About Audience Planner MCP
The Commerce Grid Audience Planner Model Context Protocol (MCP) connects Criteo Commerce Grid Audience Planner to an approved AI environment, so eligible advertisers and agencies turn campaign briefs into audience strategies using natural language.
This article explains what MCP is, how it can be used with Commerce Grid Audience Planner, and how Criteo thinks about security, permissions, and human oversight.
What is MCP?
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It is an open industry standard that helps AI assistants connect to external systems, such as Criteo Commerce Grid Audience Planner.
Think of MCP as a secure connection between your AI assistant and Criteo. It allows the assistant to use the Criteo capabilities that have been made available to it.
For example, instead of logging in to the Criteo Commerce Grid UI, planners can build and refine audience strategies faster, with less tool-switching, straight from their own AI workflows.
MCP is not a new replacement for Commerce Grid, and it is not a replacement for Criteo APIs. It is an additional way to work with Commerce Grid Audience Planner through an approved AI environment.
How can MCP help?
Audience Planner MCP helps agency planners, campaign teams, curators, and account teams turn campaign briefs into Commerce Grid audience plans through an AI assistant.
Depending on your organization’s access and capabilities, you can use it to:
Turn a campaign brief into recommended audience segments.
Explore audience insights to compare and refine recommendations.
Review forecasting signals to inform planning decisions.
Create and manage reusable audience-planning briefs.
Ask follow-up questions and refine the plan conversationally.
Audience Planner MCP can reduce manual research and platform navigation, helping teams move from campaign objectives to actionable audience plans more efficiently.
Scope note: The current phase supports audience planning. It does not create supply packages or deal IDs, or execute activation in a DSP.
How Criteo Thinks About MCP
Trusted access
MCP access is controlled by permissions and authorization. An AI assistant can only use the Commerce Grid 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 Grid. 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 Grid and existing Criteo integration options. Teams can continue to use the Commerce Grid platform and other supported workflows according to their needs.
Note: Using AI Tools with Criteo
When you connect your own AI assistant or agent to the Criteo platform (including via MCP), please keep the following in mind.
AI-generated outputs — reporting summaries, recommendations, campaign settings, targeting or budget suggestions — may be inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date. Treat them as suggestions and review them before you act.
Anything done through the connection, including creating or funding campaigns and the spend that follows, counts as your action and is your responsibility, whether a person or your AI agent initiated it. That includes keeping your credentials secure, deciding what permissions to grant, and making sure your campaigns and creatives comply with applicable law and Criteo's policies.
Criteo doesn't provide or control your AI tool or its model provider and gives no warranty for them. Connecting them means your Criteo data leaves our platform, so please make sure you have the rights to share it.
Criteo gives no warranty as to AI outputs and is not liable for decisions made in reliance on them, subject to the limits in your agreement with us.
What You Need to Get Started
To use the Commerce Grid Audience Planner MCP, your organization needs:
A compatible AI client. Use an AI environment that supports MCP connections, such as Claude.
Authorized Commerce Grid access. You need a Curator account for Commerce Grid, plus the OAuth credentials and permissions required to connect to Audience Planner. Read access supports exploring briefs and recommendations; creating or modifying audience plans requires corresponding permissions.
A focused planning use case. Start with a campaign brief and ask for recommended audiences, insights, or forecast signals to inform the plan.
Audience Planner MCP helps with audience planning for activation in 60+ DSPs. Creating supply packages or deal IDs and executing activation in a DSP are outside the current scope.
Common Questions
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 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 gathering information and building audience plans. 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.
Next Steps
To learn whether MCP is available for your organization and to discuss the appropriate use cases, contact your Criteo representative.