisers, agencies, campaign managers, and account teams that want a simpler way to explore Commerce Max data and insights.

Depending on the access and capabilities available to your organization, MCP can help you:

• Understand which Commerce Max accounts and campaigns are available to you.

• Review campaign and line-item performance for a defined time period.

• Surface trends, changes, and potential areas for investigation.

• Ask follow-up questions and explore performance insights conversationally.

• Prepare summaries and reports more efficiently.

MCP is intended to reduce repetitive navigation and report-building, so teams can spend more time interpreting results and making informed decisions.

Trusted access

MCP access is controlled by permissions and authorization. An AI assistant can only use the Commerce Max capabilities and data that have been explicitly made available to the connected account.

Human judgment remains important

MCP can help teams find information and work through analysis more efficiently, but it does not replace strategic decision-making, brand oversight, or professional judgment.

Useful answers, not unrestricted access

MCP does not give an AI assistant unrestricted access to Commerce Max. It provides access to defined capabilities in a structured way, helping the assistant return relevant answers while maintaining control over what can be accessed.

Complementary to existing tools

MCP works alongside Commerce Max and existing Criteo integration options. Teams can continue to use the Commerce Max platform and other supported workflows according to their needs.

To use MCP with Commerce Max, your organization needs:

1. An approved AI environment. MCP works through compatible AI tools that support this type of connection.

2. Authorized Criteo access. Your organization must have the appropriate Criteo account access and credentials.

3. A clear first use case. Start with a focused workflow, such as reviewing campaign performance or preparing a summary for a defined time period.

Your Criteo representative can help confirm eligibility and explain the available connection process.

Is MCP a new Criteo product?
No. MCP is an open industry standard that allows AI assistants to connect to external systems. Criteo uses the standard to make selected Commerce Max capabilities available through approved AI environments.

Does MCP give AI tools unrestricted access to my data?
No. Access is controlled through authorization and permissions. An AI assistant can only use the data and capabilities made available to the connected account.

Does MCP replace my media team?
No. MCP helps reduce repetitive work, such as navigating reports and gathering information. Strategic decisions, brand oversight, and creative judgment remain with your team.

Can any AI tool connect to Criteo MCP?
No. Connections are controlled and limited to approved AI environments that meet Criteo's requirements.