Documentation

What is a public brain?

A public brain is a curated knowledge base that any AI assistant can query via MCP (Model Context Protocol). You create it, fill it with your knowledge — notes, documents, decisions, expertise — and share your MCP link. When someone connects your brain to their AI tool, their assistant can search it semantically and get precise answers from your content.

How do I create a brain?

Sign up at altbrain.io, claim your handle (like @yourname), and create a new brain. Give it a name and description, then start adding content. You can upload documents, paste text, add notes, or import existing files. Your content is indexed and searchable instantly.

What can I put in a brain?

Anything you know and want to share. Common content types include: text notes and memos, PDF documents, research papers, code snippets, architecture decisions, meeting transcripts, curriculum materials, how-to guides, and FAQ collections. Think of it as publishing your expertise in a format AI can understand.

How do people connect to my brain?

Share your MCP link. Each brain has a unique endpoint that any MCP-compatible AI tool can connect to. In Claude.ai, users go to Settings → Connected Apps. In Cursor or Windsurf, they add it to their MCP settings. The connection takes seconds — once added, their AI can query your brain in every conversation.

What file types are supported?

How does search work?

When someone queries your brain, the system uses hybrid search — combining semantic search (understanding the meaning of the question) with full-text keyword search. Results are returned in under 300 milliseconds. Your content is indexed using vector embeddings, which means the AI doesn’t just match keywords — it understands context and meaning.

Can I see who’s using my brain?

On the Pro plan, you get query analytics showing how many times your brain has been queried, what questions are being asked, and which content is most accessed. This helps you understand what your audience cares about and what content to add next.

Can I embed my brain on my website?

Yes. Add a single script tag to your website and visitors can query your brain right there. The widget is lightweight, customizable, and links back to your brain’s profile page. It works like embedding a YouTube video — one line of code.

How is my content stored?

Your content is stored in the EU (Ireland and Netherlands) using encrypted storage. Vector embeddings — mathematical representations used for search — are stored separately from your original text. We don’t train on your content. You can export or delete everything at any time.

How is this different from Google Docs or Notion?

Three key differences. First, curation: you choose exactly what goes in, creating a focused knowledge base rather than a messy document dump. Second, cross-platform portability: your brain works with any AI tool via MCP, not locked to one ecosystem. Third, AI-native queryability: assistants search semantically and get precise answers, not just links to long documents.

What does MCP mean?

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol — an open standard for connecting AI assistants to external data sources. It’s supported by Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Windsurf, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, and many other tools. When you create a brain on AltBrain, it automatically becomes an MCP server that any compatible tool can connect to.

Supported platforms

Public brains work with any MCP-compatible AI tool. Here are the platforms we've confirmed:

MCP endpoint

The MCP server endpoint for all public brains is:

https://www.altbrain.io/api/altbrain/mcp

Need help? Contact us at support@altbrain.io