A step-by-step guide to installing the Trendos MCPB extension in Claude Desktop and using it to monitor your brand's visibility across AI models.

What is Trendos for Claude?

Trendos for Claude is a Trendos extension - packaged as an MCPB (MCP Bundle) - that connects Claude directly to your Trendos workspace. Once installed, you can ask Claude questions like “How visible is our brand in AI answers this month?” or “Which pages are citing us, and who else do they mention?” and Claude will pull live answers from Trendos, without you needing to open a separate dashboard or copy data between tools. You can also draw graphics and comparisons, custom dashboards and pitches.

What is MCPB?

MCPB (short for “MCP Bundle”) is the packaging format Anthropic uses to distribute MCP servers - the connectors that give Claude access to outside tools and data - as a single installable file. An .mcpb file is similar in spirit to a browser extension: it bundles the Trendos connector and everything it needs to run, so you don't have to install Node.js or Python, edit configuration files, or manage dependencies yourself.

In practice, this means installing Trendos into Claude is a matter of opening one file and clicking a button. Claude Desktop takes care of running the connector, prompting you for any required settings (like your Trendos API key), and storing that information securely in your operating system's keychain.

What’s the difference between MCP and MCPB?

MCP and MCPB are related, but they serve different purposes.

• MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard that lets AI apps connect to tools and data. It defines how the AI app and the tool communicate.

• MCPB (MCP Bundle) is a way to package an MCP server and everything it needs into one easy-to-install bundle.

A simple way to think about it:

MCP is the language. MCPB is the package.

You use MCP to define how an AI connects to a tool, while MCPB makes it easier to distribute and install that tool.

Before you begin

You'll need:

• The Claude Desktop app installed on macOS or Windows, updated to the latest version (MCPB extensions are not available in the Claude web or mobile apps).

• The Trendos.mcpb file, downloaded from the GDrive - provided by your account manager. Or you can reach out to support@trendos.com to receive one.

• A Trendos API key. You can request it from your account manager or support@trendos.com

Installing the Trendos extension

1. Download the Trendos.mcpb file from the GDrive link your account manager shared with you.

2. Open the file. On most systems, double-clicking Trendos.mcpb launches Claude Desktop and starts the install automatically. If it doesn't, open Claude Desktop first, then drag the file onto the app window.

3. Claude Desktop will show an install prompt describing what the extension does and what it can access (for example, network access to reach Trendos). Review this and select Install.

4. When prompted, enter your Trendos API key. This is stored securely in your system's credential store (Keychain on macOS, Credential Manager on Windows) - it is not stored in plain text and Anthropic does not have access to it.

5. Once setup finishes, confirm the extension is listed and enabled under Settings → Extensions in Claude Desktop.

The exact wording and layout of these screens can change slightly between Claude Desktop releases. If a step looks different on your machine, the overall flow - open file, review permissions, install, enter your API key - stays the same.

Using Trendos inside Claude

Once installed and enabled, start a new conversation in Claude and simply ask about your brand in natural language. Claude will call the Trendos tools automatically when they're relevant. A few examples:

• “Track spotify.com in Trendos.” - starts monitoring a brand for the first time.

• “What's our brand visibility across AI models over the last 30 days?”

• “Which domains are citing us most, and are any competitors mentioned on those pages?”

• “How has sentiment toward our brand trended over the last quarter?”

• “What prompt groups are we being tracked against?”

You don't need to know which underlying tool answers each question - Claude selects the right one and cites the data it used in its response.

Removing the extension

To uninstall, open Settings → Extensions in Claude Desktop, find Trendos, and select Remove. This deletes the connector and its stored credentials from your machine; it does not affect your Trendos workspace or data.

Troubleshooting:

The .mcpb file won't open

Make sure you're using Claude Desktop (not the web app) and that it's updated to the latest version. Double-click the file, or drag it onto the Claude Desktop window.

"Extensions" isn't in Settings

Update Claude Desktop to the latest release. Extension support requires a recent version of the app.

Trendos tools don't appear in chat

Confirm the toggle next to Trendos is turned on in Settings → Extensions, then start a new conversation.

“Invalid API key” during setup

Copy the key again from your Trendos workspace (Settings → API Keys), watching for extra spaces, then click Configure on the Trendos extension card to re-enter it.

Claude says a brand isn't tracked

Ask Claude to track the brand first (e.g. “Track spotify.com in Trendos”), or add it from the Trendos dashboard.

N.B. If you want to use different client than Claude, refer to article here.